Role of Technology in Retail Sector

Role of Technology in Retail Sector Today, in the 21st century, retailers all over the world are increasingly obtaining profit in return by delivering customer satisfaction through the adoption of many powerful technologies.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Role of Technology in Retail Sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, technology has substantially shifted the landscape of the retail industry, as more retailers adopt and implement technological solutions that accentuate mobility, efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability (Delgado 2012; Fiorito et al 2010). The present paper attempts to discuss how technology is utilized in the retail sector, how it has impacted the retail business and its customers, and the critical technologies found in the retail industry. Technology is utilized in the retail sector in numerous ways not only to achieve profitability and competitiveness for the organization, but also to generate value for custome rs and change the relationship with customers and other trading agencies (Ko Kincade, 1997). Novel technologies such as Point-of-Sale (POS) systems can be utilized in the retail sector for efficient and effective transactions, proper accounting, â€Å"customer loyalty, CRM [Customer Relationship Management], PCI [Payment Card Industry] issues, back office transfers and receiving, time-keeping and scheduling, and task management†(Delgado, 2010 p. 10). Other technological solutions, such as the Retail Pro system and Microsoft Retail Management System, have been effectively used in retail to, among other things: minimize theft and human error; enhance efficiency and speed in the checkout process; provide extensive tracking of business transactions, discounts and products; avail up-to-date sales productivity statistics; facilitate inventory control and management; undertake purchase order management; and promote customer relationship management as well as payment processing solu tions (Delgado, 2010) Furthermore, some technological solutions such as e-business can be utilized to integrate emerging communication technologies with business processes and management practices via the internet, resulting in overall transformation of the relationships that retailers have with their customers, suppliers and other business partners (Bordonaba-Juste et al., 2012). In discussing the impact of technology on retail business and its customers, extant literature demonstrates that â€Å"web technologies help firms to understand customer needs, to customize products, to adopt product-market solutions, and to take customers’ orders† (Bordonaba-Juste et al., 2012 p. 533).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Retail businesses, in particular, are impacted by newer disruptive innovations such as e-business as they have to reorganize and restruct ure themselves continuously, with the view to integrating the technological solutions into their existing work processes to achieve profitability and competitiveness. Additionally, mobile payment programs have positively impacted the retail sector in terms of faster checkout times and the capacity by customers to receive e-mail receipts that are more convenient since they can be stored on a smart phone and accessed more easily than paper-based receipts (Delgado, 2010). Moving on, it is a well known fact that critical technologies in the retail sector have the capacity to tie a customer to a transaction, and consequently to a broad range of products, not only leading to the opening up of a new frontier for one-on-one marketing (Delgado, 2010), but also substantially changing the way business is conducted through availing important data both within the organization and to suppliers, channel partners and customers (Bordonaba-Juste et al., 2012). Such capabilities have been known to sig nificantly reduce customers’ search-related costs, facilitate the speed of reaction to important market information, provide a better shopping experience, decrease stock-out rate, improve inventory and replenishment rates, assist retailers to predict what is likely to occur and decide what to do next, and enhance access to new products in new channels, hence positively affecting the retailer’s bottom-line in terms of profits and competitive advantage (Fiorito et al., 2010; Ko Kincade, 1997; Puleri, 2011). However, a major negative impact of technology on retailers concerns the fact that â€Å"competitors are more numerous because the marketplace has no barriers and new entrants have access to a global market† (Bordonaba-Juste et al., 2012 p. 534). Another negative impact concerns the fact that some web-based technologies such as e-business avail critical market information not only to customers but also to competitors, implying that retailers must employ strate gies to ensure such information becomes a core competency rather than a disadvantage to the company (Barlow et al., 2004). In discussing the last section of the paper, which concerns the critical technologies found in the retail industry, it can be argued that quick response technologies such as electronic data interchange (EDI), bar-coding, and point-of-sale (POS) data capture act to improve inventory and replenishment rates, optimize the flow of information and merchandise between channel partners to optimize customer value and satisfaction, and improve turn of goods (Ko Kincade, 1997).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Role of Technology in Retail Sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is important to note the POS software solutions presently utilized in the retailing sector comprise â€Å" Retail Pro, Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS), and Keystroke POS, while examples of leading POS hardware sys tems are HP’s rp5800 Point of Sale solution, IBM’s SurePOS 500 system, and NCR’s RealPOS 25 system† (Delgado, 2010 p. 11). Other technologies currently used in the retail sector include smart phones, iPods, iPads, tablets, Quick Response (QR) codes, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Individually and collectively, these technologies are known to enhance mobility, efficiency and customer satisfaction, while also providing valuable product information and facilitating the capacity for the retailer to know how much inventory of any particular product they have, right down to size, quantity and color (Barlow et al., 2004; Delgado, 2010). Overall, it can be concluded that the adoption of emerging technologies is the right way to go for retailers in their attempt to revolutionalize the sector in not only achieving profitability and competitive advantage for the businesses, but also in enhancing customers’ value, satisfaction and ability to researc h any product offering and making purchases wherever and whenever they wish. References Barlow, A.K.J., Siddiqui, N.Q., Mannion, M. (2004). Developments in information and communication technologies for retail marketing channels. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 32(3), 157-163. Bordonaba-Juste, V., Lucia-Palacios, L., Polo-Redondo, Y. (2012). Antecedents and consequences of e-business adoption for European retailers. Internet Research, 22(5), 532-550. Delgado, F.J. (2012). New retail technologies. Sporting Goods Business, 45(9), 10-13. Fiorito, S.S., Gable, M., Conseur, A. (2010). Technology: Advancing retail buyer performance in the 21st century. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 38(11/12), 879-893.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ko, E., Kincade, D.H. (1997). The impact of quick response technologies on retail store attributes. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 25(2), 90-98. Puleri, J. (2011). The future of technology in retail. Chain Store Age, 87(7), 22-22.

