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Big Data

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Big data in healthcare is the electronic health data sets that are so complex and large as well as difficult neither to manage nor to be easily managed by traditional or common data management tools and methods. Big Data Creates Big Privacy Concerns and Big data analytics in healthcare: promise and potential are journals that describes the assurance and prospective of big data diagnostic in healthcare. Big data in healthcare analytics is connected to the following primary distinctiveness thus: velocity, volume and variety. Big data is overwhelming due to its volume nature and its management of speed. It includes characteristics such as variety, velocity, veracity and velocity. Health data is created and accumulates more resulting on large volume of data. Progress in data management, especially cloud computing and virtualization are aiding the improvement of platforms for more successful capture, storage and exploitation of large volumes of data (Roop, 2012).

Data is gathered in good time and at a quick velocity. The continuous flow of new data gathering at exceptional rates brings about new challenges. Just as the volume and variety of data that is collected and stored has changed, so too has the velocity indicates the rate data is generated thus the rate for retrieving, analyzing, comparing and making decisions on the basis of the output. Population and Individual data would enlighten a physician and his patient through the decision-making procedure and assist establish the most suitable treatment alternative for that specific patient. Analytical modeling lowers abrasion and generates a leaner, faster, and more targeted in drugs and devices. Health industry has huge amount of data determined by fulfillment, patience concerns, record keeping and rigid requirements. Big data analytics has the potential to change ways in which healthcare providers use complicated technologies to achieve insight from their medical and other data storage area and make conversant decisions.

As big data investigative becomes more conventional, problems such as safeguarding security, guaranteeing privacy, governance, establishing standards and persistently improving the tools and technology will get attention. Big data applications and analytics in healthcare are at an emerging stage of improvement, but quick advances in policy and tools can speed up their process of maturing. Data privacy in healthcare is a concern using the aspects of the HITECH Act in the HIPAA rule (Burghard, 2012).

Algorithms and statistical tools improves clinical trial plan and patient enrollment to match treatments better to individual patients, hence reducing trial failures and speeding new and better treatments to market. It also enables the analyzing of clinical trials and patient records so as to identify follow-on signs and find out unfavorable effects before products reach the market. Big Data is the basis of creating new levels of business significance. With incorporated storage, analytics, and function, Big Data helps drive effectiveness, value, and personalized products and services, create higher levels of customer satisfaction and occurrence. Marketing can be done to enable the products to reach customers and meet their requirements and needs by exchange of products and values. This is described as the science of delivering, identifying and creating, value and attaining target market and thus creating profit. The utilization of brand extensions should be estimated on the foundation of the compatibility of variety of products. In various markets, different brands strength competes against each other, thus the national and international brands. The national brands are more expensive compared to the regional and store brands

References

Roop, E. (2012). For The Record. Big Data Creates Big Privacy Concerns, 24(16), 10-10.

Burghard C: Big Data and Analytics Key to Accountable Care Success. IDC Health Insights; 2012.

A Quality Healthcare Organization

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A Quality Healthcare Organization

A healthcare organization exists as a center that offers health services, for instance, surgical operations, diseases diagnosis as well as treatment plus patients’ recovery. Also, research, training and teaching assignments are some of the other services that can be performed. A good healthcare organization is, therefore, the one that upholds and maintains that these services are of high quality. Quality has developed to be a progressively major part of individuals’ lives as they are always searching for quality products and services. Therefore, this increased need for quality has led to some organizations and firms in the world to regard quality as an indispensable element of any provision besides the production process. Quality in an organization exists as a strategic differentiator implement aimed at sustaining competitive benefit (Gilligan & Lowe, 2018). The method of cultivating quality by improving the structures and processes typically results to waste reduction, rework plus delays, advanced market share, lower costs and a good image of the organization. Also, there is a production level and profit improvement. Thus, it very imperative to outline, measure and also progress the quality of the healthcare services.

Quality in healthcare develops as a result of excellent cooperation amongst the patient together with the healthcare workers in a conducive and supportive environment. There are some factors which usually tends to affect the quality of the healthcare service. They include personal factors between the healthcare service providers, for example, a professional doctor or a nurse and the patient. However, there exist several ways by which the healthcare quality can be improved. Some of these ways include; having a visionary and effective leadership starting from top administration going downwards, appropriate planning, obtainability of resources and operative controlling of the available resources (Perera & Peiró 2012, p.752). Moreover, there are employees and the processes and lastly cooperation and collaboration among the healthcare service providers.

However, the quality of healthcare service tends to be somehow challenging to define and measure compared to some other sector. Distinctive healthcare industry features, for instance, intangibility, and simultaneity and also heterogeneity makes it problematic to identify and measure quality. This is because the healthcare service exists as an intangible product and thus it cannot be physically viewed, touched, measured or even felt like the manufactured goods. The quality of healthcare service typically depends on the service process as well as client and service provider interactions. There are also some quality healthcare aspects like consistency, accuracy, and timeliness that are tough to measure beyond an appropriate valuation especially by the customer. Subsequently, it is habitually difficult to reproduce consistent healthcare services. The reason is that these services can differ between the customers, producers, places and the activities taking place in the healthcare setting. This heterogeneity happens typically due to the different professionals, for example, the nurses and physicians delivering the amenities to the patients with diverse variable need (Nelson & Staggers, 2016). For an effective healthcare organization, the required attributes can be grouped into five distinct categories: competence, empathy, environment, efficacy, and effectiveness.

Quality healthcare comprises characteristics like accessibility, availability, acceptability competency, reliability, equity comprehensiveness among others. When there exists any effort to define, measure and also to improve healthcare quality, the different healthcare stakeholders’ perceptions, priorities, and desires have to be considered. Therefore, this depicts that quality matters a lot in the healthcare organization.

The healthcare organization must make some continual adjustments towards maintaining optimum functionality. Thus to define the areas in which these adjustments are required, some methods can be applied. One effective way that has portrayed to be effective in the healthcare setting is SWOT analysis. The technique is also applicable in other organizations. SWOT analysis consents the assessment of the healthcare organization from an unbiased perspective through a detailed discussion of the healthcare organization’s strength’s, flaws, threats and also the opportunities. SWOT analysis involves many steps, especially in the healthcare setting. The first step encompasses the compilation and valuation of crucial data, and this might include the society’s health status, the current state of medical technology or the healthcare sources funding. After composing and analyzing the suitable data, the competences of the organization are assessed.

The second step involves organizing the collected data into some four categories; strengths, weaknesses, threats and also opportunities. The internal factors of the healthcare organization are strengths and weaknesses while the threats and the opportunities are typically regarded as the external factors. The SWOT analysis third step in the healthcare organization entails creating a SWOT matrix for each business preference that is put under consideration. The fourth and the last step comprises of incorporating the derived analysis into the policymaking process. This is quite significant as it controls which preference will best suit the complete strategic blueprint of the healthcare organization. The factors that have contributed towards an exceptional healthcare performance are the strengths (Gretzky, 2010). These factors include well-trained medical personnel, state-of-the-art equipment, healthcare informatics investments, and high medical services. The factors that typically affect the healthcare quality or tend to increase the healthcare costs are termed as weaknesses. Examples of the weaknesses include outdated healthcare amenities, poor management and training, inadequate financial resources and inappropriate use of the healthcare informatics.

In the healthcare organizations, the obtainable new business initiatives are regarded as opportunities. Some of these opportunities include increased funding for better healthcare services provision, establishments of new healthcare programs and partnerships with diverse healthcare organizations. The threats are observed as the factors could affect negatively, the running of the healthcare organization. Some of the threats examples include political and economic insecurity and amplified demand for costly medical technology. Therefore while conducting a healthcare SWOT analysis, it is always noble to be realistic, avoid complexity, analyze the plans rationally and attain change.

