Friday, December 27, 2019

Why Are Factory Farmed Animals Given Antibiotics and Hormones

Many people are surprised to hear that farmed animals are routinely given antibiotics and growth hormones. Concerns include animal welfare as well as human health. Factory farms cannot afford to care about animals collectively or individually. The animals are merely a product, and antibiotics and growth hormones such as rGBH are employed to make the operation more profitable. Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone The faster an animal gets to slaughter weight or the more milk an animal produces, the more profitable the operation. Approximately two-thirds of all beef cattle in the US are given growth hormones, and approximately 22 percent of dairy cows are given hormones to increase milk production. The European Union has banned the use of hormones in beef cattle and has conducted a study that showed that hormone residues remain in the meat. Because of health concerns for both people and animals, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the European Union have all banned the use of rBGH, but the hormone is still given to cows in the US. The EU has also banned the import of meat from animals treated with hormones, so the EU imports no beef from the US. Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) causes cows to produce more milk, but its safety for both people and cows is questionable. Additionally, this synthetic hormone increases the incidence of mastitis, an infection of the udder, which causes the secretion of blood and pus into the milk. Health Risks Associated With Antibiotics To combat mastitis and other diseases, cows and other farmed animals are given regular doses of antibiotics as a preventive measure. If a single animal in a herd or a flock is diagnosed with an illness, the entire herd receives the medication, usually mixed in with the animals’ feed or water, because it would be too expensive to diagnose and treat only certain individuals. Another concern is â€Å"subtherapeutic† doses of antibiotics that are given to the animals to cause weight gain. Although it is not clear why small doses of antibiotics cause animals to gain weight and the practice has been banned in the European Union and Canada, it is legal in the United States. All this means that healthy cows are being given antibiotics when they don’t need them, which leads to another health risk. Excessive antibiotics are a concern because they cause the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Because antibiotics will kill off most of the bacteria, the drugs leave behind resistant individuals, which then reproduce more rapidly without competition from other bacteria. These bacteria then spread throughout the farm and/or spread to people who come into contact with the animals or the animal products. This is not an idle fear. Antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella have already been found in animal products in the human food supply. The Solution According to Animal Rights Activists The World Health Organization believes that prescriptions should be required for antibiotics for farmed animals, and several countries have banned the use of rBGH and subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics, but these solutions consider only human health and do not consider animal rights. From an animal rights standpoint, the solution is to stop eating animal products and go vegan.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Summary of Value/Evaluation by Barbara Hernstein Smith...

Summary of Value/Evaluation In her essay Value/Evaluation, Barbara Herrnstein Smith reflects upon the shifting nature of the evaluation process, and what exactly the meaning of value is. She begins by pointing out that the dispute on the value of something occurs whenever any social activity becomes the focal point of a discussion. However, Smith points out, the perspective on value and evaluation has changed dramatically, and is still a topic of debate. These new perspectives indicate that value judgments are made by entire societies, not necessarily individuals; they also give rise to skepticism and question traditional ideas about how evaluations are made. Pointing out the importance of attempting to define a term before†¦show more content†¦This great work would produce some purely sensory/perceptualÂ…or some purely passive and intellectual gratification, independent of any practical, active, or material response to the text (179). Smith then regresses to her previous point that this idea of value is being consistently questioned and re-defined by calling attention to the critique of this specific sense of value. This skepticism questions how possible this definition really is: whether or not there is something there once everything material and relevant has been subtracted, if it is possible to really pinpoint this indescribable characteristic as is necessary, and whether it really is even possible to have such an absolute reaction to a text. It is for this reason, Smith states, that it is impossible to reduce the value of anythingÂ… to a single, simple property or possession (180). Smith first alludes to her ongoi ng model here, when she refers to the complexity of Charlotte Brontes novel Jane Eyre and the many combining forces defining the value of the text, including, but not exclusive to, its sales, its use within cultures and communities, and the revelations and memories within the text. It is only after defining value that Smith moves on to describe the more complex idea of evaluation. She begins by questioning the traditional idea that evaluations are made by people with some sort of qualification to be critiquing some form of art or literature;

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Management & E-Commerce Free-Samples for Students -Myassignment