HMS Queen Mary at the Battle of Jutland

HMS Queen Mary at the Battle of Jutland HMS Queen Mary was a British battlecruiser that entered service in 1913. The last battlecruiser completed for the Royal Navy prior to World War I, it saw action during the early engagements of the conflict. Sailing with the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, Queen Mary was lost at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. HMS Queen Mary Nation:  Great BritainType:  BattlecruiserShipyard:  Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron CompanyLaid Down:  March 6, 1911Launched:  March 20, 1912Commissioned:  September 4, 1913Fate:  Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, May 31, 1916 Specifications Displacement:  27,200 tonsLength:  703 ft., 6 in.Beam:  89 ft., 0.5 in.Draft:  32 ft., 4 in.Propulsion:  Parsons direct-drive steam turbines, 42 Yarrow boilers, 4 x propellersSpeed:  28 knotsRange:  6,460 miles at 10 knotsComplement:  1,275 men Armament 4 Ãâ€" 2 – BL 13.5-inch Mk V guns16 Ãâ€" 1 – BL 4-inch Mk VII guns2 Ãâ€" 1 – 21-inch Mk II submerged torpedo tubes Background On October 21, 1904, Admiral John Jackie Fisher became First Sea Lord at the behest of King Edward VII. Tasked with reducing expenditures and modernizing the Royal Navy, he also began advocating for all big gun battleships. Moving forward with this initiative, Fisher had the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought built two years later. Featuring ten 12-in. guns, Dreadnought instantly made all existing battleships obsolete. Fisher next desired to support this class of battleship with a new type of cruiser that sacrificed armor for speed. Dubbed battlecruisers, the first of this new class, HMS Invincible, was laid down in April 1906. It was Fishers vision that battlecruisers would conduct reconnaissance, support the battle fleet, protect commerce, and pursue a defeated enemy. Over the next eight years, several battlecruisers were constructed by both the Royal Navy and the German Kaiserliche Marine. Design Ordered as part of the 1910–11 Naval Program along with four King George V-class battleships, HMS Queen Mary was to be the sole ship of its class. A follow-on to the earlier Lion-class, the new ship featured an altered interior arrangement, a redistribution of its secondary armament, and a longer hull than its predecessors. Armed with eight 13.5 in. guns in four twin turrets, the battlecruiser also carried sixteen 4 in. guns mounted in casemates. The ships armament received direction from an experimental fire-control system designed by Arthur Pollen. Queen Marys armor scheme varied little from the Lions and was thickest amidships. At the waterline, between B and X turrets, the ship was protected by 9 Krupp cemented armor.   This thinned moving towards the bow and stern. An upper belt of reached a thickness of 6 over the same length. Armor for the turrets consisted of 9 on the front and sides and varied from 2.5 to 3.25 on the roofs. The battlecruisers conning tower was protected by 10 on the sides and 3 on the roof. Additionally, Queen Marys armored citadel was closed off by 4 transverse bulkheads. Power for the new design came from two paired sets of Parsons direct-drive turbines which turned four propellers. While the outboard propellers were turned by high-pressure turbines, the inner propellers were turned by low-pressure turbines. In a change from other British ships since Dreadnought, which had positioned the officers quarters near their action stations amidships, Queen Mary saw them returned to their traditional location in the stern. As a result, it was it the first British battlecruiser to possess a sternwalk. Construction Laid down on March 6, 1911 at Palmer Shipbuilding and Iron Company in Jarrow, the new battlecruiser was named for King George Vs wife, Mary of Teck. Work progressed over the next year and Queen Mary slid down the ways on March 20, 1912, with Lady Alexandrina Vane-Tempest serving as the Queens representative. Initial work on the battlecruiser ended in May 1913 and sea trials were conducted through June. Though Queen Mary utilized more powerful turbines than earlier battlecruisers, it only barely exceeded its design speed of 28 knots. Returning to the yard for final alterations, Queen Mary came under the command of Captain Reginald Hall. With the completion of the ship, it entered commission on September 4, 1913. World War I Assigned to Vice Admiral David Beattys 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, Queen Mary commenced operations in the North Sea. The following spring saw the battlecruiser make a port call at Brest before a voyage to Russia in June. In August, with Britains entry into World War I, Queen Mary and its consorts prepared for combat. On August 28, 1914, the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron sortied in support of a raid on the German coast by British light cruisers and destroyers. In the early fighting during the Battle of Heligoland Bight, British forces had difficulty disengaging and the light cruiser HMS Arethusa was crippled. Under fire from the light cruisers SMS Strassburg and SMS Cà ¶ln, it called for aid from Beatty. Steaming to the rescue, his battlecruisers, including Queen Mary, sank Cà ¶ln and the light cruiser SMS Ariadne before covering the British withdrawal. Refit That December, Queen Mary took part in Beattys attempt to ambush German naval forces as they conducted a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby. In a confused series of events, Beatty failed to bring the Germans to battle and they successfully escaped back the Jade Estuary. Withdrawn in December 1915, Queen Mary received a new fire control system before entering the yard for a refit the following month. As a result, it was not with Beatty for the Battle of Dogger Bank on January 24. Returning to duty in February, Queen Mary continued to operate with the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron through 1915 and into 1916. In May, British naval intelligence learned that the German High Seas Fleet had left port. Loss at Jutland Steaming in advance of Admiral Sir John Jellicoes Grand Fleet, Beattys battlecruisers, supported by the battleships of the 5th Battle Squadron, collided with Vice Admiral Franz Hippers battlecruisers in the opening phases of the Battle of Jutland. Engaging at 3:48 PM on May 31, the German fire proved accurate from the outset. At 3:50 PM, Queen Mary opened fire on SMS Seydlitz with its forward turrets. As Beatty closed the range, Queen Mary scored two hits on its opponent and disabled one of Seydlitzs aft turrets. Around 4:15, HMS Lion came under intense fire from Hippers ships. The smoke from this obscured HMS Princess Royal forcing SMS Derfflinger to shift its fire to Queen Mary. As this new enemy engaged, the British ship continued to trade hits with Seydlitz. At 4:26 PM, a shell from Derfflinger struck Queen Mary detonating one or both of its forward magazines. The resulting explosion broke the battlecruiser in half near its foremast. A second shell from Derfflinger may have hit further aft. As the after part of the ship began to roll, it was rocked by a ​large explosion before sinking. Of Queen Marys crew, 1,266 were lost while only twenty were rescued. Though Jutland resulted in a strategic victory for the British, it saw two battlecruisers, HMS Indefatigable and Queen Mary, lost with nearly all hands. An investigation into the losses led to changes in ammunition handling aboard British ships as the report showed that cordite handling practices may have contributed to the loss of the two battlecruisers.

