Gospel Choir by Walter Hawkins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gospel Choir by Walter Hawkins - Essay Example Somehow Walter Hawkins managed to combine being an attentive pastor, a successful musician and a loving father. He got two kids from his marriage with Tramaine Hawkins. Even though their marriage was quite short, they remained friends and link-minded people. The album series â€Å"Love Alive† were very popular and their success was growing with each next recorded hits. The audience loved that Gospel singer for his counter tenor and it can be said that his voice was so powerful that it made him sound almost like an opera singer. The role of the Choir in Walter’s performances cannot be neglected   because some velvety texture was added to his singing.   The worship of God, expressed in such talented manner, made its work and carried the necessary message to his audience . People got silent listening to his songs as they were full of his energy and love that was felt by people. It was not important what languages were understood by his listeners because language of lov e had always been understood by everyone. Walter Hawkins got many awards for his talent. Grammy Award (he was nominated nine times), Dove Awards and Stellar Awards are the most prestigious among all of them.Walter was an exceptional man because he was the best in accomplishing each task that he had started. His main contribution was his dedication to people, either to those ones who entered his life for long, or those ones who crossed it for a while. His singing career enriched the whole musical world with jazz improvisation connected.

Limited War Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Limited War Strategy - Research Paper Example One of the important aspects of this war is the manner in which its history has been written. This paper shall look at two histories of the war-one written by Dwight Jon Zimmerman and the other by George Moss. The former is a graphic history and the latter is a conventional history written in the format of a textbook. These entail many differences in the kind of issues that they deal with and the emphases that they place on certain issues. George Moss’s account deals with issues of the policies that were adopted during the period from 1965 to 1967. The policies are what the emphasis is laid on and the methods used to illustrate these events are exactly that - illustrations. They are not looked at as events in themselves but as illustrations of larger political policies that were important at a certain point in history (Moss). However, in Zimmerman’s account, there is a fundamental difference. The emphasis is laid on the individual battles that were fought and the battal ions that were part of these particular battles (Zimmerman). This emphasis makes the history much more approachable and makes the history one that has characters who are very human rather than figures of political authority who do not seem to have a personality to speak of. This is a view of history that incorporates the views of the masses as well as opposed to one which is based exclusively on a textbook format. The episode that Zimmerman talks of where General Westmoreland and his men establish good relations with the villagers in Vietnam so as to take their interests into account while fighting battles seems to be included having taking into account the format of the book (Zimmerman). This episode can be depicted much better in a graphic format, and the portrayal of individual relations between the soldiers and the villagers that the author wishes to demonstrate works better through the graphic format that he adopts. In the case of George Moss, there is a description of the tuss le between Douglas MacArthur and Harry S. Truman (Moss). This exemplifies the spirit of the textbook where there is an understanding of history as it happened involving the larger players like the politicians. The understanding of history is from above rather than from below. This is not to say that the graphic format is the best. There is a great deal of the larger picture that is lost when the graphic method is employed. Political machinations and their effects on the people are usually lost in Zimmerman’s account. These can be better understood through Moss’s account through a description of the limited war theories that he explains in words. This loss is then sought to be made up through pictures but the political complexity of the war is lost to a certain extent. Zimmerman highlights certain sections of the text so as to capture the attention of the reader. Certain abbreviations like Combined Action Platoon (CAP) are printed in bold face (Zimmerman). This makes it clear that the aim of the narrative is not merely to entertain but also to educate. Such aspects of the narrative make it clear that graphic history and conventional textbook histories are meant to complement each other and not exist in isolation from each other. The illustrations serve the purpose of humanizing the entire narrative and also make it possible for younger readers to understand and know the details of the Vietnam War. There

