Of Mice And Men Report

Although Lennie from â€Å"of mice and Men† and Mrs. Jones from â€Å"Thank You Ma’am†are similar in a way the authors portray them as caring, there are diffrences in theses characters that help readers understand important themes in the two stories. Lennie and Mrs. Jones have little similarties, But yet have many diffrences There are some similarties between Mrs. Jones The main characters in the twon storys. Both characters are sympathetic towards others. Lennie from â€Å"of Mice and Men† showed many sympathetic action towards other charcters and animals. (pg. 58)An rabbits, lennie said eargily; and id take care of them tell how id do that George† this showed that lennie cared for rabbits. Mrs. Jones is Also very sympathetic for another. She show sympathy by helping out a young boy who was in need of food and money. Mrs. Jones bring a boy into her home and fixes him up a hot plate of food. The boy had once had tried stealing from her, so she sees if she can trust the boy by turning her back towards he purse while she was cooking, to see if the boy would runaway with her purse. â€Å"(Pg. 9) Theres nobody home at my house,† said the boy. â€Å"Then we’ll eat said the woman. † â€Å" I believe your hungry- or been hungry-to try to snatch my pocket book. † Mrs. Jones notices that the boy most likely had no one around to buy food or buy him clothes so she shows sympenthy by helping him out. Later on we find out that the boy was stealing to buy some knew blue suaed shoes. Mrs. Jones gives hime ten dallors,and trreaches him a very important life lesson. She shows him that you don’t need to steal to get what you want you ask or either work to get what you want in life. Despite Lennie and Mrs. Jones similarties they have very important diffrences. â€Å"Pg. 90) the woman did watch her purse to see if the boy would runaway, nor did she watch her purse when she left it behind her bed. † This action shows that Mrs. Jones is intellegant Because she left one of her great valuables behind her to test the boy if he would runoff with her purse. In contrast, lennie also had diffrences from Mrs. Jones. A matter of fact Lennie would have some else speak for him for he was mentaly slow. He was of say the wron thing and getting him self into trouble. â€Å"(Pg. 62)What the hell you laughing at? Curly † â€Å"Lennie looked blankly at him, ‘huh? ’† Lennie got him self into trouble and curly began to swing on Lennie and lennie cried for George/ George yelled for lennie to fight back to protect himself and lennie did. This action showed that Lennie wasn’t very intellegant to keep his mouth shut and be quite to himself. Also it shows how slow he is by having Gorege telling him What to do.

The Impact of Aerial Forces in the First World War

The Italo-Turkish war, which lasted from 1911-12 and was predominantly fought in Libya, was the first recorded event of a bomb dropped from an aeroplane onto the enemy. The 1912-13 Balkans also witnessed elementary aerial bombing executed against the opponent from aeroplanes and airships. However, World War One was the first major conflict to implement forces on a large scale that would literally elevate the battlefield. The aeroplanes and zeppelins of the Great War opened the door to an entirely new way to wage battle, which has unquestionably altered the nature of war forever. Nevertheless, despite being the war that ornamented the importance of military aviation, it is unclear whether or not this monumental achievement in military technology actually affected the course of WWI. Did the vividly coloured bi-planes and cumbersome airships flying over the muddy, blood-soaked trenches actually alter the course of the war, or were they just prototypes seen to have a great deal of potential? The key objective of this essay is to examine the impact that aerial forces had on the war; to determine if and how they shaped the outcome. Therefore, it is not the purpose of this essay to prove the monumental significance of military aviation in the First World War, but rather to investigate the importance of the role that it played. For the purposes of precision and brevity, we will focus mainly on the British –and to an extent, German- involvement in aviation during the First World War. Although other nations that were involved, such as France, USA and Austria-Hungary, contributed significant achievements to the field of military aviation in WWI, analyzing the impacts made by the air forces of these countries would make an essay –meant to be concise- far too complex. However, it is difficult to understand the impact of Britain’s Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) on the war without comparing them to the opponent. Therefore, we will also occasionally examine the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkrafte) and its role in the skies above Europe during the Great War. We will first ascertain an understanding of the magnitude of aerial contributions to the war by comparing the number of those enlisted in the aerial services to those enlisted in the other military branches. We will then examine the various duties of the air services in the war and analyze the impact that these roles had on the war. Finally, we will discuss the psychological attitudes held towards the aircraft and pilots during the war, and whether or not these shaped the course of WWI in any way. By looking at these various components of military aviation during this period, we will be able to determine the impact it made on its debut large-scale conflict. For the purpose of clarity, it is important to define a few terms that will be used frequently throughout the course of this essay. For example, when attempting to determine the impact that military aviation made on WWI, we are trying to determine how large a role it played throughout the war and whether or not the war was drastically altered due to the inclusion of air services on a large scale. Moreover, an obvious –but also crucial- clarification to make is that aircraft and aviation are not terms strictly limited to areoplanes, but to all vessels capable of flight. Consequently, zeppelins and balloons are also encapsulated by the term aircraft in this essay. Keeping in mind these clarities will certainly enhance the focus when reading this report. Throughout the course of the war, British planes were operated either by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) or the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). In 1918, the two services amalgamated to form the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the war-time statistics of both services were also conjoined. Throughout the course of the war, roughly 30,000 officers and 300,000 enlisted men served in either the RFC or RNAS. This figure of men who served in the aerial branches of the British military made up only 6% of the 5,397,000 British soldiers mobilized in the Great War. Of the men who served in the RFC and RNAS, 6,166 were killed; 7,245 were wounded; 3,128 became missing or POWs; and 84 were interned. Therefore, the total number of casualties sustained by the RFC and RNAS was 16,623, which was only 5% of the total number who served in air services. Of the 2,367,000 British military casualties in the war, less than 1% of that figure was comprised of RFC or RNAS casualties. Similarly, of the 5,952,000 German war casualties, only 16,000 of those were members of the Luftstreitkrafte. We can gather from this statistical analysis that the British and German (similar trends for the air forces of other nations) air forces did not have a great quantitative presence in the war in comparison to the other military branches of WWI. Furthermore, because WWI was a war in which success and victory relied heavily upon the number of troops deployed, the combat contributions made by aerial forces cannot measure up to the combat contributions made by the armies and navies of WWI. Military aviation was still in its prototypical stage, which prevented it from making a serious impact on the actual fighting of the war. However, as we will discuss later on, aviation played a crucial role in observation and reconnaissance, which was a hugely significant strategic impact. The impact that aviation had on the bombing campaigns of the Great War was rather miniscule. For example, C. G. Grey, an aviation historian, wrote: â€Å"During 1914-18 the damage done in England by [aerial] bombing was practically negligible. A few houses were damaged in a few English towns. About 1,500 people altogether were killed. No armament factory of any importance was destroyed. † Germany –considering her geographic location was closer to the war epicenter- was slightly more prone to bombings than Great Britain was but it was still a minute threat when factored into the whole grand scheme of war-induced devastation. Nevertheless, aerial forces did play an ample role as support units during land and sea battles. For example, during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the RFC played a substantial part in providing support for the British and French troops on the ground. The Luftstreitkrafte was also present at the battle, but the British, with the assistance of the French Armee de l'Air (Army of the air), had the strength in numbers. Tactics would comprise of bombing and gunning the enemy trenches as a means of cover for advancing infantry and patrolling the skies for enemy aircraft. However, reconnaissance and observation was undoubtedly the most useful role conducted by the aerial forces of WWI and probably the way in which it made the greatest strategic impact. Artillery was arguably the deadliest risk to the soldiers on the battlefield, as one shell explosion could jeopardize a multiplicity of soldiers. Airships, balloons and aeroplanes all assumed the task of scouting out artillery positions and relaying the information to the ground forces. Moreover, aerial photography was becoming more popular with the military, which allowed suspected locations of enemy activity to be confirmed with photographic evidence. In this sense, aviation affected the Great War to a considerable extent, as it allowed both sides to see the enemy prior to combat engagement. Furthermore, at the battle of Jutland in 1916, the largest naval battle of the war, aeroplanes were used by the British to observe the activities of the German fleet. The HMS Engadine was able hold up to four seaplanes -in a hanger on her deck- that could be lowered into the water to take off. Short Type 184 seaplanes took off from beside the Engadine in the first recorded instance of aerial reconnaissance of an active enemy fleet. Although these Short Type 184s were capable of carrying torpedoes and bombs, they were only used for reconnaissance during the battle of Jutland. The HMS Engadine and other ships of her class were the initial models for the modern day aircraft carriers, the flag ships of contemporary navies for their ability to dispatch aerial units. Although the HMS Engadine and her four Short Type 184 seaplanes did not seriously affect the course of the battle (Britain maintained naval supremacy in the North Sea but suffered greater losses than Germany), it did demonstrate the potential of naval aviation to determine the movements and position of an enemy fleet before it comes into contact with the home fleet. Two years before Jutland, Winston Churchill, when he was Lord of the Admiralty, described the importance of using seaplanes in the military: â€Å"Seaplanes, which when they carry