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Music in the Cold War

Characterized by military apprehension, economic competition, and political conflict, the cold war was the term used to refer to the relationship established between the US and the USSR after World War II (Whitfield 377-392). Accordingly, these two states engaged in various proxy wars as they differed in their governance of each respective state. The two states considered themselves as sworn enemies and they were determined to outdo each other in relation to the ways in which the two states were run and governed. Though the cold war is considered as one of the political wars that characterized this period, researchers argue that the war between these two states was beyond political and military competition.

According to research studies, the cold war was also a cultural war with the states involved fighting for the sustenance of their different cultures. Because of the wars, the two states feared the possibility of cultural delusion in their states, and for that reason, they embraced the use of various artistic forms to help prevent this (Whitfield 377-392). Though many argue that the cold war had a significant effect on the culture and lives of the citizens in these states, others argue that the impact was vice versa. That artistic components such as music, literature, and film had effects on the cold war itself (Rosen 1). More specifically, music is considered to have had the most significant effect on the cold war. This is because, out of all other artistic elements and components, music was the most exploited, and more music groups and musicians came up with various compositions that impacted the cold war. Accordingly, researchers argue that music composed during this time had significant impacts on the cold war including augmenting the wars and conflict during this time, as well as, reducing and possibly bringing to an end the tension that was experienced during this time (Rosen 1). In essence, music had a great impact on the cold war, which is the subject of this paper.

This paper examines the impact of music in the Cold War. Specifically, the paper examines music as a weapon of war, music a cultural expression, music as a diplomatic tool, and music as a source of encouragement.

Impact of Music on the Cold War

In order to understand the impact of music on the cold war, one must consider the various ways in which music was used and exploited during this time. A closer examination on the exploitation of music during the cold war reveals that music was used in four key ways, including as a weapon, as a form of cultural expression, as a tool for diplomacy, as well as, a source of encouragement (Schmelz 3-16). These uses of music can be divided into two main broad categories to illustrate the impact of music on the cold war. These categories include the impact of music on the augmentation of the war and the impact of music on the reduction and end of the war.

Escalation of the War

Increasing and accelerating the war is the first impact of music on the cold war. Musicians and other musical composers established various musical compositions are considered as having been responsible for the escalation of the cold war during this time. This is because the states at were used their musical compositions weapons of war and forms of expression, thus increasing the disparities between the states at war (Whitfield 377-392). By increasing the disparities between the states, music indirectly fuelled the war between the states, as the two states fought to express their cultures through music.

Music as a Weapon of War

As previously mentioned, the cold war was largely influenced by music and other artistic forms of expression. Music impacted the cold war in various ways, with one of the ways being fueling war between the two states. According to Cusick, music during the cold war was used, not only as a weapon of war, but also as a weapon for torture (Cusick 1). The first use of music as a weapon of war and torture was demonstrated by the US troops in 1989. As a strategy for inducing a Panamanian surrender, the US troops played loud music as a form of weaponry known as “acoustic bombardment” (Cusick 1). As researchers explain, acoustic bombardment was a form of war attack in the battlefields that was considered to have a negative effect on those to whom it was being imposed. Specifically, this form of war weaponry was said to be an alternative to other lethal methods of armament. This is because, this type of weapon was used for torturing enemy troops through sensory deprivation and sexual humiliation, thus fostering more an increment of battle and war in between the states at war (Cusick 1). Using music as a weapon of war encouraged an increase in war and conflict because it prompted retaliation from enemy troops who were initially subjected to this form of weaponry. When prisoners were captured, they would also be subjected to various musical compositions that were designed to force them into revealing the secrets of their home troops. Detainee interrogations during this time were highly characterized by playing of music, which had a psychological effect on those under interrogation. This, therefore, illustrates how music fuelled wars and conflict during the cold war.

Music as a Cultural Expression

Evidently, music was and still is primarily used as a form of expression for the composer and his people. Musical compositions during the cold war were highly characteristic of cultural expression and attitudes (Whitfield 377-392). For that reason, most of the music composed during this time was created to reflect the different cultures of the people and communities in the society during this time. Though the composition of music as a form of cultural expression has a positive connotation to it, its overuse in the period during the cold war transformed these forms of music into political idioms (Whitfield 377-392). This transformation saw the escalation of the cold war because most people used music to express their political ideologies regarding the cold war. Music that was used for political expression slowly took over the society, and it in turn saw the increase of political protests in the different states. Using music as a form of cultural and political expression was is considered as a way through which music impacted the cold war as it promoted negative thinking in individuals under the name of “freedom of political expression”. Most people believed that they had a right to their political thought, and because these thought differed across cultures, the possibility of fighting among each other increased because of these differences. For that reason, music can be said as to having impacted the cold war by escalating the war into new levels that were not existent before.

Curtailing the War

Research studies on the impact of music on the cold war also identify the curtailing of war as one of the impacts of music on the cold war. Though music may have played a role in increasing the war, researchers and historians also argue that music composed during the cold war had a significant effect on the reduction of the cold war. Musical compositions were used to discourage the two cultures that were at war with each other form going into war. Instead, such music spoke for the need for peace between the US and the USSR, by educating individuals on the importance of maintain peace with each other. In addition to this, such music was also used to illustrate the disadvantages of going to war and the negative effects that this had on the society at large. Two main uses of music have been identified with relation to curtailing the war including the utilization of music as a diplomatic tool and as a source of encouragement.

Music as a Tool for Diplomacy

Music was also exploited as a diplomatic tool during the cold war. As Fosler-Lussier explains in her article, musical compositions were used for the enhancement of the image of the cultures that were at war with each other (Fosler-Lussier 1). Specifically, the US utilized various forms of music such as jazz and folk music to enhance America’s image to the rest of the world. Accordingly, the US state department deployed American musicians to various parts of the world to perform various forms of music as a way of illustrating their diplomacy during the Cold War. These musicians played the role of cultural ambassadors as they used their music to reach out to the different populations of the world and spread their message across (Eschen 55). They met various groups and populations and educated them on the culture of Americans, as well as, their thought regarding the cold war. By doing this, music was used to discourage war between the states, thus bringing to an end the cold war that had had a significant effect on the society at the time.