Microfinance Institutions in Mediterranean Countries

Microfinance Institutions in Mediterranean Countries This paper examines empirically the relation between governance mechanisms and the performance of Euro-Mediterranean microfinance institutions (MFIs) in terms of outreach and sustainability. Specifically, we found that performance-based compensation of managers is not associated with better performance of MFIs. The results identify tradeoffs between MFIs outreach and sustainability depending on larger boards size, and on higher proportion of unaffiliated directors. Moreover, the study shows that the more women there are on a board the better the performance, and reveals that external governance mechanisms help MFIs to achieve better financial performance. This study also allows us to distinguish other factors leading to a better sustainability such as Regulation, the use of individual lending methodology. However, the MFIs active as NGOs seem to be more consistent with their social mission than with their financial performance. 1. Introduction Microfinance is the provision of financial and non financial services to the poor who are excluded from financial/credit markets because they are considered unbankable. Indeed, microfinance institutions has evolved primarily as a consequence of the efforts individuals and assistance agencies committed to the idea of ensuring that the poor people has access to some form of credit. The majority of MFIs claims having a dual mission of reaching poor borrowers (outreach), and being financially sustainable (sustainability). While the social goals of reaching the poorest and poverty alleviation are valid, financial sustainability has emerged as one of the core management and governance issues. The shrinking resources base for donor funds to support the increasing demand for grants and soft loans implies that MFIs will eventually have to support themselves (Ledgerwood, 2000). However, their sustainability will focus on governance structures within the industry. Indeed, as M Labie (2000) observes, in the last decade corporate governance principles have imposed themselves as the basic rules for any well Run Company to follow. The trend has however transcended from traditional business companies but is now part of the globalization process often seen as a tool for standardizing the controlling vision for any major organization in the world. The drive towards Governance has been propelled by a number of factors particularly the collapses of some of the major players in the Industry, the influx of private Equi ty and fall in donor funding. Governance is about achieving corporate goals. The fundamental purpose of MFIs is to contribute to a country development. This involves reaching out to more clients especially the poor (Helms, 2006; Johnson et al., 2006). Not least but now growing in importance especially among donors is the requirement that MFIs achieve financial sustainability. Microfinance practitioners assert that good governance is the key to a successful MFI (Campion, 1998; Rock, Otero Saltzman, 1998; Labie, 2001; CGAP, 2006; Helms, 2006; UN, 2006). In spite of these observations, only few studies have focused on governance and the examination of the linkage of various governance mechanisms and performance (McGuire, 1999). It seems relevant to examine closely the role of various governance mechanisms since MFIs managers control significant resources. Except the study of Hartarska (2005), and those of Mersland, Roy and Strà ¸m, Reidar Øystein (2007), and Cull et al., (2007), no more study attempt to shed light on the link between governance and performance especially in the Euro-Mediterranean countries although it is a very active zone with a microfinance industry quite diverse (NGO, NBFI, Bank) where actors should simultaneously pursue the most effective way of realizing their social objective while achieving superior levels of profitability. While exploiting recently conducted survey by the authors in order to study the efficiency of MFIs in Mediterranean countries, the annual financial reports of the microfinance institutions and other relevant information collected from Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), this paper aim to investigate the link between governance and Euro-Mediterranean MFIs performance in terms of outreach and sustainability since governance guides an institution in fulfilling its corporate mission and protects the institutions assets over time. As Rock, R, Otero, M Saltzman, S (1998) notes it is a key in guiding management in strategic issues and in carrying out the agreed upon strategic plans. The empirical model explores the joint and individual effect of management compensation, board diversity, and external governance mechanisms on both MFI sustainability, and the depth and breath of outreach while controlling for individual characteristics and, as well as country specific factors. The result s show that performance-based compensation does not improve performance. MFIs with larger boards seem to do better. More independent boards are more effective however. Board diversity (Higher proportion of women) seems to ameliorate outreach. External governance mechanisms especially auditing and regulation improve the financial sustainability. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 deals with the research context. Section 3 briefly reviews the few related studies. Section 4 presents the conceptual framework as well as working hypothesis. Section 5 looks at data description and methodology. Section 6 discusses the empirical findings, and Section 7 draws conclusions emanating from the findings. 2. Microfinance in Mediterranean Experience throughout the world has proven that microfinance help the poor to increase income, built their business, and secure their future by reducing their vulnerability to external shocks. Furthermore, microfinance is often a powerful tool for empowering the poor especially women, to take charge of their economic well-being and those of their families. The Euro-Mediterranean region consists of 21 countries. The microfinance industry in this zone is young with high growth potential. Currently, it is estimated that there are over sixty microfinance institutions (MFIs NGOs), and a potential of numerous other producing credit to poor microentrepreneurs (Ben Soltane, 2008). The majority of these programs are south of the Mediterranean (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and Syria). Programs also exist in Spain, France, Italy, Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia, and Croatia (Figure 1). Morocco AMSSF, FMBC, KARAMA, AL AMANA, ZAKOURA Turkey MAYA Bosnia Bossel, EKI, MI-Bospo, MIKRA, Women For Women Palestine FATEN, UNRWA Italy FRD, 10 Talenti Fond S.M.Soccorso Fond S.G.Moscati Tunisia ENDA, BTS Spain CODESPA, WWB Spain Egypt ESED, Lead foundation, DBACD, Al Tadamun France CSDL Albania PSHM, USCA Croatia DEMOS Lebanon Al Majmoua, Ameen, CHF-AM Jordan MFW, AMC, JMCC,DEF Kosovo P4, Meshtekna, Grameen Trust Figure1  [1]  : MFIs delivering microcredit in the Mediterranean. Euro-Mediterranean MFIs aim to provide financial services to low income households, even the extremely poor in a participatory and non-paternalistic development approach to the great interest of the donor community, policy makers, development researcher and practitioners. According to the so-called win-win proposition MFIs should combine the socials goals, such as poverty alleviation and reaching poor households (outreach) with operational and financial self-sufficiency (sustainability) based on access to international financial markets independently from international development agencies. Therefore, MFIs should simultaneously pursue the most effective way of realizing their social objective while achieving superior levels of profitability. The regions top MFIs are openly committed to best practice microfinance. In terms of depth of outreach, the sector has generally moved towards serving more and more of the poor clients. According to the FEMIP and Sanabel study, the Mediterranean represents a potential market for the microfinance with nearly 40 million customers, whereas currently only 9 million people profit from the financial assistance of the companies operating in this sector. The number of borrowers increased of more than 43 % per annum between 2004 and 2006, against 20% on a worldwide scale, an indication that the sector as a whole is reaching more of the marginalized in the society. The regions top MFIs have proven also to have excellent leadership abilities, impressive outreach and growth, as well as a commitment to best practice microfinance. Furthermore, it is estimated that around 85% of the regions active clients are served by sustainable MFIs. 3. Literature review Governance in microfinance has been recognized to be an important issue. However, the biggest problem to microfinance practitioners has been balancing the dual mission of outreach and sustainability. The changing of microfinance environment has shown a move towards sustainability ultimately leading to governance issues as donors funds shrink and equity inflows increase in the microfinance sector. Microfinance institutions have therefore embraced boards and adopted principles of corporate governance to ensure their survival. Investigating the link between good governance and the performance of MFIs in terms of outreach and sustainability is crucial since governance guides an institution in fulfilling its corporate mission and protects the institution assets over the time. However, there is a limited academic studies dealing with this subject, partly due to the lack of data. While using three surveys of rated and unrated east European MFIs from three random samples in the period 1998 to 2002, Hartarska (2005), investigates the relation between governance mechanisms and financial performance. Financial performance and outreach constitute dependant variable dimensions and governance mechanisms include board characteristics, managerial compensation, and external governance mechanisms such as rating, financial statements audited, and supervision. The author finds that performance-based compensation of managers is not associated with better performing MFIs; lower wages suggested for mission-driven organization worsen outreach. She identify also that a more independent board has better ROA, but a board with employee directors gives lower financial performance and lower outreach. Finally, the author concludes that external governance mechanism seems to have a limited role in the study region. In a recent study, Mersland, Roy and Strà ¸m, Reidar Øystein (2007), use a self constructed global data set on MFIs spanning 57 countries collected from third-partly rating agencies. The authors study the effect of board characteristics, ownership type, competition and regulation on the MFIs outreach to poor clients and its financial performance. They found that split roles of CEO Chairman, a female CEO, and competition are important explanation. Moreover, the authors found that larger board size decrease the average loan size, while individual guaranteed loan increase it. Finally, they conclude that there is no difference between nonprofits organizations and shareholder firms in financial performance and outreach. A third study conducted by Cull et al., (2007) looking at MFIs financial performance and outreach as well, with a focus on lending methodology  [2]  , controlling for capital and labour cost as well as institutional features. While using data from 124 rated MFIs, the authors found that MFIs that focus on providing loans to individuals perform better in terms of profitability. Yet, the fraction of poor borrowers and female borrowers in the loan portfolio of these MFIs is lower than for MFIs that focus on lending to groups. The study suggests also that individual-based MFIs, especially if they grow larger, focus increasingly on wealthier clients, a phenomenon termed as mission drift. This mission drift does not occur as strongly for the group-based MFIs. However, no governance variables, such as board characteristics or ownership type are taken into consideration. The limited academic investigation into the link between governance mechanisms and performance of MFIs in terms of outreach and sustainability, and the fact that other governance mechanisms such as the proportion of women in the board remain unexplored justify the importance of a similar study in the Euro-Mediterranean zone, characterized by a very active and quite diverse microfinance industry, that complete formers studies. 4. Conceptual framework and working hypothesis While focusing on the microfinance field, the governance can be defined as the process of guiding an institution to achieve its objectives while protecting its assets. It refer to the mechanisms though which donors, equity, investors, and other providers of funds ensure themselves that their funds will be used according to the intended purposes (Hatarska, 2005). The presence of these control mechanisms is crucial either to align the interests of managers and providers of funds since they may have diverting preferences and objectives, or to monitor the performance of managers to insure that they use their delegated power to generate the highest possible returns for the providers of funds. This notion comes from the agency perspective. It found its origins in the work of M. C. Jensen and W. H. Meckling, 1976 who assimilate the firm to a node of contracts. The explanatory model of the structures of financing and shareholding is founded on the assumption of asymmetry of information and c onflicts of interests between managers and providers of funds. According to M. C. Jenson and W. H. Meckling, agency relationship is a contract under which one or more persons (principal) engage another person (agent) to perform some service on their behalf, which involves delegating some decision-making authority to the agent  [3]  . In this case the relation of agency will relate the principal (owner) and his agent (manager), this last being engaged to serve the interest of the first. From these relations emanates the concept of agency costs, costs which result from the potentially opportunist character of the actors (moral hazard) and information asymmetry between the contracting ones (adverse selection). These agency costs represent the loss in value compared to an ideal situation where there is no information asymmetry and conflict of interests. According to the theorist of agency an organisation is considered efficient if it minimise the agency costs. This purpose can be in tended though an effective governance mechanism. According to Keasey et al., 1997, the most important features of an effective governance framework are ownership structure (including institutional and managerial ownership), CEO (manager) and director (board member) remuneration, board structure (size and composition), auditing, information disclosure, and the market for corporate control. Usually, research literature related to this field use partial measures. In other words, governance studies treat separately the impact of each variable such as compensation, board size, independence and diversity, and external market forces on firm performance. However, since latest studies (Hermalin Weisbach, 2003) identify the complementarities, and the correlation between these mechanisms, this study will investigate the impact of the majority of these mechanisms excluding ownership due to lack of data on ownership structure. The most important attribute that distinguishes microfinance institutions from other is what has come to be called its dual mission of balancing a social agenda or social impact with its financial objectives. The MFI combine a social development mission (provision of financial services to the lowest income population possible), with a financial objectives that drives the institution to achieve self-sufficiency and thereby accomplish sustained service delivery without dependence on subsidies. These dual objectives (social: outreach, and financial: sustainability) make difficult the study of governance of MFIs, especially with their different types: Non profit, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), For-profit Microfinance Institutions, Credit Unions. This challenge is surmounted by formulating and testing hypothesis based on insights from the literature on corporate governance, formers studies, governance in banks and in non profit organizations, and by estimating the impact of the go vernance mechanisms on both sustainability and outreach. 4.1. Internal Governance mechanism The incentives of top management have been characterized as an important mechanism of corporate governance as it ensures the alignment of the management and the shareholders interest (John et al., 2004). In other words, it serves as a mechanism for resolving the conflict of interest among the managers and shareholders. Brick, Palmon and Wald (2006) highlighted that director compensation should also affect performance of a firm. With regards to banking institutions, higher-powered incentives may encourage managers to take higher risks at the expense of depositors, who would suffer if the institution fails; thus low pay-performance sensitivity is suggested (John John, 1993). In fact, it is proved by Adams Mehran, 2003; Houston James, 1995; John Qian, 2003, that pay-performance sensitivity in banking in lower than other industries. Since in non-profit firm there is a growing problem of informational asymmetry between clients and managers (i.e., managers possess many crucial information about the product), it seems that the fixed management salaries is the best choice for mission-driven organizations (Easley OHara, 1998). With the fixes salaries, the managers, indifferent between telling the truth or lying, will find it in his benefit to tell the truth. Therefore, if the client and donors find the information provided by non-profit managers more credible, the firm will be better-funded and better-performed. Hypothesis 1. MFIs whose manager receives a fixed salary will not perform worse than MFIs whose managers receive performance based remuneration. Most guidelines recognize that the board of directors is the focal point corporate governance. The composition and structure of the board have a direct bearing on corporate governance. Board of directors is designate for the purpose of ensuring the alignment of the firm activities and its specified objectives. The board has the duty for making sure that the top managers are behaving in a way that will provide the optimal value for shareholders (Coles et al., 2001). There is a view that larger boards are better for corporate performance because they have a range of expertise to help make better decisions, and are harder for a powerful CEO to dominate. However, recent thinking has leaned towards smaller boards. Jensen (1993) and Lipton Lorsch (1992) argue that large boards are less effective and are easier for a CEO to control. When a board gets too big, it becomes difficult to co-ordinate and process problems. Smaller boards also reduce the possibility of free riding by individual directors, and increase their decision taking processes. Empirical research supports this. For example, Yermack (1996) documents that for large U.S. industrial corporations, the market values firms with smaller boards more highly. Eisenberg et al. (1998) also find negative correlation between board size and profitability when using sample of small and midsize Finnish firms. In Ghana, it has been identified that small board sizes enhances the performance of MFIs (Kyere boah-Coleman and Biekpe, 2005). Mak and Yuanto (2003) echo the above findings in firms listed in Singapore and Malaysia when they found that firm valuation is highest when board has five directors, a number considered relatively small in those markets. In a Nigerian study, Sanda et al (2003) found that, firm performance is positively related with small, as opposed to large boards. Hypothesis 2. Board size should have an inverse correlation with MFIs performance A third common monitoring mechanism advocated by the agency perspective is a board composed of a majority of independent directors. These non-executive or outside directors are believed to provide superior benefits to the firm as a result of their independence from firm management. Under this organizational design, conflicts of interest can be avoided and executive leaders can be evaluated more objectively. The literature suggested that increases in the proportion of outside directors on the board should increase firm performance as they are more effective monitors of managers (Adams and Mehran, 2003). The proportions of the outside directors can be measured in terms of the ratio of outside directors to board size. The positive aspect of having board independence was evidenced in a study by Byrd et al (2001) that highlighted the survival of firms in the thrift crisis due greater proportion of independent directors in the board. Kyereboah-Coleman and Biekpe (2005) found also a positive relationship between proportion of outside board members and performance of MFIs in Ghana. Hypothesis 3. MFIs performance will be affected positively by the proportion of non-affiliated outsiders on the board. Corporate governance literature argues that board diversity in terms of women and minority representation is potentially positively related to firm performance. Board diversity promotes a better understanding for the market place, increases creativity and innovation, produces mores effective problem solving, enhances the effectiveness of corporate leadership, and promotes effective global relationships (Robinson and Dechant, 1997). Fondas and Sassalos, 2000 argue that diversity in board composition via greater female representation will lead to improved board governance and top management control. In microfinance, the study of Coleman, 2006 show that having women in CEOs on MFI boards enhance performance and also the more the women there are on a board, the better the performance. Furthermore, having a high fraction of women in the board would help the MFI understand its customers better so as to separate the good risk from the bad (Mersland R. et Oystein Strom R. 2007). Hypothesis 4. Board diversification and the presence of women and minority will lead to a better performance of MFI. Another principle of effective bank supervision is effective internal audit. Internal audit helps to identify problem areas and to avoid major collapse. The internal board auditor provides independent, objective assessments on the appropriateness of the organizations internal governance structure and the operating effectiveness of specific governance activities. Reporting of all internal audit reports in an accurate and timely manner is essential for evaluation of the institutions status and need for any change in strategy. Policy papers for MFIs stress the importance of internal audit and recommend that the internal auditor reports directly to the MFI board (Steinwand, 2000). Hypothesis 5. MFI allowing their internal auditors to report directly to the board should show higher financial performance. 4.2. External Governance Mechanisms The external governance mechanism can be implemented as a result of the failure or the weakness of internal governance mechanisms. In the microfinance industry donors and creditors are increasingly relying on information from audited financial statement and rating agencies (Hartarska, 2005). These external governance mechanisms are an important mechanism that provides depositors, creditors and shareholders with credible assurances that they will refrain from fraudulent activities. In other words it reduces informational asymmetries between the different stakeholders and the firm (Healy Palepu, 2001). Audited financial statements are an important tool for the assessment of MFIs by regulators and capital markets. They form an important part of the effective corporate governance. The auditors role is to provide a disinterested an objective view of the financial statements of the MFI in the line with generally accepted accounting standards. It is a mean to ensure potential investors and donors that an MFI complies with the accounting practices and managers do not misrepresent financial information. Hypothesis 6. MFIs with financial statement audited achieve better performance than MFIs without financial statement audited. According to Hartarska (2005), in the absence of developed equity and debt market, donors and investors rely on independent evaluation of MFIs performance. A MFIs rating reflects a rating agencys opinion of entitys overall creditworthiness and its capacity to satisfy its financial obligations. The raters evaluate objectively and independently the corporate governance in MFI and rank it on a relative rating scale that would facilitate comparison. Unlike typical rating agencies that rate the riskiness of issued debt, microfinance rating agencies rate the overall performance of the MFI in terms of outreach and sustainability. Hypothesis 7. Rating helps MFIs to achieve better results Many MFIs around the world operating as NGOs have increased their assets, reorganized, and transformed into regulated entities that can capture savings deposits. A regulated MFI has more chance to earn customer trust, and by the way to have a higher financial performance. Hence, regulation is crucial for microfinance sector development since it affect MFI performance by changing the internal rule of the organization. It implies the access to an important and low-cost funding source through the right to mobilise savings. Due to this effect, the MFI win the opportunity to increase the number of clients, but also to increase average loan amounts for existing borrowers. Moreover, if demands to fulfill regulatory requirements divert attention away from serving the poor, and hold back innovation in lending technology that has been the driving force behind MFIsability to serve even poorer borrowers, regulatory involvement will lead to mission-drift (Hartarska, 2007). Therefore, the effects upon depth and breadth in outreach may be uncertain as well, either upon depth or breadth, or a combination of the two (Mersland R. Oystein Strom R. 2007). Hypothesis 8. Regulation may guide the MFIs to fulfill better sustainability, but not to achieve better outreach. 5. Data and methodological issues Data for this study are issued from various sources. The major part comes from a survey conducted by the author in 2006 in order to test the efficiency of microfinance institution in Mediterranean (Ben Soltane, 2008). The performance variables and some governance variables are also obtained from the annual financial reports of the microfinance institutions collected from Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX); a non governmental organization whose object is to promote the exchange of information on the microfinance sector around the world  [4]  . All these information are updated and completed by a questionnaire dealing fundamentally with detailed question on governance addressed to the MFIs in the region. The response rate was 58% with 40 institutions. A special questionnaire was also addressed to the Mediterranean microfinance institutions that dont figure in the MIX MARKET data base. The response rate for these MFIs was weak and near 20%, with four institutions. Due to missed data, only two institutions are taken into account. The final sample comprises 42 institutions working in 20 countries. Our sample is quite representative of the Mediterranean microfinance industry as well as of the governance mechanisms and the performance of MFIs in the region. Following Hartarska (2005) works, our empirical model used to test the hypothesis include five major potential groups of determinants and is on the form: Where is a performance variable for MFI i in country j at time t; are MFI specific variables; are management specific variables; are board-specific variables, are external governance mechanisms; and are the country-specific macroeconomic variables. It is crucial to mention at this level that our choice of a single-equation model is supported by the hypothesis that various governance mechanisms are endogenously determined is not always supported by empirical evidence  [5]  . Since MFIs are special institutions having a dual mission, their performance is measured in terms of outreach and sustainability. Outreach is measured in breath and depth. Breach of outreach (NAB) is the logarithm of active borrowers, depth of outreach (DEPTH  [6]  ), is the average loan size on GDP per capita. Sustainability is measured by return on assets (ROA) which is a standard finance literature measure of performance, and by operational self-sufficiency (OSS). This variable measures how well the MFI can cover its costs through operating revenues. Table 1. Definitions of dependent variables used in analyses Variable Explanation Social Performance: Outreach NAB Logarithm of the number of current borrowers DEPTH The average loan size on GDP per capita Financial Performance: Sustainability ROA Return On Assets OSS Operational Self-Sufficiency MFI specific variables () are MFI size measured by the logarithm of total assets, MFI age measured in years sine commencement, and MFI type measured by three dummies (NGO, Nonbank Financial Institution, and bank). Since further studies (Navagas, Conning, Gonzalez-vega, 2003) show that the type of lending methodology used influences the success of these organization, our study include a variable Individual which is a dummy that takes the value of one if the MFI used individual lending technology. Variables built-in are Fixed-wage, which is a dummy for pay not based on performance, Experience is used to proxy for a mangers quality and is measured by the years of work experience. The board-specific variables contains Board-size, measured by the number of board members; Employees measured as the proportion of MFI employees who are voting board members; Independent measured as the proportion of non-affiliated board members; Women measured as the proportion of women in the board; Internal Board Auditor is a dummy variable that takes the value of one if there was an internal auditor with direct access to the board. The variables included in are Regulation, which is a dummy that takes the value of one if the MFI was supervised by the central bank or other bank supervisory agency; Rated is a variable that indicates whether the MFI was subject to independent evaluation or rating by an outside organization; Audited is a dummy that take also the value of one if there was an audited financial statement in the year t-1. Since MFI are issued from north and south of the Mediterranean, the dissimilarity in economic conditions across countries are controlled by the size of the economy (Economy size), measured by the logarithm of a countrys GDP, and by the average inflation rate (Inflation), measured by the average consumer price index. These variables are issued from the World Bank Development Indicators. We wanted also to build a variable that take account of the institutional differences between countries but we did not find an adequate measure. Table 2. Definitions of independent variables used in analyses Variable Explanation Fixed-wage<

