Aquaculture and Shrimp Culture :: New Aquaculture Technology

Aquaculture in general and shrimp culture in incident have recently been developing strategies of super-intensive cultureswithout water exchange. This approach addresses environmental questions raised by both society and the scientific community regarding sustainable development concepts which pauperism a convergence of ecological prudence, economic efficiency and social equity in all human activities (Bailey, 1988 Brown, 1989 Pruder, 1992 Macintosh and Phillips, 1992 Kinkelin and Michel, 1992 Pe rez, 1993 Currie, 1994 Primavera, 1994 Rosenthal, 1994 Larsson et al., 1995 Kestemont, 1995).Pioneer work such as Reid and Arnold (1992) and Williams et al. (1996) demonstrated that it is possible to produce shrimp at high density in raceway systems that use water recirculation. The recent progress made in the area of super-dense cultures, also known as suspended-growth systems (Hargreaves, 2006) and active suspension ponds (Avnimelech, 2006), reinforces the idea that it is possible to pro duce aquatic organisms in an intensive and especially bio-safe way. The absence of effluents, the step-down of utilized space, and the dramatic reduction of the introduction of infectious diseases, are the main criteria for justifying its development (McNeil, 2000 McAbee et al., 2003 Burford et al., 2003, 2004 Pruder, 2004 Sowers et al., 2005 Wasielesky et al., 2006 Azim and Little, 2008 De Schryver et al., 2008 Schveitzer et al., 2008).Although this relatively new aquaculture technology is still developing (De Schryver et al., 2008), important inquiry effortshave been made with the objective of comprehending the physical, chemical and biological phenomena present in the water that dictate the dynamic of the cultures (Hopkins et al., 1993 Moss and Pruder, 1995 Sandifer and Hopkins, 1996 Davis and Arnold, 1998 Avnimelech, 1999 Browdy et al., 2001). Some studies suggest that shrimp culture in a closed system (without water exchange) can maintain water quality considered acceptable f or these organisms (Thakur and Lin, 2003). Others suggest that the water quality, in spite of being brusk due to the large quantity of nutrients that are accumulated over time, is sufficient to guarantee the growth and survival of the animals (Burford et al., 2003). Hargreaves (2006) criticizes the majority of studies regarding these so-called suspended-growth systems, because they suggest that the role of the bacteria in reference to the maintenance and the improvement of the water quality is more important than the phytoplankton metabolism.The importance that primary productivity has in the cultures (extensive, semi-intensive, polycultures, etc.) of different organisms is well-documented (Noriega-Curtis, 1979 Laws and Malecha, 1981 Chang and Ouyang, 1988 Yusoff and McNabb,

Servant Leadership Benefits Both Organizationas and Employees Essay

In the traditional view of leadership, service is the job of the follower. However, servant leadership puts the leader at service. In servant leadership, the leader focuses on go their followers they empathize, nurture, and provide attention so that the followers can develop their full personal capacities (Northouse, 2013). Spears (2002) identified 10 servant leader characteristics Listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, presentiment, stewardship, and commitment to the step-up of people.Listening involves the interactive process of communication between leaders and followers (Northouse, 2013). In the traditional world of leadership, we think of leaders as instructing, ordering, or ruling. In servant leadership, leaders listen first to understand and acknowledge their followers. Empathy is the ability to put ourselves in someone elses position and see where they are flood tide from. This crystallises the follower feel unique and validated (Northouse , 2013).Healing does not involve mystical powers, however it does involve offering support to followers by overcoming their personal problems and condole with about their well-being (Northouse, 2013). Awareness is similar to emotional intelligence in that it includes the understanding of oneself and the impact one has on others through being attune and undefended to ones physical, social, and political environments (Northouse, 2013).Persuasion, not coercion, is a servant leadership quality. Persuasion involves the use of gentle non judgmental argument, not force-like coercion (Northouse, 2013). Conceptualization and foresight are similar in that they both require a looking into the future. Conceptualization is visualization to help prepare for complex organiza... ...eir followers can gist in ethical and efficient leadership.When individuals engage in servant leadership, it is likely to improve outcomes at the individual, organizational, and societal levels (PSU, 2014).The servan t leadership actions of Charlie Kim and Bob Chapman depict how the right(a) use of servant leadership creates trust, and inspires productivity benefiting their organization, their employees, and those around them. ReferencesNorthouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership Theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA Sage.PSU WC. (2014). PSYCH 485 Lesson 11, Servant leadership. Retrieved November 8th, https//courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa14/psych485/001/toc.htmlSinek, Simon. (2014, March). Why good leaders make you feel safe Video file. Retrieved from http//www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safet-627531

History of the Soybean :: Essays Papers

History of the Soy edible beanBefore cultivation, wild soybeans grew abundantly in northeast China and Manchuria. As early as 2700 B.C. they were classify as one of the five principal and sacred crops, having both medicinal and food value. They have been cultivated for at least 4,500 years. However, they were not very popular. (They were tell to cause flatulence) During times of bad harvests in China, soybeans were one of the nine staples on which starving millions in the country depended. In the famine of A.D. 194 when the price of millet soared in relation to the price of soybeans, many people were forced to eat soybeans which they often prepared in a gruel called congee. Buddhist monks experimented with soy cultivation and found that flour, milk, curd, and behave from the soybean all brought necessary additions of protein to their vegetarian diets. They carried the soybean wherever they went as missionaries. By the sixth century A.D. they introduced it into Japan and Korea. When the soybean mixed with the Shinto religion, it speedily became a staple in the Japanese diet. From Japan, soldiers, merchants, and travelers helped to spread the soybean to Vietnam by 200 B.C., and to Thailand by the tenth century A.D. It reached India by the twelfth century, brought there by traders. The bean was slow to reach beyond Asia, however. Although the Spanish and Portuguese traded in East Asia, the soybean was slow to catch on in Europe it did not pass into the various cuisines of the continent. In 1765, a sailor aboard an East India Company ship that had visited China brought soybeans to the American colonies. By the mid 1800s the soybean was quickly being disseminated around the globe. During the Civil War, American farmers became interested in cultivating soybeans as a forage plant. This lowered the cost of feeding livestock by substitution the more expensive grass, hay, and corn. At the beginning of the twentieth century, America was trying to f eed a population swelling with immigrants. Perhaps the bean that was so gamy in protein could feed people as well as animals. Soybean cultivation seemed like one way to meet the demand for more food. following World War II, soybeans became the worlds most important crop. By the end of the war, the United States had become the biggest exporter, growing more than 75% of the worlds soybeans.

Just War and Pacifism Essay -- War Pacifism Peace Essays

The question Can war be justified? plagued mankind since the first war. The however fight Theory holds that war foundation be just. The surmisal has evolved for thousands of years and modern theorists, such as Michael Walzer, author of good and Unjust state of wars, puts forth criteria for a just war, such as jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Jus ad bellum includes reasons for going to war, and jus in bello deals with the people who wage war. The criteria in jus ad bellum include just cause, declaration by a proper authority, in good order intention, a comely chance of success, the end proportional to the means, and war as a last resort. Jus in bello includes keeping innocents outside the field of war, and limiting the kernel of force used. Just War Theorists hold that all of these criteria must be followed for a war to be just. I will analyze The Just War Theories most debated arguments, self-protection, pre-emptive strikes, and the cleansing of innocents. In the second hal f of this paper, I will briefly explain passivism, and provide a counter argument for each Just War argument. Walzer includes self-defense in the just cause section of jus ad bellum. Walzer holds that states have the slump of self-defense by making an analogy to individual rights. He contends that individuals have the right to self-defense. From this he infers that states also have that right of self-defense. Walzers inference is based on the logic that the state is a collection of individuals. He reasons that individuals cannot defy against an invading army, the multitude is a tool that the state uses to defend itself and its way of life. The right of self-defense for states also is justified by the premise that it is the duty of the organization to protect the people. canful Locke... ...ve for a more perfect world rather than give up and accept hatred and death.Works ConsultedClark, Mark. The Paradox of War and Pacifism. ULeadership. 7 Oct 2002. <www.leaderu.com/socialsci ences/clark.htmlHolmes, Robert. On War and Morality. Princeton Princeton University Press, 1989.Moseley, Alex. Just War Theory. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 3 Oct. 2002. <www.utm.edu/research/iep/j/justwar.htm.Moseley, Alex. Pacifism. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 3 Oct. 2002. <www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/pacifism.htm.Orend, Brian. War. Stanford Enyclopedia of Philosophy. 5 Oct 2002. <http//plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/Teichman, Jenny. Pacifism and the Just War. New York Basil Blackwell, 1986.Walzer, Michael. Just and Unjust Wars A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations. New York Basic Books, 1977. Just War and Pacifism canvas -- War Pacifism Peace EssaysThe question Can war be justified? plagued mankind since the first war. The Just War Theory holds that war can be just. The theory has evolved for thousands of years and modern theorists, such as Michael Walzer, author of Just and Unjust Wars, puts forth criteria for a just war, s uch as jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Jus ad bellum includes reasons for going to war, and jus in bello deals with the people who wage war. The criteria in jus ad bellum include just cause, declaration by a proper authority, right intention, a reasonable chance of success, the end proportional to the means, and war as a last resort. Jus in bello includes keeping innocents outside the field of war, and limiting the amount of force used. Just War Theorists hold that all of these criteria must be followed for a war to be just. I will analyze The Just War Theories most debated arguments, self-defense, pre-emptive strikes, and the killing of innocents. In the second half of this paper, I will briefly explain Pacifism, and provide a counter argument for each Just War argument. Walzer includes self-defense in the just cause section of jus ad bellum. Walzer holds that states have the right of self-defense by making an analogy to individual rights. He contends that individuals have the righ t to self-defense. From this he infers that states also have that right of self-defense. Walzers inference is based on the logic that the state is a collection of individuals. He reasons that individuals cannot defend against an invading army, the military is a tool that the state uses to defend itself and its way of life. The right of self-defense for states also is justified by the premise that it is the duty of the government to protect the people. John Locke... ...ve for a more perfect world rather than give up and accept hatred and death.Works ConsultedClark, Mark. The Paradox of War and Pacifism. ULeadership. 7 Oct 2002. <www.leaderu.com/socialsciences/clark.htmlHolmes, Robert. On War and Morality. Princeton Princeton University Press, 1989.Moseley, Alex. Just War Theory. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 3 Oct. 2002. <www.utm.edu/research/iep/j/justwar.htm.Moseley, Alex. Pacifism. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 3 Oct. 2002. <www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/ pacifism.htm.Orend, Brian. War. Stanford Enyclopedia of Philosophy. 5 Oct 2002. <http//plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/Teichman, Jenny. Pacifism and the Just War. New York Basil Blackwell, 1986.Walzer, Michael. Just and Unjust Wars A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations. New York Basic Books, 1977.

