Essay on A Critique of “the Undercover Parent” by Harlan...

A Critique of â€Å"The Undercover Parent† by Harlan Coben I have talked with some of my friends about â€Å"Should parents install spyware on the computer to inspect their kids?† All of them think that was not an appropriate way. One of them, Tonya Steel said, â€Å"It makes me sick that parents can put spyware on computer to stalk their kids.† She didn’t mean the software that just blocks porn sites; she just couldn’t accept the one that record every keystroke, every page clicked on even every msn convo. Tonya said: â€Å"It crossing the line way too far!† However, when I discuss this question with some parents, their answers are diversity. Some of them think it depend on children’s age, such as if kids are just 10, and they will consider to put spyware†¦show more content†¦If people posting something online, it won’t be secrets anymore; not only your parents can read them, but also other strangers can read them, too. For teenagers, in order to against with parents, they will discover other ways to use the Internet. For instance, children may use some watchwords to talk. In addition, once teenagers notice that there is a spyware on the computer, they won’t trust their parents anymore. Once the trust between children and parents disappear, everything will become tough. As the Internet developed, it brings a lot of benefits, such as getting information much quicker; however, it also brings problem. One problem that Internet brings to today’s society is children’s safety on virtual world; there are a lot of temptations attract kids on the Internet. This issue Coben discusses is a particularly controversial one because it’s hard for parents ignore the dangerous on the Internet; on the other hand, if parents surveillance kids’ privacy world, it’s really embarrassed for children. How could we solve this problem? What is a compromise way for both parents and c hildren? Coben thinks parents should use spyware on the computer, but not surreptitious doing this; parents should tell

Bringing Kumon Math And Reading Center Into Vietnam

For this investigation I am going to research on bringing Kumon Math and Reading Center into Vietnam. Kumon Math, as its name, Kumon provides a program in which students will have the chance to improve their mathematical skills, from the basic one to the advanced level. It is available for students from all ages to join. Vietnam is a great potential market to invest in. Since Vietnam has the policies of searching for oversea investment, it has been an attractive market for many foreign companies. The economy and industry there are in the developing process, which means that they are lack of investments from outside. Moreover, the educational system has been focusing a lot on natural science subjects such as math and other ones which also†¦show more content†¦A person who purchases franchise called franchisee, and the firm that sells franchise called franchisor. Franchisee and franchisor have to agree on a compromise, both sides need to sign in the business contract and follow the cooperation legislations that are normally set up by franchisor. Commonly, franchisor is profitable by the royalty payment (the commission that is paid by the franchisee as it sold the products). Brand recognition is also beneficial for the firm because it would gain more reputation from franchisee stores which are located in diversified distinctive markets. Franchisee makes the benefits from selling products or services of well-known brand name. Moreover, this is a safe starting method for people who are new to business as the low starting risks and the existing reputation. As the result of these advantages Franchising is a popular trend in plenty economies from several nations, it not only allows national businesses to purchase and run a franchise stores, but also foreign entrepreneurs are welcomed to participate in the franchising form. How to be a Kumon Math Reading centre franchisee: There are several steps that a businessman can make to be Kumon franchisee, which could be summed up generally in 9 steps: 1. Visit the Kumon Math and Reading Centre official website (in case you do not feel comfortable to visit their representative office): http://www.kumonfranchise.ca/, ( Own a Franchise |Kumon Canada. Own a Franchise |KumonShow MoreRelatedBringing Kumon Math Center Into Vietnam1211 Words   |  5 PagesEE Outline Intro For this investigation I am going to research on bringing Kumon Math Center into Vietnam. Kumon Math, as its name, Kumon provides a program in which students will have the chance to improve their mathematical skills, from the basic one to the advanced level. It is available for students from all ages to join. Vietnam is a great potential market to invest in. Since Vietnam has the policies of searching for oversea investment, it has been an attractive market for many foreign companiesRead MoreHow The Kumon Math And Reading Centre Franchise Into Is Beneficial?1811 Words   |  8 PagesResearch Question: How bringing Kumon Math and Reading Centre franchise into is beneficial? Intro For this investigation I am going to research on bringing Kumon Math and Reading Center into Vietnam. Kumon Math, as its name, Kumon provides a program in which students will have the chance to improve their mathematical skills, from the basic one to the advanced level. It is available for students from all ages to join. Vietnam is a great potential market to invest in. Since Vietnam has the policies of