Safety in Global Workplace :: essays research papers fc

Introduction Advierta este papel entrarà ¡ en llamas en diez segundos ! If you can read Spanish you might have already dropped this paper. However, if you cannot, let me translate the first line for you. It reads†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Caution, this paper will burst into flames in ten seconds!† Imagine yourself as a foreigner working in a country without being able to speak or read the language. Many foreign workers are too embarrassed or afraid of termination to admit that they do not understand instructions or safety procedures. A recent Census Bureau report indicates the number of United States residents for whom English is a foreign language is nearly 32 million 1. Mexican immigrants make up the largest minority group in our country today and many of these individuals have poor English language skills or none at all. They come to this country for an opportunity to work and make a better life. In order for these employees and their fellow workers to be protected properly, a way must be found to c ommunicate safety information to them. We must familiarize ourselves with the way in which people communicate and learn and adapt our techniques to get the message across most efficiently. A 16 year old Mexican immigrant working for a construction subcontractor from Texas who had been contracted by a framing contractor in Oklahoma, who in turn was working for a general construction contractor in Alabama, fell to his death from a roof at the construction site in Alabama. The Texas based contractor had a safety plan but it was written only in English. The general contractor in Alabama had a safety plan for its employees but it did not make any provision for subcontractors. Evidence indicated that the crew understood little or no English. Evidence gathered during OSHA interviews of the crewmembers, indicated that the crew had no knowledge of the safety plan 2. There were many mistakes made in this scenario and we must be mindful of this type of situation due to the changing composition of the modern workplace. As managers, we will face employees with various cultural and language backgrounds and these employees must be a vital and productive part of the overall scheme. Th e general contractor in this case should have incorporated any subcontracted employees in its safety plan. In so doing, these contingencies are provided for before they occur and may limit the company’s liability.

Your future

Your future is In your hand Life Is Like a wheel, sometimes above, sometimes below, such Is human nature In life. By era milieu Is loaded with Information and technology, the current momentum continues to move forward without delay. Therefore, young people should be prudent and should have plans in the future that need to be instilled in every themselves. When a second thought, in the future we can foster responsible practices in the minds of ourselves. In fact, you need to practice ourselves in our own future plans. Therefore, your should play the role of the wise Is like hair pulling In lour, hair Is not broke, do not scatter flour.The question Is, whether planning your future Is In your hands, or vice versa. To get the best option, evaluate the ones available to you. Think about what you need to do, ask yourself questions and then make your decision. These are step in the process that is know as planning. Planning can be for the short-term, medium-term or long-term. It is the same In financial planning, except that the time frame is over a longer period. Ideally, you should be looking as far ahead as your retirement years. To achieve your future, you need to plan from the financial aspect.In financial planning, you look at how you will be budgeting, saving and spending your money over time. In financial planning they have assessing where you are now in financial terms, setting goals, creating a financial plan, implementing the plan and monitoring and reassessing. Many people think that financial planning Is a hassle and that Is stop them from doing fun things. If you consistently live on a budget surely you would have to give up fun activities. If you set a good financial planning habit, you can always ensure you have enough for more fun in the future.You have a sense of freedom from financial rosier because you have planned for the future, anticipated your expenses and achieved your personal goals In life. That you must have better personal relationships wi th people around you, such as your family, friends and colleagues, because you are happy with your life and you are not going around borrowing money to make ends meet or expecting handouts from other. You need to do to plan for the future is to apply ourselves to practice prudent attitude in ourselves and completed a responsible attitude of doing things. Make these practices a culture of life.This is the most rapidly and effectively to shape our harasser. It's Like a piece of white cloth, which will be characterized by us to be white or black. In one moment, the family also plays an important role in the lives of our future plans. This is because we need support and assistance in planning our future. If we plan our future alone, at a certain time we might skidded off the runway we want. â€Å"If you are friends with a blacksmith, torn shirts and we will contact with sparks and social partners also play a role and will have an impact in our future planning.This is so because at the sometimes easier to be affected by your social partners in an action or behavior because it has principles, values, and identity matching. Not wrong for us to hang out with our friends, Just do not be until you missed or mistaken in planning and determining our future. Therefore, to address this matter, you must know the background of each of your own social partners in order not swayed by them and made a mistake in planning your future because your future is in your own hands. Goals help give you direction, as they guide you towards achieving the life that you want.Without goals you may wake up one day Just to realize that the best of your ears has gone by and you have yet to achieve anything in your future. Aside from being an essential aspect of daily life, it is important to note that money is a vital tool to help you work towards your goals in life at now day and for the future. When setting your financial goals, pay attention to what you value and believe in life. Without know ing what is important to you personally, it will be difficult to set satisfying financial goals. When you understand what your values and beliefs are, you will find it easier to set financial goals that you can achieve.Concluded that ourselves playing an important role in planning the future of our own to achieve this goal before the rice into porridge. If we own less attention to our own future, we will certainly be difficult to do. Moreover, we must be applied with a simple lifestyle and not to show off not wasting. Moreover, let us not love in debt or spend more than our own ability as this is also one of the factors that prevent us to plan our future. Therefore we need to plan carefully so that every thing we want to do in the future goes as leader Mahatma Gandhi said, think for tomorrow, but act today.

Eighteenth Century Literature Essay

At the start of the Eighteenth Century Literature the literary pieces focus on rational and scientific views on all aspects of life be it economic, social, political and religious. The period heralded the Age of Enlightenment which was the thought much prevalent of the day. The writers sought to determine universal principles on humanity, nature, and society. The eighteenth-century literate reflected this quest. Written pieces around this time attacked various spiritual and scientific authority, dogmatism, intolerance, censorship, and economic and social restraints. Thus we can see in Thomas Gray’s â€Å"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard† expressedly deals with the social issues prevalent during their time particularly the wide gap between social class and the opportunity to attain greatness. These lines in the poem captured these views: â€Å"Let not Ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joys, and destiny obscure; Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile The short and simple annals of the Poor. † Look more:  the importance of being earnest satire Gray’s tone throughout the poem is filled with regret. One can sense that something important is lost. This emotional tone captures the injustices that exist in the society due to wealth. He was actually voicing his opinions clearly against social class prejudices that was apparent during that period. In Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal also tackled the social ills during his time. This satirical essay used allusions to English oppressive attitudes toward the Irish. This is apparent in these lines â€Å"I grant this food may be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for Landlords, who as they have already devoured most of the Parents, seem to have the best Title to the Children. † He also pointed out criticisms on England on the way it mistreated Ireland: â€Å"For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it. â€Å" At first glance, the poem appeared to be criticisms heaped on England. But upon closer inspection one can also sense that Swift was expressing his sentiments on the conditions in Ireland, more specifically the can-do spirit of the times that pervaded the community which misled people into thinking that they can cure all social and economic ills specifically fix population and labor issues. Swift’s Modest Proposal talked about â€Å"a burlesque of projects concerning the poor†, that were considered fashionable in the early 18th century. Eighteenth Century Literature is characterized by extreme rationalism and skepticism which gave rise to deism or the belief in the existence of God which became the main theme in the succeeding era of Romanticism. This era is considered as the Age of Sensibility which of course clased with the ideals of the Middle Ages. Towards the end of the period, an intensifying focus on instinct and feeling instead of judgment and restraint was noted paving the way for the Romantic Literature. Romantic Literature During the period of Romanticism, industrialization was introduced. Steam engine was developed and this caused expansion of cities and a number of migrants leaving the countryside. Poor people flocked to the city. Issues such as class-conflicts and concerns on environmental pollution were prevalent. This developments in the era prompted the poets and the writers to seek solace in the beauty of nature. Thus, in most of their literary works we can see the universal theme of Mother Nature being the true cause of wisdome and the antidote to industrialization. Philosophers particularly Jean Jacques Rousseau tackled pertinent issues such as the supremacy or dominance of nature over civilization. A group of poets called Lake Poets from England espoused this philosophical view. Lake Poets comprised of a group of friends such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The work of these two poets reflect their sentiments perfectly. These Romantic Poets utilized emotions and reflections in their poets to get their message across. Wordsworth’s `I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud`and Coleridge’s `The Eolian Harp` reflected their thoughts about nature and how much they value it. â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† by Wordsworth is about the beauty of nature and the need for introspection. This is best captured in the last lines of the poem: â€Å"For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. † Nature after all is best understood and appreciated in solitude. Solitude here however does not mean loneliness but inner peace or tranquility which is the by-product of being in commune with the natural order. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s `The Eolian Harp` also tackles the beauty that nature brings. The Eolian Harp is a stringed instrument which produces music when placed in an open window allowing breeze to pass over it. The eolian harp was often used by poets in the Romantic period to represent creativity. Just like Wordsworth’s poem, it sought to cope with pensiveness and nature as the solution or cure for this pensiveness as apparent in the first lines of the poem: â€Å"My pensive SARA ! thy soft cheek reclined Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is To sit beside our Cot, our Cot o’ergrown With white-flower’d Jasmin, and the broad-leav’d Myrtle† Coleridge and Wordsworth, however, have different versions of romanticism. Coleridge wanted to make the paranormal â€Å"real† or believable. Wordsworth’s idea of romanticism is to stir the imagination of readers using real characters. Victorian Literature During the Victorian Era (1837 – 1901), novels and poems were no longer written mainly to please the aristocratic few but to make an impression and cater to the tastes of the much larger middle class. The novels were also getting wider acceptance around this time. In this era, romantic images of the past were extolled. The writers use everyday language and combine it with classical and traditional language to symbolize the ushering of modernity in the Victorian period. At that period, the economy was developing, the nobility was gaining less prominence, and the class structures were vanishing. There is a expressed need for Victorian poets to find a voice that would capture the essence of their time and place. Rudyyard, Kipling ` Danny Deever` attempts to portray the inner turmoils of a man about to be executed. The poem is about military execution parade with Danny Deever. â€Å"What makes you look so white, so white? † said Files-on-Parade. â€Å"I’m dreadin’ what I’ve got to watch†, the Colour-Sergeant said. For they’re hangin’ Danny Deever, you can hear the Dead March play, The regiment’s in ‘ollow square — they’re hangin’ him to-day; Danny is to be executed by hanging because he killed a fellow soldier while he was asleep. One can sense the concerns of the soldier. Another important poet in the Victorian Era is William Ernest Henley who wrote â€Å"Invictus. † His poems were largely based on his personal reflections of his life and his situation being an amputee who suffered tuberculosis of the bone. â€Å"In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbow’d. † The common theme that ran through the poems is about struggles in life. Danny Deever struggled with his work as a soldier and in Invictus, struggles against disease was obvious. Literature in Victorian era is largely characterized as certain, conservative and objective. Writers in this area had learned to live with realities plaguing them be it social, economic and religious. Certainty in both poems come in the form of death and struggles. The views during this literary period were predominantly conservative especially when it came to social perspectives. The upheavals the people experienced during the romantic era had died down in the Victorian era. Much of the poets’ works around this time served to link and prepared writers as they paved way for the modern era. The literary pieces around this time also tended to reminiscing the past particularly the stories in the classical literature and the medieval literature of England. The Victorians cherised the the heroism, chivalry and nobility of the knights in the past and hoped to recapture that behavior in their period.