Competition :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTIONCompetition occurs between any organisms living in a mutual habitat. Whether it is for food, water, shelter, or a mate, competition can be harmful or helpful to each organism. There are two basic types of competition intraspecific and interspecific. These terms extend to to competition within a specific species and the competition between different species, respectively. In this lab, we conducted 3 basic experiments. Our goal was to observe the effects of the competition in each instance.The first one was to observe the intraspecific competition between the wheat typeset species, the second was for the intraspecific competition between the mustard plant species. The third was the interspecific competition of the wheat and mustard species together. The latter experiments data was divided into two sub groups of high density and low density, for purposes of graphing Dewitt diagrams. Dewitt diagrams are a way of expressing % yield and total productivity data so it can be evaluated and compared effectively. It has been noted that intraspecific competitions tend to be more intense than interspecific ones (Ciara, 1993). This is because members of the same species need the same types and amounts of nutrients. When these similar species are in the same habitat with fixed resources, then they consequently have to "fight " for their needs. This is was basis for our hypothesis. We hypopthesized that the species that were convoluted with the interspecific competitions would have greater achievement (by ave. weight of grams) than their counterparts involved in the intraspecific competitions. Furthermore, we hypothesized that as the density of the intraspecific and interspecific competition species increased, then the production of the plants (by ave, weight in grams) would go down.MATERIALS AND METHODSSix weeks previous to the conductance of this lab, biology 108 section, deep-rooted wheat and mustard plants according to table1 on page 3 of the Pri nciples of Biology 108 Lab Manual . This table depicts all of the total pots and number and type of seeds planted in the pots. It accounts for the experiments of the intraspecific competition and interspecific competition. Replicates of each pot were planted to add precision and more acceptable statistics. Therefore, there were 40 pots, that is, 20 treatments conducted twice(Ciara, 1993).Each Biology 108 section planted these pots and the data from every section was to be combined for an overall data sheet. Our group in section 6 had the role of planting 5 of the experimental pots with the assigned number of wheat seeds or mustard seeds or both.

