Negotiation strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Negotiation strategies - Assignment Example Steve Jobs used some of these tips in his email negotiation. Steve Jobs applied the understand importance of negotiation tip. From the emails, Steve Jobs engaged into a phone call conversation without haste with Murdoch. Despite his busy schedule, he understood that some bargains are too significant to avoid. He needed all the major publishers, including Harper Collins, to show his eBooks. Further, Steve Jobs also understood the importance of caving on what he felt he required with one publisher. He as well understood that if other potential publishers found out, they would withdraw from the deal. The deal was, therefore, both important in itself and the consequence it could have on other deals. Secondly, Steve Jobs used the tip of showing both kinds of value. Jobs exhibited two different types of value while communicating to his negotiating partner via email. One of his values was positive while the other one was negative. For the positive value, he emphasized benefits that Harper Collins publisher would earn from the deal. For instance, Steve Jobs wrote on his email conversation praising Apple Company. He stated that it was the only publisher capable of during that time that could cause serious impacts despite being in a position to work with at least four of the six big publishers available and already signed up. On Jobs positive kind of value, he hands HarperCollins a tool for opposing Amazon domination of the publishing industry. However, he gives a hint claiming that should HarperCollins fail to keep with the market dynamics, its competitors may shut it down through stiff competition. Therefore, he  asks Harpers wisely to upgrade its publishing systems in order to keep up with the competition and the market demands. Finally, Steve Jobs employed the negotiation tip of laying out reality. He applies coup de grace that relates to the first tip. Steve Jobs lays

Anti Head Lice Essay Example for Free

Anti Head Lice Essay Abstract. The present study focused on the separation and identification of the active compounds against head lice from the hexane extract of Annona squamosa L seed. Chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques revealed that two major compounds of the hexane seed extract were oleic acid and triglyceride with one oleate ester. The yields of these compounds were 13.25% and 7.74% dry weight, respectively. The compounds were tested in vitro against head lice, comparing to the crude hexane extract of the seed. The triglyceride with one oleate ester and the crude hexane extract diluted with coconut oil 1:1. These compounds were found to kill all tested head lice in 49, 11 and 30 minutes, respectively. The triglyceride ester can be used as a marker for quantitative analysis of the active compound for quality control of the raw material A. squamosa seed and its extract. This first finding will be useful for quality assessment and the chemical stability of the antihead lice preparation from this plant. INTRODUCTION Annona squamosa L. (Custard apple) is a plant belonging to the family Annonaceae. It is popularly cultivated in all parts of Thailand, especially in the northeast, as a sweet fruit. The seed of this plant is well known for killing head lice in many countries (Boonyaprapasara, 1998). The human head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) is a small insect causing a public health problem, especially in poor sanitary conditions. In Thailand, research has shown the anti-head lice activity of A. squamosa. Puapatanakul (1980) reported that the extract of custard apple seeds in coconut oil at the ratio of 1:2 can kill 98% of head lice within two hours, while the leaf extract shows less potency. Gritsanapan et al (1996) found that the petroleum ether extract of the leaves and seeds dissolved in coconut oil at a ratio of 1:1, kill 90% of head lice in vitro by 53 and 26 minutes, respectively. A 20% cream (oil/ water) preparation of petroleum ether extract of custard apple seeds can kill 93% of head lice Correspondence: Wandee Gritsanapan, Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 447 Si Ayutthaya Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Tel: +66 (0) 2644-8677 ext 1500, 5530; Fax: +66 (0) 2644-8701 E-mail: [emailprotected] 532 within 3 hours (Areekul and Chaikledkaew, 1994, personal communication). Gritsanapan et al (1996), reported that 20 g of 20% freshly prepared cream can kill 94.5Â ±9.1% of head lice within 3 hours of application to school girls’ hair. Tiangda et al (2000) found the cream preparation of custard apple seed is biologically stable for at least 12 months. However, it is easier to control the quality and stability of the preparation by quantitative analysis of the active chemical components. The active compounds of A. squamosa seed extract have not been reported elsewhere. The present study, therefore, is focused on the isolation and identification of the anti-head lice components in the seeds of A. squamosa. MATERIALS AND METHODS Preparation of plant extracts A. squamosa seeds