The Correlation Between Unemployment And Inflation

Both unemployment and inflation are two important components when it comes to studying an entire economy and it is also very easy to get those statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) which is a governmental statistical organization that gathers, processes, analyzes, and broadcasts important statistical figures to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor. The Bureau Labor of Statistics also assists as a statistical resource to the Department of Labor, which main drive is to support, nurture, and improve the wellbeing of the labor force (All individuals ages16 and up, who are working or seeking employment), and retirees of the United Sates. The connection between unemployment and inflation has been a debatable subject, which has been discussed by economists all around the world for many years. However, it is this debate that has created the thinking about it. (Now that all of this was explained in deta il, let’s get to the main point. First, explaining the consequences, reasons and how unemployment is measured, and later doing the same with inflation). It is important to get a better understanding of these two terms, inflation and unemployment. Inflation refers to an increase in the average level of prices of any good or service inside an economy. In other words, means that you have to pay more money to get the same quantity of services or goods as you attained before. However, there’sShow MoreRelatedCorrelation Between Unemployment And Inflation1782 Words   |  8 Pagesmodel to check the impact of inflation and unemployment reactions to changes in the labor force in Switzerland using data from 1965 to 2010. Their overall, findings established that there exist long term equilibrium relations between the rate of labor force change and inflation rate. 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Lower rates of each are sought after in order to create and maintain a more stable economy. Unemployment rate can be officially defined as a measure of the prevalence of unemployment and it is calculated as a percentage by dividing the number of unemployed individuals by all individuals currently in the labour force. The inflation rate is the percentage rate of change of a price index over timeRead MoreEconomic Growth Between Emerging And Developed Economics Essay1181 Words   |  5 Pagesgrowth. 1. Literature Review Inflation Inflation can influence economic performance throughout the monitory policy of the economy. The economic specialists argue, that inflation effect economic growth of nations by decreasing domestic and foreign saving, inefficiency and ineffectiveness of resource allocation and declining balance of payment. Fischer and Modigliani (1980) suggested that there is a nonlinear and negative relationship between the rate of inflation and economic growth. Similarly,Read MoreThe Relationship Between Inflation And Unemployment On Growth1553 Words   |  7 Pagesachievement of a high rapid and sustainable economic growth. The relationship between inflation and unemployment on growth remains a controversial one in both theory and empirical findings. Originating from the Latin American context in the 1950s, the issue has generated an enduring debate between structuralists and monetarists. The structuralists believe that inflation is essential for economic growth, whereas the monetarists see inflati on as detrimental to economic progress. There are two aspects to thisRead More The Phillips Curve Essay1316 Words   |  6 PagesThe Phillips Curve Economists agree that unemployment and inflation are two of the major macroeconomic problems of the twentieth century. If a relationship between the two existed then this would be a major break through for the macro management of the economy. Phillips work was empirical - started with evidence and worked towards a theory. The causation for the Phillips theory was that the level of unemployment caused the rate of change in money wages to be what it was. What economicRead MoreUnemployment in Peru: An economic concern1207 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Unemployment in Peru: an Economic Concern AIU Online Abstract The Peruvian unemployment rate has started to decline in the past few years. The lowered unemployment rate connects to Peru’s economy and means it is on the mend. There are several relationships between the lowered unemployment rate and the economy that will be described. The data on this occurrence has a trend that shows it will continue to decrease. This will mean the economy will continue to improve.Read MoreThe Relationship Between Inflation And Unemployment1662 Words   |  7 PagesThe relationship between inflation and unemployment is a topic, which has been debated by economists for decades. It is this debate that has made the opinions about it evolve. In this essay, the controversial topic will be discussed by viewing different economists’ opinions on that according to time sequencing. Inflation is an increase in price levels within an economy. Basically it means that you will have to pay more for the same goods. Unemployment is even more straightforward. It means thatRead MoreDifference Between Real Gdp And Nominal Gdp1395 Words   |  6 