Mission Critical: A Closer Look into the Performance Appraisal Process Essay

The executing management cycle begins with objective setting where the appraisee ought to be oriented about transaction expectations for the pr ane mathematical operation period. Throughout the period, execution of instrument is measured offici all in ally through the execution of instrument appraisal exercise, where the appraiser is given up the chance to give surgery feedback through an interview. The motion management system is meaningfully linked to rewards based on outcomes or results.Following all these, modifications argon implemented to objectives and activities, including the drafting of an individual instruction plan for closing competency gaps (Clarke, Rogers, & Miklos, 1996). Types of slaying Appraisal Systems Traditionally, employee surgical operation has been evaluated solely by supervisors. Recently, however, organizations create realized that supervisors see nevertheless certain aspects of an employees behavior. For instance, a manager might see only 30 % of his staffs behavior the rest is observed by customers, comrades, and brave out staff in new(prenominal) parts of the organization.Further more, the staff might behave differently around her supervisor than around opposite flock. Consequently, to obtain an correct view of the staffs surgical process, these other sources should provide feedback. The buzzword for using bigeminal sources to appraise performance is 360-degree feedback (Gruner, 1997). Sources of relevant information include supervisors, peers, subordinates, customers, and self-appraisal. According to Conway and Huffcutt (1997), there is often very little intellect in the way that two supervisors evaluate an employee or that a supervisor and a peer might rate an employee.Interestingly, supervisors whose self- evaluations agree with others ranks tend to be recrudesce performers than supervisors whose ratings argon non consistent with others (Witt, 1996). Supervisor Appraisals By far, the al more or less co mmon character reference of performance appraisal is the supervisor rating. In fact, Bernardin & Beatty (1984) estimated that over 90% of all performance appraisals argon conducted using supervisors ratings of performance. Supervisors are best able to evaluate the extent to which an employee contri andes to the overall success of the organization.Through supervisors may not see each(prenominal) minute of an employees behavior, they do see the end result. A superior may not veritablely see a staff sign up customers but forget check over the overall output for the day. Peer Appraisals Whereas supervisors see the results of an employees efforts, peers often see the actual behavior. Peer ratings usually come from employees who feed directly with an employee. An employee may be rated by those in the same level or position. However, other employees in the organization, those who often come in contact with the employee, batch also provide useful information.Research has sh take th at peer ratings are fairly reliable only when the peers who make the ratings are similar to and sell acquainted with the employees beingness rated (Mumford, 1983). Most important, peer ratings have been successful in predicting the future success of promoted employees as they correlate highly with supervisor ratings (Cederbloom, 1989). But tear down through peer ratings bulge out promising, few organizations use them. One reason could be that peer ratings are lenient when apply for evaluation resolves bit not when they are used only to provide feedback (Farh, Cannella, & Bedeian, 1991a).Research suggests that certain employees are more lenient in their peer ratings than are other employees. Saavedra & Kwun (1993) found that high performers evaluate their peers more strictly than do low performers. This difference in ratings is plausibly because employees compare others to themselves. Thus, the average employee does not appear impressive to a high performer but may to a less pr oductive employee. Though peers may provide a unique view of performance, employees tend to react worse to negative feedback from peers than they do to feedback from experts (Albright & Levy, 1995).Employees who score high in self-esteem, high in self-monitoring, and low in individualism react most favorably to peer ratings (Long, Long & Dobbins, 1998). promoter Appraisals Subordinate feedback, also called upward feedback is an important component of 360-degree feedback, as subordinates tail provide a very different view about a supervisors behavior (Whetstone, 1994). However, with the exception of students rating teachers, formal methods are neither common nor well regarded by managers (McEvoy, 1990).Subordinate ratings can be difficult to obtain because employees concern a backlash if they unfavorably rate their supervisor, especially when a supervisor has only one or two subordinates. However, subordinates feedback can be encouraged if supervisors appear open to employee comme nts (Baumgartner, 1994) and if the ratings are do anonymously (Antonioni, 1994). Interestingly, subordinate ratings correlate highly with upper management ratings of supervisors performance (Furnham & Stringfield, 1994).Research indicates that subordinate feedback can enhance managerial performance, especially that of unwell performing managers (Walker, 1997). This improvement in performance holds especially for areas targeted for improvement (Clarke et al, 1996). Customer Appraisals Though it would be unlikely that an organization would ask customers to need out a performance appraisal instrument on an employee, organizations do value customer feedback. Informally, customers provide feedback on employee performance by filing complaints or complimenting a manager about one of his subordinates.Formally, customers provide feedback by completing evaluation cards (Farh et al, 1991a). Self-appraisal Allowing an employee to evaluate her own behavior and performance is a proficiency use d by 12% of a sample of organizations (Lazer & Wikstrom, 1977). Research on self-appraisal, however, has demonstrated that self-appraisals tend to suffer from leniency (Meyer, 1980) and correlate moderately (r=. 29) with actual performance (Mabe & West, 1982) and poorly with subordinate ratings (London & Wohlers, 1991).However, when evaluations are made with clear rating standards and social comparison information, agreement is increased surrounded by self- and supervisor ratings (Keeping & Sulky, 1996). The leniency found in the self-ratings of US workers may not generalize to other countries. Farh, Dobbins, and Cheng (1991b) found that the self-ratings of Taiwanese workers suffered from modesty rather than leniency However, Furnham & Stringfield (1994) and Yu and Murphy (1993) found leniency in the self-ratings of Mainland Chinese employees.Further research is still needed to investigate potential cultural differences in Mainland Chinese ratings. Self-appraisals of performance ap pear to be the most accurate when the purpose of the self-appraisal is for either research or performance appraisal review interviews rather than for such administrative purposes as raises or promotions (Williams & Levy, 1992), and when employees believe that an objective record of their performance is available with which the supervisor can compare the self-appraisal (Farh & Werbel, 1986).Systems for Evaluating PerformanceTrait- focus appraisal systems. A trait-focused system concentrates on employees attributes such as their dependability, assertiveness, and friendliness. Though commonly used, trait focused performance appraisal instruments are not a good idea because they provide poor feedback and thus will not result in employee culture and growth (Kingstrom & Bass, 1981). For example, in a performance review meeting in which the supervisor tells an employee that she lift upd low ratings on responsibility and friendliness, the employee is likely to become defensive.Furthermore , the employee will want specific examples the supervisor may not have available (Kingstrom & Bass, 1981). Behavior-focused performance appraisal systems. Behavior-focused instruments focus on what an employee does. Instead of rating them on individualised traits, a behavior-focused instrument would rate him or her on specific behaviors. For example, in the case of a bank teller, some behaviors that may be rated on are as follows Knows customers names, and Thanks customer after each transaction.The obvious advantage to a behavior-focused system is the amount of specific feedback that can be given to each employee. Further, the focus on behavior rather than traits does not only reduce employee defensiveness but reduces legal problems (Kingstrom & Bass, 1981). There are various methods for rating behavior, as follows Graphic rating scales. The most common rating scale is the graphic rating scale. Such scales are simple, with 5 to 7 points accompanied by linguistic process such as go od and poor anchoring the ends of the scale.The obvious advantage to graphic rating scales is their ease of construction and use, but they have been criticized because of their susceptibility to such rating errors as tintinnabulation and leniency (Kingstrom & Bass, 1981). Behaviorally anchored rating scales. P. C. Smith and Kendall (1983) developed behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARSs), which use critical consequents (samples of behavior) to provide meaning to the numbers on a rating scale. To use the scale when actually rating performance, the supervisor compares the incidents she has recorded for each employee to the incidents on the scale.This can be done in one of two ways. The most accurate (and time consuming) method compares each of the recorded incidents to the anchors and records the value of the incident on the scale that most closely resembles the recorded incident. The value for each incident is summed and divided by the total number of incidents recorded for tha t dimension this yields an average incident value, which is the employees rating for that particular bank line dimension (Smith & Kendall, 1983). In the chip method, which is easier but is less accurate, all of the recorded incidents are read to obtain a general impression of each employee.This general impression is compared to the incidents that anchor each scale point. The scale point next to the incident that most closely resembles the general impression gained from the incidents then becomes an employees score for that dimension (Smith & Kendall, 1983). Evaluation of Performance Appraisal Methods We now come to the question of assessing which appraisal method is best. Research has shown that more complicated techniques such as BARS, forced-choice scales, and mixed standard scales are only occasionally superior to inexpensive and uncomplicated graphic rating scales (Giffin, 1989).In fact, behavioral anchors sometimes bias supervisors ratings by forcing them to concentrate on sp ecific behaviors (Murphy & Constans, 1987). til now graphic rating scales are seldom superior to these more complicated rating methods. Although the more complicated techniques are only more psychometrically sound, they still have some advantages over graphic rating scales. Because employees are directly involved in creating techniques such as BARS, they tend to see performance evaluation results as being more fair. Furthermore, umteen supervisors who make such ratings prefer many of the more complicated behavioral approaches.Finally feedback from BARS may lead to greater increases in future performance than feedback from graphic rating scales (Hom, DeNisi, Kinicki, & Bannister, 1982). Though many of the behavioral methods yield similar results, the same is not true when comparing inborn and objective ratings. A meta-analysis by Bommer, Johnson, Rich, Podsakoff, and Mackenzie (1995) indicated that objective and unobjective results are only slightly correlated (r=. 39). Interesti ngly, there was a stronger relationship between objective and subjective ratings of quantity (r=. 8) than between objective and subjective ratings of quality (r=. 24).From a legal perspective, courts are more interested in the due process afforded by a performance appraisal system that in its technical aspects. After reviewing 295 circuit court decision regarding performance appraisal, Werner & Bolino (1997) concluded that performance appraisal systems are most likely to survive a legal challenge if they are based on job analysis, if raters receive training and written instructions, if employees are allowed to review results, and if ratings from multiple raters are consistent.Rating Errors Some of the errors that may be committed in appraising performance are discussed below Distribution errors. A common type of error in evaluating employee performance involves the distribution of ratings on a rating scale such errors are known as distribution errors. One sort of distribution error is called leniency error because certain raters tend to rate every employee at the upper end of the scale regardless of the actual performance of the employee. A related error is central tendency error, which results in a supervisors rating every employee in the middle of the scale.Still some other error, strictness error, rates every employee at the lower end of the scale. These types of errors pose problems for an organization because two employees doing equal work will receive different ratings if one employee is supervised by a lenient rater and another by a strict rater. This problem can be eliminated partly by having several people rate each employee (Kane & Lawler, 1979), although this is not often feasible, especially in small brand offices with only one manager or supervisor. Halo errrors.A halo error occurs when a rater allows either a single attribute or an overall impression of an individual to affect ratings that she makes on each relevant job dimension. Halo effects occur especially when the rater has little knowledge of the job and is less familiar with the person being rated (Kozlowski, Kirsh, & Chao, 1986). Usually, halo error is statistically immovable by correlating the ratings for each dimension with those for the other dimensions. If there are highly correlated, halo error is often said to have occurred.However, some authors argue that many times consistent ratings across several dimensions indicate not error but actual employee performance. Halo errors may or may not be a serious problem, but they can be reduced by having supervisors rated each trait at several times. That is, the supervisor might rate the employee on attendance one day and then rate her on dependability the next day (Balzer & Sulzky, 1992). Proximity errors. Proximity errors occur when a rating made on one dimension affects the rating on the dimension that without delay follows it on the rating scale.With proximity error, only the dimensions physically located neares t a particular dimension on the rating scale are affected the reason for the effect, in fact, is the close physical proximity of the dimension rather than the overall impression (Balzer & Sulzky, 1992). Contrast errors. The performance ratings one person receives can be influenced by the performance of the previously evaluated person. These errors can occur between separate performance evaluations of the same person. That is, the ratings received by one person on one performance appraisal will affect the ratings made on an appraisal half a dozen months later (Bravo & Kravitz, 1996).Contrast effects occur only when the person making the evaluation actually sees the employee perform and rates the employee during both rating periods. Even if a new supervisor reads that an employees previous evaluations were excellent but observes poor performance by the employee, she will probably continue to give excellent ratings veritable(a) though the employees performance deteriorated. Smither et al (1988) call this rating error assimilation. Sampling Problems Recency effect. Performance appraisals are typically conducted once or in two ways a year.The evaluation is designed to cover all of the behaviors that have taken perpetrate during the previous 6 months to a year. Research has demonstrated, however, that recent behaviors are given more weight in the performance evaluation than behaviors that occurred during the first few months of the evaluation period. Such an effect penalizes workers who performed well during most of the period but chase after off toward the end, and it rewards workers who save their best work until just before the evaluation (Bravo & Kravitz, 1996). Infrequent observation.Another problem that affects performance appraisals is that many managers or supervisor do not have the opportunity to observe a representative sample of employee behavior. Infrequent observation occurs for two reasons. First, managers are often so busy with their own work th at they often have no time to walk the floor and observe their employees behavior. Instead, they make inferences based on completed work or employee temperament traits (Conway & Huffcutt, 1997). This problem can be alleviated somewhat by having several raters evaluate the employee. Other raters can be other supervisors, peers, and even customers.A meta-analysis conducted by Conway and Huffcutt (1997) indicated that supervisor ratings on the average correlate . 34 with peer ratings. Thus, even though the two groups tend to agree with one another, the agreement is certainly not perfect. Cognitive Processing of Observed Behavior Observation of behavior. Just because an employees behavior is observed does not guarantee that it will be properly remembered or recalled during the performance appraisal. Cooper (1981) indicates that raters recall those behaviors that are consistent with the general impression of an employee (a halo).And the greater the time interval between the actual behav ior and the performance rating, the greater the probability that halo and distortion errors occur. Furthermore, raters who are familiar with the job being evaluated recall more judgments about performance but fewer behaviors than do raters who are unfamiliar with the job (Cooper, 1981). But even though memory-based ratings lead to more distortion, in many circumstances they are more accurate than ratings made immediately after the behaviors occur (Murphy & Blazer, 1986).The reason for these increases in halo and accuracy is not clear. Supervisors perhaps realize that it will be a long internal between observation of employee behavior and the formal evaluation of that behavior and that they will not be able to remember specific behaviors. Thus, they form an overall impression of the employee and an archetype and a poor employee and evaluate the employee on the basis of comparison with the ideal (Murphy & Blazer, 1986). Emotional state. The amount of stress under which a supervisor o perates also affects her performance ratings.Srinivas and Motowidlo (1987) found that raters who were placed in a stressful situation produced ratings with more errors than did raters who were not under stress. This finding is important because performance evaluations are often conducted hurriedly as supervisors evaluated employee performance so that they can return to their real work. Raters who like the person being rated may be more lenient and less accurate in rating employees than are raters who neither like nor dislike their employees. But this does not mean that a person who is liked will always receive higher ratings than someone who is disliked.The rater may overcompensate in an effort to be fair. The raters feelings or affect, toward an employee may interfere with the cognitive processing of actual performance information (Srinivas and Motowidlo, 1987). Research has also indicated that racial bias exists in performance evaluations. Kraiger and Ford (1985) conducted a meta -analysis of 74 studies and found that White raters gave higher performance ratings to White employees and that Black raters gave higher ratings to Black employees. Interestingly, this bias occurred only with studies involving real organizations laboratory research seldom reveal racial bias in rating. communication Appraisal Results to Employees Perhaps the most important use of performance evaluation data is to provide feedback to the employee and assess his or her strengths and weaknesses so that further training can be implemented. Although this feedback and training should be an ongoing process, the semi-annual evaluation might be the best time to formally discuss employee performance. Furthermore, holding a formal review interview places the organization on better legal ground in the event of a lawsuit (Field & Holley, 1982).Normally, in most organizations a supervisor spends a few minutes with employees every six months to tell them about the scores they received during the mo st recent performance evaluation period. This process is probably the norm because most managers do not like to judge others because of this dislike, they try to complete the evaluation process as quickly as possible (Field & Holley, 1982). Furthermore, seldom does evaluating employees take in the supervisor. The best scenario is to hear no complaints, and the worst scenario is a lawsuit.In fact, one study demonstrated that dissatisfaction and a decrease in organizational commitment occurs even when an employee receives an evaluation that is satisfactory but not outstanding (Pearce & Porter, 1986). Finally, in the tell and sell approach to performance appraisal interviews, a supervisor tells an employee everything she has done poorly and then sells her on the ways in which she can improve. This method, however, accomplishes little. There are certain techniques that will make the performance appraisal interview more effective, and these are discussed in the following sections.Both the supervisor and the employee must have time to prepare for the review interview. Both should be allowed at least 1 mo to prepare before an interview and at least 1 hour before the interview itself (Pearce & Porter, 1986). The interview location should be a neutral place that ensures privacy and allows the supervisor and the employee to face one another without a desk between them as a communication barrier (Rhoads, 1997). Performance appraisal review interviews should be scheduled at least once every 6 months for most employees and more often for new employees.Review interviews are commonly scheduled 6 months after an employee begins working for the organization. It is important to note that while formal performance review interviews occur only twice a year, informal progress checks should be held throughout the year to provide feedback (Rhoads, 1997). While preparing for the interview, the supervisor should review the ratings she has assigned to the employee and the reasons for those ratings. This step is important because the quality of feedback given to employees will affect their satisfaction with the sinless performance appraisal process (King, 1984).Meanwhile the employee should rate her own performance, using the same format as the supervisor. The employee also should write down specific reasons and examples that support the ratings she gives herself (King, 1984). At the outset of the interview, the supervisor should communicate the following 1) the role of the performance appraisal that making decisions about salary increases and terminations is not its sole purpose 2) how the performance appraisal was conducted and 3) how the evaluation process was accomplished.It is advisable that the supervisor also communicate her own feelings about the performance appraisal process (Kelly, 1984). The review process is probably best begun with the employee communicating her own ratings and her justification for those ratings. Research indicates that employees who are actively involved in the interview from the start will be more pleasant with the results. The supervisor then communicates his ratings and his reasons for them (King, 1984).At the conclusion of the interview, goals should be mutually set for future performance and behavior, and both supervisor and employee should understand how these goals are met (Cederbloom, 1982). On the whole, the performance appraisal process, with its inherent difficulties, may be leveraged on to improve organizational productivity. Proper management of this process shall help motivate employees, and ultimately, bring more to the endeavours coffers.