Question: Discuss about the Knowledge Management and E-Commerce. Answer: Introduction Management in context of business can be defined as a possibility of achieving the mission or objectives of the company. As, it circulates compulsory guideline to be followed with in the organisation related to manager availability, communication as well as relationship styles and also capacity to synthesize various challenges in the organisation.In the following assessment will look forward to the knowledge management and e-commerce from the perspective of organisation. Chosen organisation for the report is Rio Tinto, public Ltd organisation. It headquarter is located in London UK. The business enterprise deals in the product like iron ore, Alumina, copper, aluminum, Diamonds etc (About Rio Tinto, 2017). Later in the assessment report will also asses that how Rio Tintocan utilize KM and e-commerce for increasing its business practices. Overview ofknowledge management and e-commerce E-commerce or e- business includes the usage of information technology capabilities to accomplish objectives(Kourie, BothaSnyman, 2014). Furthermore it not only includes selling and buying but also other business processes such as managing electronic relationship as well as serving consumers and suppliers. E-commerce assist in managing supply activities till the time final delivery is done to the consumers. Also helps in maintain the internal communication relationship between client as well as employees and also helps in collaborating with other business partners. All such activities are considered as intangible assets. That means the ultimate concentration of e-commerce solution is on knowledge management (NickersonBargiela-Chiappini.(2014)). Where e- business strategy is a strategy that is based on the different level management as well as organizational departments group works. Now the shared information to integrate the following group is known as knowledge. For instance, feedbacks in relation to consumer satisfaction will link the marketing and production department. Hence, it assists in linking the different tasks performed by individuals, level of organisation and departments. Assessing how Rio Tintowill utilize KM and e-commerce for enhancing the business Knowledge management is nothing but a systematic organizational management that results in creating value as well as in meeting various strategic and tactical needs. Further it includes various initiative process and strategies that leads towards enhancing the business storage, knowledge, sharing as well as assessment (Holsapple, 2013). In other words, KM is about applying knowledge in the previously, new or novel situations. It is a continuouscycle of 3 major processes. Those are knowledge creation and improvement, distribution and circulation as well as addition and application. It involves of incorporating both storing and holding the knowledge perspectives in respect to intellectual assets. As per knowledge management theory there are three distinct perception of knowledge that is containers, communities and content. Rio Tintowhile maintain KM will help in executing different knowledge component of business activities. Also it will help in maintaining link in between the company assets and tactics that further will result into enhancement of the business practices (Lawsonet.al., 2013). Rio Tintoshould go with the Knowledge management as it leads the business towards: Globalization- Intodays world organizations have become more universal with multiple sites, multicultural nature. Learner organisation- Itwill help the respective travel and tourism firm in adopting learning strategy which result in understanding the consumer values and increase focus on understanding their values. As it is the ultimate goal of reaching the hearts of clients by providing them ultimate satisfaction from services and products. Advancement of technology- It lead the company to have better connectivity with the world. As these days entire world is being connected to multiple of website and smart phones etc. In such situation it is important for a firm like Rio Tintoto have online presence (Massingham, 2014). This is done to enhance the consumer awareness about the company and its services/products etc. There are 4 different KM models: Zack KM model from Meyer and Zack (1996)- Zack model is an approach where every stage is designed to be standardized and logical. Stages are acquisition, refinement, storage, distribution and last but not least refinery. Bukowitz Williams Model (2000)- the following model shows the process framework in a KM which outlines how the companies generate, maintain as well as expand a strategically precise stock of knowledge to create the value. Under this knowledge means relationships, knowledge repositories, IT, communication infrastructure, and process know-how (Kpylet.al.,2014). Also include functional skill sets organizational intelligence and external sources. Stages involved in this method are get, use, learn, contribute and then assess at last. McElroy Model (2003) - This model outline the knowledge life cycle. That further includes the knowledge integration as well as process of knowledge production. Stages involved under this method are learning, validation, acquisition, integration and at the end completion. WllG (1993)-it involves creating, sourcing, compiling, transforming and application the knowledge (Ariza-Montes et.al., 2014). Basically this model portray 3 major conditions first is of having a client and business. Second condition is of having resources that are people, facilities or budget etc. And at the end it is required to have the strength to act. E-commerce Electronics Commerce is a modern business methodology which addresses various requirements of the business enterprises and other related to the company (Assessing how e-commerce leads to enhancement of business practice.