torpedoes, may prove capable of playing a decisive part in operations against capital ships. The facilities of reconnaissance at sea, where hostile vessels can be sighted at enormous distances while the seaplane remains out of possible range, offer a far wider prospect even in the domain of information to seaplanes than to land aeroplanes, which would be continually brought under rifle and artillery fire from concealed positions on the ground, among trees, behind hedges, etc. This clearly shows the potential that seaplanes were believed to posses, and despite the rather limited role they played in fighting the war, they certainly captured the attention of some notable figures in the hierarchy of the British military, like Churchill. We can conclude that the strategic value of aviation in the First World War was not as precious as the other components of the military (infantry, artillery, navy, etc), simply because aviation was still in its elementary phases and was not yet implemented on as large a scale as the other components. However, the psychological impact aviation had on the war was undoubtedly staggering. The idea of man flying through the air in a winged contraption was essentially unimaginable twenty years prior to the war, but the aeroplane, which only took off for the first time in 1903, was now being implemented against the enemy in armed conflict. The pilots who flew these aeroplanes were encapsulated by the imagery of pioneers exploring the vast unknown, and those who excelled in the cock pit, the flying â€Å"aces†, became national heroes. For example, Manfred von Richtofen, popularly known as ‘The Red Baron’, became such an icon for the German people in WWI for his number of â€Å"kills† (Richtofen shot down 80 enemy planes) that the Luftstreitkrafte was hesitant to continue sending him on missions. This was because it was feared his death would affect the morale of the entire nation, which could potentially alter the course of the war. This fear was partially due to the fact that the German government propagandized the image of Richtofen to build up morale in the first place. It seemed obvious to choose a man who excelled in flying, the exciting new novelty, to be a national hero. His face could be seen on postcards throughout Germany and his tales of impressive bravery were embellished by the government to create a hero that the German people could love and support throughout the war. In Britain, the government took precaution to avoid the risk of losing national morale, which meant the government would not publish the names of the ‘Aces’ until they either died or exited the service (the government did, however, embellish stories of the British ‘Aces’ a few years after the war to create a sense of national pride). The aviation historian J. M. Spaight wrote: â€Å"Her pilots were magnificent, though it was not the practice in the British service, as it was in all other services, to publish regularly the names of the ‘Aces,’ i. . of those pilots who had brought down five enemy machines or more. † Britain (including the Commonwealth countries) was the country with the most ‘Aces’, although only a few had their identities published during the war, because it was a concern that these pilots would become idealized as national war heroes, lifting morale with every enemy kill and diminishing it their own fatalitie s. This precaution certainly makes clear the impact that aviation had on the wartime morale. A brave pilot who would shoot down the opponent in a thrilling dogfight in the clouds certainly caught the attention of the masses, and because of this, it shaped a significant mentality of WWI. The zeppelins of WWI also contributed to the psychological impact. Even though the balloon had been used since the days of the Franco-Prussian War, WWI was the first war that witnessed the military zeppelins capable of traveling long distances (German zeppelins were able to travel impressive distances across the English Channel to conduct bombing raids on Britain) to inflict damage on the enemy. The zeppelins, which were predominantly used by the Luftstreitkrafte, also conducted important observation and decoy missions. The way the zeppelins created a psychological impact, however, had to do with their bombing abilities, as they were able to transcend the battlefield and bomb areas not directly affected by combat. Even though the damage caused by zeppelin raids in Britain was minimal, as we discussed earlier, it did eliminate the feelings of safety and isolation that were once a great reassurance to the British population when their country was at war. C. G. Grey wrote: â€Å"The psychological moment of the populace of any country is likely to be much more affected by air [zeppelin] bombing than by any artillery bombardment. † The British government capitalized upon this by publishing posters saying: â€Å"It is far better to face the bullets than to be killed at home by a bomb: join the army at once and help to stop and air raid. †The fact that the British government was able to capitalize on the fear of aerial raids certainly suggests a deep impact caused by the potential of these zeppelins. Therefore, it would be acting outside the realms of validity to say that the zeppelins in WWI delivered no impact. However, Winston Churchill believed the zeppelins to be a minimal threat once the aeroplane started to achieve greater potential: â€Å"I believed that this enormous blabber of combustible and explosive gas would prove to be easily destructible. I was sure the fighting aeroplane, rising lightly laden from its own base, armed with incendiary bullets, would harry, rout and burn these gaseous monsters. This theory – the aeroplane being able to easily destroy the zeppelin- which Churchill called the ‘Hornet Theory’, proved to be true throughout the war. Therefore, even though the zeppelins did impact the psychological moment of the British populace to an extent through the use of bombing campaigns, aeroplanes were the predominant victors in the skies over WWI. It goes without saying that there was not one universal opinion on military aviation within the highest ranks of the British military and government. It is important to consider the attitudes of powerful figures in the government and military, as they wer e the ones who could control the degree of impact aviation had on the war. There were some stout advocates who stressed the importance of deploying aircraft into military affairs, like Winston Churchill, who was mentioned earlier, and Hugh Trenchard, the â€Å"father† of the RAF. Churchill considered aviation (aeroplanes and airships) to be the most efficient approach in conducting reconnaissance missions. However, there were feelings of the contrary held by Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, who a starch opponent of the implementation of areoplanes into the army for reconnaissance purposes (arguably the most important function of the aeroplane at that time) and was caught saying in 1914: â€Å"I hope none of you gentlemen is so foolish as to think that aeroplanes will be able to be usefully employed for reconnaissance purposes in war. There is only one way for a commander to get information by reconnaissance, and that is by the use of cavalry. Haig commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 until the end of the war, leading the British armies in some of the greatest battles of the war. It is a valid conclusion to say that British military aviation would have taken off to a greater extent had the commander of British forces in Europe been a greater advocate for flight. However, despite being an old-fashioned soldier who preferred the use of infantry and mobilized ground units, Haig saw that the nature of war was changing. It was no longer practical to send cavalry units across the field charging the enemy now that artillery and rifles were more advanced and powerful. Furthermore, Haig knew that a hussar could not stand up to the newly implemented battle tanks rolling across the fields. Therefore, the use of aviation may not have been preferable to Haig’s military taste, but it was not dismissed by him, as the changing nature of war meant it had to be recognized. Hugh Trenchard, who would become the first Marshall of the RAF in 1918, said to the Haig in 1916: â€Å"As far as at present can be foreseen, there is absolutely no limit to the scale of its future independent war use. And the day may not be far off when aerial operations with their devastation of enemy lands and destruction of industrial and populous centres on a vast scale may become the principal operations of war, to which the older forms of military and naval operations may be secondary and subordinate. † Trenchard, among other politicians and high-ranking officials in the RFC and RNAS (Frederick Sykes being another igure who emphasized the importance of military aviation) , may have convinced Haig that aviation was a serious thing, but there is no record of Haig ever embracing military aviation as a monumental achievement in military technology. To specify, it is not being stated that Haig was not in awe of the technical capabilities of aviation, but he did not consider it the most valuable tool on the battlefield. By analyzing the various components of WWI aviation, we can agree that our findings were rather varied. For example, by comparing the quantitative presence –as well as casualty figures- of air force servicemen to the enlisted men of the other branches of the military, we reached the conclusion that there were far less men and resources invested into the aerial theatre of the war than the amount invested in the other theatres of the war. Furthermore, we examined the extent of damage caused by aerial bombing raids during the First World War, and concluded that the impact was not nearly as intense as the other factors of war-induced devastation. However, we did explore the ways in which aviation benefitted the process of observation and reconnaissance. In this sense, aviation in WWI displayed a hugely significant strategic value that undoubtedly helped save the lives of soldiers on the ground. Moreover, the aeroplanes used in the naval campaigns of the war demonstrated the potential value of observing an enemy fleet before an actual engagement. Therefore, the strategic impact aviation made on the war was mainly due to reconnaissance. Although the bombing and support roles of aircraft did make a humble impact on the war, getting ‘a bird’s eye view’ of enemy activities proved more valuable than imprecisely dropping a bomb on an enemy target. However, the realization of its potential and the psychological attitudes associated with it are arguably the greatest impacts that military aviation had on WWI. The pilot ‘Aces’ became national heroes that their countries could idolize as symbols for great military achievement in the war. With their successes came high morale, and with their deaths came iconic losses. Moreover, aviation introduced the idea of the battle transcending the battlefield to the factories and farms at home that aided the war effort. Consequently, psychological attitudes of those on the home front were seriously affected. When we determine the impact that aviation had on the First World War we must ask one question: would the war have had a different outcome had aerial forces been exempt from the equation? The answer is probably not. Nevertheless, it did open the doors to an entirely new way to conduct warfare, which has changed the nature of war forever.