were purchased from Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand in October 2004. The samples were identified by comparison with the herbarium at Forest Herbarium, Department of National Parks, Wild-life and Plant Conservation, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Bangkok. The voucher specimen (WAS 0704) has been deposited at the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol UniVol 37 No. 3 May 2006 A NTI-HEAD L ICE EFFECT OF A. SQUAMOSA versity, Bangkok, Thailand. The seeds were washed and dried in a hot air oven at 55Â ºC for 24 hours. The dried seeds were ground in an electric mill. Extraction and separation of major compounds The powdered seeds of A. squamosa (1.1 kg) were macerated with hexane (23 l) for three days at room temperature. The mixture was filtered and the filtrate was concentrated by a rotary evaporator and evaporated in a hot water bath until a constant weight (282.4 g) was obtained. The extract (75 g) was separated using silica gel column chromatography (400 g silica). Hexane (CH2Cl2 (1:1) 100% CH 2Cl 2 : CH 2Cl2 : MeOH (1:1)) was used as an eluent. Fifty milliliter fractions were collected and the fractions with the same TLC pattern (SiGF 254 hexane: ethyl acetate 10:3) were combined. The fractions containing two major spots (R f 0.20 and 0.72) were eluted in 100% CH2Cl2 fractions. To isolate pure compounds, the fractions containing major compounds were combined and concentrated. The mixture wa s further fractionated using silica gel column chromatography (200 g). Isocratic elution by hexane: ethyl acetate (10:3) was performed (approximately 25 ml per fraction). The fractions with the same TLC pattern were combined to yield five fractions. The second and fourth fractions gave compound AS1 (38.7 g) and compound AS2 (22.6 g), respectively. Compounds AS1 and AS2 were purified to give pure compounds. Testing for anti-head lice activity of pure compounds and crude extract The hexane extract and the two major pure compounds were tested for anti-head lice activity according to the method of McCage (2002). The extract and pure compounds were separately dissolved in coconut oil at dilutions of 1:1 to 1:8 w:w. The same amount of each solution (0.05 ml) was put in a Petri dish and spread in a thin layer over a 2 cm2 area. Seven equal sized head lice collected from school girls’ hair were placed in the Petri dish containing solutions of the extract and the two major pure compounds. Non-moving head lice, which were determined as dead lice, were counted every 5 minutes until all the lice were dead. A commercial anti-head Vol 37 No. 3 May 2006 lice cream, Hexinâ„ ¢, which is gamma benzene hexachloride (1% w/w) and coconut oil were used as a positive and negative controls, respectively. RESULTS Compound AS1 was a pale yellow oil, yielded 13.25% w/w of dried seeds. TLC (SiGF254, hexane:ethyl acetate 10:3) had an Rf value of 0.20 (Fig 1). The EI mass spectrum had a molecular ion peak at m/z 283.2 [M+1] and a prominent peak at m/z 264.3. The IR spectrum of compound AS1 revealed absorption peaks at 3000-2930 (O-H stretch), 2850 (C-H stretch), and 1700 (C=O stretch, carboxylic) cm-1. The 1H NMR spectrum of compound AS1 indicated the presence of one methyl proton at ÃŽ ´ 0.90 (3H, t, H-18); a methylene proton group at ÃŽ ´ 1.26 (20H, m, H-4-7 and H-12-17); two methylene proton groups at ÃŽ ´1.65 (2H, m, H-3); four methylene proton groups at ÃŽ ´ 2.00 (4H, m, H-8, 11); two methylene proton groups at ÃŽ ´ 2.35 (2H, t, H-2); two olefinic methane proton groups at ÃŽ ´ 5.35 (2H, m, H-9,10) and the broad peak of a hydroxyl proton at ÃŽ ´ 10.15 (1H). The 13C NMR spectrum and Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT) exhibited 16 carbon resonances, revealing the presence of thirteen methylene carbons, one methyl carbon, two olefinic methine carbons and one carbonyl carbon. These spectral data suggested that compound AS1 was a fatty acid. Comparing the NMR spectra of compound AS1 with Aldrich Library (1993) of 13C and 1H FT NMR spectra, confirmed the molecular structure of AS1 was an oleic acid (Fig 2). Compound AS2 was also pale yellow oil, yielded 7.74% w/w of dried seeds. The Rf value (SiGF254, hexane: ethyl acetate 10:3) was 0.72 (Fig 1).The 1H NMR spectrum looked similer to the AS1 spectrum, with additional signals at ÃŽ ´ 4.15 and 4.30. The IR spectrum of compound AS2 showed bands at 2925 (C-H stretch) and 1746 (C=O stretch, ester) cm-1. 