Most of the data collected in the healthcare organization are in the raw format, and thus there is a great need for the data to be summarized, structured, and it also needs to be analyzed to develop some information from them conveniently. Also, each data set requires to be presented in a certain way depending on what way it will be used (Ginter et al., 2018). There are numerous ways in which this data can be presented for example as text, graphical form and in tabular form. It is essential always to plan the way in which to present the data before processing it.

When planning a healthcare project, it is vital to always start on the right foot as it can lead to tangible impact going down the line. The healthcare organization leaders, for example, the CEO ought to begin by recognizing well the sectors that the project might affect and thus guarantee that those sections are well and equally represented amongst the crucial stakeholders. Therefore, the organizations must certify that the project team possesses the accurate resources to act as a liaison amid the project team associates, the stakeholders, and the end users. Also, proper training of the workforce in the organization which is among the strategies of improving quality is encouraged. The following are the groups to consider when identifying stakeholders for effective running of the organization’s project; financial stakeholders, medical leaders, the end users (clinicians), the patients, vendors an also the billing plus audit functions (Gilligan & Lowe, 2018). Therefore as a leader, to ensure that there are smoothing and effective running in the healthcare organization the project team must refer, involve and partner with these groups. This is significant as it will help to solve the challenges that might arise in the organization. Also, it will assist in avoiding workflow disruptions and the budgetary concerns in the healthcare organization will be addressed.

References

Gilligan, C., & Lowe, R. (2018). Marketing and Healthcare Organizations. CRC Press.

Ginter, P. M., Duncan, W. J., & Swayne, L. E. (2018). The strategic management of health care organizations. John Wiley & Sons.

Gretzky, W. (2010). Strategic planning and SWOT analysis. JP Harrison, Essentials of Strategic Planning in Health Care, 97.

Nelson, R., & Staggers, N. (2016). Health Informatics-E-Book: An Interprofessional Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Perera, F. D. P. R., & Peiró, M. (2012). Strategic planning in healthcare organizations. Revista Española de Cardiología (English Edition), 65(8), 749-754.

Big Auto DriveECON/GM 561University of PhoenixBig Auto DriveAbstract

The automotive industry is a major force in the global market; it produces more than 60 million cars every year (Industry Week Magazine). Doe to the present financial crisis, the automotive industry sees their sales growth have reduced drastically over the years. Two major contributing factors are new entry into the market and high unemployment rates in countries such as Canada. With the never-ending global economic crisis, emphasis has been laid for stronger economic policies to improve standards of living from the slowdown in productivity growth. Predicting economic futures accurately is essential to ensure that individual organizations choose the best business alternatives.

Introduction

Big Drive Auto is a dealership company in Canada; they sell various cars and trucks from different manufacturers around the world. The company also provides a full maintenance services, sells parts for repairs and does a significant business in motor oil, coolant, and replacement tires. Management of Big Drive Auto is also scanning the macroeconomic environment for signals that will help it better plan its business (UOPM, 2012). The objective of this paper is to evaluate macroeconomic measures of Canada against which Big Drive must use to compare its own sales and price data. The paper will also evaluate any relationship between the two, and graphs will be used to explain the existing relationships. Suggestions will be made about how Big Drive Auto could use these relationships to better plan its operations (UOPM, 2012).

Evaluating Market Size of Canada

The Automotive Industry in Canada is a major contributor of the country’s manufacturing GDP (12%) and mark up of 24 % of manufacturing trade (Canada’s Automotive Industry, 2007). As the third major exporter of automotive products in the world, the country produces both light and heavy duty vehicles and also manufactures wide varieties of automotive parts and systems. The industry can also boast of an advance vehicle network system capable of supplying replacement parts and accessories and a top of the class distribution system (Canada’s Automotive Industry, 2003). The industry is also integrated into NAFTA, giving it free trade among the other two members the United States and Mexico. Canada is globally competitive with positive trade balance, the automobile industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy, employing over half a million people (Canada’s Automotive Industry, 2003). This makes Canada a lucrative market for Big Auto Drive to conduct it business operations. The table below show the number of cars produces in Canada in 2011.

Production by source Total number of Automobile produced

Car 801,039

Light truck 445,868

Medium/Heavy Load truck 63,811

Total 1,301,718

Source: Ward’s AutoInfoBank Economic Trends

Economic growth can be measured as (a) an increase in real GDP over time or (b) an increase in real GDP per capita over time (McConnell & Brue, 2004). The Global meltdown has influenced the Automotive Industry in Canada in the last couple of years. The sales of new automobiles dropped significantly over the years creating loss in total revenues for manufacturers and dealers as well. Economic growth in Canada has been restrained by large drops in auto assemblies. The recent volatility of auto production in Canada is in marked contrast with the United States. Auto output in Canada tumbled 23% in December, about two-thirds due to customers changing car models and one-third to weaker sales in the United States (Statistics Canada, 2010).

Competitive Market

Foreign competition held down wages and price hikes in the automobiles industries, because it falls under oligopoly market structure, anti-competitive cooperation may exist is this market. Developing a strong advertising campaign is an important part of the competition and will give Big Auto Drive a competitive edge over its competitors.

Macroeconomic Measures of Canada GDP against Big Drive Auto

Coordination of macroeconomic policies is a frequent issue for the leading industrial economies. This is vital, because even when country like Canada has experienced remarkable economic growth over time, high unemployment or inflation has sometimes been a problem. The primary measure of the economy’s performance is its annual total output of goods and services or, as it is called, its aggregate output also known as GDP (McConnell & Brue, 2004).

The GDP of Canada and Big Drive Auto business activities have a correlation. The Canadian GDP has a steady growth from 1998 to 2007; the graph bellowing will illustrate this information.

When comparing Big Auto Drive sales of vehicle during the same period to Canadian GDP, there is an increase in the number of automobile sold during the same time period. The graph below illustrates the sales of vehicle for the company.

Sales increase from 139 units sold in 1998 to 163 in 2007 correlates to the Canadian GDP during the same 10 year period. Although there has been a total increase during this period, there was a decline in units sold from 1999 to 2001 and a very small yearly decrease from 2003 to 2006. Big Drive Auto should price the products based on the current average prices of competing products.

Whilst Canada experienced GDP growth from 1998 to 2007, the country experienced a change in annual GDP during the period from 1998 to 2007, which correlates closely with the BDA vehicle price index. As a result of the fluctuation in vehicle price index and the annual GDP change, it can be assumed that this is the reason for the BDA decline in vehicle sales during the two periods between 1998 and 2007. The graph below explains:

Economists believe that the immediate causes of cyclical changes in the level of real output is the changes in the level of total spending (McConnell and Brue, 2004). If the country’s GDP decreases, it causes the unemployment rate to increase. From the GDP based on purchasing-power-parity (PPP), there is slight rise and fall, which is contrary to the Canadian GDP that is steadily rising from 1998 to 2007. To measure economic growth in Canada, an increase in real GDP and the real GDP per capital must occur over some time period (McConnell & Brue, 2004). Growth in the auto industry would therefore result in an increase in the real GDP over time. Consumers in Canada will purchase less with the increase in incomes coming from the increasing in GDP. With an effective market strategy, the company was able to sell more automobiles to its customers from 1998 and 2007.

Inflation

The current state of the Canadian economy requires businesses to do extensive research before setting prices for their products. When evaluating the macroeconomic measures of Canada and the company’s outputs and prices, the following factors must be considered: the Consumer Price Index can be used to measure the company’s prices as compare to Canada, so that the company can sell its products at that level where it will generate economic profits.