Social Engineering

Identity Theft: Social Engineering December 5, 2011 Daniel Sama & Stacey Smith Sr Computer Ethics CIS-324, Fall 2011 Strayer University Identity Theft: Social Engineering December 5, 2011 Daniel Sama & Stacey Smith Sr Computer Ethics CIS-324, Fall 2011 Strayer University Abstract Social Engineering from the outset may seem like a topic one might hear when talking about sociology or psychology, when in fact it is a form of identity theft. To an information technology (IT) professional, Social Engineering is a form of voluntary, unintentional identity theft. Many victims fail to realize they are being victimized until it is too late, while many others may never know. This paper will provide a definition of social engineering as it applies to information technology while introducing some the pioneers of social engineering; those who have, essentially, written the book on social engineering. We will provide real world examples of how social engineers apply their trade and provide important points to consider with regards to social engineering attacks. In conclusion we will propose counter-measures, which individuals and organizations should take in order to guard against social engineering. Social Engineering as defined by IT professionals is the practice of deceiving someone, either in person, over the phone or using a computer, with the express intent of breaching some level of security, either personal or professional (Ledford, 2011. ) Implementing quality risk analysis solutions while maintaining data integrity is a crucial element of successful system modeling; within the context of social engineering in the workplace, there are several factors that can make implementing those solutions rather challenging. Social engineering is a type of intrusion, which relies heavily on human interaction and usually involves the tricking of other people to break normal, everyday security policies. Social engineers (SE) often prey on the natural helpfulness of other people. When analyzing and attempting to conduct a particular attack, a SE will commonly appeal to vanity or authority as well as simple eavesdropping to acquire the desired information. Social engineering, in a nutshell is a hacker’s clever manipulation of the natural human tendency to trust. This will provide the unauthorized access to the valued information, system or machine. Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake† (Bonaparte, n. d. ) This is a mantra for all successful SE’s, as they take any and all information about and from a target for later use against said target. The SE will gather as much information as possible about their target in advance, most of which is readily available online, usually , with just a few keystrokes; anything from hobbies to their favorite lunchtime meal. This information helps build a connection and instills trust with the target. With this trust, seemingly innocuous information will come flooding out of the target. Akin to fictional spies like James Bond and Michael Weston, SE’s assume a persona that is not their own and attempt to establish with their target a reasonable justification to fulfill a request. The aforementioned tactics allow the SE to maintain the facade and leave an out to avoid burning his or her information source. Bottom line; a good SE is a good actor. â€Å"All of the firewalls and encryption in the world will never stop a gifted social engineer from rifling a corporate database or an irate employee from crashing the system,† says pioneer Kevin Mitnick, the world’s most celebrated hacker who popularized the term. Mitnick firmly states in his two books The Art of Deception and The Art of Intrusion that it’s much easier to trick someone into giving a password for a system than spending the time using a brute force hack or other more traditional means to compromise the integrity of sensitive data. Mitnick who was a world famous controversial computer hacker in the late 1980’s was sentenced to 46 months in prison for hacking into the Pacific Bell telephone systems while evading the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The notorious hacker also allegedly wiretapped the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), compromised the FBI and Pentagon’s systems. This led Mitnick to spend the majority of his time incarcerated in solitary confinement due to the government’s fear of him attempting to gain control of more sensitive information. Mitnick states in both of his aforementioned books that he compromised computers solely by using passwords and codes acquired as a result of social engineering. As a result, Mitnick was restricted from using any forms of technology upon his release from prison until approximately 5 years ago. Kevin Mitnick is now the CEO of Mitnick Security Consulting, a computer security consultancy. Social engineering awareness is a being addressed at the enterprise level as a vital corporate security initiative. Security experts advise that a properly trained staff, not technology is the best asset against social engineering attacks on sensitive information. The importance placed upon security policies is imperative when attempting to combat this type of attack. Combat strategies require action on both physical and psychological levels. This form appeals to hackers because the Internet is so widely used and it evades all intrusion detection systems. Social engineering is also a desirable method for hackers because of the low risk and low cost involved. There are no compatibility issues with social engineering; it works on every operating system. There’s no audit trail and if executed properly its effects can be completely devastating to the target. These attacks are real and staggering to any company, which is why strong corporate policies should be measured by access control and implementing specific procedures. One of the advantages of having such policies in place is that it negates the responsibility of an employee having to make a judgment call or using discretion regarding a social engineer’s request. Companies and their subsequent staffs have become much too relaxed as it pertains to corporate security initiative. These attacks can potentially be costly and unnerving to management as well as the IT department. Social engineering attacks commonly take place on two different levels: physical and psychological. Physical settings for these attacks can be anything from your office, your trash, over the telephone and even online. A rudimentary, common form of a social engineering attack is social engineering by telephone. Clever social engineers will attempt to target the company’s help desk while fooling the help desk representative into believing they are calling from inside the company. Help desks are specifically the most vulnerable to social engineering attacks since these employees are trained to be accommodating, be friendly and give out information. Help desk employees are minimally educated and get paid a below average salary so it is common for these individuals to answer one question and move right along to the next. This can potentially create an alarming security hole when the proper security initiative is not properly set into place. A classic example of this would be a SE calling the company operator and saying something like â€Å"Hi, I’m your AT&T rep; I’m stuck on a pole. I need you to punch a few buttons for me. † This type of attack is directed at the company’s help desk environment and nearly always successful. Other forms attack target those in charge of making multi-million dollar decisions for corporations, namely the CEO’s and CFO’s. A clever SE can get either one of these individuals to willingly offer information pertinent to hacking into a corporation’s network infrastructure. Though cases such as these are rarely documented, they still occur. Corporations spend millions of dollars to test for these kinds of attacks. Individuals who perform this specialized testing are referred to as Social Engineering Auditors. One of the premier SE Auditors in the industry today is Chris Hadnagy. Hadnagy states that on any given assignment, all he has to do is perform a bit of research on the key players in the company before he is ready to strike. In most cases he will play a sympathy card, pretending to be a member of a charity the CEO or CFO may belong to and make regular donations to. In one case, he called a CEO of a corporation pretending to be a fundraiser for a charity the CEO contributed to in the past. He stated they were having a raffle drawing and named off prizes such as major league game tickets and gift cards to a few restaurants, one of which happened to be a favorite of the CEO. When he was finished explaining all the prizes available he asked if it would be alright to email a flier outlining all the prizes up for grabs in a PDF. The CEO agreed and willingly gave Hadnagy his corporate email address. Hadnagy further asked for the version of Adobe Reader the company used under the guise he wanted to make sure he was sending a PDF the CEO could read. The CEO willingly gave this information up. With this information he was able to send a PDF with malicious code embedded that gave him unfettered access to the CEO’s machine and in essence the company’s servers (Goodchild, 2011). Not all SE attacks occur completely over the phone. Another case that Hadnagy reports on occurred at a theme park. The back story on this case is he was hired by a major theme park concerned about software security as their guest check-in computers were linked with corporate servers, and if the check-in computers were compromised a serious data breach may occur (Goodchild, 2011). Hadnagy started this attack by first calling the park posing as a software salesman, peddling newer PDF-reading software which he was offering free on a trial basis. From this phone call he was able to obtain the version of PDF-reader the park utilized and put the rest of his plan in action. He next headed to the park with his family, walking up to one of the employees at guest services asking if he could use one of their terminals to access his email. He was allowed to access his email to print off a coupon for admission to the park that day. What this email also allowed was to embed malicious code on to the servers and once again gained unfettered access to the parks servers. Hadnagy proposes six points to ponder in regards to social engineering attacks: * No information, regardless of it personal or emotional nature, is off limits for a SE seeking to do harm. It is often the person who thinks he is most secure who poses the biggest vulnerability to an organization. Executives are the easiest SE marks. * An organizations security policy is only as good as its enforcement. * SE’s will often play to the employees good nature and desire to be helpful * Social Engineering should be a part of an organizations defense strategy. * SE’s will often go for the low- hanging fruit. Everyone is a target if security is low. The first countermeasure of social engineering prevention begins with security policies. Employee training is essential in combating even the most cunning and sly social engineers. Just like social engineering itself, training on a psychological and physical basis is required to alleviate these attacks. Training must begin at the top with management. All management must understand that social engineering attacks stem from both a psychological and physical angle therefore they must implement adequate policies that can mitigate the damage from an attacker while having a robust, enforceable penalty process for those that violate those policies. Access control is a good place to start when applying these policies. A competent system administrator and his IT department should work cooperatively with management in hashing out policies that control and limit user’s permission to sensitive data. This will negate the responsibility on the part of an average employee from having to exercise personal judgment and discretion when a potential attack may occur. When suspicious calls for information occur within the company, the employee should keep three questions in mind: 1. Does the person asking deserve this information? 2. Why is she/he asking for it? 3. What are the possible repercussions of giving up the requested information? If there is a strong policy in place with enforceable penalties in place, these questions will help to reduce the potential for a SE attack (Scher, 2011). Another countermeasure against a social engineering attack is to limit the amount of information easily available online. With Facebook, Twitter, Four-Square and the like, there is an overabundance of information readily available at any given moment online. By just drastically limiting the amount of information available online it makes the SE’s task of information gathering that much more difficult. Throughout all of the tactics and strategies utilized when cultivating social engineering expertise, it’s extremely difficult to combat human error. So when implementing employee access control and information security, it is important to remember that everyone is human. This type of awareness can also be costly so it’s important to adopt a practical approach to fighting social engineering. Balancing company morale and pleasant work environment is a common difficulty when dealing with social engineering prevention and awareness. It is vital to keep in perspective that the threat of social engineering is very real and everyone is a potential target. References Bonaparte, N. (n. d. ). BrainyQuote. com. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from BrainyQuote. com Web site: http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/authors/n/napoleon_bonaparte_3. html Goodchild, J. (2011). Social Engineering: 3 Examples of Human Hacking. Retrieved November 28, 2011 Retrieved from www. csoonline. om Web site: http://www. csoonline. com/article/663329/social-engineering-3-examples-of -human-hacking Fadia, A. and Manu, Z. (2008). Networking Intrusion Alert: An Ethical Hacking Guide to Intrusion Detection. Boston, Massachusetts. Thompson Course Technology. 2008. Ledford, J. (2011). Identity Theft 101, Social Engineering. Retrieved from About. com on December 1, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www. idtheft. about. com/od/glossary/g/Social_Enginneering. htm Long, J. and Mitnick, K. (2008. ) No Tech Hacking: A Guide to Social Engineering, Dumpster Diving and Shoulder Surfing. Burlington, Massachusetts. Syngress Publishing Inc. 2008. Mann, I. Hacking the Human. Burlington, Vermont: Gower Publishing, 2008. Mitnick, K. and Simon, W. The Art of Deception. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc. 2002. Mitnick, K. and Simon, W. (2006. ) The Art of Intrusion. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc. 2006. Scher, R. (2011). Is This the Most Dangerous Man in America? Security Specialist Breaches Networks for Fun & Profit. Retrieved from ComputerPowerUser. com on November 29, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www. social-engineer. org/resources/CPU-MostDangerousMan. pdf

Retailing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Retailing - Assignment Example Dynamic economic conditions have compelled the leading retailers to re-evaluate the strategies related to the marketing channels. The varied altering trends in grocery retailing have created various opportunities for the suppliers and the manufacturers. With reference to the competitive market scenario, the retailers have enforced certain strategies and advanced plans as regards to the consumers’ behaviour (Memedovic, 2010). Company Information Tesco is considered to be the one of the biggest retailers in the global perspective. In the year 1997, it had established itself as the one of the prominent and trusted names in the field of grocery retail. Tesco represents the largest online grocery business; it targets its customers on the basis of purchase behaviour. The opportunities provided by Tesco within the websites facilitate to meet the requirement of its target consumers comprising the younger audience as well as the wealthy family audience (Datamonitor, 2004). J Sainsbury plc represents the parent as well as the host company of Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd. It represents the third largest supermarket chain within the United Kingdom. It has implemented and executed certain strategies along with plans that ensure the sustainability within the competitive market scenario. Sainsbury’s vision is to be a trusted retailer (Irish Food Board, 2011). In accordance with the retailing business, the objective of the study is to compare and contrast between Tesco and Sainsbury with respect to their performance in various areas. The respective areas include store format, store design, advertising and promotions, customer segmentation and multi-channel platform. In this study, Mehrabian and Russell's approach-avoidance model will be applied. This model represents the effects of the store environment upon the consumer behaviour. In accordance with Mehrabian and Russell's approach-avoidance model, it has been further revealed that it lays emphasis upon n onverbal responses related to environmental factors that act as a major determinant of change in behaviour. Comparison and Contrast of Tesco and Sainsbury’s Performance Store Format The store format of an organisation has profound impact on the purchasing decisions. In several instances, store atmosphere, interior design and overall store environment determine the reaction of customers with respect to product purchase and consumption. The store environment comprises certain indications, messages and propositions to the customers. It can enhance the positive feeling and direct the anticipated consumer behaviour such as high inclination to purchase or longer time to stay in retail store (Gilboa & Rafaeli, 2002). Store atmosphere is a vital component of image of an organisation. For several retailers, aspects such as store layout, colour, lighting and music among others help to influence the buying behaviour of customers. They determine the selection of customers about the store to patronise. However, since the

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Statement - Essay Example This becomes one of the major reasons why I want to gain business experience and apply in this university. My passion to gain knowledge about this field and about German language specially has nurtured this eagerness within me to take admission in BA (Hons.) International Business and German language course. This supporting statement describes my eagerness for this course. I have always been a very good student getting positions and certificates. My teachers and professors at all times considered me a student worthy of reward. I have attended numerous training courses and seminars which shows my passion for pursuing further knowledge regarding my field. I feel that I have enough knowledge and passion to show that I have a craze about going ahead in the business industry and contribute to the financial market. I keep myself updated with market requirement. I keep on reading related journals, books and magazines and attend related seminars being held in my vicinity. I feel that I posse ss those special skills needed to fulfill the requirements for this course. I have always come up fresh, innovative and unique ideas. I have learnt basic computer knowledge and softwares so as to equip myself with the latest technology that may help me in excelling in this course.

Financial Intermediaries and The Euro Markets Essay

Financial Intermediaries and The Euro Markets - Essay Example According to the research findings the financial environment therefore directly or indirectly influence the financial system of any country. Thus the need for financial intermediaries to act as the middlemen in this transactions is important. Therefore for investors to get profit and the lenders to be able to give away money to borrowers the need for financial markets are vital. Financial intermediaries can be defined as an institution that acts as the middlemen between the investors and the firms. These financial institutions include chartered banks, insurance companies, investment dealers, mutual funds, and pension funds. Liquidity has been the basis of these kind of transactions between the parties either the borrowers or the investors. It can be defined as the ease with which a given asset can be changed into cash or by getting access to credit. Thus the main concept of liquidity is to obtain cash. Liquidity is often determined by two factors that measure how easy it is to change it into cash or make it possible for borrowers to obtain the cash. The policy interest rates and the structure of the interest rates paid by the borrowers are often the indicators of liquidity. These rates often influence one either to be motivated to borrow or leave the money with the banks. Most of the world banks are involved in market liquidity which is the rate at which a borrower is able to quickly buy or sell the financial assets at a given time without changing the market price. (Francis 2008). In the new world there are financial institutions that stand in between parties in any kind of transaction that involve cash. Thus Financial Intermediaries are firms that buy or borrow from consumers or savers and later lend these services or would be cash to other companies or persons that might need resources for investment. Therefore there are different kinds of investments. The insurance policies, buying of stocks, bonds, government treasuries, and mutual funds. All these investm ents either involve the public investor or the government and the company. Investments that involve a company or the government selling to the public are easily convertible to cash since the purpose of the public is to get cash for their daily living. Moreover, the investments by the government are more liquid than those in the company (Levine 1993). Mutual funds can easily be changed to cash than all the others while the others. Insurance policies since they are the contract or an agreement between the insurer and the insured are difficult to change into cash since one can only pay the amount after a certain incident happens that is often unkown when it will occur. The the government treasuries and mutual funds are just agreements that do not involve cash and thus take time to be converted to cash and the remaining are easily converted in this order: Stocks, and bonds. Therefore in the order of their liquidity they would be: mutual funds as the most liquid asset, then the governmen t treasuries, bonds, stock, and then the insurance pilies as the least liquid asset. Conclusion Financial intermediaries therefore play a vital role in the national economy of any country. In most economies people with more money save them in banks that makes it possible for those with little money to borrow so that they would be able to use them either to run a business or other functions depending on their need. Thus a financial institution such as banks facilitate the flow of funds from savers to borrowers. The financial institutions profit from the spread between the amount they pay for funds and the