533 S OUTHEAST ASIAN J T ROP MED P UBLIC H EALTH Table 1 Head lice killing time of the crude extract and pure compounds from Annona squamosa seeds (n=3). Test sample Dilution (w:w) Killing time (min) 30.67Â ±4.04 34.33Â ±4.04 41.00Â ±3.61 55.00Â ±5.00 49.33Â ±3.06 54.67Â ±5.51 59.00Â ±6.56 61.33Â ±4.16 11.00Â ±1.00 12.00Â ±2.00 16.00Â ±1.00 22.33Â ±2.52 180 180 1 2 3 Hexane crude extract 1:1 1:2 1:4 1:8 Oleic acid (AS1) 1:1 1:2 1:4 1:8 Triglyceride with one oleate ester (AS2) 1:1 1:2 1:4 1:8 Coconut oil (-ve control) Not diluted Hexinâ„ ¢ (+ve control) Not diluted 1 = AS1, 2 = AS2, 3 = hexane crude extract. Fig 1–TLC chromatogram of AS1, AS2 and hexane crude extract. H After comparing the NMR spectra of compound AS2 with Aldrich Library (1913) of 13C and 1 H FT NMR spectra, compound AS2 was felt to be a triglyceride with one oleate ester (Fig 2). The hexane crude extract of compound AS1 (oleic acid) and compound AS2 (triglyceride with one oleate ester) from Annona squamosa seeds showed in vitro anti-head lice activity as summarized in the Table 1. The data show that the triglyceride with one oleate ester was the most active compound against head lice. It killed all tested head lice within 11 minutes when diluted with coconut oil to a ratio of 1:1. Both the Hexinâ„ ¢ and the coconut oil killed all the head lice within a period of 180 minutes. H COOH (CH2) 7 H3C (CH2) 7 Oleic acid O CH2O CHO CH2O C R1 R2 Oleate Triglyceride with one oleate ester R 1, R2 = H/ other fatty acid Fig 2–Structure of separated compounds from Annona squamosa seed. DISCUSSION The triglyceride with one oleate ester in coconut oil (1:1) was significantly more active against head lice than gamma benzene hexachloride 1% cream and the hexane crude extract. These data are supported by previous reports (Gritsanapan et al, 1996; Tiangda et al. 534 2000). This result is useful for the standardization of Annona squamosa seed and its extract. The active compound may be used for the qualitative assessment of the chemical stability of the custard apple cream preparation. This is the a first report of the active anti-head lice components from A. squamosa seeds. Vol 37 No. 3 May 2006 A NTI-HEAD L ICE EFFECT OF A. SQUAMOSA REFERENCES Aldrich Chemical Co, Inc. The Aldrich Library of 13C and 1H FT NMR Spectra. 1st ed, 1993. Boonyaprapasara N, Chokchaicharoenporn O, eds. Samunprai Maipuenbaan. Vol. 2. Bangkok: Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 1998: 454 (in Thai). Gritsanapan W, Somanabandhu A, Titirungruang C, Lertchaiporn M. A study on the antiparasitic activities and chemical constituents of extracts from the leaves and seeds of custard apple (Annona squamosa Linn.). Proceedings of Third NRCT- JSPS Joint Seminar, 1996: 209-15. McCage CM, Ward SM, Paling CA, Fisher DA, Flynn PJ, McLaughlin. Development of a paw paw herbal shampoo for the removal of head lice. Phytomedicine 2002; 9: 743-8. Puapatanakul O. Clinical studies of Annona squamosa seeds and leaves for the treatment of head lice. 1980: 37 pp (in Thai). T iangda C, Gritsanapan W, Sookvanichsilp N, Limchalearn A. Antihead-lice activity of Annona squamosa seed extract. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 2000;31 (suppl 1): 174-7. Vol 37 No. 3 May 2006

Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Essay example -- Civil Rights, Homosexual

The issue of legalizing same-sex marriage is one of great controversy. There are some people who think that gay people have no rights and should never be allowed to marry. Other people believe that gay people are just like anyone else and should enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals do. People opposing gay marriage argue that a couple of the same sex getting married would redefine the word marriage, the purpose of marrying is to procreate, and they should settle for Civil Unions instead. I feel that all fifty states in the U.S. should allow same-sex marriages. Only in the states of, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, California, along with the District of Columbia are gay couples allowed to marry. There are more states that allow first cousins to marry. Same-sex marriage is very important with gay couples and activists in today's society. One of the main reasons is that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation. â€Å"Because gay couples are unable to have children, they should not be allowed to marry† (Schiffen 495) If this is one of their strongest arguments, then marriage licenses should be denied to all couples who are unable to conceive, meaning: men and women over the age of seventy, infertile women, and sterile men. However this is not the case, which is why that argument is invalid. On January 1, 2002, a bill became effective to give members of registered same-sex and opposite-sex couples the right to adopt a partner's child. According to the American Psychological Associ ation, August 11, 2010 press release â€Å"American Psychological Association Reiterates Support for Same-sex Marriage† Research has shown that marriage provides substantial psychological and phy... ...vernment guarantees equal rights for all citizens. Works Cited Bidstup, Scott. "Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives." 13 Oct. 2000. 1 Nov. 2011 Malone, John. "21st Century Gay" M. Evans and Company, Inc. 2001 Murphy, Jenny. Should Gay Couples Be Allowed to Marry? 3 February 2000 http://speakout.com/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=speakout&story.id=1138b National Campaign for Same-Sex Marriage...Draws Political and Religious Opposition." CQ Researcher. (Vol.#)(1996): 420-423. Say, Elizabeth A. and Kowalewski, Mark R. Gays, Lesbians, and Family Values The Pilgrim Press. 1998 "Should Gay Couples Be Allowed to Marry?" Http://www.apa.org. 11 Aug. 2010. American Psychological Association. 29 Oct. 2011 .