Since 2000, Canada CPI was stable; it was after the start of the economic crisis in 2007, that the index starts to fluctuate. In correlation with the core consumer price index, the vehicle price index is another source that will provide adequate information on pricing for the sale of the various automobile the company has in stock. Comparable to the core consumer price index, automobile prices were stable over the past decade. Decreases between 2000, and 2003, were followed by very mild increases.

The graph below depicts the core consumer price index for 2000 to 2010.

The rate of inflation, interest rates, and unemployment rates are determinants of the economic climate in Canada and play a role in pricing of consumer products. Keeping up with economic indicators will be influential in planning for the company’s success in the long run.

Conclusion

As the global economy toys with a double recession, austerity measures bites hard, the impact is on the consumer, managing business operation through this financial meltdown will help the company meet its goals. Demand for car and trucks have a tendency to to be interest rate sensitive, making the automobile industry one of the leading indicators of business cycles (www.forex-brokerage-firms.com).To earned economic profits and have a competitive edge in the industry, the company must develop a strategic plan that will make the company stand out and position itself for any of the possible economic business cycles. Big Auto Drive must implement a strategic control plan that will help track their strategies as it is being implemented, this will help the company detect various problems or changes in its underlying premises, and make necessary adjustments (Pearce and Robinson, 2011).

References:

Gerber, J. (2008). International Economics (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

McConnell, C. R. & Brue, S. L. (2005). Economics: Principles, problems, and policies. New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin

University of Phoenix material Big Auto Drive (2012)

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/auto-auto.nsf/eng/am02360.html

http://www.academon.com/Essay-Competition-in-the-Automobile-Industry/27288

https://www.bea.gov/scb/account_articles/international/1097srv/maintext.htm

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/080522/dq080522c-eng.htm

A QUANTITATIVE CASE STUDY

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A Quantitative Case Study

Introduction

Sustainability awareness and related issues are increasingly becoming the point of concern for organizational managers, mainly in the industrial sector. Increased governmental efforts for sustainability in terms of policies and regulations have forced many organizations to embrace sustainability in order to sustain their competitive advantage in the markets (Kannan et al. 2014, p.195). Currently, organizational managers have prioritized actions related to sustainability in almost every operational sector, and it is becoming part of the administrative objectives. The automobile industry is one of the industries that have embraced the idea of sustainability due to enormous pressure from environmental policies and standards (Kremer et al. 2016, p.2071). The need for sustainability in supplies has increased the level of competition and, consequently, the performance level of most business organizations. Thus, organizational managers should conduct sustainable supplier selection as an effective way of minimizing cost, improving the attention given to the workers, enhancing environmental protection measures, among others. Sustainable supplier selection allows the system of the company to control and develop permanent relationships with the suppliers.

Taking a case of automobile manufacturer “the Renault Group of Iran,” the company has a lot of hurdles in its attempt to comply with the regulations on achieving sustainability due to the dynamic nature of the rules within the last ten years. The conditions for sustainability as the role of human rights care and greening have been considerably tightened within the past decade hence affecting the strategic objectives of the company. It is also noted that sustainability matters have had significant challenges on the entire strategy of the company, competition tactics, and organizational performance. Renault Group has both local and international suppliers, but it has restricted criteria for selecting suppliers in terms of quality, cost, and architectural designs (Renault, 2016). The compare now faces a challenge in selecting sustainable supplier evaluation criteria and the best method of ranking the supplier. Therefore, the company needs to conduct the supplier sustainability evaluation criteria to develop a comprehensive and most suitable model that will help in combating sustainability issues facing the company. This paper seeks to develop a multi-criteria model that is considered most suitable for evaluating sustainable performance and ranking of the suppliers in the Renault Group Company.

Literature Review

Different research studies have been evaluated under different pressures and from a different point of view to achieve a more reliable model for decision-making. The multi-criteria decision-making models (MCDM) are utilized in decision making alongside conflicting, multiple, and criteria approach (Kumar 2017, p.598). It is considered that any car bought by the customer is qualified in terms of price, safety, size, comfort, and design, taking from a personal point of view. In a business organization, the problems associated with MCDM are complex and profound; for example, in continents like Europe, most organizations carry-out self-assessment using the criteria and sub-criteria approach in the European Foundation for Quality Management to establish quality supplier ranking and evaluation models. Most of the industrial organizations such as Renault Group procure departments so as to satisfy the requirements of suppliers (Govindan et al. 2013, p. 69). It is achieved using extensive criteria based on quality administration, financial stability, and after-sale revenues.

There exist several strategies and models that researchers have put forward to help in the ranking and evaluation of suppliers. A research conducted by Ho et al., (2010)indicates that most of the sustainability models applied by businesses generated through DEA, TOPSIS, ANP and other comprehensive models based on MCDM and AI models. Mohammed et al. (2018) and Aouadni, Rebai and Turskis (2017) developed a model based on the TOPSIS criteria to evaluate suppliers and selecting the best performing among them. The close association between cost, quality, and delivery were established as the best evaluation criteria for assessing the suppliers. The outcomes showed that fuzzy models are the most suitable approach to containing uncertainties.

In a quantitative study conducted by Rezaei et al., (2014) on AHP criteria for choosing the best performing supplier in the retail airline sector. The model generated was considered beneficial in two ways; first, it used as a conjunctive screening method and second in the selection of the best supplier. Govindian et al. (2013) postulated that a TOPSIS model applicable in a Fuzzy setting to help in the selection of sustainable suppliers. First, the model assessed the mechanisms and metrics associated with each sustainability attribute. Second, the ranking of the suppliers was made possible through the collection of a set of data. A research conducted by Büyüközkan et al. (2011) led to the proposition of a model to evaluate and rank the sustainability performance of the suppliers based on the ANP criteria in a fuzzy environment. The framework not only evaluates the performance of the suppliers but also sustains the degree of consistency in the assessment.

Sustainable supplier criteria model is a criterion that assists procurement managers to control and carry out payment of the supplied materials, acquire information on cash inflow and outflow. The evaluation criteria for supplier sustainability are the primary concern for companies like the Renault group that aspires change to green procurement management. SSCM is achieved through minimization and alleviation of the negative impacts that the procurement process has on the environment. It is also achieved through the organization’s sustainability and environmental performance, as indicated by the suppliers.

The research conducted by Govindan et al. (2013) through a survey on the literature review indicated that the environmental sustainability model is the most applied criterion to achieve green supply. Based on social sustainability, a range of criteria from different research findings were evaluated and summarized as long-working hours, human rights, discrimination, information disclosure, health and safety, employment practices and the rights of the company’s stakeholders (Ghadimi et al., 2014; Amindoust et al., 2012; Azadi et al., 2015).

Research by Vahdani et al. (2012) claims that ranking the suppliers is the practice of evaluating their performance using the best supplier evaluation criteria. The outcomes of this process is an independent and objective evaluation of the performance of the supplier and whether they satisfy the conditions of the company in acceptable ways. Additionally, Govindan et al. (2013) asserted that the ranking of the suppliers is based on the supplier evaluation model. Suppliers are ranked based on their satisfaction with the conditions required by the company, for example, in terms of cost, quality, delivery period, green production, and social privileges of the employees. The suppliers are usually ranked by their respective companies from the worst to the best according to the performance level required by the company. Reviewed literature shows that suppliers’ ranking could be realized in the form of rewards or some form of clearance of certification. Ranking of the suppliers is a crucial managerial process that is useful in decision making. Decision –making processes needs the application of different qualitative and quantitative analysis. However, the main aim of the process is to determine the best supplier that is able to fulfill the needs of the company based on the most appropriate criteria. The Decision-making problem is a critical issue for the procurement department, a type of MCDM issue which needs MCDM techniques to achieve an effective solution. The best solution to a decision-making issue is also considered to contribute positively to the performance of the entire supply chain of the company.