Describe US subprime market and analyze the impact the crisis base on Essay

Describe US subprime market and analyze the impact the crisis base on one macroeconomic - Essay Example Banks than through their internal as well external credit scores or ratings decide to whom they should provide the credit. These criteria of credit rating often are designed to be tough since Banks in order to avoid defaults, tighten their criteria to extend the credit to these customers. However, due to increasing needs of those customers, whose credit history or their credit ratings do not fall under the criteria laid down by the banks, banks try to accommodate them also. Sub-prime lending is the part of that phenomenon. â€Å"Sub-Prime lending typically has been characterized as lending at relatively costly interest rates and fees to credit impaired or otherwise high risk borrowers.† (Lax, Manti, Raca, & Zorn, 2004). Subprime loans are among the newly popular mortgage products, such as interest-only loans, for people with strained budgets, including first-time buyers. Homeowners increasingly use them to refinance and consolidate household debts when their credit scores fall in the wake of bankruptcy, high medical bills, or other setbacks. (Blanton, 2005). It is generally believed that the subprime borrowers emerge due to lack of the good credit history on their back and since there number grew historically therefore banks and financial institutions by spotting the opportunity started lending to them at higher interest rates due to the perceived risks involved in these subprime loans. Not only these subprime borrowers pay higher interest rates but they also pay higher upfront fees also at the time of booking their loans. Due to this profitable alterative, financial institutions take the risk and lend to those customers who would otherwise can not qualify for obtaining loans from the banking channels in the ordinary course of the business. In nutshell, we can say that subprime lending is lending to those who do not deserve it. Most of the subprime lending is made into the mortgages market of the Banks. Studies suggest that So-called

Journal on Ch4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal on Ch4 - Essay Example I tend to believe that the module of inquiry-based instruction also enables teachers to make the learning (of science mostly) easy, not only conveying it. It is because the learners are enabled to bear responsibility for their knowledge and understanding of what they study and construct. I strongly agree with the information provided in the chapter, that it is difficult to conduct the analysis of these studies. It is true that the variations in the terms used to define the instructional methods (BSC 2006). I don’t think other contemporary instructional techniques are superior to inquiry-based approaches unless they are evaluated wholly. The assessment of superiority among various instructional techniques should be based on the effectiveness of the variables involved and the level of interest the study mode invokes. The comparison should also involve the feelings of success and the level of excitement each instructional technique awakens. In also have the conviction that inquiry-based instruction technique can contribute significantly to the effectiveness of my teaching. It is for the simple fact that the technique engages both the teacher and the learners in the learning activity and to bear responsibility for making their knowledge and understanding (BSC 2006). Though the inquiry levels may vary, learners can prioritize evidence, compose explanations, evaluate their descriptions, and justify their proposed descriptions. As a teacher, the method is, therefore, helpful in facilitating my teaching

Political and Social Development in Pakistan

Political and Social Development in Pakistan Table of Contents Research Report Introduction Objective Research questions Research Methodology 1.Primary data 2.Secondary data Literature review Variables Independent variable Dependant variable NGOs Definition of Variables NGOs Social development Political development Hypothesis Time frame Data Analysis Validity and Reliability Limitations Conclusions and Recommendations  ·Conclusion  ·Recommendations Introduction The utility of development is to achieve both economic and social structure for the transformation of society. Phenomenon of development is about effectively integrating the various elements that are required for state to develop; these elements are mainly economic, social, political and administrative. Pakistan is facing the problems in the context of both political and social development. People of the rural areas and the tribal areas such as Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are still participating in electoral process that is the part of political development. Pakistan is on the extremely low rank on Human Development Index (HDI) that is the sub component of Social development. Presently Pakistan is standing on the rank 147th and is having the HDI value just 0.515 in the year 2013. Pakistan stands among the worst performers in child and infant mortality. Another area that needs to be socially developed is health and mortality. Under 1 year of age, the total number of deaths are 69 per 1000, and it needs to be brought down to at least 40, according to the goals that need to be achieved by 2015. The reasons behind child mortality in Pakistan are found to be, not only the medical/healthcare facilities available for the infant and mother, but also the poor sanitation in mostly rural and remote parts of the country. In accordance with the estimation made by World Bank in 2010, around 80% of the world’s most poor people live in just 10 countries, amongst which Pakistan has the 7th rank. The UNDP 2013 report states that 21% of the total population of Pakistan are earning less than $ 1.25/day and are living below the poverty line. Eradicating poverty is one of the Millennium Development Goals as well NGOs may prove to be effective to achieve the goals. These NGOs are having interventions on national level in the countries where they are operating. The NGOs can be involved at planning and implementation levels. NGOs’ impact on the grass-roots can be described as empowerment of the underprivileged people of society. There is a substantial amount of literature present on the activities carried out by NGOs that plays any role in relevance to social growth of Pakistan, but no study has been undertaken regarding the political development in relevance to NGOs. This study is an attempt to fulfill the gap in literature, and would prove to be the first brick towards the development of literature in this area. Objective: The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of various activities being carried out by NGOs on contribution towards political and social development of the state. Hypothesis: Limited role of NGOs in Pakistan’s politics has led to lack of accountability and transparency in various political processes and social development of the state. Research Questions: What role does NGOs play in social development of Pakistan? To examine if the NGOs succeeded or failed to deliver their services in the political development? To determine what possible course could be adopted if the part NGOs is inconsiderable in political and social development of state. Theoretical Framework: NGOs play their part as a soft power and helps in strong economic development; they show the positive side of human nature, their main focus in on individual so the Non Governmental Organizations came under the liberalist school of thought. I have discussed the role of NGOs in socio-political development of state and supported my arguments keeping liberalism in focus. Research Methodology: Set of working methods and procedures that are being adopted to forgo this research process are mentioned as under. 