(2017)). Such as vendors and consumers to reduce cost and develop the quality of goods/services while enhancing the delivery speed. In other words e-commerce is termed as a paperless exchange of business information by the use of various means. Those are electronic data exchange, electronic fund transfer, e-mail, electronic bulletin boards etc. With the help of E-Commerce Rio Tintocan provides the following features to its clients. Which are as follows: Non-Cash Payment mode- With the help of E-Commerce one can make use of cards like debit credit smart cards, electronic fund transfer etc. on online website bank's website, and other modes of electronics payment (Kourie, BothaSnyman, 2014). 24x7 Service availability- Second feature of E-commerce is its 24 hour service. One client can transact from anywhere at any time through online platforms. Marketing/ Advertising- E-commerce assist in enhancing the range of advertising of enterprise products/services. Improved Sales: Also leads towards improving the sales of products and services can be made at anytime and anywhere without any intervention of individual. That further leads in boosting the turnover of the company Inventory Management: Another important feature of ecommerce is inventory managementthat assists in generating the reports when required (NickersonBargiela-Chiappini,.2014). Also it becomes efficient as well as easy to maintain the product inventory. Communication improvement: it provides various communication ways that leads towards faster, efficient, reliable communication with clients and other partners. There are various e-commerce business models which companies such as Rio Tintocan apply in its business. Those are: B2B- Business to business model where the company prepares a separate website to sale its products to intermediate buyer. And afterwards the intermediate buyer sells the product to ultimate customer. This model in case of Rio Tintowill work as it is having wide ranges of products and in order to reach more and more customers the company can go for franchise, retail outlets etc. There is a chain formed in the model from producer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. B2C- Business to consumer, over here the respective company can sell its products directly to its clients. This saves time and energy of the customer and makes it convenient to choose correct purchase and make a deal. Rio Tinto provides its services worldwide and so the consumer can directly go to stores in near locality to make a purchase (Kpylet.al.,2014). C2C-Consumer to consumer model, this model again is not useful model in regard to Rio Tintoas over here customer sales there products to another consumer. When it comes to products like diamond, gold etc. consumer prefers to purchase firsthand instead of going for second hand option. This deals are generally made in respect of cars, motorcycles etc. such as OLX. C2B- Consumer to business,now this model is very much useful to Rio Tinto, as it provides its clients a opportunity to give their give self-customized designs and company will further study and make product accordingly. This will further result in increasing consumer satisfaction (Massingham, 2014). B2G- That is business to government model is a variant of B2B model. In this government use the websites of organizations to trade as well as exchange various information. This model is useful in case of Rio Tinto as because the government may do gold load and other related transactions with the company. Hence, following model is a useful to Rio Tinto. G2B- Government to business model,Again the model is useful for particular organisation. These types of websites are generally used by the government to auction things like gold, diamond etc. in order to approach general citizens. Conclusion The following report was based on the KM and e-commerce in context of Rio Tintobusiness. Firstly the report includes overview of both the dimensions and assessments. That are ecommerce as well as knowledge management in context of respective business. Also has assess that how thesesdimensions leads towards the enhancement of business practices of the chosen travel and tourism firm. Firstly, km was discussed, and came up with certain benefits in regard to organisation that was globalization as well as technology advancement. Along with this also had discussed various models which were Zack, Bukowitz and Williams, McElroy and last but not the least WIIG model. After making discussion over KM next came up with the e-commerce and analyzed various factors to find the capability of enhancement of business. Came up with various features such as 24 hour service, marketing advertising and inventory management and communication improvement. Also report had discussed various models in respect t o e-commerce, which were B2B, B2C, C2B, B2B, G2B, and B2G etc. References Books and Journals Ariza-Montes, J.A. et.al.(2014).From potential absorptive capacity to innovation outcomes in project teams: The conditional mediating role of the realized absorptive capacity in a relational learning context.International Journal of Project Management. 32(6).pp.894-907. Holsapple, C. (ed.). (2013).Handbook on knowledge management 1: Knowledge matters(Vol. 1). Springer Science Business Media. Kpyl, J. et.al.(2014). Knowledge that matters: identifying regional knowledge assets of the tampere region.European Planning Studies.22(10). pp.2011-2029. Kourie, D., Botha, A. Snyman, R. (2014)Coping with continuous change in the business environment: Knowledge management and knowledge management technology. Elsevier. Lawson, G. et.al. (2013). The design and implementation of knowledge management systems and e-learning for improved occupational health and safety in small to medium sized enterprises.Safety science. 60. pp.69-76. Massingham, P. (2014). An evaluation of knowledge management tools: Part 1managing knowledge resources.Journal of Knowledge Management. 18(6). pp.1075-1100. Nickerson, C.R. Bargiela-Chiappini, F. (2014).Writing business: Genres, media and discourses. Routledge. Online About Rio Tinto.(2017). [Online] Available Through: . Accessed on 22nd April] Assessing how e-commerce leads to enhancement of business practice. (2017). [Online] Available Through : https://www.dypatil.edu/schools/management/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/impact-of-e-commerce-on-business-performance-a-study-with-respect-to-travel-industry-Murtaza-Adenwala.pdf.[ Assessed on 22nd April].