Operational Management Issues for Services - The dimensions of Essay

Operational Management Issues for Services - The dimensions of operations management - Essay Example Tactical issues or factors entail methods of project management, structure and layout of plant, selection as well as replacement of equipment. The issues in operations include management of inventory, inspection and quality control, policies of equipment management (MIT Sloan School of Management, 2013). Operations management issues for services comprise various aspects that entail development of new services, managing experience in services, analysing the process along with yield management among others (Johnston & Clark, 2005). Service is the hub of economy in every society. Services, infrastructure and communication play a significant role in every sector of economy. Services in government play a stabilising role in the environment in terms of growth in economy and investments (Fitzsimmons & Fitzsimmons, 2004). The dimensions of operational management comprise four types that include finance, internal process, customers and learning and innovation. In the aspect of financial dimen sion, it can be stated that most of the business organisations look for profit by attaining the objectives in the financial aspects in the short-term, resulting in maintaining profits along with enhancing the productivity of the organisation. Customers are a key aspect to an organisation. The objective of on organisation is to maximise the sales by providing quality products to customers and generating greater revenues for the organisation. Adequate optimisation of internal processes results in satisfaction of the customers along with enhancing profits for the organisation. It can be stated that process of innovation facilitates to develop the process of manufacturing, which in turn results in earning greater profits by satisfying the demands of the customers with quality products (Mack, 2013). Automobile industry in terms of service operations management generates various kinds of issues that include ensuring timely and efficient support to operations, product stocking and security . Operational service offers services related to security management along with receiving deliveries of vehicles as well as ensuring reliability and high quality of support from back office. Ensuring effective management of inventory, controlling and managing every aspect of inventory of stock, maintenance and timely delivery of service along with quality assurance of products can also be considered as significant aspects in service operations management (GulfTalent.com, 2012). Service operations management is the concept that is used by the management in service operations which covers various activities, liabilities and decisions. These operations are executed in a variety of services in the business environment (Johnston & Clark, 2008). With these considerations, the essay intends to discuss the dimensions of operations management. Moreover, the various critical challenges in terms of operations management faced by a Head of Operations of automobile industry will be taken into co ncern in

Unit 1 Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 1 Critical Thinking - Essay Example According to Rawson (2007), death is not the end of all issues and troubles. He explains that if a man had died with a headache or anger, this will continue on even after death until he is able to recognise and learn the truth about the issue (Rawson F. L., 2007). Being unsatisfied with everything that we have is one of the major traits of almost every human being. It is only when everything is taken away from us that we realise and are grateful for what God has given us. Personally we display traits where no matter what we have in life we regret not having other things. This makes us not value life and all the blessing around us instead we crave to gain more and more setting the important things in life aside. This is very similar to a mouse, where the mouse moves around everywhere with aim of getting more food, without realising the dangers involved in its life. If a mouse were to stay content with the food it has, and look only when needed instead of to try and stock up the chances of it being attacked by a cat is relatively lower. However for the mouse to understand this, it would take, for it to be attacked by a cat. Hence the saying ‘the mouse does not know life until it has been into the mouth of the cat’. Irrespective of which culture, caste or creed one belongs, the life that God has given is the same for all. Each of us requires understanding and cherishing every moment of life rather than cribbing and crying in spite of all the blessings we have in life. God has created all of for a reason and has sent us down to Earth to fulfil our responsibilities. It is important that we understand this without having to reach the extreme stage of loss (Katz, 1996). Like the proverb states, the mouse only understands the worth of life when in the cat’s mouth, similarly we only understand the importance of life when we are about to die. That’s the

Current issue in financial reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Current issue in financial reporting - Essay Example There are different types of financial statements that are critical in governance and businesses, the most important goal is to manage, control and account for any amount of money that accrue from the business (Alexander & Britton 2014). Financial statements refer to chronological and formal records of business or operational activities of a person, business entity or government departments (Ernst & Young 2014). There are three core financial reports that form an integral part in the financial reporting. Firstly, balance sheet, this settlement gives an organization report on its assets, liabilities and ownership equity at any given time. The goal of this record is to ensure that the management follows systematically the companys state of affairs in managing capital, assets and addressing its liabilities2. It is an integral tool that allows detecting any abnormality in balancing assets and liability and allows for prudent decision-making (Alexander & Britton 2014). It simply shows the financial position of a business in modern accounting practice. Secondly, is the income statement, the purpose of this financial report is to give a comprehensive statement on the revenue collection and expenses? As the number one consideration in financial reporting, it should be prepared within the stipulated time, comprehensive, relevant and reliable. The income statement has an immense importance to stakeholders, managers and government for various purposes. It allows for actual valuation of the businesses (Ishmael 2012). Thirdly, the statement of cash flow is an important accounting, reporting that characterizes the current financial accounting system. It allows managers to know how cash flows within and outside organization (Dunn & Stewart 2014). The two critical uses of this report are accountability of cash within and outside organization3. Secondly, it allows tracing which department consumes more operating costs and more importantly, informs on

Leadership and management in nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and management in nursing - Essay Example General strategies for effecting changes in human systems are power coercive strategy; empirical-rational strategy; and normative/re-educative strategy. Though there are many change strategies, and responsibilities of pathway leadership is challenging, successful change will materialize only with the cooperation and commitment of those involved in the change process. Under these circumstances a case study of the challenges faced by a registered nurse, newly posted in orthopaedic ward of a regional hospital, is attempted to identify efficacy of different change strategies. All professional nurses prefer autonomy and control of their practice and want to apply their nursing knowledge and skills without interference from nurse managers, physicians, or persons in other discipline. â€Å"Changing clinical practice involves addressing deeply held beliefs and traditional rituals† and â€Å"developing new services often involves changing professional roles, boundaries, and loyalties,† because each profession has a unique set of values (Ridout 2002). Leading change is the mainstay of leadership skill, and â€Å"the person responsible for moving others who are affected by the change through its stages† is identified as a change agent ((Daly, Speedy and Jackson 2003, p.195). â€Å"The ability to harness internal motivation, the readiness to take responsibility and to persist, and the drive to stretch for higher performance, take risks, and accomplish goals typify leaders high in achievement, orientation and initiative† (Roussel & Swa nsburg 2008, p.123). General strategies for effecting changes in human systems identified by Robert Chin and D. Benne (1976) that are based on reasons people change their behaviour are: (1) power coercive strategy; (2) empirical-rational strategy; (3) and normative/re-educative strategy (cited by Nickols, 2003) â€Å"The power-coercive style is a top down dictatorial style to change† (Ridout 2002). The basic tenet of power-coercive

Identify Key Technological Influences On the Internationalisation Essay

Identify Key Technological Influences On the Internationalisation Process - Essay Example This essay stresses that if a company needs to decide the strategy to be used to help it improve the overall move and internationalisation process then the company requires to have the available knowledge to do so. Information overload is a high issue that is being faced by most professionals. Intelligent agent is a related technology, which provides a chance to roam networks and selectively refer users to information that would prove to be useful and beneficial. However, it is clear that the best intelligent agent is a human being by himself. It is obvious that computers are useful in KM as they do not slow down the learning, but help the KM to be more efficient and effective in order to support learning to a greater extent. This paper makes a conclusion that the main aspect and factors that affect the internationalisation of any business is the knowledge that is shared within the organisation and the ability of the company to transfer the data and raw information into understandable knowledge. Based on this, it is essential to understand that KM can be improved not only based on the amount of money spent on it but also a great deal of focus is required to be on the efforts of the management process. It is safe to say that knowledge has already grown largely and it has become one of the most essential aspects of any business. It has become a major driver and money is now slowly phasing out of the scene and as the old saying of ‘Knowledge is king’, is now being put to use in almost every industry and every company across the world.

Hume Versus Kant Essay Example for Free

Hume Versus Kant Essay Hume and Kant offered two differing views on morality. Humes philosophy regarding moral theory came from the belief that reason alone can never cause action. Desire or thoughts cause action. Because reason alone can never cause action, morality is rooted in us and our perception of the world and what we want to gain from it. Virtue arises from acting on a desire to help others. Humes moral theory is therefore a virtue-centered morality rather than the natural-law morality, which saw morality as coming from God. Kants notion of morality stems from his notion of one universal moral law. This law is pertinent to all people and can be used at all times before carrying our actions According to Kant, you ought to act according to the maxim that is qualified for universal law giving; that is, you ought to act so that the maxim of your action may become a universal law. While Hume and Kants moral theory differ dramatically, they share one quality and that is the fact that neither centers around the concept of God and his will. Humes theories may be considered by some not really philosophical theories at all. It is to say that he is not searching for that philosophical life that is seen in a Plato, or Augustine. He believes that capitalism promotes prosperity for people, and that only science and math is the realm for reason. To discuss Humes ethical theory you have to look at the central theme, which are feelings. Humes ethical theory says that moral judgments are made on feelings as oppose to reason. Humes feelings are based upon the belief that people make moral judgments because it is useful to society. He uses the examples of benevolence and justice to support this idea. Benevolence leads to happiness in society, which is the main basis for moral approval. Justice, for Hume, is regarded as good because again it is useful to society. He says that justice would not exist if everybody was not selfish, and one of its main uses is to protect private property. Justice for Hume is a very business oriented type of justice in which a transaction that is made must be suitable for both parties. If humans were not selfish than justice would not even come to mind in these types of situations because the transaction would be totally dominated by one individual, and that would not be justice. Humes view poses the question, which is better social peace or economic prosperity? Hume states that human beings are an animal whose life consists of worldly pleasures, and this is what leads them to a happy life. Again we see a clear contradiction to what traditional philosophers believe to be a happy life. As you can see Hume leaves out the spiritual, reasoning, and thinking part of human nature. Leaving all these factors out he comes up with his contributions to the well being of society. He believes that chastity, confidentiality, avoiding gossip, avoiding spying, being well mannered, and loyal are what can lead you to becoming prosperous. Hume looks at this from being prosperous only from a business-orientated point of view. People do like to become prosperous and have economic growth, but is that all that matters to us as humans? For Hume these feelings are justified because he says that we naturally care about other people and if we do not suffer from something we have a natural inclination to help others out. Hume finally comes a conclusion to his ethical theory in which he states that there are only four reasons in which to do morally good: useful to society, useful to oneself, agreeable to oneself, agreeable to others. Actions that are morally good are categorized into one of these four categories. These actions must be made with sentiment or feeling over reason, for Hume states man is a creature with feelings and reason lets us figure that out. Hume believed that reason is, and ought only to be, the slave of the passions. He argued that reason is used to discover the causes of pain or pleasure, but it is the prospect of pain or pleasure that causes action, not the reasoning alone, as that is entirely indifferent to us. This notion of always being motivated by pleasure or pain is very important, as it follows from this that when we act morally, it is a desire that makes us act and not reason. Since morals, therefore, have an influence on the actions and affections, if follows that they cannot be derived from reason, and that because reason alone, as we have already proved, can never have any such influence. Kant takes a different approach in his ethical theory and the understanding of morality and what is morally good. For Kant moral goodness is defined as goodwill, and that we as humans have a moral obligation to do what is right. He says that moral worth is seen much clearer if someone does things out of duty. Opposite of what Hume says Kant believes that feelings and inclinations are irrelevant and that feelings are not what drive moral obligations. Then how does Kant justify what is morally obliged? He has cancelled out feelings, and has left it as an obligation for people. For Kant first you must take out all feelings. Moral obligation must be binding for everyone. If any action cannot be approved be everyone than it is not morally obliged. The standard for moral standards has to be universal or absolute. Kants ethical theory is put into a comparison of categorical and hypothetical imperatives. Hypothetical imperatives are looked upon as recommendations or laws by others. This is to say that it is someone else or some other thing is telling us what to do. Hypothetical imperatives are unproblematic. They are straightforward sentences that express mundane statements of fact. Categorical ones, on the other hand, are highly problematic. Categorical imperatives deal with autonomy. These are the moral obligations that Kant believes in, the morally obliged actions. In Kants view, only if a person is acting solely on the categorical imperative such as doing something out of duty, can the act be morally good. This is because if somebody is acting out of the hypothetical imperative, he/she has an ulterior motive in acting in that way and are therefore not acting out of duty but are pursuing a certain end. They need not be acting in self-interest, but if they act because of a desire to act in that way, this is not morally worthy. You can still act morally if it gives you pleasure, as long as the reason for your action is solely out of duty. For instance we ought to help other because you may need help some day. What makes it valuable is that it is valuable in itself. It allows us to treat ourselves and others with self respect. It is clearly seen that in Kants theory there is no feelings or emotions attached to these theories only obligations that will benefit all of society. When taking into account who is right or wrong, the type of person you are comes into play. Some individuals live their lives based off of feelings and emotions alone, and most decisions that these types of individuals make are what is going to them happy or something that could perhaps make them sad but another group in society happy. Then there are the other groups of individuals that do things without thinking of who they will affect but only take into account what they believe they should do based on societys circumstances. Ultimately the decision on how to make moral judgments should be entirely based on you and your character and your experiences. If a person has been hurt by trying to be morally good then his feelings will come into play no matter how he made his original decision. If this person was making a decision based on obligation and he still got hurt from it in the long run then his next decision could be very feeling based. These two decisions on morality may continue to intertwine with each other. Hume and Kant are similar in that their moral theories are not the will as laid down by God, instead they see morality as embedded in humans themselves. However from here the theories diverge. Hume sees moral judgements as being caused by sentiments of pain or pleasure within an agent as reason alone can never motivate, whereas Kant see the only moral actions as being those caused by reason alone, or the categorical imperative. Both theories have difficulty with coming up with absolute moral laws Humes theory because absolute morality would appear to be impossible if morality is based on an individuals sentiment, and Kants theory because it cannot prove the existence of the categorical imperative.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Ultrasound Screening Programme