1. Primary Data Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Interviews The focus group discussion (FGD) is a rapid assessment, semià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ structured data gathering method in which a purposively selected set of participants gather to discuss issues and concerns base on a list of key themes drawn up by the researcher/facilitator (Kumar 1987). I have arranged a FGD between the students of Bahria University, National defense University, and International Islamic university who are living in Taxila, Wah Cantt and Islamabad. There were 2 sessions and each lasted about 1hour. No studies regarding Political development in context of Pakistan was found so primary data sources were being utilized such as the interviews of several individuals who attended the workshops arranged by the NGOs, for making them aware about the political processes were also taken. 2. Secondary Data Secondary data consists of the sources that do not contain firsthand knowledge or information. Books Internet News papers Case Studies Literature Review: Role of NGOs is described by many among which, Lewis summarized its three basic roles: Being the implementers, The catalysts and The partners. The implementer role is concerned with the mobilization of available resources to provide goods and services to deserving. Where as the catalyst role is the ability to inspire, facilitate or contribute to promote change and partner reflect the growing trend of NGOS to work with government. NGOs in the field are rapidly increasing but their potentials have remained unutilized because of diversity in their role. In 1980s, NGOs got attention in different areas of the development community. Crenea (1988) argued that NGOs came into the limelight after the attention was given by the individuals in area policies development. Hulme and David (1997), debated NGOs promote and utilize volunteerism; they can be more productive than government. NGOs encourage social change and protect individual rights by influencing social or market policies. (Kim, H., 2007) NGOs also participate in government policy formulation. NGOs in Pakistan are more active in the traditional social sectors: emergency support, rehabilitation health and education. Literature review pointed out the need for capacity building for NGOs in Pakistan. (Study of NGOs in Pakistan, 1999). In a research study of a NGO named Akhuwat, an Islamic MF provider, the authors (W. Akhter, N. Akhter Jafferi, 2009) found that an Islamic Microfinance provider is playing an important part in poverty alleviation, they cater the needs of clients, who have socially excluded themselves from the interest based conventional system, so they are providing hem interest free finances through which they can start their own new businesses. This NGO Akhuwat is thus contributing towards Social and human development. Variables: Independent variable Dependant variable Definition of Variables NGOs: Non-governmental organization(NGO) normally refers to institutions that are basically working for the benefit of society and do not operate for earning profits. They are usually formed by individuals, and can be financed by the governing parties, foundations or businesses. NGOs are engaged in different activities. NGOs may be fronts for various interest groups. Social Development: World Bank defines the Social Development as; â€Å"The process of increasing; The assets and capabilities of individuals to improve their wellbeing. The capacity of social groups to exercise agency, transform their relationships with other groups, and participate in development processes. The ability of society to reconcile the interests of its constituent elements, govern itself peacefully, and manage change.† Social development is to put all the focus on development of individuals in society. Which simply means that the party who is going to be benefit most out of development must be the people, that should not be limited to poverty alleviation but also a recognition that people, and the way they interact in groups and society, and the norms that facilitates such interaction, shape development processes. Political Development: Han Parks formal definition of political development is as follows: Political development may be defined in terms of the capacity of the political system to satisfy the changing needs of the members of the society (Park, 1984). Main Discussion: Objective-based NGOs: Most NGOs in Pakistan get resources and aid from foreign organizations. For example giant global networks like UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund Association), US-AID, UNESCO work with different NGOs in certain projects that ensure protection of human rights in Pakistan. With the expansion in NGOs, work towards political and social development has been initiated. The objective-based NGOs working in Pakistan are mainly focused on one specific target. There are NGOs working for rights of Human, Women, Children, Labour, Journalists, Religious minorities etc. There are plenty of organizations solely dedicated to working for welfare of youth, education, literacy and vocational training. Some NGOs work especially for adult-based education. There are plenty of NGOs working in health sector for mental health, maternity, population welfare, free eye care, drug addiction, cancer research, HIV aids, blood diseases, disability support etc. Rural, urban and community development programs are conducted by some NGOs. NGOs working for Social Development: NGOs have enormously worked on the social development of Pakistan. There are above 800 NGOs which are working in social development sector. Those organizations cover almost all the ignored aspects of society. Examples: Depilex Smileagain foundation is working for acid-burnt women. Their goal is not only to treat affected women but also to educate them enough to be a productive part of the society. This organization conducts special programs that train such women to stand up for themselves and continuous treatment gives hope to them. Along with conducting medical surgery, this NGO arranges for support groups and arranges for their job placement. Withholding to its name, this organization is voicing out its concerns about educating the society to end this issue once and for all and pleading to government for taking legal actions against it. There is an organization named Aahung, which has been working since 1995. The Aahung is an NGO operating all over in Pakistan has a name in working for human rights. Main purpose of this NGO is to give sexual and reproductive