PagesThere exist some differences between real GDP and nominal GDP. Real GDP is the measure (macroeconomic measure) of economic output that has been adjusted for a change in price. The meaning for this adjustment is that inflation or deflation has been factored in the computation of real GDP. It is the aspect of adjustment for price changes that makes a transformation of the money value to become a nominal value (Tucker 230). Nominal GDP refers to the value of Gross Domestic Product that has not factoredRead MoreThe Factors Affecting Unemployment : A Study Of Us Economy Essay1679 Words   |  7 PagesEffecting Unemployment: A Study of US Economy in 1985-2014 Introduction In the past few years, the US unemployment rate dynamically fluctuated: more than five millions jobs were cut in November 2008 due to economic crisis, but recently, the unemployment rate dropped by 0.3 point after eight years. Figure 1 revealed how the US unemployment rate fluctuated over the last three decades. On the other hand, one of the major signs of an economy’s health and the testimony of economic growth, unemployment rate

Embracing and Pursuing Change free essay sample

www. thetimes100. co. uk Embracing and pursuing change Introduction With the changing expectations of customers, organisations constantly need to adapt to remain competitive. When faced with such pressures for change, managers may look for situations which are familiar to them. This may involve improving the ways in which they operate, but only little by little. This is called incremental change. The danger is that improving little by little might not be enough. They need to adapt to all of the bigger changes in the environment of that business as well. If they don’t, what happens is strategic drift. When an organisation experiences strategic drift, it does not make strong and radical decisions to deal adequately with all of the changes in its business environment. To avoid strategic drift, managers within organisations have to embrace change fully. This means building a responsive organisation. This case study focuses upon AEGON in the UK, part of the AEGON Group, one of the world’s largest life insurance and pensions companies. AEGON owns pensions, life insurance, asset management and adviser businesses in the UK. The case study illustrates the success that embracing and pursuing change has brought to AEGON in the UK. It is helping AEGON move towards its goal of becoming ‘the best long-term savings and protection business within the UK’. CURRICULUM TOPICS †¢ Business strategies †¢ Change management †¢ External business environment †¢ Business culture GLOSSARY Incremental change: improving the way in which an organisation meets the external forces within its business environment little by little. Strategic drift: situations in which an organisation’s strategy does less and less to face the changes within the business environment. Asset: something of worth to an organisation e. g. people, cash, financial claims on others, machinery, buildings. Goal: general statement of purpose that falls in line with an organisation’s broader mission. The AEGON Group has 27,000 employees and over 25 million customers worldwide. Its major markets are in the USA and Netherlands. Since 1994, the UK has become another major and increasingly important market. In 1994 AEGON bought a large stake in Scottish Equitable. Scottish Equitable was a strong brand with a heritage that went back to the 1830s. Since then AEGON’s UK business has grown both organically and by acquiring other businesses. As most of the acquired companies kept their existing identities, awareness of AEGON in the UK remained relatively low. AEGON realised that such low levels of awareness could impact on its ability to achieve its ambitions. Therefore, it needed to combine the global strength of its parent with the experience and reputation of the domestic company brands, like Scottish Equitable, that made up AEGON in the UK. Heritage: name and reputation associated with the past. Organically: increasing the business through current activites. External factors influencing change One of the main challenges for decision-makers is to understand the environment in which they are operating. They can then identify key issues which they need to respond to. Understanding these key issues improves decision-taking and reduces uncertainty. Few industries have experienced as many changes in their external environment in recent years as financial services. AEGON 21 www. thetimes100. co. uk GLOSSARY Mis-selling: selling inappropriate products to customers. Financial Services Authority: independent non-government authority that regulates the financial services industry within the UK. Stock Exchange: marketplace in which stocks are bought and sold. Investment return: the return on funds invested in the business. Mortgage endowments: mortgage loans for a property in which interest only is paid, with the capital paid off at the end of the period of loan. Consumers: purchasers and users of the products. Brand values: the behaviours, personality and all that a brand represents for its customers. Positioned: place in a market that an organisation occupies in relation to its competitors and within the minds of consumers of its products. Thinking ahead and saving for retirement is a concept that is sometimes difficult for people to understand. In the UK, life