Prayers in Schools Essay

My name is Ericka Jaid Laurett heil. I have long brown hair and I have blue eyes and I am 5’6. My interests are drawing, playing Xbox, babysitting, watching family guy, and sleeping. My expectations for myself are to pass high school not failing any classes. I was close to failing my expectation because I failed math. But I took credit recovery and got the credit! I wish to be a pediatrician because I love kids and helping them and making them happy. Activities that I enjoy are volleyball, basketball and I used to play soccer but my knees and ankles are bad. My mom’s name is Janda-lynn laurett heil, my dad’s name is Adam Jack Heil, my older sister’s name is Devon Brooke Heil, and my younger sister’s name is Emily Mable Clara Heil. I am the middle child of the family. My family grew up around Bobbi and Tom pitkanen. I called them auntie and uncle all the time. We used to go camping every year at a little campsite we made on an island down the Dryden highway. I actually thought that we were related but recently I found out they are just a close family friend. Also, my best friend’s grandmother lives beside me and I talk to her about everything! Sometimes I just go there and talk to her, and sometimes she comes by my house and chats for a bit. My best friend’s grandmother knows more about me than my mother. Well I have a very strong relationship with my dad’s mom. My mom’s mom left and turned against my family because of something personal that happened in the past. My grandma heil has always been there for my mom and me and my sisters and my dad and even our family friends! She has great advice and is such a nice woman. A couple years ago she was on the phone with my uncle and she had a brain aneurism and collapsed while she was on the phone. She got shipped to Winnipeg and had surgery†¦ Everyone in my family was so upset. She is probably the only grandparent or person in my mom and dad’s side of the family that was actually there for our family and helped us through rough times. She is my bestfriend. My relationship with my sisters is okay at times. I love my sisters but they both bother me. My little sister gets me so mad you don’t even know. I beat her up all the time and when I say beat†¦ I actually mean beat. : P I can kinda tap her with my shoulder and I’m being dead honest she screams and runs to my mom or dad. Its like she’s scared of me or something. My older sister always waits till I leave the house and she steals all my clothes and says there hers. She’s lucky she has a child, I would never beat her up in front of her baby. She is my only sister that I actually trust and can tell stuff to. I was always there for her when she needed help when we were younger, so I trust her with a lot. They are important to me because they are family. If anyone were to hurt them I would honestly beat the person up. I have done that for my little sister already. I don’t like her friends and they know not to do that kind of stuff to my family. My family has helped me with my volleyball sport choice. They have paid for all my volleyball travels and my shirt’s and all that fun stuff. They were the ones that told me about the viper’s volleyball team in grade 8. I tried out and made both cuts so I was on the team! We travelled to Kenora and to a town outside of Winnipeg. I was with a lot of my friends and it was so much fun. We competed in tournaments again kids nowhere near here. I have been told I am great at playing volleyball and that I should try out for the volleyball team. I wanted to but I never had the good grades and the perfect attendance for that. They helped me to become the person I am today. To be strong and stick up for what I believe. That’s why I’m such a smart mouth. I get it from my daddy. Well before I came into high school my family and a close family friend’s family would go to a campsite thing that we made on an island down the Dryden highway. We would stay there and camp for at least a week. Other then that I don’t really know any other things that my family does together. I don’t socialize with my family and if I do it’s Devon or it’s because I want something. I don’t really ever leave my bedroom unless I have to go to the washroom, I’m hungry, I have to do the dishes, I’m babysitting, or I leave the house. Well in my future family I’m going to continue to go camping every year and I don’t really know what else to do. I kind of keep to myself in my house so I don’t really know what my family does that I could continue in my future family. That is all I have to say about my family and my life really. I love my family and my friends and I don’t know what I would do without them.