health awareness to men, women and adolescents. Since the topic of sexual education is taboo in Pakistan given our culture, society’s mindset and self-implied religious barricade, it’s a huge step on this organization’s part to implicate a medium of consciousness on this topic. In the long run, this will affect the country in most productive way if there is a possible way to control population. This can only be achieved if proper education and knowledge is spread amongst masses at a bigger level. Aahung is one such organization, which not only work towards providing services that protect sexual rights of an individual but it also collaborates with certain social and academic institutes in providing education towards this subject. NGOs working for Political Development: Given the political upheaval in Pakistan, there are very few NGOs which are working in political development sector. NGOs that are operating in this sector are not directly involved but they are indirectly working in cooperation with other organizations, which are either government operated or semi-government. Therefore, it’s hard to evaluate transparency of such organizations. NDI, IRI, UNDP, Aurat Foundation, SPO, The Asia foundation, DRI, PILDAT, FAFE are few organizations whose names are occasionally taken in media for working in political sector but the problem is that these organizations work seldom on political development sector or might be they are not getting acknowledgment from the government. NDI (National Democratic Institute) and PILDAT (Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency), are operating entirely independently and are focused in organizing different training sessions for youth, parliamentarians and women. Their goal is to strengthen the democracy and their recent projects were inducting training sessions for several party members and inviting them on one discussion forum. PILDAT is an entirely research based organization responsible for presenting legislations before parliament on issues like poverty-reduction, economy, trade etc. This governing body works closely with Parliament and Executive for guaranteeing a rational making of public policy, forming a think tank to attain progress. NDI is nowadays conducting an orientation for a policy-making group. This group consists of trainees who are recruited after a tough evaluation and they are responsible to come up with innovative ideas that can be translated in form of a policy. Therefore, youth is targeted as a tool to solidify the policy-making system of country and encouraging future policy-makers to understand the political system and take initiative. FAFEN (Free and Fair Elections Network), since 2009 has been actively involved in forming an enhanced framework for elections in Pakistan. Their recent projects include establishing election data center, mapping human rights organizations in Pakistan, strategic observation of election in Pakistan, mobilization of women voters etc. Their upcoming and on-going projects ensure eradication of mudded conduction of election, monitoring violence in elections and enhancing lucidity in elections for a long-term. NGO’s operating nowadays are focusing on RTI (Rights to information), therefore utilizing technology in their favor to accomplish their goals. NGOs like CDPI (Centre of Peace and Development Initiatives) and Bytes for All (B4A), work with ambition of utilizing digital platform for freedom of expression and protecting security and privacy rights. This organization works in both socio-political development sectors, utilizing communication mediums to achieve human rights and e-governance. Validity and Reliability: Validity refers to the accuracy or truthfulness of a measurement. In simple words it can be said as; are we measuring what we think we are measuring? There are no statistical tests to measure validity. All assessments of validity are subjective opinions based on the judgment of the researcher. Reliability is synonymous with repeatability or stability. A measurement that yields consistent results over time is said to be reliable. When a measurement is prone to random error, it lacks reliability. The same findings are being shown in context of social development with the help of qualitative research conducted on working of NGOs. Since 2009, NGOs are actively participating in goals that were only paper-based before. Limitations: The findings of this study are presented in view of certain limitations. Due to the scarcity of research studies, a lot of time was spent on gathering the relevant data material from the Internet or relevant books. Due to time shortage, interviews have only being taken from the individuals of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, which makes the findings limited. With fewer respondents, tracking the Political development of Pakistan was comprised slightly. Conclusions and Recommendations:  · Conclusion: Hence from the above discussion it can safely be concluded that NGOs play an active part in the social development process of Pakistan, whereas Policitcal sector is lacking a bit. In objectives of the NGOs, its mentioned that they are targeting this area but truthfully, a lot of work is being required for the Political development. Government of Pakistan should intervene to make necessary arrangements, providing funds and resources so that the gap in context of political development could be fulfilled.  · Recommendations: The objective of this research was to evaluate and examine the impact of various activities being carried out by NGOs on contribution towards political and social development of the state. Further work on this area is required for the country to prosper both socially and politically. The study needs to be done on countrywide level, to determine the gaps on part of institutions. Necessary course of actions must be taken to remove the obstacles that are coming in the way towards strengthening the country both socially and politically. Analysis: In news of 15th April, Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa government has agreed to give aid to active organizations that would renew their MOU (memorandum of understanding), thus the argument of NGO officials about lacking resources is nullified. Transparency can only be ensured if NGO operators put the funding in good use and work according to the objectives they mention on their official papers. Bibliography: Akhter, W., Akhtar, N., Jaffri, S. K. A. (2009). Islamic micro-finance and poverty alleviation: A case of Pakistan.2nd CBRC. Huntington, S. P. (1965). Political development and political decay.World Politics,17(03), 386-430. Kim, H. (2007). Discuss the impact of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their limits and opportunities in relation to social development and civil society, making particular reference to examples from a selected country or countries.Social Policy Analysis, SLSP,5112, 16-22. Lewis, D. (2014). Non-governmental Organizations, Management and Development. Routledge. Nye, J. S. (1967). Corruption and political development: a cost-benefit analysis. The American Political Science Review, 417-427. Park (1984). Grounding political development. Two recent conceptions of political development. Accessed online on 12-April-2014. References: http://www.ngos.org.pk/ Express Tribune 15th April, 2014 IIP Digital 1