Music as a Source of Encouragement

The period during the cold war also saw the composition of musical pieces that were solely aimed at encouraging people during their trying time at the war (Cortright 12). Musical compositions were used to encourage the military soldiers as they went to war and after they came back from war. Such musical compositions encouraged these soldiers that they would come out as victors from these wars, thus urge them to march on to their success. Contrastingly, there were various musical compositions that encouraged the need for peace and stability, thus discouraging the states from going to war with each other (Cortright 37). Such music inspired these states to stop fighting with each other and embrace peace and harmony for a better future and society for the generations to come, thus reducing the possibility of individuals engaging in war. By encouraging people to stop engaging in war, music impacted the cold war through curtailing the cold war and its effects on the states at war.

Work Cited

Cortright, David. Peace: A History of Movements and Ideas, UK: Cambridge University Press,

2008. Print.

Cusick, Suzanne G. Music as torture / Music as weapon. 23 March 2006. Web. 7 December

2011. <<http://www.sibetrans.com/trans/a152/music-as-torture-music-as-weapon>>

Eschen, Penny M Von. Satchmo Blows Up the World. Jazz Ambassadors Play the Cold War.

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004. Print

Fosler-Lussier, Danielle. American Musicians in Cold War Cultural Diplomacy. 15 January

2006. Web. 7 December 2011.

<<http://mershoncenter.osu.edu/expertise/force/musiciandiplomacy.htm>>

Rosen, Charles. Music and The Cold War. 7 April 2011. Web. 7 December 2011.

<<http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/apr/07/music-and-cold-war/?pagination=false>>

Schmelz, Peter J. Introduction: Music in the Cold War. The Journal of Musicology,

26.1(2009): 3-16

Whitfield, Stephen J. The Cultural Cold War As History. West Virginia Quarterly Review,

(1993): 377-392.

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL BY MARTIN LUTHER KING

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Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King Jr, who served as a minister and an activist of civil rights, wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail in April 1963, while he was still in prison. He had been arrested for civil disobedience after engaging in a peaceful protest against segregation which was prevalent in Birmingham city. The letter addresses the racial segregation and all the injustices that the black community in the US was facing. The letter was in response to the criticism which had been addressed to King by eight clergymen who considered King’s and his fellow activists’ actions as unwise and untimely. King addressed the concerns of the clergymen about his action using a formal tone. The primary audience of King’s letter were the clergymen and other white moderates who were against the black community movement. This essay provides a comprehensive discussion of what was included in King’s Letter provides the author’s key arguments and personal thoughts about the letter.

There are three main issues presented in the letter. Firstly, King addressed the clergymen’s concern that it was not his place as outside to interfere with Birmingham city. Explaining why he was in Birmingham; King gave three reasons why it was appropriate for him to engage actively in Birmingham’s civil rights despite him not being a permanent resident. He first explained that he was the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which operated in all Southern states. He further stated that his organization was sharing staff, financial and educational resources with its affiliates, and a few months ago, the affiliates in Birmingham had requested them to engage in a nonviolent protest, which they agreed to. Therefore, he was in Birmingham because he had organizational ties there. Secondly, he stated that he was in Birmingham because of the injustice there. He explained that he was in Birmingham to seek freedom for all and respond to the call of aid. Lastly, King claimed that he was in Birmingham to deal with injustices since injustices in Birmingham were a threat to justice everywhere.

Secondly, King addressed why Birmingham needed to demonstrate. He claimed that the black community had no alternative but to demonstrate since the need for justice in the city was urgent. According to King, the main reason for the demonstrations were that Birmingham was the most segregated city in the US, with high records of brutality among the black community, blacks being treated unjustly in courts, and the existence of many unresolved cases of the Blacks’ homes and churches in Birmingham, which the political leaders had refused to negotiate. King explained that he and his organization had acted responsibly and adhered to the four basic steps to be followed during a nonviolent campaign. The first step entails gathering facts. King explained that he, together with his group, had reviewed and confirmed the existence of segregation in Birmingham. The step is negotiation. Birmingham and his team had negotiated with the leaders of the economic community in Birmingham, and several promises were made. However, these promises were never fulfilled. The third step is self-purification. King and his team had conducted inner reflections and workshops of non-Violence. The fourth action is direct action, the nonviolent protest that King had been arrested for taking part in.

Lastly, King expressed his intentions during the peaceful protests in the letter. The main aim of their direct action was to establish a scenario that would inevitably open doors for negotiations. King further went ahead to address the critics from each of the clergymen. He addressed the critics in the letter why the action was untimely. Addressing this critic, he explained that the city had waited for over 340 years for their God-given and constitutional rights, and it was now time to act. He also addressed the clergy’s concern that he and his team were willing to break the law. He stated that he would be on the frontline, urging people to obey the just laws. However, he would openly advocate obeying unjust laws. Laws in Birmingham were unfair, and King would not advocate for them to be obeyed. He also explained that he had been greatly disappointed by the white moderates who preferred a negative peace that involves a lack of tension to positive peace characterized by justice. He also argued that White moderates were more devoted to order than justice. King also addressed the criticism that although their actions were peaceful, they precipitated the violence. He compared such thoughts with condemning a man who has been robbed because his custody of money hastened the act of bribery, which he considered illogical. Additionally, King addressed the clergymen’s concern that the direct action in Birmingham as extreme. He expressed great disappointment that his fellow clergymen would consider his nonviolent efforts as those of extremists. In his defense, he stated that oppressed individuals would not be oppressed forever, and their desire for freedom had to be attended to. He further insisted that it was better for his actions to be considered extreme for the cause of justice than standing by and watching injustices to continue. King also refutes the clergymen’s claim that laws of segregation should be fought in courts and not in the street. Supporting his argument King explained that only through direct action could push the white majority to confront the racism issue and engage in a true dialogue. King addressed all the concerns of the clergyman in a detailed manner and explained the reasons behind the direct action.

In my opinion, King utilized his letter to address the concerns of the clergymen and make his judgment. Additionally, although King was mainly addressing the clergymen’s criticisms, he was also reaching out to the whole nation to stop racial injustice by successfully showing how injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere. Furthermore, using pathos, ethos, and logos made his speech more effective. The use of biblical allusions also allowed King to develop analogies concerning the biblical figures, justify the peaceful protests, and solidify his arguments. Finally, the fact that King closes the letter using a hopeful note indicates that the Black community will attain the equality and freedom are fighting for.

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2nd Corinthians 12:7-10

Introduction

The bible passage from 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10 written by the Apostle Paul is titled ‘The Thorn in the Flesh.’ Paul wrote the second book of Corinthians to the church in Corinth, giving them advice on various matters concerning their faith and Christian life. To reinforce his message, Paul used his own life as an example. The purpose of this paper is to compare the passage based on three different versions of the bible: the New International Version, the New King James Version and the Common English Bible. Additionally, the paper will interpret the meaning of the passage, and its application to Christian life.