Nursing Practice and Profession

Nurses who are sensitive to the legal dimensions of practice are careful to develop a strong sense of both ethical and legal accountability. Competent practice is a nurses’ best legal safeguard. When working to develop ethical and legal accountabilities, nurses must recognize that both deficiencies and or excesses of responsible caring are problematic. Although it is reasonable to hold oneself accountable for promoting the human well being of the patients, nurses can err by setting unrealistic standards of responsiveness and responsibility for themselves. Prudence is always necessary to balance responsible self care with care for others. Inexperienced nurses might feel totally responsible for effecting patient outcomes beyond their control and become frustrated and sad when unable to produce the desired outcome Conversations about what is reasonable to hold ourselves and others accountable for are always helpful.Each employing institution or agency providing nursing service ha s an obligation to establish a process for reporting and handling practices by individual or by health care systems that jeopardizes a patient’s health or safety. The American Nurses Association code of Ethics obligates nurses to report professional conduct that is incompetent, unethical or illegal. For nurses, incompetent practice in measured by nursing standards, unethical practice is evaluated in light of the professional codes of ethics, while illegal practice is identified in terms of violation of federal legislations and laws.Nurses must respect the accountability and responsibility inherent in their roles.   They have the moral obligations in the provision of nursing care, hence they collaborate with other health care providers in providing comprehensive health care, recognizing the perspective and expertise of each member.   Nurses have a moral right to refuse to participate in procedures that may violate their own personal moral conscience since they are entitled to conscientious objection. They must keep all information obtained in a professional capacity confidential and employ professional judgment in sharing this information on a need to know basis.Nurses are expected to protect individuals under their care against lack of privacy by confining their verbal communications only to appropriate personnel; settings, and to professional purposes. They are obliged to adhere to practice that limits access to personal records to appropriate personnel. They must value the promotion of a social as well as economic environment that supports and sustains health and well-being. It includes the involvement in the detection of ill effects of the environment on the health of the patient as well as the ill effects of human activities to the natural environment.They must acknowledge that the social environment in which the patient inhabits has an impact on health. Nurses must respect the rights of individuals to make informed choices in relation to their care. They have this responsibility to inform individuals about the care available to them, and the choice to accept or reject that care.   If the person is not able to speak for themselves, nurses must ensure the availability of someone to represent them. It is vital to respect the decisions made concerning the individual’s care.   Standards of care are one measure of quality.   Quality nursing care provides care by qualified individuals.Likewise, the individual needs, values, and culture of the patient relative to the provision of nursing care is important to be respected and considered hence it should not be compromised for reasons of ethnicity, gender, spiritual values, disability, age, economic, social or health status, or any other grounds.   Respect for an individual’s needs includes recognition of the individual’s place in a family and the community. It is due to this reason that others should be included in the provision of care, most significan tly the family members. Respect for needs, beliefs and values includes culturally sensitive care, and the need for comfort, dignity, privacy and alleviation of pain and anxiety as much as possible.â€Å"Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a problem solving approach to clinical practice that integrates the conscientious use of best evidence in combination with a clinician’s expertise as well as patient preferences and values to make decisions about the type of care that is provided† (Melnyk, 2004). Quality of care outcomes refers to accuracy and relevance demonstrated by the decisions concerning the need for medical and surgical intervention. Evidence of appropriateness in healthcare is necessary to improve health outcomes, balance costs, provide guidance to physicians and meet the need of the new informed health consumer. Appropriateness is unlike effectiveness since the later refers to the degree in which an intervention achieves the objectives set (Muir Gray, 1997). One criterion of appropriateness is that of necessity.As technology and improved methods of care has advanced, access to appropriate interventions should likewise improve. Today some interventions are still limited such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in rural communities and since access to this technology is limited, a criterion of necessity is used to determine who is able to access and how quickly. Therefore although use of MRI may be appropriate in diagnostics, it may be underused. Advancements in technology, interventions and clinical research will provide updated evidence which in turn would affect ratings of appropriateness (Muir Gray, 1997).Clinical guideline statements are developed from evidence to assist healthcare practitioners in making appropriate health interventions (Woolf, Grol, Hutchinson, Eccles & Grimshaw, 1999). The clinical guideline may be a general statement or concise instruction on which diagnostic test to order or how best to treat a specific condition. The purpose of clinical guidelines is as a tool for making decisions that will result in more consistent and efficient care. Guidelines are not rules nor are they mandatory. The benefits of clinical guidelines include: Improved health outcomes; Increased beneficial/appropriate care; Consistency of care; Improved patient information; Ability to positively influence policy; Provide direction to health care practitioners;ReferencesAgency of Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.). Outcomes research fact sheet. [Online].Available: http://www.ahcpr.gov/clinic/outfact.htmBrook, R.H. (1994). Appropriateness: The next frontier. [Online]. Available:http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/308/6923/218?ijkey=t7GNbMJu0NIhAFitch, K., Bernstien, S. J., Aguilar, M. D., Burand, B., LaCalle, J. R., Lazaro, P. van het Loo,McDonnell, J., Vader, J. P., & Kahan, J. P. (2001). The RAND/UCLA appropriatenessmethod user’s manual. [Online]. Available:http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1269?John A. Hart ford Foundation. (n.d.). [Online]. Available:   http://www.jhartfound.org/Muir Gray, J.A. (1997). Evidence-based healthcare: How to make health policy and managementdecisions, New York: Churchill Livingstone.Woolf, S. H., Grol, R., Hutchinson, A., Eccles, M., & Grimshaw, J. (1999). Clinical guidelines:Potential benefits, limitations and harms of clinical guidelines. [Online]. Available:http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/318/7182/527?