Research Methodology

A survey was carried out to assess the credibility and performance of supplier sustainability criteria and the sub-criteria proposed in various research findings. A formal questionnaire was created with the main aim of establishing the most suitable sustainability criteria and sub-criteria in supply chain management. The questionnaire used to entail some open as well as closed questions. The closed questions were aimed at giving the respondent a directive on how to answer specific questions. The open questions aimed to provide the respondent with a room for giving personal opinions about the subject. The questionnaire developed was made up of three major parts, namely: environmental, social, and economic criteria, including the sub-criteria of each category. The environmental category was made up of five main criteria and twenty sub-criteria. The social category was made up of four main criteria and thirteen sub-criteria. The economic category consisted of six main criteria and fifteen sub-criteria. The questionnaire required the interviewees to give a number to every sub-criterion highlighted to evaluate their significance and suitable SSCM. The significance level indicates the magnitude of the perceived significance given to a particular sub-criteria, whereas suitability indicates if the level of suitability in their application or performance. A Likert scale was created with numbers ranging between 1 and 5, with 5 representing the highest score and 1 is the lowest score.

In terms of ranking the suppliers, a qualitative research method was used to analyze the most suitable MCDM model. This method entails a secondary research method whereby information given by other authors, and research expert is applied in the review of the topic. To conduct this type of research, a qualitative method of analysis consisting of four procedures is adopted to make use of the literature review content that was accessed. The four procedures applied in the research methodology can be explained as follows:

Step 1: The extent of the review on this section is restricted to scholarly articles, peer-reviewed journals, educational websites, and other online published works. Academic articles with information on the MCDM model and its application were also utilized. The online search for contents related to the topic was searched using a keyword search strategy. Keywords such as MCDM methods, SSCM methods, supply chain sustainability, and supplier evaluation criteria were used. The application of official databases such as EBSCO, ProQuest allowed for easy access to the required content. The application of method-specific and non-specific terms like MCDM and SCM was also given due consideration.

Step 2: The choice of the articles and information to be applied in the study should range within the required time-frame. In this study, the articles and online materials used were produced within the last ten years. The consideration of the content’s year of production helps in ensuring the credibility and relevance of the information provided.

Step 3: Not all online materials accessed by the search engines are relevant to the objectives of the study. Therefore, it is good to select only those that match the objectives of the study. In this study, however, only those that deal with supplier sustainability evaluation on SSCM and MCDM models are considered relevant.

Step 4: This final stage comprises of the review of the ideas and contents provided by research and online articles. Paying attention to every detail provided by the material is essential to ensure the quality, credibility, and suitability of the information reviewed.

The case study of this quantitative research is the Renault Group Company. It is a vehicle automobile manufacturing company based in Iran, although the mother company was located in France. The company’s procurement department was chosen as the sample population for this research study. The reason for choosing this company is; first, because of the accessibility of information concerning the company’s supply chain. Second is because the procurement department conducts all the sourcing operations of the company.

Case study Findings and Analysis

The Renault Group (company) is a France based manufacturer of automobile which was founded by Louis Renault, Fernand Renault, and Marcel Renault in 1899. The company is involved in the manufacture of several types of vehicles ranging from motor cars to trucks and electric rail cars (Renault 2016). Renault formed an alliance in 1999 with Nissan Motor Company, and Renault took over 54% of Nissan’s stock, which is now rated as the fourth largest automobile company. Renault has also formed alliances with many other companies from across the world. Renault’s operations in Iran began more than four decades ago after the production of the first model in 1976. After that, Renault experienced numerous challenges in local production and ultimately stopping its operations until 1990, when a regional manufacturer began manufacturing Renault 5 and Renault 21(Renault 2016). Since Iran’s vehicle industry is an upcoming market, Renault took the step of forming more strong alliances with Iranian electric car makers to take advantage of this market opening and also to transfer modern technology to Iran.

The survey conducted in the form of a questionnaire was directed towards interviewing three top managers of the Renault Group Company. The managers interviewed through this questionnaire include the general manager, corporate managing director, and the procurement manager. The main aim of interviewing the top management is to acquire their views about the relative significance of a particular criterion and the performance of the suppliers with regard to every criterion being tested. After conducting the questionnaire to determine the best supplier sustainability criteria, four managers from the Renault Group in Iran were used as the respondents for evaluating the criteria. Additionally, a weighted mean value was applied for every criterion to help indicate their level of significance and applicability.

Figure 1: Important Sustainable supplier Evaluation Criteria

The results from the data obtained through the questionnaires suggest that organizational managers placed more significance on the economic factors in carrying out suppler evaluation instead of social and environmental factors. It is evident from the results collected that the aspect of economic costs is given the highest score, unlike the green product, which had the lowest score. Under the social factors, workers’ rights were granted the highest score meaning that it possesses a high level of significance among managers. Factors concerned with environmental management had more significance in the list of environmental aspects. Green technology and Eco design were given approximately the same level of significance.

In the analysis of the findings collected for the most suitable sustainable supplier evaluation criteria, it is evident that cost is the most applicable. It was followed by quality, service, delivery, and lastly, the flexibility of the supply chain. Therefore, the best SSCM criteria for the Renault Group in Iran are cost and factors related to social and environmental sustainability are less applicable. However, for Renault Group to focus on Mann-Whitney U-test Criteria to achieve a comprehensive model of evaluating supplier sustainability.

Mann-Whitney U-test

Table 1: The results of the Mann-Whitney U-test for Importance and applicability

Mann-Whitney U-test was utilized to determine if the mean scores of two types of data, that is, significance and applicability, vary. SPSS software was used to carry out this non-parametric test. Because the Mann-Whitney U-test is applied on ranked scores, it is not necessary to two types of data are typically distributed (Olugu et al. 2011, p.570). All the main criteria of the factors (economic, social, and environmental) were evaluated using this test, and the p-value for all the factors was more than 0.05. The outcomes indicate no substantial difference between the mean values of the two types of data.

In an attempt to find out the most appropriate MCDM technique for performance evaluation, the first step taken was analyzing the experience of others by studying the existing literature. In essence, literature findings show that mathematical models such as DEA, AHP, and others are only applicable to solving problems with specific sets of data (Vahdani et al. 2012 p. 1417). It implies that they cannot be used in handling qualitative information. AI-generated models which are computer-supported, require in-depth knowledge to operate and resolve the problems. Through the research, it can be noted that MCDM models are not complex in terms of understanding and implementation. The existing on decision-making shows that TOPSIS is one of the best models as an optional choice among other MCDM strategies (Govindane et al. 2013, p.71).

When compared with other MCDM techniques like AHP, DEMATEL, SAW, and ANP, TOPSIS is the easiest and less time-consuming. However, other techniques such as ANP and AHP require extra pairwise correlation matrixes for an optional choice. Because of this limitation, ANP and AHP techniques are less applicable in comparison to TOPSIS as a solution for MCDM problems (Kumar 2017, p.598). Additionally, ELECTRE is perceived as a sophisticated technique when compared to TOPSIS. The application process and results of the ELECTRE technique can be hard to describe in simple terms. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), TOPIS, and Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) have challenges with weighting the data. Even though the TOPSIS method has the limitation of weighting data, the process is not complicated, which easy to apply and program, unlike Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) and Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT). Generally, the cited literature shows that TOPSIS is the most suitable MCDM method in ranking the suppliers in comparison to other MCDM methods.