Lab Report: Antibiotic Evaluation by the Kirby-Bauer Method

Lab Report Antibiotic Evaluation by the Kirby-Bauer Method Introduction Chemical antimicrobial agents are chemic compounds capable of either inhibiting the growth of microorganisms or killing them outright. Those which are taken internally to alleviate the symptoms of or promote healing from disease are called chem differentapeutic drugs, and among these is a class of compounds called antibiotics. In order for a chemotherapeutic drug to be classed as an antibiotic, it must be produced by a microorganism such as bacteria or fungus or at least derived from a chemical produced by one.It must also be capable of killing or inhibiting the growth of other microorganisms and of doing so when taken in very small quantities. To study whether a microbial product qualifies as an effective antibiotic, a old-hat procedure called the Kirby-Bauer method is engaged. This method, which is the procedure recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration, was devised by William Kirby and A. W. Baue r in 1966. In the current protocols involved in the Kirby-Bauer method, Mueller-Hinton measure agar-agar is drug abuse as the medium for bacterial culture.The pH of the standard agar is 7. 2 to 7. 4 and it is poured exclusively to a depth of 4 mm. The medium is intemperately inoculated with bacteria and paper disks containing enough of the antibiotic under study to create an optical density of 1 (the McFarland standard) are placed on top of the cultures. By examining the results of incubation in the form of a govern of inhibition around separately disk later incubation, it can be determined how effective each antibiotic is against any given bacterium. A minimum inhibitory concentration can then be deduced for the given antibiotic vs. he specific bacterium tested so that appropriate dosage may be determined. Resistant bacteria cultures will show a small or no zone of inhibition if their growth is not sufficiently inhibited for the antibiotic to be a viable candidate in spread o vering infection by that organism. Sensitive cultures, on the other hand, will be appreciably inhibited in their growth or, ideally, eliminated entirely in a relatively large radius around the McFarland standard disk. In this case, the antibiotic under study might be prescribed as a useful counter to illness brought on by that particularly bacterium.In the experiment discussed here, we tested eight antibiotics against four common opportunistic pathogens, namely Streptococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Of these, the first twain are Gram appointed and the latter pair are Gram negative. The eight antibiotics tested were ampicillin, a beta-lactam antibiotic that inhibits the final stage of bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to receptors within the cell wall. The result is a porous cell wall and subsequent lysis carried out by the bacterias own enzymes.It is effective against many bacteria, roughly(prenominal) Gram positive a nd Gram negative, and is particularly employ in treating infection by E. coli, Salmonella typhosa and Enterococcus faecalis, among others. (DrugBank) This antibiotic is a semi-synthetic derivative of penicillin, which is itself an antibiotic produced by the fungus Penicillium notatum. Bacitracin, a mixture of polypeptides obtained from Bacillus subtilis var Tracy. It inhibits synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer in Gram positive bacteria by preventing the function of a molecule that transports components to synthesis sites.Bacitracin has a low threshold of toxicity when taken orally or injected, but it has found application as a topical ointment in the stripe of wound infection by Staphylococci. (DrugBank) Chloramphenicol, a broad spectrum antibiotic that is produced synthetically but which was originally discovered in a Streptomyces bacterium. It can be employed against several types of infection but most notably has found application in combating typhoid fever cholera. This anti biotic inhibits protein synthesis by suppressing the function of the 50S fractional monetary unit in bacterial ribosomes.Chloramphenicol is bacteriostatic but does not kill bacteria. It also has a low toxicity threshold when ingested, and so it is now used nearly exclusively to combat life-threatening illness or infection. (DrugBank) Erythromycin, which is produced by a Streptomyces and functions as a protein synthesis inhibitor in much the same way as Chloramphenicol. It is much less toxic than Chloramphenicol and is used to combat such diseases as whooping cough, diptheria, and pelvic inflammation due to syphilis. (DrugBank) Novobiocin, one of the aminoglycoside antibiotics.This class of antibiotics works by binding to the bacterial 16S rRNA and causing the misreading of tRNA. Because of this, the bacteria synthe sizes incomplete or toxic polypeptides, resulting in the death of the bacterial cell. Novobiocin can be used to treat infection by Gram negative bacteria and Mycobacteri a, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is not effective against anaerobic bacteria, however, and is not often used against Gram positive infections because other antibiotics that are less toxic to the patient are available for this purpose. DrugBank) Moreover, Novobiocin is known to bind to and alter the function of desoxyribonucleic acid gyrase, effectively stopping proper proceeds in the bacterial cell and thus bactericidal. Penicillin G, another antibiotic of the beta lactam class. It is used primarily against Gram positive bacteria such as the streptococci but is also effective against some Gram negatives such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the spirochete Treponema pallidum, which is responsible for syphilis.Penicillin G inhibits synthesis if peptidoglycan by the same mechanism as in Ampicillin. (DrugBank) Polymyxin B, a mixture of polypeptides derived from Bacillus polymyxa. It can be used bactericidally against most Gram negative bacteria and is applied most often against urinary tract, blood, and meningal infections of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It has no effect upon Gram positive bacteria. It kills bacterial cells by binding to a removing lipids in the cell membrane.Due to this mechanism, however, Polymyxin B also damages eucaryotic cells and thus sometimes proves to be a neuro- and nephrotoxic in humans. (DrugBank) Tetracycline, synthesized from chlortetracycline, a compound produced by a Streptomyces. It works by binding to the bacterial ribosome and interfere with protein synthesis and is effective against a wide range of Gram positive and negative bacteria, including the Mycoplasma and the bacteria responsible for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and nongonococcal urinary tract infections. DrugBank) Material and Methods gardeningsStreptococcus faecalis Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli 1 Pseudomonas aeruginosa One person each in a team of four heavily inoculated two Mueller-Hinton agar plates with one of the cultures listed by aseptic transfe r from a broth culture using a sterile cotton swab. Each plate was mark off into four segments, a total of eight sectors. One McFarland standard disk containing one of the eight antibiotics tested was placed, using alcohol-flame sterilized forceps, in the relate of a sector.After incubating for 18 hours at 37C, the diameters of the clear zones (zones of inhibition) around each McFarland disk was measured with a standard ruler to the nearest millimeter. The measurements obtained were matched against a graph (Claus 407) to determine whether the bacterium was resistant, sensitive, or intermediate in susceptibility to the antibiotic used. The numbers against which these measurements are matched take into account the difference in zone sizes caused by variations in diffusion rates through agar in the antibiotics tested. Results Bacterium Streptococcus faecalis Antibiotic used Inhibition zone size (mm) refining answer Ampicillin 28 S Bacitracin 20 S Chloramphenicol 22 S Erythromyc in 21 S Novobiocin 20 S Penicillin G 20 S Polymyxin B 0 R Tetracycline 24 S Bacterium Staphylococcus aureus Antibiotic used Inhibition zone size (mm)Culture response Ampicillin 48 S Bacitracin 22 S Chloramphenicol 24 S Erythromycin 25 S Novobiocin 39 S Penicillin G 43 S Polymyxin B 0 R Tetracycline 32 S Bacterium Escherichia coli Antibiotic used Inhibition zone size (mm)Culture response Ampicillin 20 S Bacitracin 11 R Chloramphenicol 0 R Erythromycin 25 S Novobiocin 21 S Penicillin G 8 R Polymyxin B 6 R Tetracycline 12 R Bacterium Streptococcus faecalis Antibiotic used Inhibition zone size (mm)Culture response Ampicillin 0 R Bacitracin 0 R Chloramphenicol 21 S Erythromycin 22 S Novobiocin 10 R Penicillin G 0 R Polymyxin B 18 S Tetracycline 25 S Discussion S. faecalis was sensitive to all of the antibiotics tested except for Polymyxin B. Since that antibiotic is known to be effective only against Gram negative bacteria, this observation is in keep ing with expected results.As a Gram positive, one would expect, as we observed, that it would be sensitive to polypeptide inhibitors, such as Penicillin G and Ampicillin, as well as protein synthesis inhibitors, such as Tetracycline and Erythromycin. Novobiocin, while not often used against Gram positives due to concerns about its toxicity, is known to be effective against Gram positives as well, which is borne out by these observations. Like S. faecalis, S. aureus is a Gram positive, and so would be expected to be sensitive to the same antibiotics and resistant to Polymyxin B. Our observations verify this as well. E. coli is Gram negative, and our observations show it to be sensitive only to Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Novobiocin.It was, however, resistant to Penicillin G, demonstrating that there is some chemical factor which allows one beta lactam antibiotic to inhibit this bacterium (Ampicillin) while another (Penicillin G) does not. This is likely due to the difference in chemica l organise of the two. Penicillin G lacks an amino group, which is present on Ampicillin. It may well be that the presence of a partially-charged amino group on Ampicillin allows it to be uptaken by the bacterium more readily than Penicillin G. (Deacon) More unexpectedly, E. coli was resistant to Chloramphenicol, even though this antibiotic is useful in inhibiting other Gram negative bacteria. It may be that the E. oli strain used in this experiment has developed a resistor to this particular antibiotic. P. aeruginosa also proved to be resistant to Ampicillin, Bacitracin, Novobiocin, and Penicillin G. This suggests that the chemical structure which allows Ampicillin to inhibit E. coli is not effective in the case of this bacterium, which is sensitive to neither of these beta lactams. Bacitracin is only useful against Gram positives as well, so it had no perceptible affect upon P. aeruginosa. On the other hand, this culture was sensitive to Polymyxin B, Tetracycline, Chloramphenic ol, and Erythromycin, as one would predict for a Gram negative. Its resistance to Novobiocin is due to its having a modified DNA gyrase (Miller 674).It is worth noting in this case that while the bacterium is resistant, Novobiocin does have some effect at a standard concentration, and higher concentrations can be used to kill the organism. Such concentrations, however, would also be toxic to the patient if taken as a chemotherapeutic dosage. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria has been an ongoing phenomenon since shortly after the widespread use of penicillin, the first antibiotic, began. The rate at which this occurs has increased as the availability and employment has increased since then, and it has now become a significant checkup problem. The major reason for this is that the use of antibiotics acts as a selective pressure. Those bacteria which carry a mutation on their plasmids that make them able to survive interposition give hem access to a niche whic h non-resistant strains cannot exploit, leading to their proliferation both in infected individuals and ultimately in the environment in general. The use of antibiotics kills not only pathogens, but also normal microflora which might otherwise prevent virulent bacteria from establishing a foothold in the human body. convey to the phenomenon of transformation, in which living bacteria can incorporate naked genetic material left over when other cells are lysed for reasons other than antibiotic sensitivity, resistance genes can cross between genera. For example, the Staphylococci can incorporate resistance genes from Bacilli and Streptococci.Added to this are resistance genes that exist as transposons found in the main bacterial genome and which can be transmitted to other members of the same species by temperate phages via the process of transduction. These mechanisms have resulted in the arisal of such things as Vancomycin-resistant strains of S. aureus, responsible for a usually-le thal nosocomial infection that, ironically, is carried by the very bacteria that Alexander Fleming first observed as being susceptible to penicillin, the original antibiotic. (Deacon) Literature cited Bauer AW, Kirby WMM, Sherris JC, Turck M. 1966. Antibiotic susceptibility examen by a standardized single disk method. Am J Clin Pathol 45(4)493-6. Deacon, J. The Microbial World Penicillin and Other Antibiotics. http//helios. bto. ed. ac. k/bto/microbes/penicill. htm. Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Edinburgh. elevated 2003. DrugBank, http//redpoll. pharmacy. ualberta. ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard. cgi? bill poster=APRD00320. July 29 2006. DrugBank, http//redpoll. pharmacy. ualberta. ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard. cgi? CARD=APRD00816. txt. July 29, 2006. DrugBank, http//redpoll. pharmacy. ualberta. ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard. cgi? CARD=APRD00862. txt. July 29, 2006. DrugBank, http//redpoll. pharmacy. ualberta. ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard. cgi? CARD=APRD0095 3. txt. July 29, 2006. DrugBank, http//redpoll. pharmacy. ualberta. ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard. cgi? CARD=APRD00694. xt. July 29, 2006. DrugBank, http//redpoll. pharmacy. ualberta. ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard. cgi? CARD=APRD00646. txt. July 29, 2006. DrugBank, http//redpoll. pharmacy. ualberta. ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard. cgi? CARD=APRD01190. txt. July 29, 2006. DrugBank, http//redpoll. pharmacy. ualberta. ca/drugbank/cgi-bin/getCard. cgi? CARD=APRD00572. txt. July 29, 2006. Miller RV, Scurlock TR. 1983. DNA gyrase (topoisomerase-II) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 110 (2)694-700. Understanding Microbes A Laboratory Textbook for Microbiology, by G. William Claus, W. H. freewoman and Co. , New York, 1988.