Free Essays on Astronmers Wife

In the Astronomer’s Wife by Kay Bole, Katherine has no hope because she feels that all men are like her husband. The story is about a house wife who has a very bad relationship with her husband and she seeks for someone to understand and respect her. Mrs. Ames has forgotten any strength and beauty that she has because of the way her husband treats her with such emotional neglect. But then she regains her confidence when she realizes that not all men are dreamers. The story opens with â€Å"There is an evil moment on awaking when all things seem to pause. But for women, they only falter and may be set in action by a single move: a lifted hand and the pendulum will swing, or the voice raised and through every room the pulse takes up its beating†. The author describes the time of awaking as the most evil because you just don’t think about what you have to do. But for women it is different. The astronomer’s wife is a woman of action. She thinks about all the things she needs to get done around the house. For her time is too valuable she cannot waste it. She has to fill time â€Å"to the brim.† Katherine, the astronomer’s wife is much like the pendulum; she is reliable, consistent just following the same path. On the top of page 58 the word hail seems to stand out. â€Å"Katherine hailed the morning with her bare arms’ quivering flesh drawn taut in rhythmic exercise†. She seems very happy maybe because she will occupy her time up and not have to be with her husband. She also does some sort of exercise this possibly refers to how she likes to go fast paced and get things done in her days. The story simply started out by saying how each day is the same as all the others. Katherine sees to all matters of running a successful household. That is why the astronomer believes that Katherine is capable to some degree because he leaves her to be liable to everything. The astronomer seems too occupied with his work to bother his wife, or m... Free Essays on Astronmers Wife Free Essays on Astronmers Wife In the Astronomer’s Wife by Kay Bole, Katherine has no hope because she feels that all men are like her husband. The story is about a house wife who has a very bad relationship with her husband and she seeks for someone to understand and respect her. Mrs. Ames has forgotten any strength and beauty that she has because of the way her husband treats her with such emotional neglect. But then she regains her confidence when she realizes that not all men are dreamers. The story opens with â€Å"There is an evil moment on awaking when all things seem to pause. But for women, they only falter and may be set in action by a single move: a lifted hand and the pendulum will swing, or the voice raised and through every room the pulse takes up its beating†. The author describes the time of awaking as the most evil because you just don’t think about what you have to do. But for women it is different. The astronomer’s wife is a woman of action. She thinks about all the things she needs to get done around the house. For her time is too valuable she cannot waste it. She has to fill time â€Å"to the brim.† Katherine, the astronomer’s wife is much like the pendulum; she is reliable, consistent just following the same path. On the top of page 58 the word hail seems to stand out. â€Å"Katherine hailed the morning with her bare arms’ quivering flesh drawn taut in rhythmic exercise†. She seems very happy maybe because she will occupy her time up and not have to be with her husband. She also does some sort of exercise this possibly refers to how she likes to go fast paced and get things done in her days. The story simply started out by saying how each day is the same as all the others. Katherine sees to all matters of running a successful household. That is why the astronomer believes that Katherine is capable to some degree because he leaves her to be liable to everything. The astronomer seems too occupied with his work to bother his wife, or m...

Negative Impacts of Smoking on Individuals and Society

Negative Impacts of Smoking on Individuals and Society Introduction Each cigarette smoked, shortens life by 11 minutes. It can affect the strength of bones and the color of teeth. Stamina gets reduced, owing to decreased blood circulation. Smoking is the root cause of different kinds of cancers, the most common being lung throat cancer.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Negative Impacts of Smoking on Individuals and Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It also decreases our body immunity i.e. the power of body to resist illness. It also reduces fertility in men as well as women. It deprives the skin of oxygen and as a result, the skin loses its texture. Hence, a smoker will appear to be 5 years older than his/her non-smoking counterparts. Tobacco consumption is an addiction similar to the addictions of alcohol, drugs or even sex for that matter. An addict of such habits cannot come out that easily. While efforts should be made to discourage such an addiction, such mea sures should be taken that keep the new generation spaced out. Then, we know that the problem is not incessant and the focus of the approach can be centralized. This would make the job a lot easier. The main culprits of spreading this addiction are the tobacco products manufacturing companies. They should maintain some code of conduct. But their profits are based on the sufferings of others. I am saying this because an addict doesn’t buy the product out of choice, but out of compulsion and addiction. The companies are to blame for promoting the tobacco products in a deceptive manner. If at all any tobacco manufacturing company wants to promote its products, it should be based on facts. The hazardous side effects of smoking should be highlighted in their advertisement campaigns. A simple mention of â€Å"Smoking kills† or â€Å"Smoking is injurious to health† on the packs is not enough. Moreover, they should respect the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). But despite restrictions to entice teenagers, their marketing is such that the youngsters are allured to try out smoking. The â€Å"cowboy† campaign of Marlboro cigarettes is a paradigm. Due to this campaign, the sales of the company increased manifolds. Smokers’ diseases and higher death rate by smoking Smoking has an ill effect on almost all the parts of a human body. In general, smoking leads to deteriorating health conditions of smokers. According to reliable sources, smoking has lead to â€Å"269,655 deaths among males and 173,940 deaths among females in the United States† (Adhikari et al, 2008, par. 3).Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ira Ockene claims that, â€Å"As many as 30% of all coronary disease (CHD) deaths in the United States each year are attributable to cigarette smoking, with the risk being strongly dose-related. Smoking also nearl y doubles the risk of ischemic stroke† (Ockene, par. 1). Chronic bronchitis is one of the most common diseases found in smokers. Patricia Macnair claims that, â€Å"Smoking is the most important cause of chronic bronchitis† (Macnair, par. 8). A claim made by the authors of an article is very astonishing in the sense that, â€Å"The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States† (â€Å"Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking† par. 2). A table depicting the annual death rates caused by smoking is at Appendix 1. Passive smoking affects non-smokers Passive smoking is as dangerous as smoking. Besides inhaling the dangerous smoke, the smokers exhale the remnant smoke. This smoke is also very dangerous when it mixes with the surrounding environment and goes into the lungs of the non-smokers, making them passive smokers. â€Å"Evidence suggests that exposure to secondhand smoke also can result in adverse health effects, including heart disease in non-smoking adults† (Institute of Medicine, 2009, 1). Non-smokers’ diseases and death rate caused by passive smoking Jinot and Bayard found â€Å"suggested evidence in the data that passive smoking may be associated with lung cancer (OR = 2.01, p0.03 for a one-sided test), but that is based only on the crude odds ratio in unmatched data and needs to be confirmed by a more thorough evaluation of the data† (A-102). A subsequent study was conducted and Jinot and Bayard claim that the results showed that â€Å"any effect of passive smoking on risk of lung cancer or other smoking-associated disease is at most quite small, if it exists at all† (A-104). Medical cost and insurance caused by smoking and passive smoking Just to put forth the quantum of money involved in the treatment of smoking related disease, a study conducted by McGhee et al can be very informative. McGhee et al conducted a research that showed that in Hong Kong (in the year 1998), â€Å"The annual value of direct medical costs, long term care and productivity loss was US $532 million for active smoking and US $156 million for passive smoking; passive smoking accounted for 23% of the total costs† (McGhee et al, 2006). The study further claims that â€Å"Adding the value of attributable lives lost brought the annual cost to US $9.4 billion† (McGhee et al, 2006). Governmental efforts to reduce the smoking rate A majority of health effects of smoking were known almost 40 years back. However, governments were moderate to react to the increasing health hazards. Even though there are many strategies (anti-tobacco strategies) being developed by the nations across the globe, the smoking-related deaths continue to escalate. Now there is a general understanding that in order to decrease smoking rates considerably, governments need to embrace a complete new approach to control tobacco . This might as well incorporate a variety of measures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Negative Impacts of Smoking on Individuals and Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Like, a boycott of tobacco promoting and advertising; restraints on smoking out in the public places and in the work environment; increase in tobacco taxation clubbed with measures to check pirating; huge and striking health warnings on tobacco features; smoking discontinuance and health training crusades; and to follow the guidelines agreed by the health community rather than the people in the tobacco business. Strict laws should be enacted instead of waiting for voluntary control on smoking. Given the huge trouble that smoking places on health department, governments in advanced countries have reacted by presenting an array of tobacco control measures. On the contrary, the less developed countries have shown greater and effective results of their campaigns against smoking. So there is a lot to learn for governments of developed nations. A global treaty to contain tobacco trade can be very effective in reducing the diseases and loss of lives. Following are some of the initiatives that can be taken by the government. Public information campaigns Society can participate at par with the government in such campaigns. Awareness about the perilous side effects of smoking should be spread at a warfront level. Higher prices This policy has been tried by a few countries and the results were encouraging. The logic behind this, in my opinion, is that in adolescence, the children have limited pocket money and if there is a price rise, they will be left with no option than to reduce their smoking. Total ban on advertisements As mentioned earlier, the â€Å"cowboy† campaign gave such a masculine effect that people were mad about Marlboro. If, at that time, the campaign would not have been approved by the government, today, for sure, the number of smoking addicts would have been much less. The government should learn from its past follies and put a ban on any sort of advertisements regarding tobacco products. More health warnings with emotional touch â€Å"Man is a social animal†. He is attached to his family and friends with so many emotional strings. If the health warnings touch these emotional strings, it will definitely create a positive impact and people will try to keep themselves away from the hazards of smoking.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ban on smoking at public places Success in today’s world means progress. Progress means to be on the run for better prospects. Better prospects can’t be achieved sitting at home. A person has to spend most of his time in public places; office, railway platform, bus station, etc. So if smoking is banned at public places, automatically the quantum of smoking will be reduced. Celebrities should be involved People are greatly impressed by celebrities and their life styles. So if celebrities are involved in anti-smoking campaigns, I am sure it will help in achieving the motive to a great extent. Conclusion In concluding this paper, it is understood that whatever said and done, the main responsibility rests on the government and the society. The government should take stern measures to uproot this evil. The society also has a major role to play in rooting out this evil. Adolescence is the time when most of the habits are developed. This period is most crucial for the develop ment of a human being’s personality. If certain evils are kept away from him throughout this period, it is quite possible that the person will remain aloof from inculcating a habit of such things. In my opinion, the age limit for the consumption of tobacco products should be 21 years. For addicts, quitting smoking is a battle that can be won by controlling the urge and by having a strong will power. Annotated Bibliography Adhikari, B. Kahende, J. Malarcher, A. Pechacek, T. and Tong, V. (2008). â€Å"Smoking – Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses – United States, 2000 – 2004.† Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 57(45), 1226-1228. Print. â€Å"Smoking – Attributes Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses – United States, 2000 – 2004† is a report compiled by B. Adhikari, J. Kahende, A. Malarcher, T. Pechacek, and V. Vong. The report is part of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services. The report is very informative and up to date. The authors have also provided a table that shows the annual deaths and estimates of smoking-attributable mortality (SAM), years of potential life lost (YPLL), and productivity losses, by sex and cause of death. The results pertain to the United States from the year 2000 to 2004. Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking 2010. Web. cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/. The article â€Å"Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking†, sponsored by the ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’, makes the reader to comprehend the various ill-effects of smoking. The author has also included some astonishing facts and figures of smoking-related diseases. Even though the author hasn’t gone into the depth of everything, the article definitely includes a detailed list of the diseases associated w ith smoking. Since the targeted audience for this article is the layman, the language used in this article is very simple and explanatory. The author has used some authenticated sources for getting the information included in the article. Institute of Medicine 2009, Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence. PDF file. 9 Apr. 2013. iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2009/Secondhand-Smoke-Exposure-and-Cardiovascular-Effects-Making-Sense-of-the-Evidence/Secondhand%20Smoke%20%20Report%20Brief%203.pdf. The article â€Å"Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence† is a report published by the Institute of Medicine, in 2009. In addition to educating the reader about the serious hazards of smoking, like coronary heart disease, the report also includes the reports on the effects of ban on smoking. According to the report, there has been a reduction in the heart attack cases due to the implementation of prohibition on smoking. One negative aspect of the report is that due to the fewer quanta of available data, the effect of the ban on non-smokers could not be established. Further research includes the effects of indoor smoking prohibitions. Jinot, Jennifer, and S. Bayard. Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders, Washington, D.C.: Diane Publishing. 1993. Print. The authors, Jennifer Jinot and Steven Bayard, wrote the book â€Å"Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders† in the year 1993. The book is very informative as far as the physical and chemical aspects of the cigarette smoke are concerned. The authors have given in-depth details about all such properties. The author’s view (in fact, findings) about passive smoking is that the passive smokers are not affected to a great extent by passive smoking. According to them, the effect is very nominal. The authors have also included some studies in their book and have used the data to arrive at certain conclusions; the one on passive smoking is one of them. McGhee, SM, LM Ho, HM Lapsley, J Chau, WL Cheung, SY Ho, M Pow, TH Lam and AJ Hedley. â€Å"Cost of Tobacco-related Diseases, Including Passive Smoking, in Hong Kong.† Tobacco Control 15.2. (2006): 125-130. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Web. The journal titled, â€Å"Cost of Tobacco-related Diseases, Including Passive Smoking, in Hong Kong† has been written by the authors, SM McGhee, LM Ho, HM Lapsley, J CHau, WL Cheung, SY Ho, M Pow, TH Lam and AJ Hedley. The authors aim to bring forth the details of expenses incurred by the government in treating the smokers and the passive smokers. The journal is a well written one and includes information from reliable sources. The authors believe that the expenses incurred on the smokers and the passive smokers are a total loss to the society and as such, the government should take stern steps to curb th is menace. Adhikari, B. Kahende, J. Malarcher, A. Pechacek, T. and Tong, V. (2008). â€Å"Smoking – Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses – United States, 2000 – 2004.† Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 57(45), 1226-1228. Print. Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking 2010. Web. cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/. Institute of Medicine 2009, Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence. PDF file. 9 Apr. 2013. iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2009/Secondhand-Smoke-Exposure-and-Cardiovascular-Effects-Making-Sense-of-the-Evidence/Secondhand%20Smoke%20%20Report%20Brief%203.pdf. Jinot, Jennifer, and S. Bayard. Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders, Washington, D.C.: Diane Publishing. 1993. Print. Macnair, Patricia. n.d. Chronic Bronchitis, Emphysema and COPD (‘Smoker’s Lung’ ). n.d. Web. netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/smokerslung.htm. McGhee, SM, LM Ho, HM Lapsley, J Chau, WL Cheung, SY Ho, M Pow, TH Lam and AJ Hedley. â€Å"Cost of Tobacco-related Diseases, Including Passive Smoking, in Hong Kong.† Tobacco Control 15.2. (2006): 125-130. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Web. Ockene, Ira. n.d. Cigarette Smoking, Cardiovascular Disease, and Stroke. N.d. Web. http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/96/9/3243.full. Appendix 1 Source: cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5745a3.htm#tab