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Ultrasound Screening Programme Susmi Suresh Role of the National Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Ultrasound Screening Programme in Improving Health Outcomes: a systematic review Abstract Background: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is one of the common conditions that affect men aged 65 and older. Described as a ticking bomb(1), rupture of such an aneurysm results in fatal bleeding and death. Early detection allows appropriate treatment to be given to patients as an effort to reduce mortality rates. The National Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening programme, an initiative of Public Health England, offers screening to men in the prevalence group by following its objective of reducing mortality rates of preventable illnesses(2). Ultrasonography is the chosen imaging modality due to its high sensitivity and specificity(3). The aim of this study is to examine current literature on AAA and to understand whether screening programmes are effective enough to reduce mortality rates of AAA. Quality of life (QoL) as a health outcome will also be examined and evidence analysed, to see whether screening programmes affect patients quality of life. Method: A thorough search of prominent databases was carried out and the search-results underwent application of inclusion and exclusion criteria developed for this review. Four major randomised controlled trials were identified. Following data extraction, quality assessment was carried out using the CASP tool. Risk of bias was checked using the Cochranes tool for assessing risk of bias. All of these ensured a valid conclusion to be drawn.   Results: The four chosen RCTs were the MASS trial, the Chichester trial, the Viborg trial and the WA trial. The Mass and Chichester trials were conducted in the UK whereas the Viborg and WA trials were carried out in Denmark and Australia, respectively. The data pool of 125595 people added to the reliability of the findings of this review. A significant reduction in mortality rates of AAA was found in the intervention groups following an ultrasound screening of the abdominal aorta(4-7). QoL was looked at as the secondary outcome in the MASS trial which concluded that there was no adverse effect on QoL(4). Conclusion: The review showed evidence on reduced AAA mortality rates in men aged 65 and older following ultrasound screening. No adverse effect in patients QoL was found. The NAAASP is a commendable initiative of Public Health England and it is suggested that similar screening programmes be introduced through an evidence-based healthcare. Introduction       An aneurysm forms when a section of a weakened arterial wall dilates permanently. The walls of an artery can weaken and dilate due to cardiovascular diseases like arteriosclerosis, inflammation of the arterial wall or trauma. When this dilation occurs in the abdominal aorta, which runs from T12 to L5, it is considered to be an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)(8). Several studies have found smoking, hypertension and alcohol consumption to be the major risk factors of AAA(9). A family history of AAA is also considered to be a risk factor(10). AAA is age and sex-dependent as concluded by a retrospective prevalence study that looked at a cohort of 100,000 men and women each. The prevalence among men was found to increase rapidly after the age of 55 and that among women increases after the age of 70(11). Therefore, women are considered to be at low risk of developing AAA and hence screening programmes focus on a male population of 65 years or older(12). Patients are mostly asymptomatic and where symptoms do present, these could be abdominal pain, flank pain, back pain, groin pain, or syncope. A palpable pulsating abdominal mass could also be found during examination. An aneurysm once formed, grows in size until it bursts, leading to fatal bleeding. Only 2 in 10 people with a ruptured aneurysm survive if not treated with emergency AAA repair surgery(13). The survival rate among those who receive surgery is 94%(14). AAAs are detected using an ultrasound scan (US), which is considered to be the most effective screening modality with high sensitivity (98%) and specificity (99%) rates(15). The US is safe, cheap, quick, and non-invasive, and provides results immediately. It is widely accepted as a valid screening method and the aorta can be visualised in 99% of patients(15). Compared to CT scans which can sometimes overestimate the diameter of aneurysms in the oblique plane(15), ultrasound continues to be the choice of screening modality. In 2014, around 2000 men died from ruptured AAA, accounting for around 1% of all registered deaths in men aged 65 and over(16). Past records show a reduction in mortality in England from 7.5% in 2009 to 1.6% in 2012(17). This sheds light on the National AAA Screening Programme (NAAASP) offered by the NHS. Early detection via screening of a large aneurysm of above 5.5cm, means that patients are given the choice of repair surgery thereby increasing their survival rate by 69%(8, 18). Surveillance is offered to patients with a small or medium aneurysm of 3-4.4cm and 4.5-5.4cm, respectively(19, 20). This is through an ultrasound scan every twelve or three months for small and medium aneurysms, respectively. Screening aims to reduce the risk of developing a disease in a healthy population who have no signs of illness with respect to the condition being screened. The NAAASP is based on the policies recommended by the UK National Screening Committee in 2005 following the results of the largest randomised controlled trial about AAA, the Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study (MASS), which showed that screening reduces mortality by 40% after 10 years(21). Implemented in 2009, the programme achieved a nationwide coverage by the end of 2013. The programme aims to reduce AAA mortality by providing a systematic population-based screening programme for the male population during their 65th year and on request, for men over 65(22). This falls under Domain 2 and 4 of the Public Health Outcomes Framework provided by the Department of Health, with the objectives to help people to live healthy lifestyles and, to reduce the number of people living with preventable ill health and people dying prematurely(22), respectively. NAAASP Annual Data 2014/15 shows that a total of 280,520 men were screened and 83.2% had a conclusive screen(23). During the screening year 2013/14, this was 82% out of a total of 287,126 men(24). Depending on the size of the aneurysm, either surveillance or surgery was offered. Overall, the programme aims to achieve the health outcome of reduced mortality. Quality of life is also reported as a health outcome as shown by several retrospective, observational and cohort studies conducted on patients(25-27). Knowledge on the success of screening programmes like NAAASP remains limited. The aim of this review, therefore, is to examine current evidence on whether a screening programme improves health outcomes, namely reduced mortality and improved quality of life, by critically and systematically reviewing literature using the quality assessment tools of the critical appraisal skills programme (CASP). This will be achieved through the following objectives: Develop inclusion and exclusion criteria based on PICOS relating to AAA and ultrasound scanning Carry out a systematic search of databases- Medline, Web of Science, the Cochrane Database, OneSearch and the ISRCTN Registry (BioMed Central). Filter the search using the inclusion and exclusion criteria and carry out data-extraction using the Cochrane Data Collection form Carry out quality assessment using the CASP tool and use the Cochrane tool to assess risk of bias Conduct an analysis, focusing on mortality and quality of life as the health outcomes Methods Although evidence exists on the accuracy of using ultrasonography for detecting abdominal aortic aneurysms(3) and the validity of the scan results is widely accepted due to its high sensitivity and specificity(3), the process of abdominal aortic scanning was decided to be reviewed first(Appendix A). Prior to conducting the search, inclusion and exclusion criteria were set (Table 1)(28). Following this, databases were chosen for the search-topic Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. These included PubMed/MEDLINE, ISRCTN Registry, Web of Science, Lancaster University/OneSearch and the Cochrane Database. Search strategies were developed for each source and search filters were decided (Table 3-7). Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms were used to further refine the results (Table 2). Overall, seventy-four articles were found and after removing duplicates, forty-nine remained. These were subjected to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, thus narrowing down the results to seventeen relevant articles. The reference lists of the retrieved articles were further reviewed for any relevant cited papers. This process was repeated until no relevant articles were found. Four major randomised clinical trials were identified from these. These were reviewed after undergoing data extraction and quality assessment. Data extraction was carried out using Cochranes data extraction tool and this allowed for a full-text screening that removed any ineligible studies. Moreover, the use of a standardised form increased the validity and reliability of this review whilst also reducing any risk of bias(28). Finally, the trials were critically appraised using the CASP tool. This enabled identifying risk of bias within the trials, particularly selection bias, performance bias and reporting bias. Table 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inclusion Criteria Exclusion Criteria Population General population of males aged 65 years or older Patients who are asymptomatic and symptomatic who were involved in AAA screening Patients from all ethnicities Patients of all socioeconomic status Trials that include females, younger children and males younger than 65 years since AAA is age and sex specific Intervention Ultrasound Screening for AAA Any other imaging modalities like CT, MRI or radiography Comparison Non-screened population Aneurysm Aortic Aneurysm Thoracic Aneurysm Outcome (s) Mortality Quality of Life Study Design Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) Trials that look at AAA detection using Ultrasonography Articles in the English language Articles from the time period starting from approximately 20 years before the NAAASP programme came into effect, i.e., 1985 to present Full articles All other types of studies such as qualitative studies, observational studies, cohort or case-series studies. Articles in foreign languages Studies conducted outside this time period Articles that are not fully available Table 2  Ã‚  Ã‚   Medical Search Headings (MeSH) Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Mass Screening Ultrasonography Rupture Table 3 PubMed Search Strategy/Method Results Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm 23,807 Mass Screening 128,434 Ultrasonography 386,798 Rupture 109,121 AAA + MS 599 AAA + MS + US 300 AAA + MS +US + Rupture 102 AAA + MS +US + RCTs 23 AAA + MS +US + Rupture + RCTs 11 Table 4 Web of Science Search Strategy/Method Results Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm 18,625 Mass Screening 43,081 Ultrasonography 80,257 Rupture 119,830 AAA + MS 131 AAA + MS + US 23 AAA + MS +US + Rupture 12 Limit English 11 Table 5 Cochrane Library (RCTs only) Search Strategy/Method Results Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm 702 Mass Screening 3827 Ultrasonography 11,318 Rupture 3097 AAA + MS 46 AAA + MS + US 23 AAA + MS +US + Rupture 10 Table 6 OneSearch Search Strategy/Method Results Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm 27,819 Mass Screening 73,090 Ultrasonography 122,460 Rupture 94738 AAA + MS 604 AAA + MS + US 123 AAA + MS +US + Rupture 42 Limit Articles 39 Table 7 ISRCTN Registry/BioMed Central Search Strategy/Method Results Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm 37 Mass Screening 328 Ultrasonography 88 Rupture 176 AAA + MS 3 Results Four dominant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were