poli 357 term paper

poli 357 term paper poli 357 term paper Critique of Canada’s Bill C-31 The Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act NAme ID: XXXX POLI 357 November 21st, 2014 Introduction The Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act also known as Bill C-31, is an act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, the Marine Transportation Security Act and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act. This Bill was introduced to parliament on February 16th, 2012. The government, led by Progressive Conservative, Stephen Harper was in a majority and therefore assured the Bill’s success. This Bill was enacted to help combat ‘Bogus’ refugees gaining refugee status in Canada. (Bill C-31, 2012) Sponsored by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration at the time, Jason Kenney, this Bill would create substantial changes to the way in which refugees access the country. This Bill would allow only the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to have the power to decide which countries are considered ‘safe’ when deciding one’s refugee status in Canada. ‘Safe’ cou ntries are described in the Bill as having a high refugee status rejection rate. This assumes that since the majority of the claims are rejected, then the claims must be unworthy of seeking refuge in Canada and therefore their current country is deemed as a safe place for all of its citizens. (Bill C-31, 2012) Rejected claimants, are assumed to be ‘Bogus’ refugees; for this paper I will be using the â€Å"Romani† of the Czech Republic as a case study. (Diop, 2014, 67-80) (Levine-Rasky, Beaudoin and St Clair, 2013, 67-93) This Bill would also make it mandatory that claimants from safe countries must wait a year before applying for compassionate or humanitarian considerations to become a permanent resident. (Bill C-31, 2012) This also makes clear that refugees in this circumstance may also be deported within that year at any time. The Bill also makes restraints on healthcare to refugees, creating stronger divisions between â€Å"us† and â€Å"them†. (Omeziri and Gore 2014, 44-53) Additionally the Bill emphasizes accelerating the process by altering the 60-day time frame to 30-45 days for the cases of refugees from â€Å"safe† or â€Å"designated countries of origin† (DCO). (Bill C-31, 2012) Lastly, this Bill would include mandatory biometrics for people applying for visas. (Bill C-31, 2012) In this paper I will argue that less power should be given to the Minister and that the stringent guidelines imposed on refugees have negatively affected both the â€Å"legitimate† and the â€Å"Bogus† refugees. Safe Countries With this Bill, there have been two new categories created. Non-Designated Countries of Origin (Non-DCO), and Designated Countries of Origin (DCO). These designations were created to define â€Å"acceptable refugee† status. (Olson, et al., 2014, 7) The Bill argues that the reasoning for this is to deter abuse of the refugee system. The ‘Safe’ countries include countries that are not seen as typically producing refugees. (Diop, 2014, 73) The speeding up of the system rejects claims faster by using stricter guidelines for a proper refugee. A claimant from a DCO country is viewed as being ‘capable’, rather than being ‘vulnerable’ and in this case is given the title ‘Bogus Refugee’. (Olson, et al. ,2014, 4) The issue with these designations is that they have successfully and stereotypically lumped thousands of people into two categories. By doing this they have left it up to the system to decide whether or not they are ‘re al’ refugees and have a greater chance of overlooking an individual’s specific case. This means that if an individual were to claim refugee status and their country is considered ‘safe’, their reasoning for seeking refuge is biased from the beginning and is more likely to be denied. Of course the claimants are still able to apply for a compassionate or humanitarian consideration; however, they are forced to wait a full year to make their claim. This is especially

Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology

Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology Industry Profile Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology (ICT) firm. The firm particularly deals with programming tools, database products, and obscure software, and has been authorized to deal with corporate, government, as well as educational licensing programs (Government of Canada, 2013). Canada’s ICT industry mainly comprises of small companies, numbering about 33,300 in total.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A bigger percentage of this number, 86.9 percent (Government of Canada, 2013), deal in computer services and software. On the other hand, a paltry number of 6.2 percent is within the wholesaling industries (Government of Canada, 2013). Larger companies operating in the industry are comparatively few, with close to 75 companies only employing a workforce of over 500 emp loyees in 2011. In comparison, more than 28,300 companies employed not more than 10 employees, translating to 85 percent of all companies in the industry (Government of Canada, 2013). The ICT industry comprises of four main sub-sectors, including software and computer services, ICT wholesaling, ICT manufacturing, and communications services. Softchoice falls under software and computer services sub-sector, which is also the largest among the sub-sectors with an 86.8 percent volume cover of the entire industry. Industry structure and financial performance According to the â€Å"Branham top 250† (2012), the software and computer services sub-sector had combined revenue of over $ 4.997 billion in 2011. This was a marked improvement from the previous year’s revenue amount of $ 4.274 billion, representing a percentage growth rate of 16.92. The top performers in the industry, who also comprise of Softchoice’s biggest competitors, include BCE, Rogers Communications, TE LUS, CGI Group, and Open Text (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). In 2011, both CGE and Rogers Communications recorded modest gains in their business operations, where each of the companies increased their sales by approximately 2 percentage points (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). TELUS, on its part, registered approximately 9 percent growth in Internet and wireless sales, posting $7.98 billion.