Conclusion

A comprehensive study of the SSCM and its sub-criteria for conducting supplier’s performance evaluation was established based on literature. Similarly, the significance and applicability of the criteria used were assessed with regard to the information collected from the managers of the Renault Group of Iran. A set of 15 main criteria and 48 sub-criteria were evaluated alongside their significance and applicability that was assessed by the use of questionnaire-based research. The outcomes of this analysis indicate that the economic criteria are the most suitable criteria for determining the sustainability performance in procurement, followed by environmental and, finally, the social criteria.

The Mann-Whitney U-test is employed by the study to illustrate whether the mean values of the two sets of data, that is, significance and applicability, are related to each other based on the manager’s perception about the company. The findings indicate no substantial variation between the mean values of the two sets of data. Thus, the designed list of SSCM and their respective sub-criteria can be utilized by the Renault Group Company for testing suppliers’ sustainability now and in the future. The Multi-criteria decision-making model (MCDM) is regarded as the most appropriate method for solving complex issues such as the ranking of the suppliers in terms of performance. There are several types of multi-criteria decision-making methods, which include MUIT, Case-based reasoning, ANP, AHP, among others. However, TOPSIS is regarded as the most suitable technique for ranking suppliers. However, more research needs to be conducted to obtain a more comprehensive and yet easy model for evaluating the performance and ranking of the suppliers. The model should be able to incorporate all aspects related to sustainability in the easiest way possible.

References

Amindoust, A., Ahmed, S., Saghafinia, A., & Bahreininejad, A., 2012, Sustainable supplier selection: A ranking model based on fuzzy inference system, Applied Soft Computing, 12(6), 1668-1677.

Aouadni, S., Rebai, A. and Turskis, Z., 2017, The meaningful mixed data TOPSIS (TOPSIS-MMD) method and its application in supplier selection. Studies in Informatics and Control, 26(3), pp.353-363.

Azadi, M., Jafarian, M., Saen, R. F., & Mirhedayatian, S. M.,2015, A new fuzzy DEA model for evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness of suppliers in sustainable supply chain management context, Computers& Operations Research, 54, 274-285

Ghadimi, P., & Heavey, C., 2014, Sustainable supplier selection in medical device industry: Toward sustainable manufacturing, Procedia CIRP, 15, 165-170

Govindan, K., Rajendran, S., Sarkis, J., & Murugesan, P., 2015, Multi criteria decision making approaches for green supplier evaluation and selection: a literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 98, 66-83.

Govindan, K., Rajendran, S., Sarkis, J., &Murugesan, P., 2013, Multi criteria decision making approaches for green supplier evaluation and selection: a literature review, Journal of Cleaner Production.

Ho, W., Xu, X., & Dey, P. K., 2010, Multi-criteria decision-making approaches for supplier evaluation and selection: A literature review, European Journal of Operational Research, 202(1), 16-24.

Kannan, D., Govindan, K., &Rajendran, S., 2015, Fuzzy Axiomatic Design approach based green supplier selection: a case study from Singapore, Journal of Cleaner Production, 96, 194-208.

Kremer, G.E., Haapala, K., Murat, A., Chinnam, R.B., Kim, K.Y., Monplaisir, L. and Lei, T., 2016, Directions for instilling economic and environmental sustainability across product supply chains, Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, pp.2066-2078.

Kumar, A., Sah, B., Singh, A.R., Deng, Y., He, X., Kumar, P. and Bansal, R.C., 2017, A review of multi criteria decision making (MCDM) towards sustainable renewable energy development, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 69, pp.596-609.

Mohammed, A., Harris, I., Soroka, A., Naim, M.M. and Ramjaun, T., 2018, January, Evaluating green and resilient supplier performance: AHP-fuzzy Topsis decision-making approach. In ICORES (pp. 209-216).

Olugu, E. U., Wong, K. Y., &Shaharoun, A. M., 2011, Development of key performance measures for the automobile green supply chain, resources, conservation and recycling, 55(6), 567-579

Renault group in Iran web, 2016, WWW.Renault.co.ir.

Rezaei, J., Fahim, P. B., & Tavasszy, L., 2014, Supplier selection in the airline retail industry using a funnel methodology: conjunctive screening method and fuzzy AHP, Expert Systems with Applications, 41(18), 8165-8179.

Vahdani, B., Iranmanesh, S., Mousavi, S. M., & Abdollah zade, M., 2012, A locally linear neuro-fuzzy model for supplier selection in cosmetics industry, Applied mathematical modelling, 36(10), 4714-4727

Living Religions

Question 1

Christianity is a faith based on the existence, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus. He was born a Jew approximately two thousand years ago and was tried and crucified by the Roman government which said that his teachings and actions were blasphemous. The Bible has shaped the growth of Christianity because it is termed as the Holy book and through it, God communicates to Christians. During the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down and filled the Christians who believed, they were distinguished from non-Christians because there was a visible fire their door. These were the Christians who then moved from Egypt to Israel which was the land God had promised them. Another historic event that led to spread of Christianity was the filling of disciples with the Holy Ghost after the resurrection of Jesus. This was a promise made by god and after its fulfilment, more people believed in Christianity and the teachings of Jesus. Christianity promises the acceptance by God despite of ones sins and this is evident according to Abraham who was favoured by God for his great faith despite his sins.

Question 2

Following the demise of Prophet Mohammed, issues of succession led to the division Muslims into two sects; Sunni and Shiite Muslims. The Sunnis regarded the caliph as the administrator of the Islam special Islam laws and therefore, he would have been the right person to succeed Prophet Mohammed. The Shari’ah laws were written according to the Qur’an and could be applied to real life situations. The Shari’ah law is interpreted to each age group by the Imam who is said to have the closest divine understanding for the laws.

Question 3

Belief and witness also known as the shahada is the first pillar of Islam that requires one to proclaim that Allah is the only true God and Mohammed was his prophet. It is a requirement according to the Qur’an for Muslims to tell others about Islam so that they can make a decision about their faith.

The second pillar of Islam is the daily prayer that is performed five times a day while facing Mecca. An imam may be present during the prayers, but is not required to come between the Muslim when praying to Allah. Before the prayers, a ritual is done using water and in some cases sand so as to purify the body. A number of prayers together with some verses of the Qur’an are recited while kneeling and bowing. The facing of Mecca by all Muslims acts as a unifying factor for all Muslims around the world not considering their social standing. In the mosque, men and women pray independently with men in front of the women to avoid sexual distraction by the women. Prayer strengths one’s belief when repeated a number of times and it is also said to purify the heart and that is the reason it is done five times a day.

The third pillar is “zakat” also known as spiritual almsgiving. Muslims are required to donate at least two percent of their accumulated wealth at the end of the year to Muslims who are less fortunate. The intention is too prevent personal greed while attempting to make all Muslim financially equal. This pillar literally means purifying wealth that is distributed among other Muslims keeping the money in a healthy circulation.

Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam and is obligatory to all Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan which celebrate the disclosure of the Qur’an to Prophet Mohammed. However, Muslims are required to fast on a regular basis during other months other than the month of Ramadan but it is not obligatory. All those Muslims that of recommended age, healthy, not menstruating or nursing a new-born baby are required to refrain from food, drink, smoking and sexual intercourse from dawn till dusk for the month of Ramadan. It is said that fasting burns up all impurities in the bodies purifying the soul so as to improve their relationship with Allah.

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam also known as paying pilgrimage to Mecca. All Muslims with the ability of visiting Mecca to pay their pilgrimage are required to do so at least once. If a Muslim can afford to sponsor another Muslim who is incapable of going due to finances, then it is a requirement for them to do so. However, this pillar is not mandatory because not all have the financial capabilities to travel to Mecca. This is meant to collectively bring Muslims from all round the world. A series of rituals are performed and it is a requirement for all the male pilgrims to wrap themselves with a similar cloth so as to symbolise that they are all equal.