Investigation

Literary Questions

The bible passage is part of Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth to encourage them in their journey of faith and Christianity. In the letter, Paul addresses the Church directly using the first person, using his own experiences. He explains that God sent him a ‘thorn in the flesh’ lest he begin to trust in himself and become proud.

The passage fits in quite well with the verses that come before and after it. Verse 6 of the New International Version states that “Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say….” This gives a background as to some of the reasons that may lead Paul to conceit (Barrier 4). God had revealed so much to Paul, such that he could afford to boast about his revelations. Verse 7 then goes on to explain how God also sent Paul some challenges to keep him dependent on God and keep him from pride. Verse 11 that comes after the passage explains that Paul’s trails did not make him any less inferior to other apostles.

Grammatical Questions

There are some differences in the wording of the passage in the three translations, and these may affect the interpretation of the passage. Verse 10 in the three translations uses some different words:

I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties (NIV)

I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassments, and stressful situations (CEB)

I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses (NKJV) (Biblegateway)

The New King James and New International Versions each state that Paul delighted and took pleasure in his challenges, while the Common English Bible uses a different phrase, ‘I’m all right.’ This shows that Paul merely endured his suffering, while the other two say that he was happy to suffer.

The wording of the different problems that Paul went through is also different, and this might make a person interpret them more lightly in one version as compared to the others.

The structure of the passage varies in the three translations, mainly in the words used as explained. However, the three passages retain the same words in speaking about God’s grace being sufficient through suffering, and also when Paul says that how weakness is what makes him strong.

Historical Questions

The historical background of the passage is that it was written after Paul had visited the Church in Corinth, and had his authority challenged. The members if the Corinthian church even went as ass far as to insult him, and Paul wrote to them to express his disappointment. However, in the latter parts of the letter, he speaks of his joy upon learning that the Corinthians had repented, and that he culprits had been identified. Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth carried the message that even in the face of persecution, he rejoiced because God’s grace remained sufficient through all difficulties.

Verse 10 of the passage is based on the background of the history of the writing. Paul speaks of weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties. Before Paul converted into Christianity, he had been one of the biggest persecutors of the Christian Church. However, after God appeared to him, Paul become one of the strongest apostles and for this reason, God revealed many things to him (Schellenberg 518). Some people felt that Paul had too much authority, and this is why he was insulted by the Corinthian church. Aside from the Corinthian Church, he had also faced a lot of persecution from different quarters, for example he had been thrown into jail, stoned, beaten and endured other sufferings. These kinds of challenges are what Paul refers to in Verse 10. All of these challenges are from the ‘messenger of Satan’ as Paul states.

Theological Questions

The main message of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 is that God’s grace is sufficient for Christians no matter how great their suffering might be. In addition to many persecutions from enemies of the Church, Paul was also insulted and challenged by fellow Christians. Paul was trying to tell his critics and persecutors that even in the face of attacks, he remained steadfast in his faith. He asserted that times of weakness led Christians to rely even more on God, therefore making them stronger (Moss 321).

I find several important principles in the passage. The first is warning against pride when one feels God’s favor upon their lives. The passage tells us about God’s grace that is sufficient for His people even in their darkest hour. The passage also teaches Christians that suffering and difficulties are inevitable part of their Christian journey, and the best thing they can do is to count on God’s grace that is especially manifested in times of weakness. The passage also warns the Church against causing the suffering of fellow members and church leaders. The church should respect its leadership because they have been ordained by God. The church of Corinth felt that Paul had too much authority.

Paul asks God to take his trials away three times, but God failed to do so. This is another sign that Christians should accept God’s will in their lives, even when it is not what they want. Christians must have absolute confidence of God especially in times of problems.

Application

The bible passage from Corinthians is one that I have learnt a lot from. Paul was one of the greatest Apostles, yet his experiences are applicable to the daily life of a Christian. First, Paul fought against pride, something that all Christians must strive to avoid. Paul says that God sent him a thorn in the flesh, to keep him from conceit. Most of the time, Christians begin to get conceited, thinking that God favors them more than others (Ellington 331). This passage has helped me to understand that guarding against pride is a fundamental principle of faith. Another important point I learned from the passage is that sometimes, Christians do not get what they want from God; rather we should trust God to do His will in our lives. Temptations and challenges come to us so that God can give us His strength in our times of weakness. God’s grace is sufficient in all seasons of our lives, but even more so when we experience difficulties from quarters we do not expect. The lessons from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians apply to every Christian even today.

Works Cited

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “The Thorn in the Flesh” Biblegateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+12%3A7-10&version=NKJVBarrier, Jeremy. “Visions of Weakness: Apocalyptic Genre and the Identification of Paul’s Opponents in 2 Corinthians 12: 1-6.” Restoration Quarterly 47.1 (2005): 4.

Ellington, Dustin W. “Not Applicable to Believers? The Aims and Basis of Paul’s” I” in 2 Corinthians 10—13.” Journal of Biblical Literature 131.2 (2012): 325-340.

Moss, Candida R. “Christly possession and weakened bodies: Reconsideration of the function of Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12: 7–10).” Journal of Religion, Disability & Health 16.4 (2012): 319-333.

Schellenberg, Ryan S. “Paul, Samson Occom, and the Constraints of Boasting: A Comparative Rereading of 2 Corinthians 10–13.” Harvard Theological Review 109.4 (2016): 512-535.

Impact of Technology on an Organization

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In adapting to new technology, universities face many challenges. This is in terms of systems for performance evaluation, compensation systems and decision rights. Problems usually arise when people have to adapt to changes. Information has to be communicated as well as processed. Everyone in the university has to have access to information; otherwise it will not function as it is meant to. Universities are in need of technology, which will facilitate their work processes. They have to ensure that they effectively deal with challenges, such as decision authority. The other challenges include how to have proper incentives as well as team work. Some universities are still using a system, which is traditional and in turn, it has made the mass markets become exhausted. Organization structure is affected if it does not employ the use of information technology (Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1997).