Cost of Goods Checkpoint Essay

A multi-step income statement for a trading lineage highlights the point that between 40% and 60% of revenue from sales is accounted for as the hail of goods sold. The cost of goods attributed to a companys crossways is expensed as the company sells these goods. There ar several ways to calculate COGS but one of the more basic ways is to start with the beginning inventory for the period and add the total meat of purchases made during the period then deducting the ending inventory.(According to Kimmel, Weygandt, and Kieso), cost of goods sold is found by taking the cost of goods available for sale (beginning merchandise inventory + interlock purchase), less the ending merchandise inventory (p. 244). In a wholesale or retail trading business, merchandise held for resale in the normal course of business is the largest asset owned by the organization. For this reason it is vital that accurate up-to-date records be maintained when goods are acquired and inventories taken. Finished goods and or merchandise makes up cost of goods sold.There are two classifications of inventory merchandiser or manufacturer. In a merchandiser company inventory consists of many items all different. Whereas, a manufacturer, or so inventory may not be ready (Kimmel, Weygandt, & Kieso, p. 282). Examples of items that make up cost of goods include produce, clothing, electronics, items that can be resold from manufacture to a company to the customer. This subject matter when the business acquires a finished product, the cost of the product goes into an inventory asset account.The customer will then purchase the product, finished good, the business transfers the cost of the product from the inventory asset account to the cost of goods sold expense account because the product is no longer in the businesss inventory (Kimmel, Weygandt, & Kieso, p. 282). References Kimmel, P. D. , Weygandt, J. J. , & Kieso, D. E. (2011). fiscal accounting Tools for business decision making (6th ed. ). Ret rieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Football Accident

Period 5 11/1/12 Unthinkable When I look at my life, and I think about the hardest things for me to overcome, I would have to say, the ultimate being, see to iting my mother and experience that I would be sitting out of football my senior signifier of high school. Most would say how could this possibly be something that you would find challenging, but then you dont know my mother and father. I started playing sports, football, in particular, at the age of 7. I was kind of a chunky little kid, even had a funny gait when I ran, but you couldnt place that if you talked to my parents. To my mom and dad, I was a superstar.I started playing flag football by dint of the YMCA program, and then moved up to Pop Warner. Heres the crazy part. My mom or dad came to every practice, and every game, rain or shine. I think I was the plainly kid that knew matchless of my parents would be on the sidelines, whether at practice or a game. Now to be honest, those were tough historic period for me, as most times, my parents would be watching me sitting on the bench, because I did not get to play very often. During those long time, I put on a brave face and never let my parents know how embarrassed I was and how I felt I let them down.The crazy part was, when my parents met with other players parents, they talked about me like I was the star of the team, never make me tonus bad for not playing in a game. Again, come rain or shine, they were always there for me. Those were tough years for me. Every coach undercoat a rea parole why I just wasnt ready to be a starting player. Then something really incredible happened during my 7th grade year. This didnt start off incredible, in fact, it was quite humiliating. Everyone that wanted to try out for the 7th grade football team met after school one day.Here were all the players and parents that I had been playing with for the last six years, and as the kid that sat on the bench most of the time, you can imagine, I was the odd hom osexual out. All these parents bragging about their own kids, the great plays, the touchdowns, but there stood my mom and dad, proud as ever. They were with their superstar. As the three of us stood there together, my father later told me that it was one of the most intimidating days hed had in a long time, looking at the parents of the kids that got to play. My mother told me to do the outmatch I could do, and my day would come.My dad always said because he wasnt a coach or assistant coach on these teams, I didnt get a fair chance, but in my heart, I just didnt think I was a great player. Good, yes, but not great. Tryouts came and went, and once again, I assumed I would be a bench w work uper. As I said earlier, this turned out to be an incredible year, and something happened that I never expected. Now that I look back, I still have to ask myself, Did that really happen? All of the kids I played football with throughout the years were, of course, picked for the starting positio ns.Some of these very kids have made headlines in the last couple of years, but lets get back to me. One cold unyielding evening, my Hedrick team was playing the Talent Bulldogs and one of the kids that normally played the replete(p) receiver position was sick that day. The coach asked me to step in and give it a try. I cant describe the butterflies in my stomach. My hands and knees shook and my heart began to race. I lastly was given a chance and I was terrified. Well, act what? Not only did I catch the ball and run it in for an 80 touchdown yard touchdown, but I did this game and game again.After gaining the starting wide receiver position, I gained the starting linebacker position and proved my dominance once again on the field. At the end of the season, I was voted Most of import Player for both offense and defense for not only junior varsity but for varsity as well. Now, with that said, you can only imagine my parents. Their son going from a bench player to the number one p layer on both teams. My parents would run down the sidelines, whooping it up as I ran the ball. They finally had the superstar theyd been waiting for. Over the next few years, my playing improved, and I had moved to high school ball.Playing varsity for north as a freshman, and just like before, my parents did not miss a practice or game, even if it meant driving a few hundred miles. My parents and especially my dad unbroken waiting for my next big break, my time to shine. Then in my junior year, I found myself transferred to a new school, tried out and actually made the Varsity football team. My parents were so proud of me, and I was proud of myself. I dont know who was more excited, me or my parents. My parents were on Cloud Nine, talk of the town about nothing but football and Friday Night Lights.It was an exciting time of my life. The coach tried me out at Outside Linebacker, because of my speed, strength, and my ability to get rough the offensive line. Then the unthinkable ha ppened at practice. I was sent in on a blitz, and hit the offensive lineman with my shoulder. It felt like my arm had been ripped from its socket as I writhed on the ground in pain. The trainers ran over and rushed me to the hospital. I never would have guessed in a million years what a fateful day that would be. My shoulder was completely out of its socket, the tendons and ligaments torn.The most important year of my life had just been stripped away from me. Not only was surgery required, but months of physical therapy. My orthopedic doctor told me I could no longer play football without risking irreparable damage. I never told my parents this, and the doctor never told them. I kept that dream of Friday night lights in my parents hearts until I should have been signing up for football camp. This is when I had to tell them what the doctor said, and there would be no football in my life, no letter, no photos, and no glory. To me, this was the hardest day of my life.On this day, I kne w I was breaking my parents hearts. Everything they had looked forward to for my senior year of football was gone. I played the game, but they had lived the sport. Something died this day, maybe just a dream of mine, but it seemed so much more. homogeneous a part of me was left on the field that sad day that I suffered my injury. To this day I day dream of the achievements I could have over came if I had no suffered that injury. Maybe one day when I have kids I will be able to live my football career through my future son but until that day comes Im stuck watching in the stands