Of all the discussed pillars of Islam, shahada is the easiest to fulfil because it only requires a Muslim to proclaim their faith to others telling them about Allah and his prophet Mohammed. All Muslims would be capable of fulfilling this pillar regardless of their health or social status. Fasting is termed by many Muslims as the hardest to fulfil because it requires one to be disciplined to ensure that all the guidelines provided for fasting are followed. It is also the hardest because it is obligatory and if one does not observe fasting due to valid reasons, then they are required to do so at a later date.

Jihad according to Prophet Mohammed is the constant battle within self in the effort to distinguish between right and wrong. It is an inward fight in the heart that is externally expressed to bring out harmony within the community so as to protect the teachings of Islam and its faith. It states in the Qur’an that jihad should not be used for personal benefits. However, the Qur’an allows one to engage in war if they have been wronged or captured unlawfully and their rights infringed. This statement has led to the different perceptions of jihad in textbooks. A misunderstanding of the Qur’an has led many to engage in constant battles and terrorism acts claiming that they are only protecting the interests of other Muslims.

Name:

Lecturer:

Course:

Date:

Media and Gender-inequality

The need for equality across people with different genders is a topic that continues to be discussed since its inadequacies are witnessed not only in the occupation sector but also in the political area. Unfortunately, one pervasive medium of information, the Television shows, and movies have only increased the issue farther. According to a study by Dr. Lauzen, after studying the characters both on-screen and behind the screens programs, only 5% of them had an equal number of female and male characters. Also, while it may seem that the female characters in the broadcasting network are increasing the data suggests otherwise since the number of the female between 2015-2016 was one percent less to that of 2006-2007. However, the underrepresented female characters are not the only depiction of gender inequality but also their characterizations in the shows and movies. Female characters are depicted as leaders in fewer instances than the male characters, and they are also shown in fewer cases as working and more than the male characters.

Additionally, they are referred by their marital status. In regards to women being employed to work on the positions, behind-the-scenes have stalled in the past decade with only a one percent increase being witnessed. With the reference that those who are on the behind-scenes affect those on the on-screen, it is evident that programs with at least one female creator, the female speaking characters were 45% and females accounted for 32% where all producers were male. Also, programs with at least one female executive producers had 40% female characters, the more the creators and producers, the same was with the female characters (Berger). Nowadays, most people spend a maximum of 10 hours daily, and the depiction of women in adverts and shows shapes the perception of women where it depicts that whatever the value they will always be judged by their looks. Moreover, it illustrates that the ideal woman is whiter, which affects the perception of black women. Lastly, the only positive thing that is happening on the shows and movies it the diversification of people across all races.

Works Cited

Berger, Laura. “New TV Research Reveals Gender Inequality On-Screen And Off”. Womenandhollywood.Com, 2016, https://womenandhollywood.com/new-tv-research-reveals-gender-inequality-on-screen-and-off-146acc5ff99/. Accessed 3 Apr 2020.

Media and the Criminal Justice System

Student’s Name

Institution

Media and The Criminal Justice System

In the modern age of advanced technology, information is fast and readily made available to consumers. Consequentially, the media is significantly involved in ways that have helped to reach and provide information to their consumers through gadgets such as television, social media platforms, and radios. The mainstream media and social media have had a crucial impact on the criminal justice system by spreading information to the public, which has led to massive changes in the area. 

Mainstream media, which includes broadcast media and newspapers, are a popular source of information among people. People rely on them for news coverage, provision of information, education, and articulating their grievances. The mainstream media has a significant influence on the criminal justice system. One of the main impacts of mainstream media on criminal justice systems is that it highlights its weaknesses to improve it. Historically, mainstream media has put pressure on the government and other stakeholders to create an equitable criminal justice system. One of the most successful roles that the mainstream media played in influencing the criminal justice system was during the Civil Rights Movement. During the time, the mainstream media highlighted the plight of Blacks in America. The mainstream media covered stories of deep-rooted racism in American society, which included policy brutality and high incarceration rates among African Americans (Schultz, 2019). The stories covered by the mainstream media led to the improvement of Blacks and People of Color’s lives in the United States through the introduction of better policies. The policy changes introduced in criminal justice during the Civil Rights Movement era were a testament to the role mainstream media plays in creating an equitable society. 

In recent years, social media has emerged as a popular and choice among people for news, entertainment, and information. In recent years, it has played an important role in putting pressure on the criminal justice system with a view of creating change. Popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are now crucial ways of sensitizing, informing, and mobilizing people. In 2020, social media has been significantly used to mobilize people against policy brutality and bring change to the department of the criminal justice system. The recent killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which was captured by a witness, was spread via social media to millions of people worldwide. The clip, which illustrated a common problem of police brutality, sparked widespread protests in the United States, which have led to significant changes in police departments across the United States. The pressure created by the protests has put the criminal justice system in a spotlight and contributed to various defunding efforts (Rubinstein and Mays, 2020). 

The morning news had a few news stories on the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system news was fairly written and investigated. The journalists were fair and did not seem to portray any particular bias. I noticed that most of the criminal justice systems involved police brutality issues, which have been the main component of news stories in 2020. 

Reference

Rubinstein, D., & Mays, J. (2020, June 30) Nealy $1billion is shifted from police in budget that pleases no one. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/nyregion/nypd-budget.htmlSchultz J. (2019). Media coverage of law enforcement and effects of the image created. Dominican Scholar, https://scholar.dominican.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1150&context=senior-theses

Student’s name

Name of lecturer

Course Number

Date of assignment

Live to work

Introduction

Whether one has to live to work or work to live is a question that is so subjective. According to a guest author on “hat is work for, life is not always the way most people desire it could be. Few people are gratified by what they do but the remaining population is always grappling with the question of what they should do to make their lives comfortable. Most of the people work to ensure that their basic needs and that of their families are met. It is also argued that most people even after achieving much to maintain their families, they will continue working. This is mainly because “what is enough?” varies from one person to another. Most achievers in life are driven by the desire to succeed in whatever they do. In this article, we are going to discuss on the reasons that drive people to live to work as opposed to the vice versa(“What is work” 001).

Discussion

According to Baehr P and Wells G C (009), for one to be a good worker, he must have the qualities of diligence and hard work. This is evidenced by the fact that the hardworking people are give promotions and positions with better remuneration. The long time notion that people should work hard and retire to their comfort zones after retirement is being challenged. Most people are now thinking of how to make their later years most interesting (Baehr P and Wells G C 009). According to Weiss T “Living to work”, most companies in the US are grappling with the idea of their aging workforce. They are thinking of ways they can enhance and retail their employees who are past the retirement age. This is because of the vital skills they have that are of great importance to the companies. To deal with this brain drain from their companies, the companies have come up with enticements to ensure that the old folks do not live without disseminating the knowledge they have to the younger generations. For people to live and enjoy working, most companies are cutting down their responsibilities and altering some that cannot be done away with. (Baehr P and Wells G C (009)

According to Burstyn B S (001), most people in the US are working for longer hours than any other in the world. Most of them do not even have leaves. This has had adverse effects on the lives of the people. First, most people are pre-occupied by their work in that they do not even have time to think of their own lives. The much they can think of is what meal they will have next. Secondly, because of the limited time they have with their families, most of their relationships are compromised. Some even do not have time to form relationships. The tendency of people having to work for long hours has led to a population with people who do not have enough sleep. The children of such parents are also not spared .they have to learn to cope with the demanding lifestyles of their parents. This means that if the parents have limited time to themselves for relaxing, the children will be deprived of the leisure activities. Most of the parents even don’t have the time to go shopping as they are always buried in their desire to work hard to achieve lives’ needs(Burstyn B S 001).