Most of the employees who work in universities, which are traditional, are not happy with changes related to the existing organization structure and coming up with an organization, which is virtual. There is usually a need in universities to ensure that people are united, in order to increase their productivity. The theory of social action is extremely useful in knowing the impact technology has had on the universities. This is because their failures and successes are easily made known. According to Brynjolfsson and Hitt, organizations are forced to obey authority, which is decentralized. The latter is as a result of the impact of Information technology. Furthermore, they believe that transmission of knowledge becomes cheap as a result of IT. Universities are now ensuring that all their departments are connected, in order to increase efficiency. Rights for making decisions are thus allocated to the entire optimum knowledge chamber, which exists (Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1997).

Centralization in universities is often measured in terms of rationality, which is human or cost based. This in turn affects the level of centralization at the different universities. It is easy to obtain and measure information, based upon effective decision making. The result is that communication costs are economized as well as optimized. In order to obtain information, there is a central agent. It is vital in matters related to cost saving as well as its benefits. The disadvantage is that those involved in decision making especially the central ones are the ones who lose a lot. Decentralization occurs as a result of efficiency, which is induced. Decentralization is affected by the presence of decision makers who are multiple (Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1997).

On the other hand, Baroudi and Lucbas believe that there is a link between organizational design and IT design. There are many ways, which tasks can be coordinated, as well as be divided in order to increase productivity. The process of organizational design can also be used because it advocates for management decentralization (Lucas & Baroudi, 1994). This means that all the employees working in the university will be involved in decision making. Span control is an element of a variable used in the design process. At the different universities there will be many people in management and they have to report to their heads. In every organizational chart, every employee’s job titles are made known and can easily be altered. The latter can easily be achieved as compared to strategy, culture and behavior. The frame work of social action advocates for constructs, which are key in any university. The most vital aspects of any organization should be technology, structure, tasks and people. Technology plays an essential role in bringing about changes in the universities structure. This means that there is a direct relation between organization form and IT. Relationships, which exist in firms, are due to communications as well as computers. In modern times, universities are seeking to become hybrid as compared to before when they were centralized. This is because a lot of emphasize has been placed on micromarketing (Lucas & Baroudi, 1994).

Universities are adapting to the use of technology, in order to modify their outlook as well as processes. Technology has reduced the number of employees who are employed. This has had a negative impact on the manner, which the university is perceived. Competitive advantage and cost saving is what is often sort by traditional organizations when they choose to incorporate technology into their structure. The universities operation is improved by re-engineering processes. Shifting to models, which are virtual, is what is being done by universities, which are traditional. This is for the purpose of ensuring that responsiveness is improved. Negative impacts are brought about by being slow and with technology this is not possible. For crisis to known before hand, change should be accepted by everyone (Lucas & Baroudi, 1994).

In conclusion, this case study provides a lot of information concerning the advantages of IT in an organization. Organizations, which are traditional, should adopt an approach that is modern in order to improve their performance and processes. Thus, the research by the different authors is extremely beneficial. Almost every organization in the world is being run by technology and this has in turn, brought about increased competition. Consumers are the ones who are benefiting from the advantages of technology.

References

Hitt, Lorin. & Brynjolfsson, Erik. (1997). Information Technology and Internal Firm Organization: An Exploratory Analysis. Journal of Management Information Systems. 14.2, 81-101.

Lucas, Henry jr. & Baroudi, Jack. (1994). The Role of Information Technology in Organization Design. Journal of Management Information Systems 10, 4, 9-23.

Impacts of Cyber Inecurity

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Introduction

Cyber security is one of the major concerns in this fast-growing field of technology. Most people blindly use the technology mainly in communication and social media without taking any precautions to secure their personal information and data. The increased cases of hacking on individuals, companies, and governments is worrying and demands urgent actions to address the issue. More so is the rising cases of theft of personal data from customers and patients where it is then sold on online black markets for billions of dollars. The danger lies in the uncensored exposure of innocent individual’s personal data that is later used to threaten and steal from them on the online platforms. Over the years, the sensitization and public outcry over hacking and insecurity on the online platforms has raised the alarm that is helping combat the problem. However, a huge problem lies within the uncontrolled cases of hacking where millions of cyber insecurity issue are reported. The solution lies in the close collaboration between the governments and tech experts who can help crack down on the perpetrators of these evil acts. Just in 2019 alone, there were more than 2.5 million cases of attempted and successful hacks that mainly targeted customers in the online business and even air travel.

Just the past 8 months, the FBI reported that the Federal Reserve of the U.S. was a victim of almost 2500 attempted hacks. These figures show that the hackers and only criminals have no limits and will do anything to get even to the most secure systems (Kshetri, 2017). Moreover, the government has been called upon to come up with the right systems that will help safeguard the online data of its people that if exposed to the criminals can even pose a national security problem. There is thus a personal and national concern when it comes to issues of cyber security. Another outlook into the issue is the co-relations between the underlying factors that touch on tech security and the usage over its widely spreading reaches (Ekstedt et al., 2015). The internet has become a common tool that is facilitating the sharing of data between individuals, companies, and governments. Through the same avenue, online criminals and inventing ways to bypass this and acquire key personal and financial information from the people. Studies have shown that 2.7 billion dollars are stolen through cyber related hackings from customers and even governments (Kharchenko et al., 2019). These mischievous activities happen with little detection from the cyber security experts who are meant to crack down and stop these acts.

Effect of cyber insecurity on business and customer security

Cyber security has been highlighted as one of the core issues modern business have to address. Almost all businesses today operate within or under a set of full tech systems that involves communication, payments, and customer services (Soomro et al., 2016). This exposes them to the cyber security issues of this age and thus a major setback to their security and stability. One of the underlying factors in this business is the inclusive value and that posed by these cyber security problems on businesses studies shows that at least 45% of modern business receive cyber security threats or hacking attempts every year. The figures have been rising thus showing the agility and increased attempts by the online criminals to penetrate the business files (Ji et al., 2016). A case in point was like the 2015 Yahoo hacking that raised global attention over the security of customer data. Cyber insecurity is harmful to businesses and has an overall effect of cutting down customer loyalty. Cyber security is targeted to become a multi-billion-dollar industry as the risks of hacking continue to rise (Rashid et al., 2018). The exposure of online data from customers who seek online services is offering an outlet for criminals to conduct their activities.