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These companies, also referred to as the big three, have tight business competition amongst them. This increases the possibility of other smaller companies in the sub-sector to consolidate together (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). During the same year of 2011, CGI Group worked towards building its new acquisition, Stanely, which was worth $923.15 million (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). The company closed the yea r with its total sales figure amounting to $4.32 billion, representing a percentage growth rate of 15.84 percent from the previous year (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). In a bid to enhance its performance even further, CGI Group has established new independent business units, focusing on health and government areas. The health business area generated about $350 million in global sales in 2011, which represent 8 percent of its entire sales revenue (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). Open Text recorded a landmark performance in 2011 when the company’s annual sales exceeded the $1 billion sales mark in the company’s history. The company’s revenues grew by 13.30 percentage points from the previous year (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). Open Text’s main strategy of business involved acquisition deals that were completed in 2011, which saw the company obtain Metastorm, StreamServe, and weComm. The graph below highlights the cumulative performance posted by Canada’s leading 250 ICT firms (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). Source: â€Å"Branham top 250† (2012)Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the graph above, it is observable that the ICT industry’s cumulative revenue performance has been increasing over the years. For instance, between 2003 and 2006, the annual revenue figures for each year exceeded the previous year’s sales results. The average growth indicates that the industry is set to continue with its annual growth in the future, where the companies are set to make additional sales. Although there are secluded years, specifically 2007 and 2009, where the total annual sales made were less than the previous year’s, these are isolated cases and are not expected to affect the growth pattern going forward. Co mpetitive Strategies within the Industry Buyer power The buyers have a modest bargaining power in the industry. The software and computer services sub-sector comprises of 86 percent of the total 33,000 companies in the ICT industry in Canada (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). This implies that the buyers have many choices from where they can seek to acquire their software products. It is evident that the firms compete with each other as they seek to win over the market because of relatively large number of companies in the sub-sector. This competition, in turn, provides the buyers with the necessary bargaining power advantage because the firms use such aspects as price to base their competition. However, the firms also enhance their business positions because firms such as Softchoice specialize in obscure software products. This lowers the buyers’ overall power to bargain, making it generally modest. Supplier power The suppliers’ bargaining power is equally modest in this industry. With the high number of industry players exceeding 33,000, it means this huge number of ICT firms is depending heavily on the suppliers to enable them achieve their business objectives (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). The suppliers deal with a large clientele base, thus making them to enjoy high frequency business. However, it is also important to note some of the players in the industry, such as BCE, TELUS, and Rogers Communication are well established and have the potential of integrating backwards (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). With Softchoice’s specialization in obscure software, the company enjoys more bargaining power over suppliers. Only a few suppliers can serve the company’s needs fully, giving it the necessary bargaining power.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More New market entrants The industry has fewer barriers to entry. Although the five leading industry players have consolidated the market, many other smaller players still exist and do their business. There are numerous sub-areas within the software and computer services sector, where firms can specialize in and still establish themselves (â€Å"Canada information technology†, 2012). Although the established firms in the industry benefit from the economies of scale advantage, they focus their attention on a larger area of the ICT industry. This, in turn, gives the smaller industry players room to penetrate into the industry as they only focus on smaller areas of the industry. The smaller industry players most likely provide high quality products and services, which attracts a significant portion of the market. Threat of substitution The threat of substitution is low. Although the wider ICT industry has many players concentrating on the same market, each of these companies has foc used on specialization in different areas. Thus, customers with particular ICT need may find it difficult to locate an alternative ICT firm that deals in the exact area. Although many software and computer services firms exist in the industry, Softchoice specifically deals in obscure software. The major companies in the industry may be dealing with a wide range of service and product areas, but they also specialize in specific business areas to improve the quality of their performance (â€Å"Canada information technology†, 2012). Competitive rivalry Competitive rivalry is high in the industry. There are many companies in the industry that have a great potential and power to compete in the market. The large established companies have resorted to acquisitions to increase their competitive edge over other industry rivals (â€Å"Canada information technology†, 2012). With the industry trends indicating growing cumulative revenue each year, the players are working hard towa rds ensuring that they capture a significant portion of the total market revenue. Companies are also differentiating their services to limit competition by focusing on particular areas as a way of enhancing their quality performance. Industry Trends and Emerging Opportunities Increasing Expenditure on RD ICT industry players have been setting apart an increased volume of their revenue for funding research and development activities. In 2010, for instance, the ICT firms increased their RD expenditure to 15.44 percent compared to 14.78 percent in the previous year (Anderson, 2013). This trend highlights the fact that the industry players recognize the importance of investing in their core expertise, as well as the products and services that they deal with to increase their competitive edge within the global playing field (Anderson, 2013). With ICT relying heavily on research and development activities because