identified- the Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study(4) (MASS) conducted between 1997 to 1999; the Chichester Study(5), 1988 to 1991; the Viborg County Trial(6), 1994 to 1998 and; the Western Australia (WA) Trial(7), 1996. These collectively showed that AAA mortality rate can be significantly reduced in the population following an ultrasound scan of the abdominal aorta (Table 8). The Mass and Chichester trials were carried out in the UK and had a participant number of 67,770 men aged 65 to 74 years and 6040 men aged 65-80 years, respectively. The Viborg Country trial was conducted in the Viborg county of Denmark with a participant number of   12,639 men aged 65-73 years; the WA trial, carried out   in the province of Western Australia included 41,000 men aged 65-79. All these trials used ultrasound screening of the abdomen to detect AAA and measured AAA-mortality as the primary outcome(4-7). The secondary outcomes of all trials were all-cause mortality. However the Mass trial also measured quality of life and cost-effectiveness as the secondary outcomes. Cost-effectiveness was also measured by the Viborg trial as the secondary outcome. Participants were randomly selected and randomisation was computer-generated(4-7). Mass and Chichester trials recruited participants via GP registers based on gender and date of birth. In the Mass trial, some were excluded if the GP considered them to terminally ill, had other health problems or had undergone AAA repair(4). In the Viborg trial, recruitment was through the countys health department and WA participants were selected from the electoral roll(6, 7). The WA trial excluded those men who were too far from the screening location; the Viborg trial had no such exclusions. MASS Trial The intervention group composed of 33839 men and the control group, 1333 men. Attendance was 80% and the median follow-up was ten years(4). 65 men died in the intervention group and 113 died in the control group, due to AAA. Mortality data was taken from death registry provided by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The study concluded that AAA mortality rate can be significantly reduced by up to half, following ultrasound screening. There was a 42% reduction in the intervention group, hazard ratio (HR) 0.58 95% CI (0.42-0.78)(4). The study also measured mood and health status outcomes such as state anxiety, depression, and health-status measures such as mental and physical health, and self-rated health(4, 13). These were calculated at intervals of six weeks after screening and, 3 and 12 months after detection of aneurysm or surgery. There were no significant changes in anxiety and depression and these remained within the recommendations(4). However, those screened negative and undergoing surveillance scored higher in health-status measures. This trend continued until 3 months after screening(4). However at 12 months, those who had undergone surgery scored higher than those in surveillance. They also self-rated higher, similar to those screened negative(4). Despite these results, the authors refrained from making a conclusive statement on quality of life. In the intervention group, there was an increase in the number of elective surgeries, odds ratio (OR)- 2.45 95% CI (2.02-2.97)(4). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the overall 30-day mortality after elective surgery in the intervention and control groups; this remained at 6%. However, unnecessary surgery and the risk of overdiagnosis are seen as factors reducing the overall quality of life(29). So even though this increase in elective surgery in the intervention group and its effects could be used as a measure of quality of life, the authors did not make such a link. Chichester Trial The intervention group composed of 2995 men and the control group, 3045 men. The median follow-up was fifteen years and the attendance rate, 74%, decreased with age. About 33.8% of men in the age range of 76-80 years declined compared to 19.5% in the age group of 65 years(5). 10 men died in the intervention group and 17 died in the control group, due to AAA-related causes. Like the Mass trial, mortality data was taken from the ONS Death Registry. The study found no differences in mortality rates in the two groups up to four years from screening. However, over 15 years, mortality was found to be reduced in the intervention group by 11%. This was not considered as a significant reduction, HR 0.89 95% CI (0.60-1.32) (5). Viborg Trial The intervention group composed of 6339 men and the control group, 6319 men. Attendance was 76% and the maximum follow-up was fourteen years(6). 6 men died in the intervention group, compared to 19 in the control group. Mortality data was taken from the national registry. There was a significant reduction in AAA-related hospital mortality, OR-0.31 95% CI (0.13-0.79)(6). The study recommends screening men aged 65 years to reduce AAA-mortality. However since the study only noted deaths from AAA in a hospital setting in the county of Viborg, this finding cannot be expanded to other countries. Western Australia Trial The intervention and control groups composed of 19352 men each. Attendance rate was 70% and the maximum follow-up was 43-months(7). 18 men died in the intervention group and 25 died in the control group. Mortality data was taken from the national death registry and the hospital registry. The study found that there was no significant reduction in mortality following ultrasound scanning in the intervention group of men aged 65-83 years in Western Australia, OR- 0.72 95% CI (0.39-1.32)(7). However the study noted that in the subgroup of men aged 65-75 years, mortality was found to be reduced(7). Table 8 AAA mortality: raw data Trial Deaths in Screened Deaths in Unscreened Odds Ratio (95% CI) MASS 65/33,839 113/33,961 0.58 (0.42 to 0.78) Chichester 10/3205 17/3228 0.59 (0.27 to 1.29) Viborg 6/6339 19/6319 0.31 (0.13 to 1.79) Western Australia (WA) 18/19352 25/19352 0.72 (0.39 to 1.32) Total* 93/56,396 155/56,541 0.60 (0.46 to 0.78) *Data from the Viborg trial is not included since the study noted deaths only in a hospital setting. Hence, results cannot be compared to the other studies(30) Discussion The pooled data of 125595 participants shows that AAA mortality rate can be significantly reduced in the population following an ultrasound scan of the abdominal aorta. Data from the four RCTs show that the Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR) for the Mass trial, Chichester, Viborg and WA are 0.14%, 0.21%, 0.21% and 0.04%, respectively (See Table 9 for the full data processed by the review author). Although these may appear insignificant, when applied over a population, the ARR is 140.7, 214.6, 206.0 and 36.2 per 100,000 respectively. Hence, the Numbers Needed to Screen (NNS) are 711, 466, 485 and 2765 respectively. On an average, this is an ARR of 149.4 out of every 100,000 people for an NNS of 1107. This NNS is lower than other screening programmes like breast cancer screening which has an NNS of 1339(31).   This confirms the benefits of a population-based screening programme such as the NAAASP. The Mass trial, which looked at the effects of ultrasound screening on the quality of life found its measures to be within normal standards. Since the NAAASP is based on the results of this trial, it can be said that ultrasound screening has no adverse effects on the quality of life of the screened population. However, a   limitation acts on the trial- quality of life was measured only up to twelve months after scan; no data is available for the period after that. If quality of life was continued to be measured during follow-ups or even separately via postal questionnaires or GP appointments, a more valid inference could have been drawn. It would also have provided a fuller picture on the long-term effects on quality of life. One other limitation acting on this review is the possibility of selection bias as a result of excluding some articles in foreign languages. Despite this, the findings of this review remain unaffected and can be considered valid since an exhaustive search of the major databases was carried out systematically. Although the inclusion criteria of free-articles was applied after this search, Lancaster Universitys subscription service ensured access to all available articles and a complete retrieval of the selected search was possible. The pooled study population consisted of 125,595 men and the MASS trial alone had a sample of 67800 people. So, conclusions on quality of life and AAA mortality can be considered reliable. However, there are inconsistencies present in the four RCTs due to the different methods used. For example, the Viborg trial noted mortality only in a hospital setting. This makes its results incomparable to the other trials. Also, the source of mortality data varies in the four studies. All the trials looked at the national death registries but the Chichester and WA trials also looked at other sources(5, 7). This may have resulted in possible over-estimation or duplication of data. Similarly, the cause of death was re-checked by a clinician and two random vascular surgeons in the Chichester and WA trials, respectively. Whilst expert opinion regarding the cause of death could lead to precise and accurate mortality data, there could also be false-positives when opinions are formed on complex cases with multiple causes of mortality. This subject of human error was also noted whilst carrying out the preparatory ultrasound screening (Appendix A). Individual measurements of the same abdominal aortic diameter were varied. Although this points to the possibility of human error that may adversely affect the accuracy the diagnosis, the NAAASP identifies staff training as a significant aspect of the programme to overcome this. Staffs are well-trained in the use of ultrasonography for AAA screening and in the overall delivery of the programme(8). Also, the programme itself has several failsafe procedures incorporated within all phases of the programme so that the performance thresholds are constantly maintained(8). The result of this review can be applied to patient care in the UK. The NAAASP is successfully running its seventh year. Since its implementation in 2009, one million men have been screened(32). Accumulating evidence shows it is feasible to reduce AAA-mortality by ultrasound screening, thereby making it possible to achieve the programmes aim. Public Health England could implement similar screening interventions in other disease areas. There is currently a long of list of conditions like atrial fibrillation, thyroid disease and lung cancer where a population-based screening is not offered (but privately available) due to the absence of enough evidence to inform a screening programme'(33). Evidence-based healthcare could be further expanded to diseases like these. It is not just new and untreatable diseases that prove to be a challenge to 21st century medicine; it is the phenomenon of the disease-iceberg that proves most challenging. By detecting and treating early onset of illnesses, people live a longer and healthier life. Table 9 Data processed by the review author using the results from the four RCTs Trial Experimental Event Rate (EER) Control Event Rate (CER) Absolute Risk Reduction Relative Risk Reduction Number(s) Needed to Screen (NNS) Odds Ratio/Relative Risk MASS 0.00192086 0.00332735 0.00140649 0.422705 710.992 1.73222 Chichester 0.00312012 0.00526642 0.00214629 0.407543 465.919 1.68789 Viborg 0.000946522 0.00300680 0.00206028 0.685207 485.370 3.17669 Western Australia 0.000930136 0.00129186 0.000361720 0.280000 2764.57 1.38889 Overall 0.00157807 0.00276806 0.00118999 0.429901 840.344 1.75408 Overall* 0.00164905 0.00274137 0.00109232 0.398457 915.482 1.66239 *Data from the Viborg trial is not included since the study noted deaths only in a hospital setting. Hence, results cannot be compared to the other studies(30) Conclusion Following critical appraisal of the current available evidence provided by four major RCTs, it was found that mortality from AAA can be significantly reduced in males aged 65 years and older, through a population-based screening programme. Ultrasonography continues to be the chosen imaging modality due to its accuracy and ease-of-use.   It was also found that such a screen