In some extreme cases, cyber insecurity has led to loss of cash where some businesses accounts are hacked and money transferred in mysterious ways. One of the main threats that businesses face is theft of customer data (Hubbard & Seiersen, 2016). Most e-commerce firms across the w rod now have to spend millions of dollars in cyber security to safeguard their customer data as well as finances (Kharchenko et al., 2019). The issue adds to the burden of doing business thus increasing the pressure on the existing value and dynamics of doing business. The threat not only exists among the ecommerce firms but almost all businesses as they are now exposed to the modern technology. The theft of this vital information not only threatens the companies but the customer safety as already seen in the health records scandals around the world. The cyber criminals know that the key to inducing harm to a company is to steal customer data where they threaten to sell the personal information. To online buyers. These risky ad dangerous moves by online criminals are responsible for the rising cases of customer loyalty decline where some cases lead to lawsuits (Shapsough et al., 2015). The end game to these hackings is the increased fear by customers to trade online and the huge financial burden the business has to bear in protecting their customers and data.

Impact of cyber insecurity on government operation

Cyber insecurity has been a major issue at the governmental level with many countries reporting attempted hackings. Online criminals seek to terrorize and steal critical government information and data through its websites and this even poses national security threat (Van Schaik et al., 2017). The U.S. Federal government reports an average of 2500 hackings annually that often come from its rivals like China and Russia. The online criminals have mastered the new way to target the government by using the lower agencies and ministries that are more vulnerable and easier to hit (Tisdale, 2015). The impact of cyber insecurity is very sensitive when it is done to the government as it poses both economic and national security risk that can endanger the stability of a country. One of the key targets for online hackers is the political establishments and state of a country that are the pillars of the country’s stability (Srinivas et al., 2019). For example, the 2016 Russian hacking on the Democratic party in the U.S. shows how the situation can be dangerous when it goes unnoticed.

The impact of the cyber security at a national level is the possibility of conflict between countries that can even lead to war. China is accused of conducting ample hacks on the U.S. treasury that was almost promoting diplomatic chaos between the two giants back in 2014 (Kharchenko et al., 2019). These mischievous online business by government hackers who mainly work secretly for the government can be dangerous and harm relations between countries. Cybercrime has been noted by the UN as a major hindrance to diplomatic relations mainly between the democratic and communist countries. Iran which has been a major concern for many countries has been accused of hiring and protecting its hackers who often target the U.S. these relations that have been derailed by the increased tense atmosphere on the online platforms has stained the links between countries (Soomro et al., 2016).

Cyber security at governmental level also targets the military sector that is a prime source of a country’s security data. Hackers target this prime sector as it can provide the enemy an edge on the weapon development and defense tactics used by its enemy (Hubbard & Seiersen, 2016). The increased cases of hacks on the military departments of other countries has become a major concern for NATO and the UN as some of the global society bodies. The U.S. has even accused China od hacking into its weaponry departments and stealing vital and sensitive data that it uses to gain an edge over its enemy. For example, the U.S. accused China if hacking into its drone development system thus causing a major setback to the underlying and existing diplomatic ties (Shapsough et al., 2015). These acts have even led to some countries calling back their envoys and closing consulates as a retaliatory measure. The effect of cyber security at governmental level can thus be far reaching ad dangerous when not handled in a mature manner. Many governments report cases of hacking in their financial reserves that threatens their security and economic viability (Rashid et al., 2018). Moreover, there is a concern over what and how the measures can be directed to harnessed the right technology to help curb cases of hacking and cyber security.

Impact of cyber insecurity on personal privacy

Cyber security at a personal level has never been more concerning than now at a time when the rate of technology use is rising. There is a major concern over what many people expose on the internet and the safety that comes with this platform (Van Schaik et al., 2017). One of the key aspects of internet security relates to the theft of personal sensitive data that relates to the individual’s life. For example, hackers target the frequent intern users mainly on the social media. Hidden cameras in hotel rooms and spying done on the home-based cameras shows the increasing sensitivity of the mater. cyber security at a personal level has to do with the increasing cases of diverse internet use that shows that technology can be costly to people (Hubbard & Seiersen, 2016). The online hackers who often target social media users have identified a prime field where people pay less attention to their safety. One of the main ways technology is affecting personal security relates to the loss of vital details that can threaten one’s physical security.

Cyber security also shows that many people often lose their credit card details when they shop online or pay for ai tickets. Airports have also been hacked where vital personal data of that belong to travelers is lost and sold by hackers on the dark web (Kharchenko et al., 2019). One of the key shortages of the key concerns over the cyber security is the way personal data can be protected from online criminals who use to it to threaten and extort money. For example, online hacks on personal data is often sold to criminals who use it to carry out financial hacks on the customers. Still, the value of key aspects of online insecurity goes beyond personal information that often touches on what the individuals would use as security in various applications (Soomro et al., 2016). The special media accounts have remained the prime target used by the hackers who capitalize on the reckless intent users. Today, more than 25 million social media accounts are hacked every year that target the young people who pay less attention to their online security. One of the main ways the online hacking threatens the security of individual is like in tracing the location of the individual. Online hackers also target social media accounts for companies and businesses where they steal customer data. Still, these activities are conducted under the radar that often makes it hard for the security personnel to identify the source of the threat (Van Schaik et al., 2017). The common personal information stolen from individuals include the credit card data, photos, personal videos, or even financial records.

Cyber security evaluated the relationship between cyber security and personal safety where key aspects of online safety was addressed. One of the main ways the online security is a major issue as noted in the study is that most people have zero knowledge on their online safety (Hubbard & Seiersen, 2016). The scholar also identified that the value of an inclusive value that is attached to online safety has become a major concern for most people. Most of the online users have increasingly become sensitive to the information they share with their peers. The study also found that cyber security will increasingly become a sensitive issue that is tied to the technology use. Over the years, the need for a robust and strong cyber security system has shown that the world is far from attaining the right security. One of the main ways cyber security is being addressed is by bringing together viable avenues that can help address the right security issues that exist on the online platforms. Theft of online data by hackers is already posing a challenge to businesses that are having to invest millions of dollars to secure customer data (Hubbard & Seiersen, 2016). The study sums up that there is need to have a combined effort that can address rising threats of cyber security to ensure online safety.

Cyber security analyzed the reasons for the rising threats to cyber security mainly at busines and personal level. One of the main ways companies and individual are putting measures to protect their information is by hiring the right experts or programs that can help safeguard their privacy (Shapsough et al., 2015). The major issue here lies in the possibility of a diverse and strong security systems that can help eliminate the problem of data security. Most people who face online security threats have testified that they originate from a single source and this makes it easy to track. However, online hackers have mastered the loopholes that exist in technology use and thus capitalize on these weaknesses to harm or threaten the individuals (Van Schaik et al., 2017). The study concludes that the viability of the online security measures in a bid to upgrade cyber security has to match or be ahead of the various technological gains.