of its continuous growth and advancement, there is a higher likelihood that the ICT industry players will continue experiencing a growing need to spend more revenues on the RD activities. Increased spending on research and development increases the opportunity of the ICT firm to grow even further. It increases the probability of enhancing quality and general performance, which will in turn attract more buyers. With an increase in the number of the buyers, the firms are likely to make more sales and improve their revenues. Increased RD activity is also likely to expand the Canadian ICT market to include the international buyers. Increasing Value of the Canadian Dollar over the US Dollar The Canadian dollar gained value over the US dollar towards the end of 2010 (Anderson, 2013). This was the second time that such a trend had been noticed over a period of 30 years. Over 40 percent of the Top 250 companies generated more than 50 percent of the total sales from the international market during the same year (Anderson, 2013). In particular, over 30 percent of the listed firms produced in excess of 50 percent of their total revenues within the US. This played a critical role in increasing the Canadian dollar’s value with respect to the US dollar (Anderson, 2013). A continuation of this trend will subject the Canadian ICT firms concentrating on the international market into increased competition. This is due to the high product cost influenced by the increasing value of the local currency over that of the US dollar (Anderson, 2013). In essence, the Canadian firms seeking to position themselves as efficient near-shore alternatives compared to the traditional outsourcing destinations must rely on other significant strengths. This may include looking more into innovation and leadership aspects, instead of concentrating on overall savings on labor cost (Anderson, 2013). In other words, the increase in value of the Canadian dollar over the US dollar is a threat to business for the ICT firms because it diminishes the overall profitability of the firms. Mergers and Acquisitions The ICT industry in Canada is experiencing an increase in mergers and acquisitions. Several of the established firms in the industry have acquired other companies, including both emerging startups and established firms to complement their existing technologies and entrance into new markets (Anderson, 2013). Foreign players have also acquired several other small and medium sized Canadian ICT firms to earn leverage into the market. In 2010, for instance, ICT players BreconRidge, Coretec, Protus, Brainhunter, as well as Fusepoint Managed Systems and Clarity System were all acquired by other firms (Anderson, 2013). This trend is likely to continue going forward as uncertainty in the industry pushes firms towards seeking to strengthen their presence in the market. This creates additional market opportunity for the established firms pursuing the acquisitions and mergers because it helps them to expand their potential market. It also increases their are as of specialization as the acquired firms could be specialists in different ICT areas. However, this trend is a threat to the smaller firms that seek to remain independent. It consolidates the market and gives the established firms more power to manipulate the industry to their advantage, leaving the smaller firms with little capability to challenge them. Importance of Information Technology to the Industry Technology is a critical aspect of the ICT industry. ICT as an industry will be non-existent without technology. Presently, the world is considered as a global village, where information flows very fast from one region or part to another. The entire globe is interconnected, where networks play a critical role in generating large amounts of data flow that accumulate on a daily basis (van Weert Tatnall, 2005). Technology has had its immense share in supporting and enabling this to be a reality. Improved computing devices with high performance power, including laptops, desktop com puters, and Smartphones all have the ability to browse the Internet at fast speeds and enhance the ICT interconnectivity (van Weert Tatnall, 2005). As advancements in technology continue to be witnessed, the ICT capacity is also growing. There is an emergence of a new technological trend, Internet of Things (IOT), which has made it virtually possible to connect anything via such methods as Machine-to-Machine communication (M2M) (Giusto et al., 2010). The new network is sustained by new technological developments where information sensors are embedded in home appliances, houses, machines, cars, as well as extended to such social infrastructures as transportation and energy systems. Technology is also enabling unprecedented progress where meaningful patterns are found from undertaking an analysis of the diverse and vast data flow from the Internet (Giusto et al., 2010). ICT has been settled upon as the appropriate means of enhancing back office productivity within public organization s. Many organizations are increasing their efficiency. Consequently, they are able to deal with real time information and details that they require for their operations. Technology is playing a critical role in exploiting new business areas, which have made ICT to be a virtual boundary-less area. ICT is expanding in both quality performance and reliability as more technological innovations come into play (van Weert Tatnall, 2005). By extension, the quality of life is also improving as individuals are able to learn fast, products can be produced more efficiently, firms can avert losses at the opportune time, and the health sector is capable of enhancing its performance. References Anderson, D. (2013). Canadas ICT industry: a work in progress. Retrieved from branhamgroup.com/research-reports-1/canadas-ict-industry-a-work-in-progress Branham top 250 Canadian ICT Companies 2012. (2012). Backbone Magazine. Retrieved from backbonemag.com/Magazine/2012-04/Top300-2012/canadian-ict-companie s.aspx Canada information technology report Q1 2012. (2012). Research and Markets. Retrieved from researchandmarkets.com/reports/2077623/canada_information_technology_report_q1_2012 Giusto, D., Iera, A., Morabito, G., Atzori, L. (2010). The Internet of things: 20th Tyrrhenian workshop on digital communications (1st ed.). New York, NY: Springer. Government of Canada. (2013). Information and communications technologies (ICT). Retrieved from ic.gc.ca/app/ccc/srch/nvgt.do?lang=engprtl=1sbPrtl=estblmntNo=123456129319profile=cmpltPrflprofileId=2059app=sold van Weert, T. J., Tatnall, A. (2005). Information and communication technologies and real-life learning: New education for the knowledge society. New York, NY: Springer.