Labor Laws of Vietnam Essay

I. Overview Vietnam is known for being a disciplined, hard-working, and fast-learning population. Traditions emphasizing learning and respect for authority as well as low wages and a high adult literacy rate are often cited by investors as among one of the most attractive aspects of the country’s investment environment (Treutler &Kien, 2010). The Labour Code of Vietnam serves as the main legal base for all the labour matters. It applies to both employees and employers including foreign organizations employing local and foreign staff working on regular basis in Vietnam (Chee &Le, 2008). On the other hand, there are also a number of implementing regulations such as Decrees, Decisions, and Circulars, which provide detailed guidelines for implementation the Code. These regulations play useful and significant roles in the Vietnamese legal system, as the government authorities would often refer to them in practice. In this Code, employment in all business entities, including foreign-invested en terprises, should be based on a written employment contract, which contains sections relating to: * The scope of work * Working hours * Rest/breaks * Recreation time * Wages * Place of work * Terms of contract * Occupational safety and hygiene, * Social and medical insurance II. Preamble â€Å"Labor is the most important activity of man. It creates the material wealth and spiritual values of society. High-productivity, high-quality and high-efficiency labor is the determinant factor of national development. Labor legislation defines the rights and obligations of the employee and the employer, the labor standards and the principles for labor use and management, thus contributing to the promotion of production. Therefore, it plays an important role in social life and in the legal system of the country. Inheriting and developing the labor legislation of our country since 1945, the Labor Code institutionalizes the renewal line of the Communist Party of Vietnam and concretizes the provisions of the 1992 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on labor and on the use and management of labor. The Labor Code protects the right to work, the interests and other rights of the employee. At the same time it protects the legitimate rights and interests of the employer, thus creating conditions for the establishment of harmonious and stable labor relations, helping to develop the creativeness and talent of the intellectual and manual workers as well as of the labor managers, in order to achieve high productivity, quality and social progress in labor, production and service, efficient use and management of labor, thus contributing to the industrialization and modernization of the country in the cause of bringing prosperity to the people and strength to the nation and building a just and civilized society.† III. Main Sources of Labor Law * The Labor Code * The Law on Sending Vietnamese Laborers to Work Overseas * Government decrees, ministerial circulars and decisions, provincial decisions and guidelines * Collective labor agreements, company rules, individual contracts * The Supreme Court’s annual practice summaries and guidelines IV. Special Hiring Considerations A. Hiring Non-Citizens * Generally, if an expatriate wants to work in Vietnam for three months or longer, he/she must obtain a work permit. Vietnamese employers are required to provide support and submit application documents for the work permit. B. Hiring Specified Categories of Individuals * Employers are prohibited from employing female employees, pregnant employees, child employees, and old employees for hazardous and hard work that may cause health problems. * Normally, the minimum working age is 15. There is no restriction on the maximum working age. The daily working hours of senior workers (over 60 for men or over 55 for women), however, should be reduced. C. Outsourcing and/or Subcontracting * The Labor Code contains an inflexible provision stating that a labor contract must be directly entered into by an employer and an employee. In addition, the tasks stipulated in the labor contract must be carried out by the employee under his/her labor contract; the transfer of such tasks to another person must be approved by the employer. In practice, if an employer wishes to use a labor outsourcing service, he/she will not enter into a direct labor contract with workers, but will enter into a labor outsourcing service agreement with the service provider. Therefore, there is no clear definition of outsourcing or subcontracting under the Vietnamese Labor Code. V. Basic Employment Terms * A labor contract must be written in Vietnamese or in both Vietnamese and the foreign language that is applicable to the employer and employee. Contracts for temporary jobs lasting less than three months or for domestic helper work do not need to be in writing and can be oral. A. Working Hours and Rest Hours * The maximum working hours are eight hours per day or 48 hours per week for normal working conditions. Daily working hours must be reduced by one or two hours for employees subject to extremely heavy, dangerous, or toxic working conditions. Employees must take a rest period of a minimum of 24 consecutive hours per week. There are also various compulsory daily and weekly rest periods and breaks that must be observed. B. Wages * Employees may not earn an amount below the minimum salary level, which is reviewed from time to time. Different minimum levels exist and depend on the location of the workplace. C. Working Place/Location * An employee’s place of work must be stated in the labor contract. Mobility clauses can be included in employees’ labor contracts, if necessary. Where a job requires travel to other temporary locations, it is normal for employers to reimburse all reasonable travel expenses. D. Duration of the Contract * Under the Labor Code of Vietnam there are three types of labor contracts: * An indefinite-term labor contract * A fixed-term labor contract with duration of 12 to 36 months * A labor contract for a specific or seasonal job of less than 12 months E. Conditions on Occupational Safety and Hygiene * Employers are required to provide employees with sufficient protective equipment to ensure occupational safety and hygiene and to improve working conditions in the workplace. Employees must comply with occupational safety and hygiene regulations and the internal labor rules of employers. VI. Social Insurance and Leave * Compulsory Social Insurance applies to enterprises, entities, and organizations that employ employees under indefinite-term labor contracts or under definite-term labor contracts with a duration of three months or more. Both employees and employers are required to contribute to the social insurance fund at statutory rates. The social insurance fund pays allowances for sick leave, maternity leave, work-related accidents, occupational disease, and pensions. A. Sick Leave * Employees who suffer from illness and/or disability or take leave in accordance with a doctor’s order receive an allowance paid by the social insurance fund, provided