The statement implies that the safety on the online platforms needs to be evaluated regularly to ensure that any loopholes identified is addressed with the right technology. The approach will not only safeguard customer data nut also increase the leverage on the use and safety of the internet and other technologies. Moreover, the increased threats that lie within the online technology like in use of computers and smartphones needs to be addressed by creating the right barriers (Hubbard & Seiersen, 2016). The key to ensuring strong cyber security is to always stay ahead of the online criminals by identifying the key loopholes that they may sue in trying to sabotage and ruin the online business.

Conclusion

Theft of customer data mainly for online companies has come at a huge financial and loyalty cost for the firms. Victims of the cyber insecurity issues continue to rise and this puts more risk to online business. Governments are also facing acute challenges when securing the financial and military data from hackers. The problem shows how deep the issue of cyber security has gone and thus urgent solutions are needed to keep the world secure ad safeguard the integrity of the fast-developing technology. Over the years, efforts and huge amounts of money has been poured to the upgrading of cyber security systems mainly in the governmental platforms that have remained a key target by hackers. For this reason, some progress is being made that is helping bring the issue to some control and thus enabling the problem to put under control. One of the major problems realized in the past two years is the by passing of even the most secure cyber security systems that is raising concern of how best the online platforms can be secured. Studies have showed that most people are now aware of the threat that exists relating to cyber security and thus are taking some precaution to safeguard themselves from this problem. Even with the huge efforts being made, the online hackers are upping their game by coming up with high tech software and programs that spy and bypass the secure systems and this points to a very worrying issue of the preparedness of the tech companies.

References

Ekstedt, M., Johnson, P., Lagerström, R., Gorton, D., Nydrén, J., & Shahzad, K. (2015, September). Securi cad by foreseeti: A cad tool for enterprise cyber security management. In 2015 IEEE 19th International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Workshop (pp. 152-155). IEEE.

Hubbard, D. W., & Seiersen, R. (2016). How to measure anything in cybersecurity risk. Hoboken: Wiley.

Ji, X., Yu, H., Fan, G., & Fu, W. (2016, May). Attack-defense trees based cyber security analysis for CPSs. In 2016 17th IEEE/ACIS International Conference on Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Networking and Parallel/Distributed Computing (SNPD) (pp. 693-698). IEEE.

Kharchenko, V., Dotsenko, S., Illiashenko, O., & Kamenskyi, S. (2019, June). Integrated Cyber Safety & Security Management System: Industry 4.0 Issue. In 2019 10th International Conference on Dependable Systems, Services and Technologies (DESSERT) (pp. 197-201). IEEE.

Kshetri, N. (2017). Blockchain’s roles in strengthening cybersecurity and protecting privacy. Telecommunications policy, 41(10), 1027-1038.

Rashid, A., Danezis, G., Chivers, H., Lupu, E., Martin, A., Lewis, M., & Peersman, C. (2018). Scoping the cyber security body of knowledge. IEEE Security & Privacy, 16(3), 96-102.

Shapsough, S., Qatan, F., Aburukba, R., Aloul, F., & Al Ali, A. R. (2015, October). Smart grid cyber security: Challenges and solutions. In 2015 International conference on smart grid and clean energy technologies (ICSGCE) (pp. 170-175). IEEE.

Soomro, Z. A., Shah, M. H., & Ahmed, J. (2016). Information security management needs more holistic approach: A literature review. International Journal of Information Management, 36(2), 215-225.

Srinivas, J., Das, A. K., & Kumar, N. (2019). Government regulations in cyber security: Framework, standards and recommendations. Future Generation Computer Systems, 92, 178-188.

Tisdale, S. M. (2015). Cybersecurity: Challenges from a Systems, Complexity, Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence Perspective. Issues in Information Systems, 16(3).

Van Schaik, P., Jeske, D., Onibokun, J., Coventry, L., Jansen, J., & Kusev, P. (2017). Risk perceptions of cyber-security and precautionary behaviour. Computers in Human Behavior, 75, 547-559.

3D printing technology

The emergence and continued advances of the 3D technology have been closely associated with having both positive and negative effects and impacts at the social and environmental levels of our contemporary. On the positive hand, the advent of 3D printing technologies remains to be praised for promoting and sustaining a culture of innovation in the designing and production of products in the society. As an emphasis, according to the available literature, the 3D printing has resulted to innovative materials and new patterns of objects whose competitive value can only be exploited using 3D.

Advances and the increased acceptance of 3D printing are expected to continue changing the manufacturing industry as we know it today. Overall, with promising continued advancement of 3D printing technology in the future, and the competitive advantage such promises in terms of cost, efficiency, and reliability, the near future and beyond of 3D printing technology is bright.

In terms of cost, the cost 3D printing is in essence expected to continue enjoying rapid declines over the new five years. The claim is based on the truth that the technology has witnessed decreases in cost over the past few decades, a trend expected to progress and increase in future as the technology continues to appreciate rapid advancements and favorable conditions for exploiting the competitive value that come with economics of scale in its market. In addition, the future of 3D printing technology is quite promising in terms of efficiency and accessibility since possible trends of declines in the costs will translate to increased ability to access and use this technology by many in the society.

It is likely that regulatory bodies will move in to pass strict laws to the entry of the industry. For instance, there is a continued trend in focusing the FDM and poly jet technologies in the 3D printing of bio-compatible materials as a competitive platform for enabling the speedy prototyping of medical and dental products. Medical security cannot be placed in the hands of individual and the private sector for this matter. We can, therefore, hypothesize that the industry is definitely going to grow steadily in a series of few years but will begin to retard with the emergence of new rules following the pursuit to act ethically. Mostly governments and states will seek to make public all 3D printers.

Recommendations for future research

It is evident that the research on 3D printing has a long way to go. In the future, there should be a platform for researchers to pool all their research findings in order to improve the existing 3D printing machine. The ability of this machine is associated with the coming up with shapes that cannot be obtained in any other way. Simply put, this machine enhances creativity of the highest order. The world is going through a threat of waste management and the use of this technology will mean frequent recycling of waste materials and hence reducing pollution (Wang & Chen, 2014; Lipson & Kurman, 2013). These machines can be made to use the available materials only. For instance, where the customer has plastics, metals, glass, wood, food and even living cells a machine suitable to using such material can be made. This means a wide applicability of 3D printing technology in the near future and beyond.