B2b In SmeS Perspectives And Future Challenges

? B2b In Sme? S: Positions And Future Challenges? , Essay, Research Paper Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose and Content The Forrester study ( Feb. 2000 ) in an article entitled? eMarketplaces Boost B2B Trade. ? Predicts that? B2B ( concern to concern ) e-commerce will make $ 2.7 trillion in 2004. While Internet trade between single spouses will go on to boom, eMarketplaces will fuel most of the growing making 53 % of all online concern trade in five years. ? These figures would propose that it is imperative that SME? s embrace the e-commerce universe that is blossoming around them, to disregard it, could be the concern equivalent of harakiri. In this thesis entitled? B2B in SME? s: Positions and Future Challenges? , The chances and challenges faced by SME? s in the B2B environment will be examined in item. Disruptive engineerings and reiterating forms in retailing will be reviewed and the new developing schemes and concern theoretical accounts available utilizing the Internet will be discussed and the benefits they bring to both purchasers and Sellerss will be investigated as portion of the research survey. Primary research will be conducted, analysed, reviewed and presented to exemplify the manner in which SME directors? position B2B commercialism. The research inquiries steering the reported work will be detailed subsequently. 1.2 E-commerce: An Introduction Electronic Commerce ( e-commerce ) is a agency of utilizing the power of computing machines, the Internet and shared package to direct and have merchandise specifications and drawings ; commands, purchase orders and bills ; and any other type of informations that needs to be communicated to clients, providers, employees or the public. ( thirty ) E-commerce is the new, profitable manner to behavior concern which goes beyond the simple motion of information and expands electronic minutess from point-of-sale demands, finding and production programming, right through to invoicing, payment and reception. E-commerce utilizations cardinal criterions and engineerings including Electronic Data Interchange, Technical Data Interchange, Hypertext Mark-up Language, extensile Mark-up Language, and the Standard for Exchange of Product theoretical account informations. E-commerce is made possible through the expanded engineerings of the Internet, the World Wide Web, and Value-Added Networks. The Internet is making unprecedented and apparently infinite chances for both its concerns and clients. Yet it is altering so fast that the velocity of alteration and the sheer figure of picks available to companies frequently overwhelm directors and clients likewise. In add-on to this the regulations of the Web are somewhat different to those of traditional concerns. E-commerce is non constrained by the regulations that have restricted companies historically in the normal codifications of concern behavior. Companies can now put new criterions in profitableness and efficiency. This is turn leads to the consumer, in either the concern to concern ( B2B ) sector or concern to client ( B2C ) sector, acquiring the right merchandise, in the right clip, to the right topographic point for the right monetary value, this will be referred to as the retail merchants mission. ( Thirty ) An extra property of the Internet is that it lacks a cardinal authorization, in other words, there is no? Internet, Inc. ? which controls the Internet. Beyond the assorted government boards that work to set up policies and criterions, the Internet is bound by few regulations and replies to no individual administration. 1.3 Disruptive Technologies ? A riotous engineering enables advanced companies to make new concern theoretical accounts that alter the economic sciences of their industry? . ( Christensen and Bower 1995 ) In retailing the Internet is non the first such break that came with the outgrowth of the section shop and was closely followed by the mail order catalogue. Then followed price reduction section shops and eventually, in the early 1990? s came the Internet, the 4th disrupter. Internet companies such as Amazon.com are altering the manner things are bought and sold. These Internet companies pose powerful menaces to rivals with more conventional concern theoretical accounts. ? As with earlier breaks, Internet retailing has ab initio focused on simple ware. The inquiry is how fast will e-tailers travel upmarket? ? Evans and Wurster ( 1999 ) 1.4 Retailing Forms ? The Past may non state us everything about the hereafter of electronic commercialism but it reveals more than we anticipate? Christensen and Tedlow ( 2000 ) . Retailing since its origin has been all about profitableness. Profitableness is mostly determined by two factors: borders and the frequence at which stocks can be turned over. However, while such breaks change the economic sciences if an industry they do non needfully hold to consequence profitableness. Department shops in the early 1900? s were gaining a gross border of 40 % this coupled with an mean stock list turnover of three times per annum, gave an one-year return on capital invested of 120 % . The price reduction section shops so operated with gross borders of 23 % with one-year stock list turnover of five, giving 115 % , a figure rather similar to their predecessors. The 4th retailing break is now underway, instituted by the Internet, a company like Amazon.com can turn their stock list over a astonishing 25 times a tw elvemonth, a simple generation now determines that a gross border of 5 % is merely necessary to vie with their traditional challengers. It is clearly seeable that the Internet is presenting unusually good on three out of four points of the retail merchant? s mission, with the exclusion being clip. 1.5 Deductions for SME? s in Ireland The reported work seeks to analyze such alterations in an Irish context and measure the deductions of Internet alterations for the SME sector in Ireland. Specifically, the undertaking will analyze managerial attitudes and sentiments towards B2B commercialism and the challenges faced by such companies in the germinating Internet economic system. The undermentioned research inquiries are of significance to the survey: Is there an apprehension of e-commerce, the Internet and B2B amongst SME directors? Are they familiar with the ways of to the full using B2B? What are the chances for engagement in B2B? What are the benefits for engagement in B2B? Are at that place effects if non? What investings are necessary in preparation and development? What manner will it consequence bing concern relationships? Chapter 2 The Evolving E-commerce Economy 2.1 Introduction This thesis will analyze B2B minutess in an SME context and will seek to find the nature and extent of B2B among little concerns in the Southeast part. The alteration the Internet offers, is the improved efficiency in interchanging information. The dealing costs have declined and it is easier and cheaper for a company to interchange information with other companies. Enormous information engineering investings are no longer needed to interact with supply concatenation spouses electronically. The solutions should be within range for all companies independent of size. 2.2 Definitions of E-commerce ? E-commerce is the ability to execute minutess affecting the exchange or usage of goods or services between two or more parties utilizing electronic tools and techniques? . Treese and Stewart ( 1998 ) Some chief engineerings have made e-commerce feasible? World Wide Web, Electronic Data Interchange ( EDI ) , Electronic Fundss Transfer ( EFT ) and E-mail. ? EDI is the inter-organisational, computer-to-computer exchange of concern certification in a criterion, machine-processable format. EFT was designed to optimize electronic payments with electronically provided remittal information. ? Kalakota and Whinston ( 1997 ) E-commerce provides the capableness of purchasing and merchandising merchandises and information via telephone lines, computing machine webs, and other electronic agencies. The Internet, the largest web of computing machine webs, is the medium normally favoured for electronic commercialism because it allows an administration to cut service costs while increasing the velocity of service bringing. E-commerce is considered a primary agencies by which administrations may spread out quickly into the high growing emerging markets of the universe. This is possible because, foremost as multinational companies become skilled in their usage of the Internet, they will be able to prosecute planetary electronic commercialism more expeditiously, salvaging of import advertisement, communicating, and administrative costs. Second, the Internet can increase reactivity by advising single clients when new merchandises in their countries of involvement become available and by making customised merchandises and services. Third and eventually, multinational companies utilizing the Internet can increase their cognition about consumer wonts, be able to specify tendencies, and turn consumer statistics into long-run client relationships. Boudreau et Al ( 1998 ) 2.3 B2B E-commerce Forrester Research defines business-to-business e-commerce as? inter-company trade in which the concluding order is placed over the Internet? . The definition is constricted, since the order is merely one of the minutess needed between merchandising spouses. It is? Information and telecommunication enabled coaction across horizontal and perpendicular value ironss? . ( Eloranta 2000 ) E-business creates a platform for co-ordinating demand/supply ironss and wider concern webs. Another facet at micro degree is that e-business makes it possible to capture a huge figure of one-to-one relationships. E-business theoretical accounts are? all the concern theoretical accounts utilizing the Internet as a agency of information bringing? ( Huttunen 2000 ) . This definition is embracing, since it includes all sorts of relationships. B2B e-commerce was born out of an effort to work out an administrative job. It developed a new computing machine criterion to manage these demands, which became known as EDI, Electronic Data Interchange. Today its descendent, XML, a igniter, simpler informations interchange criterion is used by B2B sites. Simple e-commerce sites foremost appeared in 1992. The early e-commerce sites were practical catalogues, merely naming merchandises for sale. Ordering was off-line, through electronic mail, phone or facsimile. By 1996 the engineering had advanced greatly to bring forth practical shops with shopping carts, client histories and, with the development of protocols such as Secure Socket Layer, enabled clients to order and pay for their purchase on-line straight by recognition card. ( World Wide Web. Shelron.com? E-commerce: A Brief History? . 2000 ) B2B e-commerce rapidly became popular with consumers and providers. For clients, it was fast, easy and efficient, leting them to compare merchandises, monetary value and service before purchase. For providers, it allowed them to make an limitless international audience, 24 hours a twenty-four hours, 7 yearss a hebdomad at decreased costs. Today e-commerce is widely used and turning fast. B2B is the largest, fastest turning and most profitable market. Harmonizing to the Internet Development Company ( IDC ) , this twelvemonth, it is expected to account for two tierces of universe broad e-commerce. B2C is besides expected to turn, boosted by Broadband ( high-speed ) Internet entree to more online families. Future progresss include digital money and e-wallets, and # 8216 ; personal agents # 8217 ; that aid users find what they are looking for and of class WAP phones. Sites can work with fulfilment Centres supplying clients with first-class service and providers with information, and ca n back up the newest tendency for human interaction in e-commerce client service. 2.4 The Importance of the Internet in B2B trade In an AT Kearney Report ( AT Kearney, 1999 ) possible channel schemes that the Internet offers are outlined as follows: a ) Selling B ) Electronic selling, advertisement and publicity degree Celsius ) Digital distribution of goods and services vitamin D ) After-market merchandises and client support In the country of operations, the undermentioned utilizations of the Internet have been listed ( AT Kearney, 1999 ) : a ) Online publications and communications B ) Procurement and sourcing degree Celsius ) Digital co-operatives vitamin D ) Transportation system and logistics vitamin E ) Digital supply concatenation degree Fahrenheit ) Digital constellation g ) Global communicating and production H ) Integrated enterprise resource planning systems I ) Variable pricing 2.5 Some Impacts of the Internet on Business-to-Business ( B2B ) E-commerce It has already been suggested that the Internet will revolutionize the traditional ways of making concern ; and it will besides convey alterations for the B2B sector. These may be detailed as follows: a ) Entree to more spouses, clients or providers If within consumer concerns there exists an chance to make a broad group of consumers, in the B2B country at that place besides exists an chance to make more providers, even globally. It is non a job to portion gross revenues and stock list information with more providers with company benefits through lower buying monetary values. B ) Outsourcing and specialization Manufacturers and distributers are in a more hard state of affairs. While demands have grown, velocity, truth, service degree and customisation demands are high. While specialization is needed, outsourcing has become more attractive as it is more cost-efficient than earlier thanks to more efficient communicating. Henriott ( 1999 ) However, non all companies outsource their production. They fear losing control over rational belongings and quality or leaking inventions to rivals. They besides want to maintain in touch with clients and industry tendencies. Engardio ( 1998 ) degree Celsius ) The altering function of the client Relationships may alter in B2B e-commerce. Customer know-how is employed in many e-commerce instances, as the client has the installation to configure the merchandise required and in some instances the control of the supply concatenation is besides client controlled. The client is now more demanding and is pleased to acquire information about the bringing phases. A more active client now exists and performs tasks old carried out by the provider. The terminal consequence, a more satisfied client. Henriott ( 1999 ) , Slywotzky ( 2000 ) In incorporate supply chains the spouses become more loyal, the relationships deeper and the ties between the companies stronger. However, the Internet offers the client a manner to seek out lowest monetary values and forms a menace for strong trueness. Slywotzky ( 2000 ) Prahalad ( 2000 ) Customers are equipped with more information utilizing e-commerce. They become more demanding and this requires the supply concatenation to be flexible, speedy and accurate. As clients control the supply concatenation, the power displacements from providers to clients. vitamin D ) The altering constructions Lancioni et Al. ( 2000 ) in an article? The Role of the Internet in Supply Chain Management? Predict that supply ironss will shorten as a effect of B2B e-business. Companies may be in direct communicating with clients, industrial or consumers, when it is a inquiry of gross revenues or selling. But, because outsourcing additions, there will be instances where supply chains become longer and/or more complicated. vitamin E ) Better service degrees The article farther lineations that? quality degrees of the operations will increase in B2B e-commerce. Tradeoffs are no longer needed, ends refering service degrees and stock list degrees, for illustration, are no longer options. However, the demands and outlooks have grown excessively. What was antecedently regarded as an first-class service may now be taken as a given. degree Fahrenheit ) Collaboration ? In the country of supply concatenation direction, the usage of the Internet is on a rather low degree. A study of the function of the Internet in supply concatenation direction? ( Lancioni et al. 2000 ) indicated that the Internet seems to be used merely in individual minutess. The study did non concentrate on coaction or the alterations in the construction of a supply concatenation caused by the Internet. There appears to be huge possibilities that remain fresh. 