Conclusion

From the discussions above you can tell that is better for one to live to work than work to live. A population who are driven by a work to live policy is doomed to fail. This is because the work force will have a burnout as they have limited time to release the stressors associated with their work. The driving force behind life should be to enjoy whatever they are doing as much as they have to meet their basic needs. There is no limit to what one can acquire and riches will never be enough, so live your life to the fullest (Baehr P and Wells G C 009).

Works cited

Burstyn Barbara Sumner, Working To Live has Been Overtaken by Living to

Work, September 22, 2003.Print

Baehr P and Wells G C.The Protestant Ethic and “The Spirit of Capitalism”

Penguin Books, pp.9-12, 2002. Print

Load Problem Questions: Free Movement of Goods Article 34 And 36

Question 1: Advice Free Pork Ltd If It Has Any Grounds under EU Law for Challenging the Two Spanish Laws

Both articles (Article 34 and 36) prohibit measures, which have particular restrictive effects. In majority of the cases, the term ‘measures’ equates to the laws passed directly by the Member State government. However, the ECJ (European Court of Justice), has stated that a measure can be an item wider and less well described. It is worth noting that the course of Conduct for a State intended to induce discriminatory practice among consumers and private individuals can constitute a measure (regardless it having or lacking a binding influence) and be in violation of the Article 34. The aspect of measures can also include the inaction of a State to stop private individuals’ acts, which prevent the free movement of goods (The College of Law 2012, p200).

The ECJ described the expression of quantitative restriction as measures that amount to partial or total restraint of, based on the circumstances, exports, imports or goods in transit. There are two laws that apply in this category but in this case, the most applicable law is the outright ban enforced by a Member State (Spain) on imports from another Member State (The College of Law 2012, p201). Free Pork Ltd plans to begin selling its products in Spain have been hampered by the law that requires the sale of sausages produced from humanely reared pigs to be checked by Spanish Sausage Checkers (SSC). If the sausages are not checked by SSC, the law prohibits its sales in Spain. However, the process of verifying whether the sausages have those conditions is usually lengthy. Therefore, Free Pork can challenge this Spanish law. There is also a law that requires the name of the company not to use words that imply health or fitness. Free Pork can also challenge this law because it restricts the importation of goods and can affect the brand image of the company.

The SSC is a form of a licencing system, which according to the articles, subjects the import of merchandises to the condition of getting an import licence. Even in situations where the application for an import licence is regarded a mere formality; it is a Quantitative Restriction. This is because is simply a mechanism in which imports can be restricted. In practice, it is very rare for the Member States laws to result to quantitative restrictions. The ban on exports or imports between Member States is found only in unusual circumstances (The College of Law 2012, p201). Therefore, failure by Free Pork Ltd to meet the conditions set by the Spanish laws is an outright ban on exporting sausages to this Member State. As stated earlier, the ban only happens in unusual circumstances, and thus, Free Pork can challenge the law because an unusual circumstance lacks, which prohibits it from exporting the goods to Spain.

The directive was important in developing a brief wording of the Article 34 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) and it continues to offer guidance on the measures that can constitute a breach of Article 34 TFEU prohibitions. Article 2(1) of the directive describes a class of measures (for instance, national laws) that treat imported goods and domestic goods differently. They are commonly referred to as distinctly applicable measures. Article 3 of the directive describes a class of national laws that apply equally to imported and domestic products. These laws have a restrictive impact and they are commonly referred to as indistinctly applicable (The College of Law 2012, p202).

Therefore, the directive classifies both indistinctly and distinctly applicable measures as measures that have an impact equivalent to restrictions on imports. From the statement, it can be stated that a national law can become MEQR (Measures having Equivalent effect to a Quantitative Restriction) regardless of whether it “discriminates against imported products or appears to treat them in the same way as domestic products but is in practice restrictive in effect” (The College of Law 2012, p202). It is important to note that a Member State is capable of justifying more easily an indistinctly applicable law. Although Free Pork can challenge the law on imports restriction, Spain can justify its law because it is indistinctly applicable.

There are three categories of national laws capable of being MEQRs. The first category is laws aimed at enforcing standards (generally minimum standards) concerning matters like weight, description, labelling, size, content or price of goods. The second category is laws concerning tests designed to make sure that goods conform or obey standards indicated in the first category of laws. The third category is laws able to influence the behaviour of consumers and traders. Therefore, the emphasis is on the rules that are capable of having an impact, rather than on the rules essentially having an impact (The College of Law 2012, p204). The requirement to change the name of the company to a name that does not imply fitness or health can be challenged because that law has satisfied the requirement of being MEQRs. Therefore, Free Pork Ltd can challenge the law by proving that it is MEQRs.

The Cassis de Djion principles are applicable in the case of Free Pork Ltd and the Spanish laws. The first principle of Cassis de Djion states that where a national law is applicable to imported and domestic products alike, and where Community-wide standards concerning the products in question lacks, it may be mandatory to accept obstacles to trade caused by the reality that the national law differs from other Member States laws. However, the obstacles can only be acknowledged if the national law leading to the obstacle is essential to satisfy a mandatory necessity, and the law does not go further than it is necessary to accomplish its aim (The College of Law 2012, p204). Therefore, Free Pork Ltd can challenge the law if it is capable of justifying that the law is indistinctly applicable.

The second principle seems to conflict with the first principle but the two can be reconciled if there is a presumption that the goods lawfully produced in one Member State are marketable in another. However, if there is a law that obstructs this, the Member State can invalidate the presumption through Cassis or through Article 36 TFEU (The College of Law 2012, p207). Therefore, Free Pork Ltd can challenge this law. Based on Article 36, Free Pork Ltd can prove to Spain that the sausages it supplies do not pose health risk to people. The article states that a Member State willing to use this derogation has to prove the existence of an actual health risk (The College of Law 2012, p217). Therefore, under this article, Free Pork can challenges the laws by proving that its products do not pose health risk to the people of Spain.

Question 2. Advise Free Pork Ltd if it has any grounds under EU law for challenging the Spanish advertising requirement.

The Spanish laws regarding the broadcast of adverts targeted at consumers below the age of 12 years adopt a protective approach pushing the timing of the broadcast to not earlier than 9 pm. Under such circumstances, Free Pork’s entry into the Spanish market faces the limitation of adverts set by the Spanish national laws. Two important issues emerge in the deliberations of the legal position in which the Free Pork venture finds itself. On one hand, the right of the Spanish consumer protection policies as well as the right of the company under its commercial rights as discussed below.

In view of the Spanish national agencies position to enforce consumer protection against a backdrop of foreign policies having a negative position on a particular contestable matter, the position of the reprieve is offered to Member States in terms of the protection offered by the European Union. In Konsumentombudsmannen (KO) v De Agostini (Svenska) Förlag AB (C-34/95) and TV-Shop i Sverige AB (C-35/95 and C-36/95), it was held that the right of a Member State to apply advertisement prohibition to a foreign advertiser from a jurisdiction permitting such advertisements should not be contested. The case had particular consumer protection obligations from the Member State and the original intention of the law cannot be overruled.

It therefore implies that the bottom line of the contested interaction between the Free Pork venture into the market through the advertisement is expected to some extent, however debatable it is. However, the application of the law to a foreign market entrant where such a prohibition is not applicable provides a different concept for consideration by Free Pork where the reasons target a particular age group. The Spanish authorities for instance will find it important to invoke the provisions of Article 34 as demonstrated in the Keck formulae adopted in Keck and Mithouard (cases C-267 and C-268/91) [1993] ECR I-6097. Such invocation will involve the enumeration of the specific environment offered to domestic sausage marketers, which would be argued to be fairly reasonable if foreign entrants are subjected to similar treatment.