The Need for Information Security Management to Medium Size

The Need for nurture surety management for Small to Medium Size Enterprises ICT 357 study Security Management Leong Yuan Zhang 31741147 Trimester 1 Murdoch University Contents Abstract2 Introduction2 Justifying The Need for Sound Information Security in Any Organisation2 Linking Business Objectives with Security3 accompanying solution Management and possibility Recovery4 nimble Device Security Managment5 Biometric Security Devices and Their habituate6 Ethical Issues in Information Security Management7 Security Training and Education7Defending Against Internet-Based Attacks8 Industrial Espionage and Business Intelligence Gathering9 Personnel Issues in Information Security9 natural Security Issues in Information Security10 Cyber Forensic Incident Response10 Conclusion11 References11 Abstract Small to Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) contribute greatly to the economy in umpteen an(prenominal) countries despite the many challenges that they face. Lesser work outing, resource p lanning and time management ar just many of the limitations that they might encounter.Comparing this to a larger enterprise or government body, SMEs seems to find contrastive approaches with regards to study bail, sometimes understating the importance due(p) to the constraint menti wizd. This paper aims to study the issues relating to introduction and carrying out of info security regimes in SMEs comp atomic number 18d to larger organisations. Introduction Small and medium enterprise atomic number 18 defined by the result of personnel working for the company, around the upper limit of 250 to the dishonor of 50. They usually lack resources, competencies and management to implement strategies externally and internally for their operations.This paper willing focus on the implementation of t each(prenominal)ing security regimes of SMEs and provide a comparison to large enterprises. The paper explores the multiple categories of information security, attempt to list the disad vantages faced by SMEs and how sometime large enterprises are unable to match a SME in the capability to respond to security curses Justifying The Need for Sound Information Security in Any Organisation The internet age brought upon new challenges to the employment world, both SMEs and large organisation are continuously investing substantial resources to secure their presence on the internet.With increasingly virtualized line of descent networks and expanding corporate ecosystem, more information have been created or converted into digital format. Digitalized information stinker be saved in dissentent storage devices and transmitted over a overplus of interconnected network both internally and externally (Radding, 2012). Understandably, crime and security threats to information are be advance more commonplace as the reliance on Internet in business activities increase .Threats such as hackers, business competitors or even foreign governments goat employ a host of different m ethods to obtain information from any organisation (Symantec). Yet no effective business would totally isolate themselves from using digitalized info to prevent such resultants battle or success of these organisations is linked to expert information delivered on time. At its worst erroneous info may result in serious dismissal of potential earnings and damage to the organisations brand(Juhani Anttila, 2005).A signifi fagt element of information security are the cost and personnel expertise required with the designing, development and implementation of an effective security system. There is a remove for major investment to be invested to build and maintain reliable, trustworthy and responsive security system (Anderson, 2001). Since some SMEs tend to have to operate under tight budgeting, extreme limited work force and many different needs competing for limited supply of resources, thus placing information security down the priorities list (Tawileh, Hilton, Stephen, 2007).Addi tionally, the lack of awareness to the negative consequences of info security issues and threats and the perception of less strict regulatory compliance requirements, information and communication theory infrastructure at heart these SMEs remain highly unsecured. Despite that, most organisations do at least have some form of basic security in the form of anti-virus softwares. Other types of security software like firewall or authentication software/hardware are considerably less popular perhaps due to the additional manifoldity of having to install and configure them for the organisation usage (ABS, 2003).Linking Business Objectives with Security Security can impact a companys profitability in both positive or negative ways. It fully depends on how it is being controlled, too little will non be enough while too often may cause bottlenecks within the company internal processes. One example would be background obligates on possible new employees. At times, the duration of the c heck may take longer than the period of employment, especially when hiring temp staff to cover short term. In their book, Christian Byrnes and Paul E.Proctor argues that to eliminate the last 20% of pretend that might occur would inversely required 80% more money to implement which can be seen in Figure 1. Figure 1 It is common practice in large organisations to organise com thrower security around technologies, with a dedicated department running the show alongside the IT department. nonetheless computer security should be more business oriented as it is easier to achieve the security targets if good business practices are being followed. For SMEs, it is also off the beaten track(predicate) easier to utilise xisting employees who specialize in specific business roles to take up security positions. In the same book, Christian Byrnes and Paul E. Proctor also provided a delay which list down the common security roles and the ideal personnel to handle it Table 1 Linking security wi th business visions is also important as it would allow for bump persuasion to the top managements to approve or push through with security purchases, master plans or policy changes. To achieve this, the motion put forth must undergo a 5 step structured framework assess, analyse, strategize, align and communicate.Assess the companys actual and future security role so as to achieve a good understanding of the current security model. Details on the security capabilities within the employees, processes and current technologies should be documented properly for the contiguous step to be carried out with more accuracy. After collecting the raw entropy, using analytical tools and method to conduct a security gap abstract will show the differences between the current security model and the preempted requirements. With a clear overview of what needs to be do, next phase planning can be done to piece unneurotic to form a viable and strong strategy.Executives and managers at all levels must understand the new steps that are to be undertaken for the new strategy. Such communications may be more effective in SMEs than larger organisations as the members of the security planning may be aboriginal personnel that are required to participate rather than a separate IT security aggroup (PricewaterhouseCooper). Incident Response Management and Disaster Recovery Incident response management is the process of managing and responding to security incidents. As organisations may encounter plenty of incidents throughout the day, it is important that incident responses are carefully anaged to reduce wastage of manpower and resources. The most appropriate level of response should be assigned to on any security incident to maximize efficiency there is no chastity in involving senior management in a response to an incident that has minimal impact on business (BH Consulting, 2006) Disaster recovery is the process use to recover access to an organisations software, data and hardwa re that are required to resume the performance of normal, slender business functions. Typically this will happen aft(prenominal) all a natural disaster or manmade disaster. (Disaster Recovery)Incident response management used to be separated into different entities, natural disasters , security break of servees and privacy breaches were handled by put on the line management, information security department and legal department. This increased the cost of incident management and reduce utilization of existing resources and capabilities. By merging the 3 into one overarching incident management methodology specified with an incident response team and a charter, reduced cost and efficient usage of resource can be achieved (Miora, 2010) In larger organizations, incident response team may contain both employees and third party observers from vendors.External vendors may provide the expertise to manage an incident that could be overwhelming to the current employees. This provided ma y not be feasible for SMEs due the financial constraints. Most likely, the incident response management team would be formed using current employees and a senior management personnel would lead the team. The response team would be the ones who do the planning scenario for each different types of incident and the type of responses required, ensure that clear processes and procedures are in place so that responses to incident are coherent.Communications between members are typically convertible be it for large organisations or SMEs method of contact such as emails and non-email like phone calls or messages are used to inform team members (BH Consulting, 2006). Disaster recovery extremely important as well, more so for SMEs. A survey from US Department of Labor provided an estimation that around 40% of business never reopen after a disaster and of the remaining around 25% will close down within 2 years (Zahorsky). Unfortunately, not many SMEs have a disaster recovery plan in place to protect themselves.This is due to the idea that disaster recovery is costly and requires alot of resources and expertise to put in place one. This is true to a certain extend as large organisations normally spend amounts to put in place business servers and remote hot recovery sites. However with increasing cloud-based technologies and availability of server virtualization, disaster recovery can hold out affordable even for SMEs. Up and coming cloud outcome and renting space in secure data center via colocation are some of the solutions that SMEs can consider.Even without any or little IT staff, by paying the colocation provider they can assist to manage the setup and maintenance services (Blackwell, 2010). Mobile Device Security Managment The increasing sophisticated mobile devices together with high bandwidth network is creating a tremendous security management challenge for CIOs and other IT professionals. Proprietary and confidential data can now be travel outside of the secu re perimeter of the enterprise and onto mobile devices that can be brought anywhere in the world by employees.These devices have a variety of data communication and storage technologies, such as email/PIM synchronization software, infrared data transmission, Bluetooth and removable data storage. As a result, it is easy for mobile devices to become strongholds of enterprise information (Good Technology, 2009). Of course with that brings additional threats to an organisation as mobile devices are susceptible to attacks as well. In both SMEs and large organisations, there is a definite need to regulate the use of mobile devices to prevent information leakage.As they can used in a variety of locations outside the organizations control, such as employees homes, coffee shops, hotels, and conferences, this makes them much more likely to be lost or stolen than other devices, so their data is at increased risk of compromise (Souppaya & Scarfone, 2012). The most extreme application of mobile device management can be see within government bodies, specifically in the apology sector where secondary functions of such devices such as cameras are to be disable. However, this method would not be easily applied to SMEs as employees may muster it to be too restrictive.Rather, having a clear policy on the usage of mobile devices and prohibiting employees from attaching their devices to the workstations would be a better option to enforce. Biometric Security Devices and Their Use Biometric devices identifies an singular through physical or behavioral characteristics such as fingerprints, palm geometry or retina. It is extremely secure as it cannot be borrowed, stolen or forgotten (Liu & Silverman, 2001). The table below shows the various type of biometric devices and their advantages/disadvantagesThe table, as seen in the report from Dell explains clearly some of the limitations of biometric devices. Size for example must be taken into reflexion as well, hand geometry scanning devices are bulky and therefore not suited for say unlocking your workstation as compared to using it to unlock a door. However, not many organisations are adopting biometric as part of their security plan. Those that do use biometric are mostly geared towards physical security of secure areas where access are to be restricted.Conventional authentication methods are still much preferred with regards to virtual access like emails, workstations and applications. The higher cost of using biometric devices as a security solution is also another concern for SMEs that wishes to utilise them. They would need to evaluate their nature of business, how and where biometric would fit in to maximize value for money. Ultimately, aligning the need for biometric security devices as a security solution to business objectives is a must, else cheaper alternatives would have to be examine and evaluated instead.Ethical Issues in Information Security Management Some professions such as law and medicine have in place a codified set of ethics that its practitioners are required to honor to protect the privacy of their clients. Violations are dealt with in the harshest possible terms, and even minor lapses can result in significant penalties. For IT however, there are no such codification. Technology professionals generally accept by personal codes of conduct and are essentially self-policing. Additionally, technology raises complexities that go beyond typical questions of whats right or whats fair.Areas such as data access and capture, processing speed, tracking and monitoring, and job redesign are just a few examples of IT capabilities with ethical considerations. (Relkin, 2006) Both SMEs and large organisations have to be able to cope with ethical issues such as privacy of personal information, intellectual property and cyber crime. In an effort to safeguard company secrets, many employees can be exposed to electronic or other forms of surveillance. Email screenings and monitorin g internet usages are just some of the methods that can be employed.There is a need to clearly define policies that involve such practices and the boundary must be draw and communicated to all employees so as to safeguard the organisation from breaching privacy laws and from being sued by employees. (Tiwary, 2011) Security Training and Education Security training and education is becoming increasing important for employees due