2.6 The Impact of B2B E-commerce for Irish SME? s Jim Coffey, SoftCo CEO, addressed the Chartered Accountants in Business Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, 26 September 2000. He saying that? B2B ecommerce is all about set uping win-win trading relationships. Astute concerns view the Internet as a omnipresent web, enabling them to streamline their supply ironss, enter moneymaking new markets and trade electronically. The New Economy demands that administrations rethink their existing concern schemes, as those that do non take an aggressive attack and follow new and advanced concern theoretical accounts could happen themselves at a terrible competitory disadvantage? Further McGowan has suggested that? I see electronic commercialism is nil less than a revolution, which will alter the footing of making concern? McGowan ( 1999 ) Electronic Commerce represents as Kieran McGowan justly pointed out nil less than a revolution in the manner concern is carried out. As the reported work has indicated before, e-commerce basically changes the concern environment. It leads to different mediators, new merchandises, new markets and new concern consumer relationships every bit good as new channels for spreading cognition and for interaction in the workplace. The potency is immense as Irish B2B ecommerce minutess are predicted to turn from $ 500million in 1996 to $ 62 billion by the year-end 2000. McGuinness ( 1999 ) The SME sector is critical to the economic success of the Irish state, given the part of little concern to economic growing and occupation creative activity. Business with under 50 employees account for 98 % of the state # 8217 ; s concerns and more than 90 % of Irish concerns employ fewer than 10 people. Harmonizing to the National Competitiveness Council # 8217 ; s Annual Competitiveness Report 1998, SME # 8217 ; s are an indispensable component of national fight. A well-developed and vivacious SME sector will be an of import beginning of invention. Most new houses begin in the SME sector and they can besides be a genteelness land for new merchandises and services. 2.7 The Irish Situation Given the above statistics, it would be just to state that B2B e-commerce offers legion chances to concerns, but are Irish SME? s taking advantage of the chances afforded to them by e-commerce, specifically in the concern to concern context. The Annual Competitiveness Report 1998 points out that in general IT applications are used less by SME? s than by larger concerns. The chief grounds for this are the high costs associated with the applications, their hapless suitableness to the demands of the little concern and the SME? s ain deficiency of IT knowledge. The study besides points out that SME? s are besides at a disadvantage with respect to telecommunication costs. Unlike larger endeavors they are non they are non in a place to negociate bulk price reductions. Given these barriers it would look improbable that Irish SME? s are prehending the chances offered by ecommerce. A recent study by the Information Society Commission besides had some distressing statistics sing the usage of information engineering by SME? s. While 62 % of big companies in Ireland see new engineerings as indispensable, merely 22 % of little companies do. A distressing 25 % of SME? s feel that new engineerings will hold small or no impact on their fight. These are issues of importance. 2.8 the Southeast state of affairs Mary Harney T.D. , An T? naiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment officially launched the Wales A ; Ireland e-commerce ( WIRECOM ) enterprise in Ireland. WIRECOM is an Interreg supported inaugural designed to assist SMEs in the South East of Ireland and West Wales place how e-Commerce can help in the development of their concern. It is envisaged that, with the aid of WIRECOM, Southeast SMEs will be better prepared and resourced to vie in the e-commerce universe of the hereafter. Talking at the launch the T? naiste said # 8220 ; The planetary nature of modern communicating engineerings will shrivel the planet and make off with the obstruction of distance. This presents many chances for little concern. Small concern has the quality of flexibleness, rapidly accommodating to a quickly altering environment and reacting to new market conditions and alterations originating from such things as economic restructuring, technological alteration and new production methods. Today # 8217 ; s launch of an advanced new e-Commerce enterprise, will ease advanced SMEs in successfully viing in the planetary marketplace. # 8221 ; Initial research by the WIRECOM undertaking squad has revealed that the acceptance of e-commerce by SMEs in the South East of Ireland is dawdling behind that of the National norm.# 8220 ; We have found that although there is strong general consciousness of e-Commerce amongst the concern community in the South East, there is still a reluctance or awkwardness to implement e-Commerce tools such as e-mail and online merchandising which is at discrepancy with National tendencies. # 8221 ; said Patrick Munden Project Manger WIRECOM.# 8220 ; Merely 35 % of fabrication companies in the South East usage electronic mail and an even lower figure ( 12 % ) have implemented web sites or electronic catalogues # 8221 ; , he continued. These statistics when viewed against the recent findings of the Information Society committee, which stated that the National norm for e-mail use is 80 % and Website execution at 55 % , indicate that concern in the Southeast is dawdling behind. The WIRECOM undertaking will turn to these issues and is offering free e-Commerce ratings to selected SMEs in the Southeast which will be undertaken by experient concern advisers from the South East Business Innovation Centre, in association with research helpers from the Waterford Institute of Technology. Advisers will see the SME, learn its procedures, discourse its concern issues and place how e-commerce can better concern efficiencies. Research will so set up how e-commerce is impacting on that SME? s peculiar Industry and place what providers, rivals and clients are making online. A study is so presented to the SME detailing the options available and urging possible schemes for the best manner frontward. If an SME has already implemented e-commerce tools, such as a Website, the undertaking advisers can give a non-biased position of its effectivity and will place selling techniques to increase the site? s productivity and the overall benefit of the site to the SME. The undertaking is unfastened to all little and average sized companies in fabrication or Internationally Traded Services in the Southeast part and is being operated in concurrence with several bureaus in West Wales where a similar programme for Welsh SMEs is presently in operation. The undertaking is funded by the EU Interreg II Programme and will be running until March 2001. Chapter 3 B2B: The Challenges and Potential Benefits for the SME Sector. 3.1 Introduction: B2B E-commerce Potential Benefits and Challenges A 3 Com proficient paper Anon 2000: ? Business to Business Electronic Commerce. Market Landscapes and Solutions? States there is a broad scope of possible benefits actuating today? s SME? s to set about B2B e-commerce enterprises, including the followers: a ) Cost decrease via improved logistics and direction. The chances range from basic electronic information bringing to easing transactional exchanges of information. Such applications can make tighter links among concern spouses, bettering the efficiency of the assorted support maps involved in conveying merchandises to market. B ) Improved competitory position. Rapid growing, efficient decrease of merchandise time-to-market, and optimization of merchandise distribution channels contribute to a superior competitory place. degree Celsius ) Improved internal information entree. Quantitative and qualitative betterments to information entree for forces can give large final payments for the SME. Business countries such as the development of concern chances and concern scheme are peculiarly rich in this regard. In the emerging networked economic system, established companies are happening that they must follow B2B e-commerce in order to fend off competition. Newer, smaller, and/or other-market companies are come ining new markets as traditional barriers fall. Unless bing SME? s prepare to run into this competitory challenge, these new participants may be better positioned to heighten their supply ironss, acquire to market more rapidly, or purchase engineering to gain procedure efficiencies. 3.2 Challenges to Implement Operations Models Enabled by the Internet ? Gaining those immense possibilities the Internet offers is non an easy undertaking. Implementing a new operations theoretical account is hard. The companies must hold on rules, specifications, duties and cost sharing. This undertaking is expensive and time-consuming. ? Lee, Whang, ( 1999 ) Besides the whole industry may hold to be restructured. ? A Company must be able to transform itself to vie efficaciously in the new state of affairs. It is hard to alter established concern patterns. This state of affairs attracts new advanced companies, because they don? Ts have old constructions and methods? Prahalad, Ramasvamy ( 2000 ) . ? Material handling may go a hurdle for implementing a new concern theoretical account. Many authors propose, that outsourcing transit or repositing or constellation is a solution? Wilson ( 1999 ) Requirements are high for such jobbers. Implementing a cost-efficient bringing solution that is fast, accurate and flexible and is able to custom-make merchandises may be a hard equation to work out. 3 Com farther adds that? Businesss successful with B2B e-commerce are those that have learned to turn to several cardinal challenges? a ) Identify/measure quantifiable concern aims Businesses must accurately mensurate the impact an e-business enterprise has on a concern procedure in order to guarantee that enterprises are presenting on their promises. A common ground for non making this is a deficiency of apprehension of the relevant engineerings and their e-business deductions. B ) Define concern procedures. To back up measuring, concern procedures must be good defined. Companies should make theoretical accounts of bing procedures and interactions, finding the relevant events, clip frames, resources, and costs associated with the concern procedure. This theoretical account is so used to assist streamline and measure new electronic procedures, and serves as a benchmark for finding return on investing. degree Celsius ) Identify distinguishable value-propositions of equal value-chain entities. Each concern entity in the value concatenation must clearly understand the value propositions of each other entity. An e-commerce-enabled application may stand for value to one participant but have impersonal or even negative value to others. Enterprises with such instabilities can gnaw the concern confederation they were intended to back up. vitamin D ) Align concern administrations with IT architecture. The concern must be organised to let the demands of lines-of-business ( LOBs ) to be reconciled with the common architectural model developed by IT. IT may move as a accelerator within the endeavor to organize assorted LOB enterprises within the range of an e-business commission. A LOB may besides defend e-business enterprises, while the IT group maps as affair, guaranting architectural unity across the LOB enterprises. vitamin E ) Understand security issues. Even the most demanding security considerations can be addressed cost-effectively for the huge bulk of concerns. The nucleus security issue is unchanged. Security demands must be accurately identified and matched with appropriate mechanisms. degree Fahrenheit ) Ensure organisational/operational flexibleness. Business dealing growing, expanded markets, and increased information handiness can go resistless alteration agents. However good organised the concern was before deployment of e-business enterprises, the state of affairs will needfully alter as the consequence of the enterprises. Administrations must preposition themselves in their construction every bit good as in executing to boom in a significantly more dynamic environment. Businesss must put accomplishable ends and parametric quantities and run within them. ? Do non assure following twenty-four hours bringing if this is unattainable. ? SMEs have challenges similar to that of large concerns but they do non hold the benefits of economic sciences of graduated table, which make it riskier for SMEs to put in E-business engineering. The Challenges are frequently the same for SMEs whether they pattern conventional or practical concern. A major challenge for the SME is whether they have the fiscal resources to put in engineering and other related costs for developing an E-business, or including E-business as a scheme to their existing operations. Human resources need to be in topographic point to run into the demands, so holding staff to develop a new type of concern, holding the appropriate accomplishment base within the administration, pulling and retaining employees with applicable accomplishments are all critical for the SME. This may be really hard in today? s concern clime but it is indispensable to run E-business decently. Finding sufficient clip to put in the development and execution of an E-business bundle is besides a critical factor. Hazard taking can be dashing for an SME compared to larger administrations, peculiarly in ventures that are still comparatively new, unfamiliar and unsure. 