Tesco Plc Management and Success

Tesco Plc Management and Success A large amount of literature is available on the management methods and policies of Tesco, the culture change it has adapted in its past, its workforce and its retailing success. This has been compared to the management theories and criteria of change management, and discussed to find out how closely do Tescos employee management mechanisms link with the actual theory. A brief overview of the history of Tesco with detailed step by step progress made by the company the strategies, values and policies, stakeholders and customers of Tesco are also precisely discussed. The future plans and a comparative analysis of Tesco with other top retailers is also presented. Tesco PLC: Based in United Kingdom ever since 1920, Tesco has to date expanded itself into several countries across the European Union as well as in Asia (EMMC, 2007). Such success of Tesco has been possible due to its focus on growth strategy, and its core competencies which are basically its brand reputation and the value-added services it provides through the brand experience. In addition, Tesco has shown a wide potential to capture foreign markets with variable environmental, cultural and political factors. It is highly sensitive to external environment, and adjusts on a need basis. It is also important to consider the factors of Tescos internal environment which add to its competencies (Clark, 2008). Tesco has gained its current position as one of the major retailers of the United Kingdom by adapting to the needs of its customers. One of the major shifts of the organization culture and strategy came in 1990 when the organization transformed itself by focusing on its human resource management. This was done by a process of strategic and cultural change (Clark, 2008). Retail industry and Tesco: Retail refers to sale in small quantities, the retail industry is an important sector of the economy; it comprises of individuals and companies which are engaged in the selling of finished products to end users. The retailer buys the products in large quantities from the manufacturers either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller quantities to the end-user. Retail is usually classified according to the type of product; divided mainly in three categories that are; food products, soft goods ,which includes clothing accessories etc and hard goods, which includes electric appliances, electronic items, sports goods, furniture et cetra (Akehurst and Alexander, 1997). Tesco PLC is a United Kingdom based global departmental store, it is the third largest retailer in the world. Tesco started as a food retailer but after the success in food business the company expanded its business activities by retailing a variety of products, targeting different markets and creating intere st in customers of different sectors. At present with over 2,500 stores worldwide and more than 450,000 peoples employed, Tesco is ruling all around the world with its business which covers retailing, distribution, logistics, telecommunication and financial services (Tesco case study, 2011). Tesco PLC History Tesco was founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen; he started off by selling surplus groceries on a stall at the East End of London. The companys name was penned from the initials of T.E. Stockwell, who was at that time a partner, and CO from Cohens name. Cohens motto was pile it high, sell it cheap, it referred to the fact that customers wanted inexpensive products at a convenient location and an optimum volume that would be profitable. After initial ten years of foundation finally the first store was opened by Cohen in 1929 at Burnt Oak, Edgware, North London. Jack Cohen introduced a new concept of food ware house when, in 1934, he built a new headquarters and a warehouse for central stock control. The success story of Tesco PLC continued and as a result by 1965, Tesco owned a chain of 212 stores in North of England and by 1965, the count was increased to 356 stores. By this time, Tesco was becoming a prominent retailer in all of Europe and this fact was highlighted when the name of Tesco wa s entered in Guinness Book of World Records as the largest store in Europe (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco initiatives over the years: Tesco started off as a retailer for foods but expanded its spectrum to other products; in 1975 Tesco broadened the concept by opening petrol stations at different major sites. The idea behind this launch was to provide customers everything that they need, in one location. They initially started selling branded petrol but in the late 80s their own brand fuel went on sale. To attract customers, a price cutting campaign under the banner of Checkout at Tesco was enunciated by the company in 1977. Tesco introduced yet another new concept and became the first major retailer to emphasize the nutritional value of its own-brand products by launching its Healthy Eating initiative, Healthy Eating was launched to show commitment of the company in providing customers not just healthy good quality food but also to promote a healthy life style. The year 1992, was a very happening year at Tesco, as many new products were launched this year, these launches included a whole organic range and computers for schools. Other than this, the campaign of Every Little Helps was also launched this year, this campaign basically developed the companys philosophy, Tesco refers to Every Little Helps as an expression of their values, and the values are that no one tries harder for customers than Tesco and the company treats its customers as they would like to be treated (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco PLC was prospering at an accelerated rate, and to ensure this, the Tesco team was making every possible effort to engage the customers and maintain the consumers loyalty with the company, for this purpose Tesco launched another initiative by the name Would I Buy It; the purpose of this campaign was to guarantee that the products offered to the customers were always of the highest quality. Tescos club-card was also launched this year. The club-card was UKs first customer loyalty program; the sole purpose was to give something back to the loyal customers. According to Lord MacLaurin, former chairman of Tesco, customer loyalty is not how customers demonstrate their loyalty to the company; it is about how the company demonstrates their loyalty to their customers. By this time Tesco was not only the largest retailers, but was also the market leader of food retailers and dominated the English market in food retailing, and thus, started expanding the business beyond the boundary acros s the world (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tescos international markets reach: Globally, Tesco PLC was first introduced in Hungary and later entered Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and also Ireland. The business was also launched in Asian countries Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea. Parallel to all these across border business growth, 24 hours trading was also introduced In the year 1998, Tesco launched its Finest premium brand of foods; the Finest included fresh and prepared food ranging over 100 products which change with the season. In 1999, Tesco took another initiative and published supermarket prices comparison on the internet and also launched an on-line bookstore and on-line banking. By 2000 tesco.com was launched (Tesco PLC, 2011). The success of Tesco was mainly because of its customer satisfaction strategy and in order to continue this journey the emphasis was always on customer care, and so in 2001 Tesco launched Customer Champions in many stores which implemented a new labor schedule to further improve services to the customers, the company also followed a continuous replenishment of policy to ensure at least 99% of stock availability. The very same year Tesco also achieved the landmark of becoming the leading organic retailer in the United Kingdom. In 2003, Tesco steps into the business world of Malaysia, Japan and Turkey. In the same year, Tesco started a new offering Free-From product; these products were especially designed for customers having special dietary needs. Peoples who are susceptible to any kind of allergies or food intolerance were able to entertain themselves with this new developed food range and restricted diets was not any more an obstacle to enjoy food of respective interest. All the Te scos Free from products are made gluten free, wheat free and in some cases milk free; all the ingredients that usually are the most common causes of food allergies. The free from product range included over 150 products (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco entered United States of America business in 2007, by opening Fresh and Easy a chain of local grocery stores whose focus was on fresh foods. Tesco introduced own-label products rather than the usual vast range of US brands of heat and eat meals. This local food chain used a straightforward everyday low price strategy and offered cheaper rates to the American customers (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco PLC Strategies and Policies Tesco entered the world of retailing business and gradually ranked highest among the largest and best retailers in United Kingdom, now by twentieth century the concept of retailing has became increasingly popular and therefore, the competition among the retailers has immensely increased. Customer focused strategy of Tesco: Every company is working on developing new strategies and business policies in order to attract new customers and keep old customers loyal to the company. At the present situation when business is so customer oriented, the key to remain in business is customer satisfaction and this stabilizes the companys economy (Ma and Ding, 2010). Tesco has always paid considerate attention to its customer and this is the biggest reason of their success, the core purpose of the company is to create value for customers and earn their lifetime loyalty. Tesco has achieved its goal and the business of Tesco PLC has flourished throughout its journey because the company has religiously focused on its four strategies and strictly implemented upon them. The first key strategy is to grow the core United Kingdom business by establishing Extras, Superstore, Metro and Express. The second strategy is to expand the business internationally, while the third strategy emphasizes on become equally strong in its non -food retailing business as it is in its food retailing business (Tesco CSR, 2005). Retail services offered by Tesco: The final strategy is to provide new retailing services in response to changing customer demand, the retailing services includes online shopping, Tesco Personal Finance(TPF) and telecom industry. The team of Tesco has tirelessly worked upon its strategies and that is the reason they are on top not only in food retailing but also in other retail businesses. Tesco understands and anticipates the needs and requirements of the customer and this is why it has always been successfully responding to changing lifestyles and demand of the customer and this has become the key drive of the company ever since it was established (Tesco PLC, 2011). Products offered by Tesco: In order to make its mark in the non-food retailing business Tesco has developed and introduced a wide range of products in different varieties making its business as versatile as possible. From food stuff to all soft goods such as clothes, footwear, accessories, jewelries, beauty products, household item, kitchen items etc, and also hard goods such as sports goods furniture, appliances and electronic items, are made accessible to the customer under the roof of Tesco PLC, this has provided the customer not just with ease but also with a good shopping experience to take home with. Providing with a variety of goods is not the only objective it is essential to maintain the quality to ensure brand loyalty with the customers. Constant innovations of ideas and development of products and services is required to keep competitors on their toes, that is the reason that Tesco keeps launching new campaigns, product and services ideas (Tesco CSR, 2005). The marketing department has made the understanding of customers better than anyone. The management of Tesco reports that the reason as to why it is necessary to understand customers is because championing the customer voice in the business helps in guiding and measuring the business, that is why any new product, service, campaign or business idea is launched after extensive site research which determines and obliges to meet customer needs by matching the store format to the location. Market research is done to monitor and track the healthy business, identify changing customer needs, understand current customer issues, and ensure initiatives that the company has taken are right for customers, moreover strategic insight is developed which guides business strategy through customer perceptions and concerned people views. Analysis on the insight is done to get feedback from customers and keep a check and balance of the companys performance. Further research is done on customer lifestyles and the shopping experience that is being offered by the company in order to guarantee that the business is reflecting the needs of customers. According to the management team going through these five steps enables them to fully understand the scenario and this makes them achieve a competitive advantage (Tesco PLC, 2011). Tesco and its Stakeholders Suppliers Tesco has managed to flourish a stabilized relationship with its suppliers. Tesco supports the British Farm Assurance Mark; this is because of the Tesco Farming Initiative taken by Tesco with the suppliers and farmer organizations. In 2001, during the crisis of foot and mouth, Tesco donated a large amount for the British farmers that were affected by the disease. Also through Tesco Codes of Practice, the company takes interest in the welfare of the animals; these codes specify the kind of husbandry expected by the farmers and suppliers from the company. The company also takes part in researches regarding the problems and issues of husbandry (Tesco PLC, 2011). Employees The prospect of expanding business has enabled Tesco to entertain people with proper job offers all around the world. Tesco has around 200,000 employees in United Kingdom and about 65,000 in Ireland, South-East Asia and Europe. Employees enjoy benefits such as pensions, profit share schemes, shopping discounts and other save money schemes. Tesco launched a career site which helped a great number of graduates and other workers in finding suitable jobs within the organization. A large number of employees are share holders in the company (Tesco PLC, 2011). Customers Tesco PLC has a huge range of customers that belong to entirely different sectors and cultures. The wide spectrum of the goods whether food or non-food items offered by the company makes customers from every age of life. The good quality of the products and the continuous innovations of the products, have made the brand loyalty of customers possible (Tesco PLC, 2011). Strategic and cultural change in retail sector: Strategic change refers to using strategy in order to successfully implement change, to achieve the long-term goals and objectives of the organization. Culture change is a link between organization culture and key company performance variables such as return-on-investment (ROI), sales growth, innovation, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Thus, the strategic change may be viewed as a mechanism of bringing about change in the company, be it a culture change, empowerment or total quality (Balugan, 2001). In order to bring about the change at Tesco, it is crucial to see that this change is properly managed