Reference

Free, D. 2012. University of Nevada-Reno Library offers 3-D printing. College & Research Libraries News 73(8): 455.

Student’s Name

Course

Instructor

Date

3Ex Response Outline

Thesis: I disagree with the point that Google has made people lack concentration and contemplation because Google does not only provide the most accurate results, but it is also free and has exceptional filtering options.

Body Paragraph One: First, I disagree because Google has been known over the years since the emergence of the internet to provide reliable and efficient results.

Example One: Google enhances user engagement by removing spinning content, spamming text, and information enhanced via unnatural link schemes (Kurmar and Bervell 3)

Explanation One: A person can find answers to your questions using Google to find a term or sentence. Its values include which publications and postings are the most pertinent for a search keyword by taking into account user activity.

Body Paragraph Two: Secondly, I disagree because Google is free to access. There is no charge required to access information that is available on Google.

Example Two: A person only needs a gadget such as a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone and access to an internet connection. Being free gives students and scholars much information (Surdasana et al. 3).

Explanation Two: Students do not have to buy physical books, which are more costly. Academics and students can use Google Books, which now has a more user-friendly interface, to explore books, examine writer bios, and navigate among publications.

Body Paragraph Three: Lastly, I disagree because Google has spectacular filter tools which help focus on particular items that a user wants to find.

Example Three: In Google, other manual techniques are referred to as operators, which enable you to obtain more precise results (Haim et al. 334).

Explanation Three: The filtering options enable users to find information in a specific language, from a specific time or date, and in a particular format, depending on which is relevant.

Work Cited

Haim, Mario, Andreas Graefe, and Hans-Bernd Brosius. “Burst of the filter bubble? Effects of personalization on the diversity of Google News.” Digital journalism 6.3 (2018): 330-343. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21670811.2017.1338145?journalCode=rdij2Kumar, Jeya Amantha, and Brandford Bervell. “Google Classroom for mobile learning in higher education: Modelling the initial perceptions of students.” Education and Information Technologies 24.2 (2019): 1793-1817. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brandford Bervell/publication/330298788Sudarsana, I. Ketut, et al. “The use of Google classroom in the learning process.” Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Vol. 1175. No. 1. IOP Publishing, 2019. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1175/1/012165/pdf

Equity Paper

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc377198043” Introduction PAGEREF _Toc377198043 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377198044” Importance of paid-in capital separated from earned capital PAGEREF _Toc377198044 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377198045” Paid-in capital or earned capital PAGEREF _Toc377198045 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377198046” Basic earnings per share or Diluted earnings per share PAGEREF _Toc377198046 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377198047” Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc377198047 h 4

IntroductionStockholders’ Equity has two sources of capital which include paid-in capital and earned capital. Paid-in capital must be kept alienated from earned capital to avoid misinterpretation of the sources which facilitate a clear distinction from operational capital acquired from profit making operation. Most of the investors are majorly concerned with the earned capital compared to the paid in capital. The reason behind this preference is the facts that earned capital represent the earning potential of a firm. Another major aspect is the dilution earning which is more detailed unlike the basic earnings per share earnings.

Importance of paid-in capital separated from earned capitalPaid-in capital is the capital that is raised from the sale of capital stock in the stock markets in form of shares while on the other hand, earned capital is the funds that a company or firm is able to acquire in form of profit accrued by the sale of services and goods. Both capitals are very significant to the growth and expansion of the firm’s operations. However, investors find it necessary to separate the two capitals because of several reasons.

Kimmel, et al (2010, P.577) observe that one reason for separating the two source of capital are very distinct funding source and that paid-in capital signifies the funds to be used in the enhancement of the earned capital. On the other hand, earned capital symbolises the funds accrued from the profitability of the operation of the firm and combining the two sources would lead to confusion. That is, the paid in capital accelerates and boost the earned capital. The intension of combining the two source of capital will lead to a misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the overall earning of the firm. Not only that, but can also cause complexity in calculations in regards to profits margins. The two sources of capital must be separated so that the shareholders and investors information can be clearly distinguished from one another.

The two capitals must be distinguishable in such a way that it provides a form of protection to companies offering capital in excess thus protect creditors and investors in case of liquidation. This is because the two values of capital depict the strength of the firm financially. Investors must be aware of the manipulation of earning which will be rendered difficult if the two capitals are combined making it very difficult to convince them on the method used to compute the earning.

Paid-in capital or earned capitalMajority of the investors in most case are concerned with the firm’s earned capital other than the paid-in capital. The reason behind this is that earned capital is a representation of the potential earnings that a firm can generate through it day to day operations. Therefore investors would like to venture into a business that yield dividend as per their expectation. While on the other hand, paid-in capital is the capital raised from the subscription of the shareholders through the sale of capital shares thus represent the capital that is invested by the shareholders and does not in any way represent the profitability of the firm. Despite the importance of the two forms of capital, paid-in capital is more significant that earned capital. Paid–in capital represents the amount the investors have raised above the par values of the firm’s stock. The par value is very important in calculating the stability of the firms in terms of financial status (Kimmel, et al, 2010, P.577).

As per the investor’s opinions, firms could rather earn money via operations other than selling capital stock. This is because the firm reporting their financial status using earned capital reveals their financial value to the stakeholders while on the other hand the firm that report using their paid-in capital in excess of the already earned capital does not necessarily imply that the firm is experiencing good investment opportunities. Brigham and Houston (2009, p.197) noted that earnings capital is also generally well thought-out as single and the most significant variable that is used in determining the share price in the market. Other issue that make an investor preference is that it is used in the computation of price to earnings valuation ration.

Basic earnings per share or Diluted earnings per shareThe diluted earnings per share is very important to all the venturing investors because of its detailed nature bearing a lot of information regarding the firms operation. This gives full details to the investors regarding the firm’s financial status for several duration of time unlike the basic earnings per share which is less detailed and lack vital and relevant information that allow an investor to make decisions. The diluted earnings as per each share reveals to the investors all the dilutive shares that are outstanding in a given financial period. As for the investor, it is important to inspect the diluted earnings per share because of it ideal computational techniques which shows the general and basic earning of the firm per share or dividends. Another reason for preference of diluted earnings per share is because of the fact that basic EPS does not take into account the potential dilutive impacts of the companies’ securities. Lacks of dilutive securities scare away potential investor due to lack of protection from the securities which can easily be converted into stock. The suitability of the diluted earnings per share is the calculation that is associates with it which is simple in the calculation of per share capital and dividends raised.