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Microsoft Case Essays (1904 words) - Netscape, Netscape Navigator

Microsoft Case There have been many arguments and issues that have been raised with the controversy over Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justices claim against Microsoft and its founder Bill Gates of monopolistic practices in bundling its internet browser Internet Explorer into its popular Windows computer operating system. By doing this, Microsoft would effectively crush its competitors (its main rival being Netscape Navigator), and acquire a monopoly over the software that people use to access the Internet. I recently heard a listener on NPR (National Public Radio) comment about the monopoly issue between Microsoft and the U.S. D.O.J. that Intellectual endeavors are vastly infinite and thus cannot be monopolized. I wonder if the person who said this has ever tried telling that to Bill Gates. More importantly, is such a statement true? Does computer software constitute an intellectual endeavor that cannot be monopolized? To answer this issue, an inductive argument can be applied to determine if Microsoft truly has a monopoly over the computer industry. To say that something is infinite implies that there is an endless supply of it. Is this the case in terms of the Internet and the software that is used to navigate or explore the Internet as the two leading Internet Browsers have been dubbed by their makers? The resources of the Internet may seem infinitely vast, but it is wholly finite. There is an abundance of information out there on the Internet that it seems unlikely that any one com pany or even a country like the U.S. could ever monopolize this vast data network. By the nature of how the Internet works and how information is stored and shared on the network, it is true that a monopoly cannot be held over the intellectual information stored within the Internet. On this point I will accede to the original authors claim that intellectual endeavors cannot be monopolized, but this is vastly different from the issue that stands before Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice. The question that must be distinguished is not if Microsoft will gain a monopoly over the Internet, but if it will acquire a monopoly on how people access the Internet. These two are wholly separate issues. This is not a question of control of intellectual information, but the means by which people gain *access* to that information. Even if the information provided by the Internet was infinite, the tools by which to get to that information is not. And thus a monopoly of the software to gain access to the Internet is very much possible. There are many corridors and keys that allow someone to gain access to the Internet. The real question here is whether Microsoft is seeking to widen its doors at the expense of others and at the same time seeking gatekeeper access to the Internet by seeking to obtain the only key that allows access to the Internet. A metaphor of this problem can be explained through a library building that has many entrances in which to reach the knowledge of books contained within. Is Microsoft seeking to close off the other entrances of other providers so that the only access is through its entrance? It would be very tempting to say yes, but that would be wholly unfair. Now that the problem and issue which is presented to us is clear, an examination of whether or not Microsoft is violating any anti-trust (anti-monopolistic) laws can now proceed. Before he installed Windows 95, John Dodge connected to the Internet using software from a Microsoft competitor, CompuServe's Internet in a Box. Not anymore. Windows 95 silently disabled a key piece of his setup and made it too difficult for him to reinstall it. Dodge was not a novice. He is senior executive editor of the trade journal PC Week and so had access to the highest level support engineers. Even software professionals learn to take the path of least resistance, in this case, the path leading to Microsoft. He has become a regular user of the new Microsoft Network, though he has trouble with its Internet features. Still, he believes Microsoft executives when they deny trying to gain market share by sabotaging competitors' software. He just wonders whether Microsoft has