expectancy has risen in recent years so people can expect to be retired for longer. In many instances, individuals have not planned properly for retirement and there may be a shortfall in the amount of money available. There is also a drive by the government to reduce dependency on the State in old age. Added to this many companies have introduced new, less expensive pension schemes or insisted on employee pension contributions where they did not in the past. These factors mean people have to make decisions to invest properly at an earlier stage of their working lives. Investing in the future helps people to prepare in advance for old age. The benefits of such an investment are only realised years later. The life insurance and pensions industry, in which AEGON operates, has had a poor reputation in recent years. Some organisations have been accused of ‘mis-selling’ by not providing consumers with the best product for their needs. To prevent similar situations arising in the future, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has put significant amounts of regulation on the industry. Financial services products are often difficult to understand. People do not always feel equipped to choose between the range of financial products and services and are not sure where to seek support and advice. In addition, falling values on the Stock Exchange have affected the investment return on some products, such as mortgage endowments. For some people this means that the product they bought has not delivered the financial return they expected. All this has created uncertainty in the financial services industry. The industry has also been characterised by intense competition. AEGON is in competition with organisations which sell directly to consumers and which are better known in the UK. AEGON distributes its products and services to customers mainly through financial advisers. AEGON, as a reputable company, has had to address and overcome these industry-wide problems to remain competitive. Reasons for change AEGON had historically been successful but government-imposed price controls had reduced profitability. Compared to its competitors, AEGON was not well known by consumers. It had developed good products and services and had a good reputation with distributors, particularly in the area of pensions which were a key strength of Scottish Equitable. However, it was not as well recognised in areas other than pensions. Often these other areas, such as offshore investment products, were more profitable. If consumers are to invest in a product long term, they need to know more about the organisation they are dealing with. They need to recognise the brand and understand more about the brand values that it represents. As AEGON traded under a number of brand names it was not always easy for financial advisers and consumers to recognise the breadth and depth of the company in the UK. With a new Chief Executive (CEO) in place, AEGON underwent a discovery phase. The purpose of this was to find out what it had to do to meet the CEO’s goal. This goal was to build ‘the best long-term savings and protection business in the UK’. This time of discovery focused on three key questions: 1. What do we stand for in the UK? 2. What do we want to stand for in the UK? 3. What should we be doing about it? To answer these questions AEGON undertook a brand audit. This audit looked at two aspects: †¢ the company internally †¢ how the organisation was positioned externally. The purpose of the audit was to find out more information about the organisation. This helped AEGON to provide a more informed approach to the decisions that were needed to start the process of change. 22 www. thetimes100. co. uk GLOSSARY The audit showed that AEGON was solidly placed within the market. Its staff were known for their considerable expertise, innovation and clarity of communication. The external audit also helped to discover where AEGON was positioned in relation to its competitors. People who were aware of AEGON saw it as being a refreshing and different organisation. However, there was evidence that people were confused about the breadth of what AEGON did because it traded under a number of different company brands. Culture: the typical way of doing things in an organisation. Creating a new culture is a key part of the change process Culture refers to the personality and attitude of an organisation. It also includes the shared beliefs, values and behaviour of the employees. These determine the ways in which the organisation and its people make decisions and solve problems. The goal of AEGON’s CEO helped to provide a vision for change. Financial objectives were important as the path for future developments depended upon these. It was also important to create more clarity about who AEGON was. With limited awareness of AEGON in the UK, it was important to explain what it had to offer, how big the organisation was within the UK and how strong it was globally. At the heart of this strategy was the need to: a) simplify financial services and provide more customer focus. It was important that consumers understood more precisely what they were buying, as well as the benefits and services they received. b) develop the workforce. The objective was to develop the skills needed within the business to help it change. AEGON also created opportunities for progression from