and administered throughout the organization. According to Kennen (2007), organizations can induce culture change by uncovering the core values and beliefs of the employees, by discussing and communicating the process of change, and by establishing new behavioral norms. There are two views to any type of organization change: the managers top-down view (that is how the change impacts the managers) and the employee bottom-up view (that is how the change impacts employees). The latter can be termed as individual change management, using techniques to help employees transition through the change. This is important because employees are the people that ultimately implement the change at its very basic level (Hiatt and Creasy, 2003). Also, when change is initially introduced employees tend to feel doubtful about their ability to change which results in decreased confidence and performance, inducing resistance (Balugan, 2001). Change management can thus become a significant crucial issue, which if not implemented properly can result in loss of employee trust in management. Successful organizations inspire a strong organization culture into their employees. Change management also depends on the incorporation of several factors in the change model, including timing of change, scope of change, diversity capacity of employees, and readiness of employees to change (Balogun, 2001). Bedingham (2000) has described how strategic change was implemented by Tesco in 1987. According to the article, Tesco came across the performance lapse of the organization in a research done by Verax for Coca Cola to study retail buying (Cummings, 2011). The research findings revealed that the performance of the retail store managers at Tesco was very low compared to the competitors. In response, Tesco decided to review its management practices to improve customer satisfaction. In this process, it took retail lessons of training and transforming its front-line staff that come in direct contact with the customers every day. The need for training Tesco employees had also emerged due to the diverse ethnic, racial, social and economic backgrounds of its employees. All these employees have different skills and shortcomings, and hence require training specifically customized to their different personalities. Another need for employing these training programs is due to the fact that recruit ing new employees is much more costly to any organization than retaining the same employees (The Times 100) The growth and transformation of the retail industry itself and the concept of retailing are also responsible for the growing need of bringing about a change in employees at Tesco. Factors affecting this include changing needs of the customers and the society, as well as from the changes in supply of labor. Another factor leading to this management change is the transformation of the retail structures over the years. The layouts are now professionally developed, with vast amount of support systems and skilled staff required to handle them. Previously, employees in a retail store were meant simply for assisting the customer, however today with the presence of modern technology, databases and finger-tip market knowledge, employees are expected to serve the customers with all the tools for decision making. Social changes brought about the need of extending business hours, and hiring employees more on a flex-time basis to accommodate the employees varying lifestyles. Whilst decades ago, retail employees were hired on a permanent basis, having a specialty in retail service, today employees are drawn from a pool of part-time workers, such as students, who take up jobs to earn some extra money. This has decreased the element of specialty and skill, which is in contrast with the fact that more expertise is now demanded by customers from the retail staff (Akehurst and Alexander, 1996) With respect to Tesco and its strategic change, individual change management has even a greater role, as its employees are the front-line staff, playing a major role in the image and success of the retail organization. According to Akehurst and Alexander (1996), in retail companies it is not the managerial staff, or external marketing activity that determines the image of a retail company in a consumers mind. Instead, it is the way customers are treated and the behavior of the retail store staff that determines this element. Even in outlets which are made for self-service, retail staff can affect customer satisfaction by their role in assistance, giving advices and greeting customers. One example of an employee-oriented retail company is Umpqua Bank in California, which has been able to provide excellent customer service due to its employee focus. At Umpqua, employees are empowered to fully satisfy a customer rather than perform specific tasks. This means that every employee learns every task regarding customer service, and can satisfy customer to his or her full potential. Employees are free to do whatever they can to provide customer satisfaction even without the consent of the supervisor. Hence, many branches keep dog bowls for the clients dogs, arrange yoga lessons and movie nights to retain customers (Berman, 2007). Thus, this shows that employee empowerment can lead to innovation even at the retail staffing levels. This becomes important when considering the possible implications that such culture changes can bring in a retail environment such as Tesco. Spurlock is another organization which induced organizational change by altering work standards, procedures and culture. The organization brought about a change in the way resources and time is managed, reallocating everything from staff to plant timings. One important lesson from their change management was the inclusion of staff in the process. The change process coupled with the employee training to meet the needs of the new system, eventually led to an entire work culture change. In the end, there was more teamwork and collaboration increased through the organization due to the shifting and reallocation of employees (Vonderhaar et al, 2010). However, despite the fact that the employees have such crucial significance, employee management is a considerably under-searched area in retail management (Akehurst and Alexander, 1996). In the book Value-based human resource strategy: developing your consultancy role, Grundy and Brown (2003) assert that in 1990, Tesco decided to undergo a culture change to enhance its responsiveness throughout the organization. However, this change came on quite gradually rather than abruptly. This is because when the organization hired an HR consultant, it discovered that the term culture change had an inherent risk of failing. It was too overwhelming a concept, indicating a huge change in the organizations function which made it incomprehensible for its stakeholders. Hence Tesco underwent change in the name of customer service instead, because the term described exactly what kind of change was going to be targeted. Similarly, when BP introduced its cultural change, it put an economic value that came from the change to motivate the employees to adopt it. Thus, organization culture change can be adopted in several steps, namely value change which lead to behavioral change in employe es. Recruitment: According to the report of Datamonitor (2003) Tesco Plc is recruiting almost three million employees for the product manufacturing and services. It is the biggest private employer of UK. (EFILWC, 2007) Tesco is a heavily customer oriented organization, with a focus on its external environment. Since its cultural shift in 1990s Tesco has been able to empower its staff and provide them with benefits and motivational tools that have positively impacted overall employee satisfaction. It has even extended its gradual cultural shift on to managerial and corporate level (Bedingham, 2000). Training for employees: Tesco has established six or seven levels of store employees, and provides training to whoever desires it (Garry, 2010). The training program is not simply an adaptation for the internal organization; it also provides an external qualification and a degree to employees for working at Tesco. Since the program is so significant from the aspect of employees themselves, they are more closely involved with the organization and develop a bond with the company. The training program has become a huge aspect of the organizations culture and vision itself. It has left the employees feeling more connected, confident and customer-oriented. Moreover, the personal development results in homogenous values of employees throughout the organization (Garry, 2010). Training program at Tesco involves several different types of trainings such as Introduction training, First class serve, Hygiene Training, Multi skills training et cetra. Introduction training is given the very first day, and involves introduction, discussing the organizations history, values and functioning. The First Class serve teaches how to interact with the customer and properly greet him or her. Hygiene training as the name indicates refers to training about the employee hygiene practices as required in the store. Multi skill tasking prepares employees for job rotations (Gulyas, 2007). According to Gulyas (2007) there is a significant difference between training and management development, though the terms are often used in same context. Training is the process by which people are taught skills to perform specific tasks, whereas management development refers to giving people knowledge and skills to enable them to undertake greater responsibility. Also, culture change at an organization is not merely a question of skills development of employees (Gerber and Lankshear, 2000). Organizations have a tendency to view skills of employees as end in themselves whilst skills in fact induce only surface level change, which does not translate into the deeper level of culture change (Lokshin, Gils, and Bauer, 2009). However, at Tesco, there is training of employees and management development for the managers. Therefore, employee training at Tesco is not merely a question of skill development, but also has the entire 360-degree personality development of its employees as its foc us. Employees are constantly expected to improve their behavior, to bring about personality changes that get reflected in their overall performance, and to develop themselves into empowered, inquisitive individuals who can take greater responsibility. Tesco enhances three major aspects of the employee behavior which are customer focus, ability to work with others and personal behavior. For this purpose, Tesco also arranges leadership workshops for its employees (The times 100). Tesco regularly evaluates the characteristics and performance of its employees to keep identifying skill shortages and new job demands. Based on the results, it adds on to its Personal Development program so that it is catered to meet the upcoming needs of training (The Times 100) Tesco also gives employees a steering wheel which shows them how their performance is creating a difference in the organization, by providing specific measures for employees, managers, country and the entire organization (Garry, 2010). In the current era, core Human Resource practices tend to encourage an innovation-oriented team based environment where employees are empowered. This is based on theories of motivation in management such as Hierarchy of Needs theory by Maslow (1943) and Hygiene Theory by Herzberg (1959). According to Abraham Maslow, human beings have varying levels of needs that have to be satisfied in a given order from basic physiological need of food and clothing, to higher level needs, such as drive for self-esteem and self-actualization. Hence, good working conditions, general praise and appreciation and an empowered working environment are essential features when it comes to fulfilling the needs of employee. Also, according to Herzberg (1959), there are certain factors the absence of which leads to an overall dissatisfaction of employees with their work. These are different from the factors that increase satisfaction and include company policy, supervision, working conditions etc. These are kno wn as Hygiene factors. In order to keep employees motivated, maintaining good working standards and conditions are essential. The Times 100 research has shown that, keeping in view the Maslows Hierarchy Model of Needs, Tesco seeks to fulfill all the level of needs, from basic to the highest through its various employee motivation programs. It provides basic pay and locker room facilities and health security and pension. In addition it addresses the higher needs of the individuals by empowering them in a team based environment, providing them feedbacks and appraisals, and motivating them through encouragement and respect (Bent and Freathy, 1997). According to Parish (2007) Tesco PLC managers listen to their staff, spend time with them and build direct one-to-one relationships which boost the overall employee motivation. The management found through surveys that one of the basic needs of their employees were to be listened to with respect. Therefore, at the organization, employees are treated with trust and respect and included in the decision making of the store, their voice and opinions are given due considerations and the problems they face in dealing with the customers are reflected upon and solved. In fact, the technique has been so successful that it is being replicated by a nursing hospital for the management of nursing staff. One of the benefits of training at Tesco was the greater teamwork and improved customer service. The major reason behind this improvement was the visible change in the confidence level of Tesco employees that has come from the training activities. The challenges in training employees came from the initial unwillingness of employees to enroll, because they were reluctant or shy (Garry, 2010). According to European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (2007), Tesco seeks employees from different cultures, background through different sources, including government programs and campaigns. Its recruitment system allows the employers to consider people from diverse cultural and local groups, and fit them into particular jobs depending on capabilities and tendencies. It also participates in the government regeneration programs which look for employees amongst those that have been chronically unemployed. It also makes sure that its managers work shoulder-to-shoulder with its workforce, and are aware of the technical aspects of the work. Tesco provides its employees salaries based on the nature of work, and additional benefits, both monetary and personal in the form of flexible work hours. As of 2003, Tesco has a 94% employee retention rate with its socially inclusive policies. Tescos management of employees plays both roles of a company facilitator and corporate social responsibility. Through employee training and personal development, Tesco has enabled people unemployed for several years to be successfully employed (Gateway, 2003). Ma and Ding (2010) have also described the customer-orientation of Tesco.com, by asserting that customer value and customer satisfaction are amongst the core values of the organization. They have a clearly defined purpose, and they fulfill it through their excellent customer and delivery service. According to the work, 67% of the people take Tesco as their favorite supermarket. Thus, we see that in the past, Tesco employed tools and techniques of strategic change management in order to successfully bring behavioral change in its employees. The change however was more focused on the behavioral aspects such as employee professionalism rather than employee values, however Tesco ensured that both training and development were used as mechanisms for this change to make it long-term and effective.