3.3 B2B E-Commerce Quality Challenges Speer ( 2000 ) in an article: ? Requirements in E-Commerce Testing? provinces that? The importance of quality confidence and proving mechanisms is supported by the well-publicised clangs of outstanding e-commerce sites, and relentless concerns about bandwidth, security, and privateness. In an intensely competitory market place, rigorous quality criterions are associated with concerns that survive. With the competition merely a chink off, quality must be an active scheme alternatively of simply a motto. ? If, during peak purchasing seasons a ample fraction of effort ed Web purchases fail, or if users complain of dropped connexions, so the economic and public dealingss effects can be terrible. The same is besides true when inaccurate records are generated about minutess or clients can non find at the clip of telling if the coveted points are in stock or when bringing can be expected, or if the purchased goods neer arrive. Cardinal inquiries about whether it is safe to shop online and, if safe, so if truly cheaper, faster and more convenient than on Main Street, are asked and answered in each possible customer’s site trial experience. If the visitant experience is negative due to decelerate response times, straight-out clangs, or misdemeanors of privateness, consumer assurance can be undermined. Chapter 4 B2B Strategy and the Future 4.1 Syndication 4.1.1 Syndication an Introduction Werbach ( 1999 ) opens in an article from the Harvard Business Review entitled? Syndication: The Emerging Model for Business in the Internet Era? that? There? s no inquiry that the Internet is turn overing the old regulations about competition and scheme. But what are the new regulations? Many of them can be found in the construct of syndication, a manner of making concern that has its beginnings in the amusement universe but is now spread outing to specify the construction of e-business. As companies enter syndication webs, they will necessitate to rethink their merchandises, relationships, and even their nucleus capablenesss. ? The form of content and concern relationships on the Web is tied to an old construct, and that construct is syndication. Traditionally based on the closed universe of the media, it may be the theoretical account that allows the Web to stay unfastened as it grows. As with most new mediums, the Internet incorporates elements of media that existed in the yesteryear. Syndication trades are the lifeblood of today # 8217 ; s broadcast medium, overseas telegram and newspaper industries, an illustration of this is the sketch heroic poem? The Simpson? s? , which at any given clip on NTL? s web in operation in Ireland they may look on three different channels at the same time. In such agreements, entities that create content ( Gracie Films ) license it out to distributers ( NTL ) , who integrate it with their ain and other offerings ( Network 2, BBC 2 and Sky One ) . Several major Web-based companies adopted the syndication attack early on, though the market has remained reasonably limited. Werbach ( 1999 ) suggests. ? On-line syndication is now poised to detonate, but even as it changes the Internet, the Internet will alter syndication. On the Web, the construct applies to commerce every bit good as content, and shortly it will widen to dynamic applications. Syndication will germinate into the nucleus theoretical account for the Internet economic system, leting concerns and persons to retain control over their on-line character while basking the benefits of monolithic graduated table and range. The Internet is a communications medium, a platform for commercialism and a distributed computer science environment, all at one time. ? Syndication unambiguously cuts across the linguistic communication of content, commercialism and computer science. Though normally seen as an artifact of traditional inactive media, syndication tantrums absolutely with the Web # 8217 ; s fluidness and interactivity. The foundations for permeant Web-based syndication are now being laid, but everyone is still seeking to calculate out merely what the constructions on top will look like. Software sellers, service agency? s, content Godheads, synergistic bureaus and merchandisers are cheating to specify the theoretical accounts for syndication webs. Competitive conflicts are being fought in both criterions organic structures and distinct market places. Whether they realise it or non, all the participants are viing around a deep but under-appreciated Internet challenge: distributed information direction. 4.1.2 Why should Syndication Work? Werbach ( 1999 ) explains? Up to now Web syndication engineerings and patterns haven # 8217 ; t generated much attending outside narrow communities of involvement. But shortly, syndication will be perfectly cardinal to the development of most Net concerns. At the same clip, it # 8217 ; s the hereafter theoretical account for the 1000000s of independent and personal Web-sites that give the Internet its verve. The Internet is acquiring so large that no 1 can be everyplace. Syndication allows sites to widen their presence out to their clients, and gives those clients tools to aggregate the information and maps they wish to see. Syndication works so good on-line because everything takes the signifier of information. In the physical universe, syndication involves a batch of printing, collection and driving picture reels about. On the Web, as the transportation of content becomes simpler, the relationships can go more complex. Add to that the ability to assemble information dynamically or even to put to death applications with rights and privileges assigned among assorted parties, and things start to acquire interesting. Syndication has been traditionally rare in the concern environment for three grounds. First syndication works merely with information goods ; this is because information is non a consumable Merchandise, it remains available and infinite sum of people can utilize the same information. Second, syndication requires modularity. Syndicated goods are non normally merchandises in themselves, despite holding considerable value. Shane Ross? s concern subdivision in? The Sunday Independent? is really popular, nevertheless, would it be purchased as a individual entity? Finally, to guarantee the success of syndication many distributers are required. There would be small point of making many different combinations and constellations of content if there is merely one distributer or the content Godhead controls distribution. This would put a chokehold or monopolize the state of affairs, as was the instance in the early yearss of film in the US, with Warner Bros. declining to demo MGM movies in their theaters and visa versa. 4.1.3 The Three Syndication Roles Werbach ( 1999 ) high spots that within syndication webs concern can play one or more of three functions. a ) Originator Originators create as their name suggests original content. The Internet increases the range of conceivers in two ways. It expands the range of the original content and makes it easier for companies to circulate their content globally. It is possible to syndicate any merchandise, service or procedure once they can be as information. B ) Syndicator Syndicators bring together content from a figure of beginnings and so do it available through digital information. This relieves the distributer from holding to happen and negociate with huge Numberss of conceivers to garner the content they require. Syndicators are rare in the physical concern universe except in the amusement field, but it is going increasingely popular as concern theoretical account on the Internet. degree Celsiuss ) Distributor Distributors are the clients confronting facet of the concern. Distributors utilizing syndication to take down the cost for geting client content. This allows them to increase value to clients. Syndication allows conceivers to spread out their range and rush their time-to-market, both critical elements for success in a Web concern. It besides makes it possible for smaller, less commercially oriented sites to portion the benefits of the Internet economic system. 4.1.4 Syndication Summary As Werbach has discussed, ? The true trademark of the Internet is choice. ? With syndication, any information can be anyplace, because the nexus between creative activity and distribution is broken. There will be many possible waies between companies and their audiences. Many of these waies will be at the same time. The great chance for engineering and service suppliers lies in voyaging the tangle, taking advantage of the best distribution concatenation for a given client at a given minute. 4.2 E-Hubs: The New B2B Markets 4.2.1 Introduction ? As concern to concern commercialism displacements to the Internet, companies that have control over the online markets can exercise enormous influences on the manner participants carry out minutess, form relationships and gaining control profits. ? In an article? E-Hubs: The New B2B Marketplaces. ? Kaplan and Sawhney ( 2000 ) examine the subject of efficient and profitable customisation from a B2B lens by analyzing four types of E-Hubs in the B2B market place, these E-Hubs Lashkar-e-Taiba companies purchase precisely what they want and precisely how they want to purchase it. Kaplan and Sawhney place four types of E-Hubs: 1. MRO hubs 2. Output Directors 3. Exchanges 4. Catalog Hubs 4.2.2 MRO Hub MRO ( Maintenance, Repair, and Operating ) hubs are horizontal markets that enable a systematic sourcing of operating inputs. Systematic sourcing of inputs involves negotiated contracts with qualified providers, because the contacts tend to be long term, the purchasers and Sellerss build up a stopping point relationship. By and large used with low value goods with comparatively high dealing costs supplying mostly increasing efficiencies in the procurance procedure. 4.2.3 Output Manager Output directors are besides horizontal markets that enable topographic point sourcing of operating inputs. Topographic point sourcing is when the purchaser? s end is to carry through an immediate demand at the lowest possible cost. Commodities trading for oil or steel are a good illustration of topographic point sourcing. There is now relationship between purchaser and marketer in fact it is possible for the purchaser non to cognize whom they are covering with. Output directors create topographic point markets for common operating resources like advertisement or labor. This allows companies to spread out or contract their operations on short notice. This type of E-Hub adds the most value in state of affairss with a high grade of monetary value and demand volatility, such as electricity or with high fixed cost assets that can non be liquidated rapidly such as work force. 4.2.4 Exchanges Exchanges are perpendicular markets that enable topographic point sourcing of fabrication inputs. They enable procurement specializers to smooth out the extremums and the vales in demand and supply by quickly interchanging the trade goods or close trade goods required for production. The exchange hub maintains relationships with purchasers and Sellerss, this makes it easy for them to carry on concern without the holding to flesh out the castanetss of a relationship with all the connected paperwork. 4.2.5 Catalog Hubs Catalog hubs are perpendicular markets that enable systematic sourcing of fabrication inputs. They automate the sourcing of non-commodity fabrication inputs, making value by cut downing dealing costs. Catalog hubs conveying together many providers to the easy to utilize Web site. They are industry specific and can be purchaser or marketer focused. The B2B Matrix What Businesses Buy? How Businesses Buy? Systematic Sourcing Spot Sourcing Operating Inputs Manufacturing Inputs MRO Hubs MRO.com BizBuyer.com Catalog Hubs Chemdex PlasticsNet.com Output Directors Steptstone.com AdAuction.com Exchange Hubs e-Steel PapersExchange.com Fig. 1.The B2B Matrix 4.2.6 Aggregation and Matching There are obvious differences between systematic and topographic point sourcing this in bend makes the market mechanisms for MRO and Catalog hubs rather distinguishable from that of Yield troughs and Exchange Hubs. E-Hubs creates value by two basically different mechanisms, collection and matching. E-Hubs under collection brings together a big figure of purchasers and Sellerss under one practical roof. They can cut down dealing cost by supplying one halt store. The collection mechanism is inactive in nature, as monetary values are pre negotiated. An of import facet of collection is that the add-on of another purchaser benefits merely the marketer and the add-on of another marketer benefits merely the purchaser. The ground behind this is that in collection both the purchasers and Sellerss places are fixed. Unlike in the collection mechanism the matching mechanism is non-static and brings purchaser and Sellerss together in a dynamic existent clip environment. Matching used topographic point sourcing where monetary values are determined at the minute of purchase ; it is possible for the purchase to take topographic point in the signifier of an auction. The functions of the participants in matching is unstable, purchasers can be Sellerss and frailty versa. Therefore the debut of any new traders in to the mechanism can be good to both parties. 4.3 Choiceboards: The age of the Choiceboard Slywotzky ( 2000 ) suggests that, ? Thankss to the Internet an option to the unhappy theoretical account of supplier-customer interaction is eventually going possible. In most markets clients will be able to plan or depict the exact merchandise or service that they want and supplier will be able to present it with out via media or hold, this is made possible through Choiceboards. Choiceboards are synergistic on line systems the allow persons to plan their ain merchandises by taking from a bill of fare of properties, constituents and monetary values. The client can now travel from being the merchandise taker to merchandise shaper. ? In? The age of the Choiceboard? , Slywotzky ( 2000 ) , a direction adviser, looks at this synergistic on-line system that allows consumers to custom-make the merchandises or services they order. He anticipates that Choiceboards will rule commercial activity this decennary, as the U.S. economic system displacements from a supply-driven to a demand-driven system. Slywotzky theorises that? because the companies that control Choiceboards will besides command client relationships, ? these companies will be the industry powerhouses that? harvest the king of beasts # 8217 ; s portion of the net incomes? . The same chances exist for SME? s in the B2B sector. Dell are already runing a successful on line constellation where clients are planing their ain forces computing machines. 4.4 Hypermediation: Commerce as Clickstream Carr, a senior editor at Harvard Business Review, argues in an article entitled? Hypermediation: Commerce as clickstream? 