one job to another in a way that provided individuals with a coherent career path. c) create a more distinct presence within the marketplace. This involved refreshing the AEGON brand in a way that made it more distinctive from its competitors and more attractive to customers. In order to help embed this culture, AEGON developed a behaviour framework to support its brand values. This was designed to influence how people at all levels within the organisation could work and make decisions. These behaviours emphasise the values of the organisation. They have helped to build AEGON’s culture and have also influenced its performance. AEGON also introduced a Management Development Programme, supported by a leading Management College. The eight behaviours are: †¢ Think customer †¢ Embrace change †¢ Encourage excellence †¢ Act with integrity †¢ Decisive action †¢ Work together †¢ Learn and grow †¢ Relate and communicate. For example, ‘Think customer’ is about ‘ensuring that the customer’s needs are at the heart of our business, informing actions, decisions and behaviours’. For senior managers this means keeping the customer’s experience at the heart of what AEGON does. Other managers and professionals are encouraged to ‘innovate with your customers in mind’. All staff are encouraged to keep to commitments made to customers by doing what you say you will, when you say you will’. 23 AEGON Implementing the change www. thetimes100. co. uk Before the change consumers were confused about who AEGON was, what it did and how it fitted together. The audit had shown that global scale was important but so was local expertise. In the past, the AEGON brand had not been heavily promoted alongside Scottish Equitable or the other brands that it traded under. The brand strategy helped to reposition the brand within the industry. Now the association with AEGON is much stronger. For example, Scottish Equitable is now AEGON Scottish Equitable – reflecting both local knowledge and global power. All the brands now carry a new common look which is refreshing and different. This, along with the values and behaviours, is helping to make the brand ‘refreshingly different’. The changes affected the organisation both internally and externally. Within the organisation, they influenced not only how people behaved but also how they communicated. The organisation has become more focused on the customer. The emphasis is on making information clearer for the customer to understand and the company easier to do business with. To help embed the values and behaviours, AEGON established a new relationship with Shirley Robertson, the famous yachtswoman and the only British female athlete to have won gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games. By associating AEGON with an individual who embodies similar values, it was able to bring the values and behaviours to life for staff. However, AEGON had to develop the brand and its reputation. It did this is a number of ways: †¢ External promotional campaigns emphasised the relationship between Scottish Equitable and AEGON. This helped to reinforce the local knowledge and the global power of AEGON in the UK. †¢ The CEO talked to the media about the need for change. The refreshing of the brand internally and externally resulted in strong positive feedback. †¢ AEGON has launched new and innovative products. For example, the 5 for Life annuity has helped to change the way in which consumers can look at their retirement income. It provides more certainty about levels of income for the consumer, with AEGON providing the levels of return promised and being responsible for any risks associated with doing so. Today the AEGON brand has a position from which it is influencing the financial services industry. It has posted record results with significant growth in underlying earnings. It has also increased its new business across a mix of profitable products and services, reflecting its continued strength. GLOSSARY Strategy: long-term business plan of an organisation. Annuity: product sold by financial services company providing the holder with payments at specific intervals after retirement. Conclusion The Times Newspaper Limited and  ©MBA Publishing Ltd 2007. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information, neither the publisher nor the client can be held responsible for errors of omission or commission. Change is continuous. The process of change is a journey. External factors will always be there to influence business organisations. AEGON responded to these factors by simplifying, clarifying and strengthening its brand in the UK. As organisations change, their patterns of behaviour and business culture develop. For AEGON, this is a cycle in which the business uses its knowledge to learn from its experiences. This has helped AEGON as an organisation to move positively towards achieving its full potential and to remain competitive in an increasingly difficult market. Questions 1. Use an example to explain what is meant by strategic drift. 2. Describe in detail one external factor influencing change within AEGON. What sort of changes might have taken place because of that external factor? 3. Describe the purpose of the eight behaviours. 4. Evaluate the role of an audit within and outside an organisation. To what extent can a process of audit form the basis for a business strategy? www. aegon. co. uk 24