In Cassis de Dijon, the ECJ made the observation that a Member State has an opportunity to forward conflicting justifications on policies and laws impacting on prohibition of free movement of goods in the EU. According to the deliberations of the court, a nation implementing a trade policy likely to conflict the free movement of goods regime can forward certain arguments to sustain an argument for prohibition of movement of goods (The College of Law 2012, p217). Generally referred to as derogating opportunity from the provisions of the Treaty, it is possible for a Member State to launch a campaign from a legal position of national laws to attempt to control or restrict free movement as negated for all the Member States. As an illustration, it may be expected that the Spanish authorities will invoke the various derogation provisions under Article 36 to deny Free Pork to freely advertise and penetrate the sausage market. Derogation under Article 36 a) cites public interest, which is not clearly outlined and the Spanish authorities may twist the uncertainty to fit into the protection of public interest through barring adverts of sausages to children below 12 years of age.

Derogation c) also sounds like a possible excuse for reliance to invoke prohibitory opportunity for advertising to children below 12 years of age. The complexity of the burden of proof for the protection of health of the Spanish children may however proof to be an opportunity for Free Pork. In Commission v. UK: Re UHT Milk (case 124/81) [1983] ECR 203, it was held that the Member State must avail substantial detail on the nature and magnitude of the risks posed by the said products (The College of Law 2012, p217). By scrutinizing possible discrimination element in the particular Spanish law prohibiting free advertisement, it is possible to compel the authorities to avoid the prohibition. Section 5.2 of Article 36 dispels any arbitrary implementation of discriminatory laws. As observed in Commission v. UK (Re Imports of Poultry Meat) (case 40/82) [1982] ECR 2793, failure to demonstrate the extent to which a law is not restrictive to free movement of goods leads to infringement on EU laws (The College of Law 2012, p218).

In Konsumentombudsmannen (KO) v De Agostini (Svenska) Förlag AB (C-34/95) and TV-Shop i Sverige AB (C-35/95 and C-36/95), it also emerged that the Member State cannot prohibit advertisements from a different Member State on grounds of consumer protection to persons under 12 years of age (The College of Law 2012, p213). On this legal concept adopted by the court in the case, the EU offers relief to Member States to enjoy the regime on free movement of goods and their penetration into the market. It would certainly be restrictive to involved business if consumer protection laws selectively designed to a particular age group closes the channel available to free movement of goods to the ultimate market. The available options to Free Pork must therefore include seeking legal intervention against the restrictive Spanish laws targeting unfair advertisement prohibition on the grounds of protection of persons under the age of 12 years. As noted above, however, the Spanish authorities are expected to offer objection to contesting opinion regarding implemented policies targeted towards consumer protection such as freedoms of advertisement.

The spirit of Article 34 TFEU is particularly to offer definition to various selling arrangements that must prevent hindrances to free movement of goods. Under the finer implementation details, the spirit of the Article captures the need to provide non-discriminatory business regimes free goods movement among Member States. In view of the provisions of the article, it is apparent that the jurisdiction of the EC in determination of the restriction concepts experienced at the hands of national policies of a Member State are reasonable o other Member States. Substantial restrictions experienced by Member States in accessing the channels of distribution and free movement of goods must be countered by the EC framework as enumerated under Article 34 TFEU. The level of intervention by the EC as spelt out in Article 34 TFEU extends to the negative impact experienced by the Member States in the implementation of a regime withholding free movement of goods (The College of Law 2012, p213). The protection of inter-state trade perhaps has a far-reaching impact if implemented without discrimination and the EC demonstrates the importance of such consideration across several rulings through the ECJ. Whereas Member States have the general space of access of inter-state markets within the EU, the existence of principles of subsidiarity in the market and the natural limitations guarded by spirit of international community contradicts the principle of free movement of goods. References

The College of Law (2012) Unit 21: Free movement of goods, The College of Law.

-4572002628900Big Data & Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: What are the Ethical Implications?

Have you heard or did you hear about the Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal? This is a typical example of just how much is at stake when it comes to big data and artificial intelligence in Marketing. The advent of these new technologies has become the backbone of the success for a number of renowned multinational corporations including Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Amazon, Alibaba etc. As more organizations jump onto the big data craze and AI technology as marketing tools, certain questions arise. A review of ethical implications of the technology demands answering certain concerns on big data and AI based marketing strategies and decision-making processes used presently. Looking at Big data and AI intelligence we must consider; the negative ethical implications of this new technology, how far is too far?

Big data is now big business but has become a tool for manipulation. According to Saran, (2018), Big data has enabled companies to better target the changing needs of customers; developing relevant, rich and needs oriented content but this has come at a cost. Organizations like Google and Facebook are now generating huge chunks of their revenue from big data. Big data is a big business because of the high accuracy levels of collected data that have helped make major organizational decisions in real time. Through data harvesting, organizations are now able to understand the needs of their target customers recognize the changing needs of every customer and respond appropriately in real time. This has created the problem of privacy breaches and user manipulation based on their personal information. Because of this level of accuracy, data can be manipulated and used to target individual vulnerabilities considered as weaknesses for eases of manipulation in crucial decision-making aspects such as elections.

Another major ethical concern is the issue of selling private user data to third parties. Companies like Google and Facebook have been found to sell user data and information to third party organizations at a profit. This is a growing concern, because there is no telling what extents, these organizations go to obtain the data and how much of the private user data is being given out. Additionally, most users don’t really know when, why and how their data is harvested, what is harvested and how this data is used. Companies like Cambridge analytica was able to use private user information to create targeted advertisements, which helped dissuade the electorate to vote in certain patterns. There are many other instances of user privacy violations and undesired targeted advertising which point to just how serious this problem will become as more organizations, governments and the general population joint the online data harvesting and artificial intelligence technology bandwagon.

00Big Data & Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: What are the Ethical Implications?

Have you heard or did you hear about the Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal? This is a typical example of just how much is at stake when it comes to big data and artificial intelligence in Marketing. The advent of these new technologies has become the backbone of the success for a number of renowned multinational corporations including Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Amazon, Alibaba etc. As more organizations jump onto the big data craze and AI technology as marketing tools, certain questions arise. A review of ethical implications of the technology demands answering certain concerns on big data and AI based marketing strategies and decision-making processes used presently. Looking at Big data and AI intelligence we must consider; the negative ethical implications of this new technology, how far is too far?

Big data is now big business but has become a tool for manipulation. According to Saran, (2018), Big data has enabled companies to better target the changing needs of customers; developing relevant, rich and needs oriented content but this has come at a cost. Organizations like Google and Facebook are now generating huge chunks of their revenue from big data. Big data is a big business because of the high accuracy levels of collected data that have helped make major organizational decisions in real time. Through data harvesting, organizations are now able to understand the needs of their target customers recognize the changing needs of every customer and respond appropriately in real time. This has created the problem of privacy breaches and user manipulation based on their personal information. Because of this level of accuracy, data can be manipulated and used to target individual vulnerabilities considered as weaknesses for eases of manipulation in crucial decision-making aspects such as elections.

Another major ethical concern is the issue of selling private user data to third parties. Companies like Google and Facebook have been found to sell user data and information to third party organizations at a profit. This is a growing concern, because there is no telling what extents, these organizations go to obtain the data and how much of the private user data is being given out. Additionally, most users don’t really know when, why and how their data is harvested, what is harvested and how this data is used. Companies like Cambridge analytica was able to use private user information to create targeted advertisements, which helped dissuade the electorate to vote in certain patterns. There are many other instances of user privacy violations and undesired targeted advertising which point to just how serious this problem will become as more organizations, governments and the general population joint the online data harvesting and artificial intelligence technology bandwagon.

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00AI & BIG DATA IN MARKETING

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