that they submit the required documentation evidencing their leave. The sick leave allowance is based on the employee’s salary used to calculate the social insurance premium. The maximum entitlement is: * 30 days per year (if the employee contributes to the social insurance fund for less than 15 years) * 40 days per year (if the employee contributes to the social insurance fund for between 15 and 30 years) * 60 days per year (if the employee contributes to the social insurance fund for more than 30 years). B. Maternity Leave * Employers must allow pregnant workers to have their health checked regularly. A female employee (who works in normal working conditions) is normally entitled to take four months’ maternity leave. If the female employee works in heavy and/or harmful working conditions or works in a remote location, she is entitled to take up to six months’ maternity leave. Where an employee gives birth to more than one child at one time, she is entitled to take an additional 30days’ leave for every additional child calculated from the second child onwards. The employee will receive a maternity allowance from the social insurance fund during maternity leave. C. Accidents at Work * Work-related accidents are defined as accidents that injure any bodily parts or functions of an employee or cause the employee’s death during the process of working and closely relate to work performance or labor activity. An employee who is injured in a work-related accident must be immediately treated and be fully attended to. The employer must take full responsibility for the occurrence of the work-related accident. During the period in which an employee is absent from work for medical treatment related to a work-related accident or occupational disease, the employer must pay the employee his/her full salary and expenses for the treatment. After the treatment, the employee will be examined and assigned a category of injury, which depends on the reduction of his/her ability to work due to the work-related accident or disease. The employee will be entitled to a social insurance benefit paid as a lump sum or in monthly installments by the social insurance fund. D. Pension Plans * There is no scheme for pension plans under Vietnamese Labor Law. Both employers and employees are required to contribute to the compulsory social insurance fund that payspensions to employees when they retire. E. Absence for Military or Public Service Duties * Employees are entitled to suspend performing their duties under labor contracts if they are required to carry out military service or other public civic obligations. Employers are required to reemploy the employees at the end of the suspension period. VII. Rights of the Employees A. Harassment/Discrimination/Equal Pay * Employees have the right to work without being discriminated against on the basis of their gender, nationality, social class, beliefs, or religion. Moreover, employers are strictly prohibited from discriminatory behavior toward female employees or conduct that degrades female employees’ dignity and honor. Employers must implement the principle of gender equality in regard to recruitment, utilization, wage, and wage increase. B. Work Councils or Trade Unions * Employers are required to facilitate the establishment of a trade union organization within their company. A company’s trade union should be established within a company within six months after the company is set up and put into operation. The obligation for establishing a trade union organization within a company falls on the local trade union or industry trade union, not the employer. The main function of a trade union organization is to represent and protect employees’ legal rights and interests. Therefore, most decisions relating to employee benefits should involve the trade union representative, such as execution of a collective labor agreement, decisions regarding labor discipline, and termination of labor contracts. Any act that obstructs the establishment and activities of an enterprise’s trade union is strictly prohibited. C. Employees’ Right to Strike * Employees may voluntarily go on strike. However, strikes must be organized and led by the executive committee of the company’s trade union or representatives of employees. Employees must also adhere to statutory procedures and steps for the organization of strikes. Strikes are prohibited at businesses that supply certain types of products and services and at enterprises that are essential for the national economy or for national defense and security. D. Employees on Strike * Employers are not required to pay salary or other benefits to employees who participate in a strike. Employers are prohibited, however, from terminating labor contracts or applying labor disciplinary penalties to employees or to organizers of strikes or transferring employees or strike organizers to do other jobs or to work at other locations because of their preparation for or participation in a strike. VIII. Terminating the Employment Contract A. Procedures for Terminating the Agreement * Proper legal grounds must exist in order for an employer to terminate a labor contract with an employee, such as performance issues, prolonged illness, a force majeure event, or winding up of the company. Employers are required to follow a number of statutory steps such as sending a warning letter to employees and/or sending advance written notice regarding the termination of employment to employees within a statutory time limit. If an employer fails to prove that there are legal grounds for the termination or fails to follow the proper statutory procedure, a termination may be declared wrongful. In the event of a wrongful termination, employers may be required to reinstate the employee, pay their salary for the period that they were not allowed to work, and pay two months of the employee’s salary as a penalty for the wrongful termination. B. Types of Termination i. Employee’s Resignation * An employee may resign from his/her job without giving any legitimate reason, so long as the employee gives advance notice to the employer (30 working days for termination of a fixed term labor contract or 45 working days for an indefinite labor contract). ii. Instant Dismissal * Dismissal is the severest labor disciplinary measure. Employees may be dismissed when they commit an act of gross misconduct such as theft, embezzlement, disclosure of business or technology secrets, or repeatedly commit acts in violation of the employers’ work rules or policies. A disciplinary hearing meeting must be held and a number of statutory procedures must be followed. iii. Termination on Notice * An employer may terminate a labor contract by serving advance notice of 30 working days for termination of a fixed term labor contract or 45 working days for an indefinite labor contract. Note that employers must have proper legal grounds for termination (see the above section onprocedures for terminating the agreement). iv. Termination by Reason of the Employee’s Age * There are no specific provisions governing the termination of labor contracts based on an employee’s age. The normal retirement age is 60 for men and 55 for women. A retired person will receive his/her pension