to emergence of end-user computing as an critical component of information security. A typical end-user has access to most vital information that an organisation has in its possession.They have knowledge of how protection systems put in place to secure information work and a small amount of more ingenious users may even know how to circumvent those systems. Most users however lack the knowledge that is required to help protect the organisation information and it is in this area that they should be educated in baffle to make better decisions when facing with threats and vulnerabilities that can be discovered during the course of work. (Hight, 2005) Security Education, Training and Awareness program otherwise known as SETA is designed to set the security tone to the employees of an organisation.Making it part of a new employees orientation will ensure that all employees know and understand the reasons of the security policies that are in place at any organisation. Implementation of such a program can be done at any organisation, requiring lonesome(prenominal) properly written security policies and outlining guidelines that have to be followed. A good security program ensures that end user mistakes can be reduced and that employees understand the consequences of their legal actions when using their work stations or insert unauthorised USB devices into them. Defending Against Internet-Based AttacksWith an increasing reliant upon the internet, internet based attacks have been slowly increasing. Organsations that has a presence over the in ternet or utilizes net based technologies are more prone to such as attacks. Internet worms, viruses, malware and distributed denial of service are just some of the types of threats that could occur. Organisations should look to prevent such incidents from occurring by securing applications that are made available over the internet and securing organisation infrastructures exposed over the internet (Klein, 1999).To carry out an attack, the attacker must branch obtain sufficient control over a target system. They would most likely do some reconnaissance on the target, performing a number of scans to looked for weaknesses. Areas like remote accessible network services in default OS configurations, sendmail, sshd, RPC and Windows file sharing are some of the services exploited. Ports that are unsecured, retentiveness handling, targeting applications like web browsers and plug ins are also some of the methods that attackers can use.The web browsers in particular are seeing a rising geld of being targeted as browsers are extremely prone to having exploitable vulnerabilities. The internet distribution model also allows attackers to attack a users web browser without even instantly connecting to the cilent planting vindictive coding at specific websites where the user normally visits will achieve the aim as well (Moshchuk, 2000). Prevention of such attacks are extremely important, firewall and anti viruses are just the tip of an iceberg when it comes to methods that can protect an organisations information.Many firewalls being sold today are considered application aware and can understand protocols and commands that are being used. This allows them to determine whether or not incoming traffic to any applications or network services are malicious or not. Properly configured application aware firewall would be able to prevent common attacks thru telnet, SSH, HTTP, FTP, SMTP, SIP and applications which can be vulnerable. Additionally aggression Detection systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention systems (IPS) can also be used against application or network based attacks.When paired together with an application aware firewall, some usurpation staining systems have the ability to thwart off attackers by talking directly to the firewall to block the source IP address. There are no right or wrong solutions to defending an organisations network, it all boils down to which products would be suited to the organisations needs. SMEs typically would use more of off the shelf type of applications and intrusion detection prevention system (IDP) would be a better fit for such applications.Off the shelves applications uses alot of common protocols such as FTP, HTTP etc that should adhere to RFC standards and IDP is configured to block malicious or traffic that does not comply with RFC standards automatically. For larger organisations, they tend to have third party or home grown applications which developers may or may not have complied with RFC standards, IDP solutions may not have much of an effect for them. Industrial Espionage and Business Intelligence GatheringEvery organisation in the world will have collected some form of information regarding their competitors, through market scanning, industrial profiling or even direct hire of employees from their competitors. Such news program gathering are definitely part and parcel activities used for market research and benchmarking. However, there are uncertain boundaries separating competitive intelligence gathering and industrial espionage. The laws in place at times are unable to set such limits and it would seem reasonable to define industrial espionage as intelligence practices of dubious ethics instead (Crane, 2005).Be that as it may, industrial espionage is a very critical threat against SMEs. A succesfully SME breaking in saturated markets would have attained some form of breakthrough in order to stand out. Regardless of whether it is a formulae or business process, competito rs would wish to obtain such knowledge in order to raise their own profiles. To safeguard their secrets, SMEs would have to ensure that their security system in place are adequate and their employees educated on the topic. SMEs have to key that information that would critically harm the company and the value of such information to the company and its competitors.Access to such crown jewels must be controlled and employees must be educated on security awareness programs. Despite that, employees are still the strongest and weakest link. Humans tend to react better to carrots than sticks and most of the time competitors would aim for that. Hiring professionals to perform affable engineering, blackmailing, lure of monetary gains are hard to prevent. (Podszywalow, 2011) Personnel Issues in Information Security Human related security issues are extremely problematic and complex in organizations.They involve all the individuals who make up the organization, from top-level managers to cle rical staff. It is crucial that the top management recognize that for security management to ultimately succeed, not only the technical dimension must be taken into account, the human aspect of security must not be ignored as well. People issues within an organisation can have an impact on its ability to effectively manage security. Uncommitted and uninvolved senior managers unqualified, untrained and careless employees former disgruntle employees and organizational members resistance to change are just some of the potential issues ertaining to human resource that might occur. Hence, to achieve security effectiveness, these issues must be intercommunicate as a whole (Goh, 2003) For SMEs, when hiring an new employee, the employment contract should expressly emphasize the employees duty to foreclose certain types of information confidential both during and after the employees tenure. The language and structure of the contract should be made clear so as to prevent any potential misu nderstanding or any loopholes that can be exploited. The employee must sign the agreement before he or she begins to work.The contract can also be included with an employees personal file to keep track. Even when exiting, care must be taken to ensure that documents, records and other information concerning the company proprietary assets in the possession of the leaver must be surrendered and returned to the company. Conducting a exit interview will help to refresh the terms of employment agreement and trade secret law with the leaver. The employee should be acknowledge in writing that he or she is aware of the obligations and will not disclose any trade secrets of the former employer.Physical Security Issues in Information Security Physical security breaches can sometimes be more devastating than technical breaches like worm attacks. The loss of data, loss of availability either from systems being shut out down or by bomb or arson must be considered when dealing with physical secur ity. With the invention of easily concealable USB drives or bombs, coupled with unaccredited access is makes physical security becoming more important. Data transfer speeds have increased as when, allowing for transferring of a large amount of data in a relativity short period of time.As with any other security planning, physical security must be included to ensure that the risk of above mentioned are reduced. Access to areas such as server rooms or routers or where documents are kept and archived must be control, just locking the doors doesnt seems to be enough now. Access control cards, biometrics system can ensure that only authorised personnel be allowed in. Securing the personal computer of employees, especially if they are using laptop is equally important. Laptop locks and OS hardening to prevent unauthorized usage of USB devices are not allow (Giannoulis & Northcutt, 2007).Cyber Forensic Incident Response electronic computer forensics is the science of acquiring, retrievi ng, preserving, and presenting data that has been processed electronically and stored on computer media. When paired with incident response, their job becomes more challenging. They would have to find where a breach occurred, plug the hole, then proceed to get the affected server or servers back into service, and then if possible, gather evidence on the intruder for further action and analysis (Daniel & Daniel, 2009)SMEs unfortunately with their limited resources may have to compromise. instead of having a dedicated team to deal with incident response, they might consider getting current employees involved within IT such as server, networking or on site support engineers to carry out such a role. If they have extra budget however, it would work to their benefit if they send their resposne team for courses pertainning to cyber forensic. The additional knowledge will allow the response team to perform more effectively should a threat occur ConclusionSmall and medium enterprises typica lly faces the same the type of threats that will happen to larger organisations, however their approach and response to the same threat may differ greatly due to the limited resources human, technical, physical available to them. SMEs will have to sometimes think out of the box and be very careful in planning resources for security within the company. The type of hardware, software used for security may be similar to larger organisations however, the setup and configuration may be miles apart as well. SMEs, will have be extra vigilant against information security threats.References (n. d. ). Retrieved expose 10, 2013, from Symantec http//securityresponse. symantec. com/avcenter/security/Content/security. articles/corp. security. policy. html ABS. (2003). Business Use of Information Technology (2001 02). Canberra Australian Bureau of Statistics. Anderson, R. J. (2001). Why Information Security is Hard An Economic Perspective. in Proceedings of the Seventeenth Computer Security App lications Conference (pp. 358-365). IEEE Computer Society Press. BH Consulting. (2006). Incident Response White Paper. Dublin BH Consulting. Blackwell, G. 2010, May 25). Disaster Recovery For Small Business. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from Small Business calculate http//www. smallbusinesscomputing. com/biztools/article. php/10730_3884076_2/Disaster-Recovery-For-Small-Business. htm Crane, A. (2005). In the company of spies When competitive intelligence gathering becomes industrial espionage. Nottingham International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility. Crist, J. (2007). Web Based Attacks. SANS Institute. Daniel, L. E. , & Daniel, L. (2009, September 30). How Is Computer Forensics antithetical from Incident Response?Retrieved March 13, 2012, from ExForensic http//webcache. googleusercontent. com/search? q=cachehttp//exforensis. blogspot. com/2009/09/how-is-computer-forensics-different. html Disaster Recovery. (n. d. ). Disaster Recovery. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from Disaster Recovery http//www. disasterrecovery. org/ Giannoulis, P. , & Northcutt, S. (2007). Physical Security. Washington Security testing ground IT Managers Safety Series. Goh, R. (2003). Information Security The Importance of the Human Element. Singapore Preston University. Good Technology. (2009). Mobile Device Security. Good Technology.Hight, S. D. (2005). The importance of a security, education, training and awareness program. Householder, A. , Houle, K. , & Dougherty, C. (2002). Computer attack trends challenge Internet security. IEEE Computer , 35 (4), 5-7. Juhani Anttila. (2005, March). Retrieved March 13, 2013, from QualityIntegration http//www. qualityintegration. biz/InformationSecurityManagement. html Kelly, L. (2011, November). The top five SME security challenges. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from ComputerWeekly. com http//www. computerweekly. com/feature/The-top-five-SME-security-challenges Klein, D. V. (1999).Defending against the wily surfboarder Web based attacks and defe nse. California The USENIX Association. Liu, S. , & Silverman, M. (2001). A Practical Guide to Biometric. IT Pro. Miora, M. (2010). Business Continuity. Los Angeles, California, USA. Moshchuk, A. N. (2000). Understanding and Defending Against Web-borne Security Threats. Washington University of Washington. Podszywalow, M. (2011, November 29). How to Detect and Stop Corporate Cyber Espionage. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from The Data Chain http//www. thedatachain. com/articles/2011/11/how_to_detect_and_stop_corporate_cyber_espionagePricewaterhouseCooper. How to align security with your strategic business objectives. PricewaterhouseCooper. Proctor, P. E. , & Byrnes, F. C. (2002). The Secured Enterprise Protecting Your Information Assets. New Jersey Prentice Hall. Radding, A. (2012, January 04). Retrieved March 10, 2013, from Brainloop http//www. brainloop. com/fileadmin/assets/PDFs/White_Papers/brainloop_white_paper_info_sec_options. pdf Relkin, J. (2006). 10 ethical issues raised by IT capabilities. CNET Networks Inc. Souppaya, M. , & Scarfone, K. (2012). Guidelines for Managing and Securing Mobile Devices in the Enterprise.National Institute of Standards and Technology. Tawileh, A. , Hilton, J. , & Stephen, M. (2007). Managing Information Security in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises A Holistic Approach. Information Security Solutions Europe Conference, (p. 11). Warsaw. Tiwary, K. D. (2011). Security and ethical issues in it An organisation perspective. International Journal of Enterprise Computing and Business . Zahorsky, D. (n. d. ). About. com. Retrieved March 13, 2013, from Disaster Recovery conclusion Making for Small Business http//sbinformation. about. com/od/disastermanagement/a/disasterrecover. htm