2000, that electronic commercialism has greatly enlarged, non eliminated the jobber # 8217 ; s function in online concern a phenomenon he calls? Hypermediation. ? Those who stand to profit most from electronic commercialism, he says, will be the overplus of Internet mediators such as jobbers and retail merchants ; content suppliers ; developers of affiliate sites, hunt engines, and portals ; Internet service suppliers ; and package shapers. The emerging economic construction of e-commerce, he says, indicates that? net incomes lie in intermediate minutess, non in the concluding sale of a good. ? Carr refers to this as? net income for chinks? . Furthermore, he foresees the most net income fluxing to the proprietors of specialized content sites and the applied scientists who are progressing e-commerce engineerings. Chapter 5 Primary Research Objectives and Methodology 5.1 Introduction This chapter shall depict the intents of the research that was undertaken and detail the methods that were employed in the pursuit of these aims. The literature reappraisal has highlighted the impacts that B2B ecommerce is holding on the Irish SME and the manner they in which they conduct concern. The hereafter challenges and alterations for the SME have besides been reviewed. The reported work? B2B in SME? s: Positions and Future Challenges? seeks to analyze such alterations in an Irish context and measure the deductions of the Internet and related engineerings on the SME sector in Ireland. Specifically, the reported work will analyze managerial attitudes and sentiments towards B2B ecommerce and the challenges faced by such companies in the germinating Internet economic system. In order to finish such an scrutiny primary research will be conducted, analysed, reviewed and presented to exemplify the ways in which SME? s directors view B2B ecommerce. 5.2 Aims of Primary Research The aims of the research may be outlined as follows: 1. To look into the degrees of apprehension of B2B ecommerce issues in Irish SME? s 2. To detail the extent to which directors are familiar with the chances for take parting in B2B ecommerce 3. To analyze the cost of engagement for SME? s in B2B ecommerce 4. To look into the challenges for troughs of SME? s in take parting in farther ecommerce enterprises 5.3 Secondary and Primary Research The secondary research that was examined in the literature reappraisal was undertaken utilizing concern diaries, books, newspaper articles, the Internet, desk research and libraries. Ecommerce was introduced with a simple history and background. Followed by the chances and challenges faced by the SME director in the B2B ecommerce environment. Disruptive engineerings and reiterating forms in retailing, the challenges, hurdlings and benefits of e-commerce from the SME? s directors point of view were reviewed. Finally the new developing schemes and concern theoretical accounts available utilizing the Internet were discussed and the benefits they bring the B2B ecommerce environment. The primary research is to be conducted across a random choice of SME? s in the south E of Ireland. These SME? s were selected across a wide spectrum of industries and service suppliers runing from fabricating companies to linemans, from transport/logistic companies to retail stores. The list was derived partly from the Industrial Development Authority ( IDA ) and partly from the? Business and Shopping Guide? . This was done in order to acquire a wide cross subdivision of SME? s. 5.4 Methodology The information to be collected is quantitative, based on a questionnaire. This questionnaire contains 28 inquiries, which will be forwarded to 100 SME? s via electronic mail, station and from concern relationships. Upon reception of the questionnaire the receiver will be asked to return their completed questionnaire to the writer within a period of two hebdomads. Once the completed questionnaires have been completed, analysis of the information will take topographic point and the consequences will be presented, analysed and discussed. Due to rush of response electronic mail will be utilised to send on and return the questionnaire. However the writer appreciates that this may bias the findings of the research, so a lower limit of 25 per centum of questionnaires will non be sent via electronic mail or any other electronic medium. 5.4.1 Quantitative versus Qualitative Research Quantitative research designs strive to place and insulate specific variables within the context of the survey. It is a difficult scientific discipline with a narrow focal point and is concise, it? s logical thinking is deductive and logistic. Quantitative research involves nonsubjective measurings where the decrease to Numberss allows for the testing of the hypothesis and the derivation of statistical informations. In quantitative research there is cogency because of the chance to generalize. Quantitative information is collected under controlled conditions in order to govern out the possibility that variables other than the one under survey can account for the relationships identified Qualitative design focuses on a holistic position of what is being studied via paperss, instance histories, observations and interviews. Qualitative informations are collected within the context of their natural happening. Qualitative research involves the aggregation, analysis and reading of informations that are non easy reduced to Numberss. Quantitative research has been selected as the methodological analysis for primary research in the reported work because it should give a wide overview of the attitudes and sentiments of SME director? s and B2B ecommerce. Quantitative research is undertaken cognizing that it does hold disadvantages, such as, low response rates, response times, and possible misinformation due to miss of apprehension of the inquiries posed. 5.4.2 Questionnaire 1. How many Employees are at that place in the Company? 2. What is the specific industry/service supplier sector that your concern is involved in? E.g. Electronicss, contract cleansing, retail mercantile establishment. 3. Is there an Information Technology ( IT ) section within the Company? 4. How many Personal Computers ( Personal computer? s ) are at that place in the Company? 5. Make your company have entree to the Internet? 6. Make your company have entree to e-mailing installations? 7. Department of energies you company hold it? s ain Web site? 8. Is there an apprehension of Business to Business ( B2B ) ecommerce within the company? If so give a brief account of what you understand this to be. 9. Make your company use the Internet to do purchases? 10. Make your company use the Internet to do gross revenues? 11. Is your company committed to B2B ecommerce? 12. Make your company believe that B2B ecommerce it is merely another passing craze? Please rate your reply, strongly hold, unsure or strongly differ 13. If the company is already involved in B2B ecommerce is this portion of the company? s strategic program? 14. If so are at that place specific marks for the B2B ecommerce set? 15. If so are these marks monitored? 16. Is your company aware of the deductions of non being involved in B2B ecommerce? 17. What costs did your company experience in going involved in B2B ecommerce? 18. Make your company have to utilize external advisers when puting up your B2B ecommerce? 19. If yes, are these advisers still necessary for the right care of your IT and B2B ecommerce related systems? 20. Was developing and development necessary among your bing staff to derive entry into B2B ecommerce? 21. Has any extra preparation / retraining taken topographic point since get downing in B2B ecommerce? 22. Make your company hire forces specific to the B2B ecommerce map? 23. Make your company experience barriers in deriving entry to B2B ecommerce? Please item e.g. Security issues, velocity of response, bringing clip, methods of payment. 24. Make your company experience any troubles with bing concern relationships whilst following B2B ecommerce? 25. Have your company experienced any troubles since get downing B2B ecommerce? 26. Make your company utilize its engagement in ecommerce as a selling tool? 27. If yes how would you rate the following statement? The usage of B2B ecommerce promotes the company as a progressive forward believing concern? Please rate your reply, strongly hold, unsure or strongly differ 28. Make your company believe that there is no hereafter for companies who are non involved in B2B ecommerce? Please rate your reply, strongly hold, unsure or strongly disagree. Mentions Kafta S J. 2000: ? eMarketplaces Boost B2B Trade? The Forrester Report February 2000 Christensen CM. and Bower JL. 1995: ? Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave? Harvard Business Review January? February 1995 Evans P. and Wurster TS. 2000: ? Geting Real About Virtual Commerce? Harvard Business Review November? December 1999 Product No.4525 Christensen CM. and Tedlow RS. 2000: ? Forms of Disruption in Retailing? Harvard Business Review January? February 2000. Product No. 4681 Treese GW and Stewart LC 1998: ? Planing Systems for Internet Commerce? Addison Wesley Longman Inc. 1998. Kalakota R and AB. Whinston 1997: ? Electronic Commerce-A Manager # 8217 ; s Guide. ? Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. 1997. Boudreau MC and Loch KD, Robey D et al.1998: ? Traveling planetary: Using information engineering to progress the fight of the practical multinational administration? . Associated Press, 1998 Eloranta E. 1999: ? A Literature Survey About Current Issues in B2B E-commerce? Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Helsinki University of Technology 1999. Huttunen M. 2000: ? The Role of Business-to-Business e-Business in Demand-Supply Chain Management. ? A Seminar Work, March 6, 2000, Helsinki University of Technology. World Wide Web. Shelron.com? E-commerce: A Brief History? . 2000 Kearney AT 1999: Digital Pioneers # 8211 ; A White Paper on the Practical Applications of Electronic Commerce: ? Separating Ballyhoo from Reality. ? Henriott LL 1999: ? Transforming Supply Chains into eChains? , Supply Chain Management Review Global Supplement, Spring 1999. Engardio P 1998: ? Souping up the Supply Chain: Today # 8217 ; s supercontractors are turning makers into theoretical accounts of efficiency? . Business Week, New York, Aug 31 Slywotzky AJ 2000: ? The Age of the Choiceboard, ? Harvard Business Review January # 8211 ; February 2000 Prahalad R 2000: ? Co-opting client competence? . Harvard Business Review January? February 2000 Lancioni RA, Smith MF and Oliva TA 2000: ? The Role of the Internet in Supply Chain Management? . Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 29, Jan 2000, New York, January 2000 McGuinness J 1999: ? The Impact of Ecommerce on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises? Report prepared by Deputy John McGuinness on behalf of the Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business May 1999 Anon 2000: ? Business to Business Electronic Commerce. Market Landscapes and Solutions? 3 Com Technical paper 2000 Lee HL and Whang S 1999: ? Sharing Information to Hike the Bottom Line. ? www-gsb.stanford.edu/research/reports/1999/whang_lee.html Prahalad R and Ramasvamy N 2000: ? Co-opting client competency. ? Harvard Business Review January # 8211 ; February 2000 Wilson T 1999: ? Transportation/Logistics: Shippers Deliver the Logistics Goods # 8211 ; transit service suppliers revamp traditional concern theoretical accounts to streamline client? s supply chain. ? Internetweek, Manhasset, October 1999 Anon 2000: ? Business to Business Electronic Commerce. Market Landscapes and Solutions? 3 Com Technical paper 2000 JB Speer Jr.2000: ? Requirements in E-Commerce Testing? Microsoft Enterprise Services White Paper E-Commerce Technical Readiness 2000 Werbach K. ? Syndication: The Emerging Model for Business in the Internet Era. ? Harvard Business Review May? June 2000. Product No. 4703 Kaplan S and Sawhney M. ? E-Hubs: The New B2B Marketplaces? Harvard Business Review May? June 2000. Product No. 469X Carr N.G. ? Hypermediation: Commerce as Clickstream? Harvard Business Review January? February 2000. Product No. 4681 Bibliography Mentions Kafta S J. 2000: ? eMarketplaces Boost B2B Trade? The Forrester Report February 2000 Christensen CM. and Bower JL. 1995: ? Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave? Harvard Business Review January? February 1995 Evans P. and Wurster TS. 2000: ? Geting Real About Virtual Commerce? Harvard Business Review November? December 1999 Product No.4525 Christensen CM. and Tedlow RS. 2000: ? Forms of Disruption in Retailing? Harvard Business Review January? February 2000. Product No. 4681 Treese GW and Stewart LC 1998: ? Planing Systems for Internet Commerce? Addison Wesley Longman Inc. 1998. Kalakota R and AB. Whinston 1997: ? Electronic Commerce-A Manager # 8217 ; s Guide. ? Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. 1997. Boudreau MC and Loch KD, Robey D et al.1998: ? Traveling planetary: Using information engineering to progress the fight of the practical multinational administration? . Associated Press, 1998 Eloranta E. 1999: ? A Literature Survey About Current Issues in B2B E-commerce? Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Helsinki University of Technology 1999. Huttunen M. 2000: ? The Role of Business-to-Business e-Business in Demand-Supply Chain Management. ? A Seminar Work, March 6, 2000, Helsinki University of Technology. World Wide Web. Shelron.com? E-commerce: A Brief History? . 2000 Kearney AT 1999: Digital Pioneers # 8211 ; A White Paper on the Practical Applications of Electronic Commerce: ? Separating Ballyhoo from Reality. ? Henriott LL 1999: ? Transforming Supply Chains into eChains? , Supply Chain Management Review Global Supplement, Spring 1999. Engardio P 1998: ? Souping up the Supply Chain: Today # 8217 ; s supercontractors are turning makers into theoretical accounts of efficiency? . Business Week, New York, Aug 31 Slywotzky AJ 2000: ? The Age of the Choiceboard, ? Harvard Business Review January # 8211 ; February 2000 Prahalad R 2000: ? Co-opting client competence? . Harvard Business Review January? February 2000 Lancioni RA, Smith MF and Oliva TA 2000: ? The Role of the Internet in Supply Chain Management? . Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 29, Jan 2000, New York, January 2000 McGuinness J 1999: ? The Impact of Ecommerce on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises? Report prepared by Deputy John McGuinness on behalf of the Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business May 1999 Anon 2000: ? Business to Business Electronic Commerce. Market Landscapes and Solutions? 3 Com Technical paper 2000 Lee HL and Whang S 1999: ? Sharing Information to Hike the Bottom Line. ? www-gsb.stanford.edu/research/reports/1999/whang_lee.html Prahalad R and Ramasvamy N 2000: ? Co-opting client competency. ? Harvard Business Review January # 8211 ; February 2000 Wilson T 1999: ? Transportation/Logistics: Shippers Deliver the Logistics Goods # 8211 ; transit service suppliers revamp traditional concern theoretical accounts to streamline client? s supply chain. ? Internetweek, Manhasset, October 1999 Anon 2000: ? Business to Business Electronic Commerce. Market Landscapes and Solutions? 3 Com Technical paper 2000 JB Speer Jr.2000: ? Requirements in E-Commerce Testing? Microsoft Enterprise Services White Paper E-Commerce Technical Readiness 2000 Werbach K. ? Syndication: The Emerging Model for Business in the Internet Era. ? Harvard Business Review May? June 2000. Product No. 4703 Kaplan S and Sawhney M. ? E-Hubs: The New B2B Marketplaces? Harvard Business Review May? June 2000. Product No. 469X Carr N.G. ? Hypermediation: Commerce as Clickstream? Harvard Business Review January? February 2000. Product No. 4681