and/or allowance from the social insurance fund. The Vietnamese Labor Code allows employers to extend labor contracts or enter into a new labor contract with a retired employee. v. Automatic Termination in Cases of Force Majeure * Force majeure is one of the legal grounds for employers to terminate labor contracts with employees. Employers are required to send advance notice to employees and a number of procedures should be followed. Employers are also required to pay severance to their employees due to the termination of employment. vi. Termination by Parties’ Mutual Agreement * The parties are entirely free to agree to terminate an employment contract on any grounds they desire. Where the parties agree, they are not required to give advance notice of termination. The parties may also waive certain procedures. All the necessary terms, such as employment termination, severance payments, personal income tax, and social insurance, should be finalized and addressed in a document and should be signed by both parties. C. Severance Payments * Employers must pay severance to employees who have continually worked for the employer for 12 months or more. There are certain cases in which employers are exempted from paying severance, such as dismissal or retirement. If employees have made contributions to the unemployment insurance fund, employers are not required to pay severance for the duration of time that the employees paid their unemployment insurance premium. i. Special Tax Provisions and Severance Payments * Any income earned by an employee in the form of salary, wage, allowance, and bonus is subject to personal income tax (PIT). Severance payments at the minimum statutory level are not subject to PIT, whereas any extra payments are subject to PIT. Employers are required to withhold and pay PIT to taxation authorities. ii. Allowances Payable to Employees after Termination * Employers are not required to contribute to any allowances after termination, unless otherwise agreed by the parties in the labor contract and so long as all required severance payments are paid in full. iii. Time Limits for Claims Following Termination * The statute of limitations runs one year from the date of the conduct that any party claims breached its rights or benefits, where the claim arises from: * Disciplinary measures resulting in dismissal * Unilateral termination of a labor contract * Compensation for loss and damage or payment of allowances Reference/s: Duc Manh, N. (n.d.). The Labor Code of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Retrieved on February 24, 2013 from http://www.dncustoms.gov.vn/web_ english/english/luat_pl/LABOR-CODE.htm Chee, P & Le, D. (2008). Overview of Labour Law in Vietnam. KhattarWong. Retrieved on February 24, 2013 from http://www.khattarwong.com/index.php/knowledgemanagement/articles/41-vietnam/205-overview-of-labour-law-in-vietnam.html Treutler, T. J. & Kien, T. T. (2010). An overview of Vietnam Labor Law. Tilleke & Gibbins. Retrieved on February 24, 2013 from http://www.tilleke.com/sites/default/files/Overview%20of%20Vietnam%20Labor%20Law.pdf (2008). Labor in Vietnam. Vietnam Trade Office in the USA. Retrieved on February 24, 2013 from http://www.vietnamustrade.org/index.php?f=news&do= detail&id=35&lang=English

Into the Wild Essay Topics Secrets

Into the Wild Essay Topics Secrets He stayed there for some time. Mad fury drives Buck, but every time he rushes the guy, he's struck again, until he's beaten and bloodied. What's more, the snow represents Buck's very first encounter with an element of nature that he'll have to contend with for the remainder of his life. Just take a deep breath and provide a response that shows you're creative and engaged. Some emphasize reforming the criminal while some concentrate on deterring crimes. He just wishes to find revenge on his oppressors. However, this is a place at which you can voice these feelings and ambitions. They're also able to discuss certain advantages or negative facets of present laws. Due to the creative and inspiring papers submitted, we chose to create a section of the website for these folks. Advertising and the media are now nearly inseparable from society for a whole. The estate is an instance of tremendous wealth and an indication of civilization. To be gin with, he's a mixed breed. He spends a good deal of time in the desert and in little towns, or so the reader may not have the ability to imagination his location immediately. A.J. and his classmates get to visit the zoo. They see all their favourite animals! Below you will discover a couple of discussion questions. Additionally, we are going to be giving 40 listeners a hard copy of the audiobook. Pay close attention to all things electronic, and you will be certain to find something debatable of what you see. When you're picking your topic, remember that it's much simpler to write about something which you presently have interest ineven in case you don't know a great deal about it. Using Bible trivia is a superb method to achieve that. We've separated the questions from the answers to generate our kids trivia quiz simpler to use. The women were teaching the dance for assorted reasons, undoubtedly. You don't need to acquire super technical with legal argumentative essays, but make sure to do your homework on what the present laws about your favorite topic actually say. Here are a few potential prompts for theses you could use whenever completing your assignment about this subject. Because each family differs, it's tricky to generalize in these kinds of essays. This is a rather broad category, so there are a whole lot of topics to select from and even more that you could create all on your own. The Little-Known Secrets to into the Wild Essay Topics Both play an essential role in the opening of Into the Wild. Wilderness is essential to Chis. Thus, when writing an essay about Into the Wild, we are prepared to produce any sort of assignment which you would like us to carry out. Into the Wild is a rather passionate and intriguing book. into the Wild Essay Topics - the Conspiracy Poetry can stick to a strict structure, or none whatsoever, but a lot of different kinds of poems utilize poetic devices. There are in fact three kinds of question here. There are many sorts of rhyming devices. 40 The mu process is at rest if we are engaged in an activity. However, as he finishes school, he discovers that his father isn't perfect, and thus the image of the ideal man he has been attempting to embody no longer exists. 1 approach to approach this book is to determine what the numerous men have in common. Her very first impression of the town wasn't favourable, while this isn't unusual for an outsider. Rather than living life like a standard person he made a decision to disappear without telling his family members and hike to Alaska. Top Choices of into the Wild Essay Topics The identity of the human body still remains unknown. You should acknowledge the intricacy of what it is you're writing about. A simile can receive the reader to check at something in a different way. Nature is among the most crucial factors, Transcendentalists believe nature is related to god and soul, God and Soul are available in the tranquility of nature.