Fastenal Case Essay

The comprehensive document is an overview of Fastenal Canada LTD and how it relates to gross revenue management.The document first provides an introduction to the problem and company background of Fastenal, which includes a description of conglomerate views of Fastenal. It further goes into detail ab go forth the recommendations that relates to the two main parties involved, which are the customers and the company itself.The document also includes an in-depth implementation plan, which is broken down into short, medium, and long-term tasks to accomplish. Through out the document there is a mention of the vendor managed inventory good example (VMI). By using VMI, we were able to use a different approach to obviate risks associated with the bricks and mortar approach. Fastenal should choose to implement the following business plan because a well thought out analysis went into determining the problem and coming up with a solution for the future growth of the company. All decisions were made with the company in mind and focusing on the strong relationship between the costumier and Fastenal.IntroductionFastenal Canada LTD is a subsidiary of Fastenal Company, which was founded in 1967. Fastenal Canada LTD operates as a wholesaler and retailer of industrial and construction supplies in Canada. They have over 200 stores crosswise Canada, 66 of which are in the western region. Fastenals growth strategy has al agencys relied heavily on brisk store opening because the high consider for its products and services across Canada (Fastenal, 2012).It tends to be risky as well as costly when opening stores using the bricks and mortar approach. The introduction of the vendor managed inventory manakin (VMI) has been advantageous. Fastenal receives an electronic data via email, informing them of its distributor sales and inventory stock level. This system makes it fast and efficient for the customers and sales associates. Fastenal interprets the electronic data and there is an self-locking responsibility of maintaining the inventory level for the customer. Fastenal is looking for a different expansion model approach to be used as a growth device driver in Western Canada. Our immature proposed strategy gives Fastenal the ability non unaccompanied maintains its desired identity but it gives them the ability to increase the market share and pray into a fresh new market. Our terminal is to assess the bureau in hand and work in the given environment to advance the strong customer relationships since it is an important factor in the company.Problem DefinitionHow give the bounce Fastenal use its new vendor managed inventory model to increase its market share? laughingstock market sales during the months of 2012 grew 19.8% from the manufacturing customers while the residential construction customers grew 17.9% (Fastenal, 2012). The advantage to VMI is that it releases the customer of having to worry about the level of their inventories. Fastenal interpret the electronic data and automatic satiate control of the responsibility of maintaining the inventory level for the customer.How can Fastenal reduce financial risk?Every scenario where there is a change in the way things are done or achieved there is always risks to failure or loss. In many cases where there is loss or failure, there is often a way that it could have been avoided or done differently to avoid the negative outcome. Fastenal needs to avoid these situations by planning ahead and finding ways to avoid the risks that whitethorn pose problems or loss in the near future. Bricks and Mortar approach induces many financial risks so another approach is necessary to prevent them. office staff AnalysisCustomers and the sales force are the stakeholders who are most affected. Strong customer relationships are the essence of Fastenals success and form an important component of their competitive advantage.The problem arises due the to lack of education the customer has abou t ordering online which deceases the efficiency PartStore has to offer. Ordering online reduces rushing the parts to the counter or waiting on the phone. Customers are also able to check parts availability and prices, as well as arrange an order. However when PartStore was introduced there was some mix-up with it. Creating a frustrating relationship between the customer and sales person. RecommendationsConsignment InventoryConsignment inventory usu all toldy involves the supplier, placing inventory at a customers stead without getting rid of its ownership of the inventory. Since the owner retains the ownership of its products the customer does not pay until it is sold or used. However, before we examine how Fastenal can benefit from our proposed consignment program it is important to first examine some potential market of interest.The urban center of EdmontonAccording Edmontons 2012 compute report, almost all municipalities across Canada face a significant groundwork deficit. Neighborhood renewal occurred periodically with funding from other orders of government, yet it failed to address the full life-cycle requirements of preventative maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. oer time, the condition of roads, sidewalks and sewers deteriorated, resulting in more frequent collapsed sewers, increased sidewalk hazards, and dramatically increased maintenance like pothole repairs. The Office of Infrastructure and Funding schema highlighted the need for ongoing funding for neighborhood infrastructure to overcome an anticipated $2.2 billion funding gap in neighborhood roads and related infrastructure. This situation provides a tremendous opportunity for Fastenal to penetrate and serve this market.Market potentialThe total number of potential infrastructure that needs to be fixed in any given time is the market. The market potential for Fastenal products in units would be equal to the number of potential infrastructure that require repairing, assuming th at each infrastructure repair would use Fastenal product.Fastenal can benefit for inventory consignment within the city of Edmonton, however administration is important to understand how the current business model can be used to Fastenals advantage in delivering the services. prompt 5000 is a vending machine that provides workers with immediate access to materials and equipments. The FAST 5000 machine is installed at customer sites and Fastenal keeps them filled with needed products ranging from safety equipments, cutting tools & supplies to office supplies.Fastenal handles everything from the delivery of the machines to the installation and restocking of the machine whenever the inventory level becomes low. Through the flexible web report system Fastenal customers are able to view and manage the machines inventory usage. Cory Jansen, Fastenals Vice President of Internal Operation have claims that having the FAST 5000 have reduced production consumption in many cases by more than 30 percent (City of Edmonton, 2012).In the midst of 2.2 billion dollar price of infrastructure repairs that the city of Edmonton needs, someone impart have to supplies this market with their demand materials and tools to complete the repair work. Fastenal should approach the city of Edmonton with a proposal outlining how the FAST 5000 can be beneficial to the construction site and within the city offices.The city of Edmonton as a sess serves a population of more than 750,000 residents the corporation is part into seven different departments each department is responsible for providing a particular service to Edmonton residents. We suggest that Fastenal concentrate on the four main departments within the corporation that is more likely to benefit from the FAST 5000 or the FAST 3000 services, which are the Office of the City Manager, Sustainable Development, Transportation Services and Infrastructure Services.Office of the City Manager will benefit from the FAST 5000 if Fastenal stocks them with office supplies, such as pens, pencils, papers, etc. Since each development must akin to a strict budget the FAST 5000 can provide the solutions to maintaining those budget, by reducing product consumption, having on-hand inventory, and administration costs, while providing new insight into usage and spending habit that can be used toward next years City budget.Fastenal can implement the same strategy within other municipalities across Canada. ImplementationFastenal needs to place a unit in each site under the City of Edmonton. We believe it to be reasonable to set one to three year goal to place a FAST 5000 machine in each site over the next three years. First step is to write up a proposal to bring to the Simon Farbrother, who must approve it. He is the city manager and makes the major decisions in these cases. This process can take up to three months to be able to present the proposal. This also renders awareness of the product to the potential client. The propo sal must go through other levels of approval and be voted on by the city council, therefore this may take another three months. erst the plan is approved the production and distribution can be put into motion. The city of Edmonton has many different branches and sites in the Edmonton area. The marketing department in Fastenal will start to put together the proposal and presentation. The marketing department will create a miniature FAST 5000 as part of a press kit along with a formal written proposal. The press kit will also open up and contain testimonials from previous clients Fastenal has worked with. It will also have a brief description of the key factors and attributes of the FAST 5000 and what sets it apart from former units.Once the plan is approved, Fastenal will be required to submit the bet to the city manager. Since Fastenal is the sole provider of the vendor managed inventory systems (FAST 5000, FAST 3000). This implies that there is only one supplier that can fulfill t he requirement and that any attempt to obtain constricts would only result in one supplies being able to bid on the contract which is Fastenal. The bid will contain the benefits and costs of going through with the deal and the estimated completion date of placing the units in different sites throughout Edmonton.Once the city has awarded them the contract they will immediately move forward, and Fastenal will provide the services as stated in the proposal. Fastenal will place the minimum required machines in each site as outlined by the contract.Time LineImmediately Delivering unitsWeek 1 Submitting a bidWeek 2 Proposal3 months Meeting with Simon Farbrother 3 months Vote by city council6 months Full ApprovalTBA Expansion into further sites and marketsBudgetSince we do not have any costs that are being associated with this project our cost is zero, therefore the budget is not present.Risk and mitigationRisk MitigationUnderperformance of sales force * Bring on a skilled team * Have th e team mentor new people * Make teamwork part of the culture * involve skillful and enthusiastic employees Sales loss on FAST machines * Proper training * Information to customer about store * Finding good location Unrealistic customer and schedule expectations * Make the customer feel comfortable and at ease * Set schedule goals around frequent deliveries ConclusionThe problems we treasured to address were How can Fastenal use its new vendor managed inventory model to increase its market share? and How can Fastenal reduce financial risk? Our new proposed strategy gives Fastenal the ability to not only maintains its desired identity but it gives them the ability to increase its market share and tap into a fresh new market. Strong customer relationships are the essence of Fastenals success and have formed an important part of their competitive advantage. Our business purposed plan intended to keep the strong customer relationships. Through our implementation approach we have demon strated how Fastenal can transform its current solution into a continued guileless business model. Fastenals opportunities will be awarded by the skill and creativity they have to meet the customer demands.ReferenceCity of Edmonton. (2012). Budget. Retrieved April 2012, from http//www.edmonton.ca/city_government/budget_taxes/budget-2012.aspxFastenal. (2012). Fastenal . Retrieved April 2012, from http//www.fastenal.comMackenzie, H. (. (2008). Sales Managment in Canada (1st sport ed.). (D. Thompson, Ed.) Toronto, Ontario, Canada Person Prentice Hall.