The reason why most investor opt for diluted earnings per share is because of it inclusion of the issues of security analysis. This therefore dictates that most investors do analyse the company presentation in terms of prospective investments. That is, majority of investors would opt to evaluate companies as a potential ventures by the use of the diluted earnings per share scheme (Stickney, et al, 2009, p.27).

ConclusionIt is wise to keep the earned capital alienated from the paid-in capital so as to avoid major issues that may lead to misinterpretation of the source in the final account balancing and also avoid the confusion that result from the unknown source of capital. Majorly, investors prefer to use earned capital instead of paid in capital because of its inclusions of security component. On the other hand dilution of earnings per share is embraced by the investors because of its detailed nature.

References

Brigham, E.F., & Houston, J.F. (2009). Fundamentals of Financial Management. Chicago:Cengage Learning. p.191-201.

Kimmel, P.D., Donald, Jerry, E.K., & Weygandt, J.(2010). Financial Accounting: Tools for Business Decision Making. New York, NY:John Wiley and Sons. p.570-597.

Stickney, C.P., Weil, R.L., Schipper, K., & Francis, J. (2009). Financial accounting: an introduction to concepts, methods, and uses. Chicago:Cengage Learning. P.25-31.

Employment Relationships

Name:

Professor

Institution

Course:

Date:

Importance of Unions and collective bargaining in the current economic condition

Collective bargaining refers to a tool or mechanism in industrial relations, which is used for the purpose of negotiation. It is a vital aspect in any employment relationship, in an organization. Unions have a role to play in collective bargaining as well as in negotiating. The latter represents the collective interest of all its members at the work place. Often, there is a public interest in matters concerning negotiations, as this is related to labor laws. Governments have a role to play in collective bargaining as they are responsible for workers in their country. According to the International Labor Organization, collective bargaining refers to voluntary negotiation, which exists in organizations, and it involves employers and their employees. They must all be aware that there are certain conditions and terms, which exist during this process. Furthermore, both parties should strive towards reaching an agreement (Susseles & Magid, 2005).

According to the unitary view, the employee and the employer must have an interesting identity. In case, there are any conflicts it is due to mischief or misunderstanding by the parties involved. Most times those in managerial positions over look this view as they believe that the employees share the same goals as them (Hogler, 2005). This means that it is associated with the approach that focuses on traditional human relations. Before, this approach was viewed as being unrealistic as well as old fashioned. This view has currently been done away with as it does not bring desirable advantages to organizations. Most managers used to deal with the employees directly and did not want any union members to be present during negotiations.

A system, which is political, should exist among various pressure groups, and this is according to an outlook, which is pluralistic. Some of these pressure groups include; political parties, unions, religious groups and business associations. Concessions can be made by the government in order to arrive at a compromise through effective dialogue. Pluralism advocates for there to be an intermediary during the process of negotiation. Democracy is achieved when the various groups are involved in collective bargaining (McDonald, 2000). It ensures that checks and balances exist, and this is extremely desirable. This means that, in organizations, which are pluralist, stability is brought about by collective bargaining. The latter is viewed as a tool, which is fundamental, in the process of negotiation. Moreover, unions and collective bargaining enhance freedom among employees. They will work well knowing that, in case of any work related problems, they will be represented.

Settlement is easily achieved through consensus and dialogue when collective bargaining is used during employee relations. This is far off better than using the approach of confrontation and conflict, which has a negative impact. Organizations, which do not use collective bargaining often, leave solutions to be determined by third parties. In collective bargaining, it is the party members who make decisions regarding their problems. In such economic times, making appropriate decisions and in a timely manner is needed. When all the parties are happy, work will resume, and this will be advantageous to the organization (Palokangas, 2000).

Collective bargaining leads to dialogue and in turn, brings about institutionalized settlement. Various methods of collective bargaining ensure that a decision will be made easily. It helps in forecasting whether there is a chance that an agreement will be achieved. In turn, disagreements will exist in the organization, and this will lead to more problems. When employers and employees are involved in collective bargaining, it enhances participation (Tyler, 2005). The union members and the employees all decide on what should be done about the situation at hand. Furthermore, it is a method of ensuring that power and rule making is shared. Before, matters concerning making rules were a function of those in top management. The latter were the only ones responsible for factors such as modernization, redundancy, transfer promotions and discipline. However, in some countries, like Malaysia and Singapore, some work functions are not accepted by law. They include; layoffs, promotions, transfers, retrenchments and promotions, among others.

Through the use of collective bargaining, disputes are settled through the actions of trade unions. In turn, industrial peace is easily achieved as the agreements guarantee it. In this modern time when there are many economic problems, this is extremely desirable. When peace prevails, workers focus their attention on working and this increases productivity. On the other hand, when workers are not at peace they will not focus on their jobs. The result is that the organization may lose out on profits, which it would be making (Armstrong & Goodman, 2009). Labor relations in many organizations are striving because of the social partnerships, which have been brought about by collective bargaining. This means that there will be mutually beneficial relationships between organized labor institutions and employer institutions. In turn, in case any disputes arise the employees and employees will be prepared. Collective bargaining leads to the maintenance of process of negotiation, which is non-confrontational.

The relationship, which exists between the parties benefits through by- products obtained from collective bargaining. Trust is created and enhanced due to the dealings that are considered being bona fide and successful. Furthermore, union members, employees and employers have a relationship, which is mutual. This means that it will lead to solving problems, rather than attacking the various party members. Union membership is stabilized through consequent bargains and collective bargaining. It will ensure that employees and employers do not keep on changing their union loyalties. When employees keep on changing their union membership, it affects the organization as it is expensive. Disputes, which exist between various unions, might lead to rivalry. Thus, union loyalty is a vital aspect of the process of collective bargaining (Wajcman, 2000).

Collective bargaining usually takes place at three levels, and these are enterprise, industry and national levels (Forth & Millward, 2000). No country in the world where it places exclusively on one level. In the United States, most collective bargains procedures take place at the enterprise level. It occurs in all other areas except for industries such as construction, trucking, steel and coal. According to research, it has been found out that performance of employees is enhanced when there is bargaining at the industry level. Employees believe that they have security, which is in the form of trade unions to offer them support. It is a common site in the media to hear that workers are striking, and they are not worried about losing their jobs.

The European Union is fully aware about the role, which unions and collective bargains play in this economic crisis. This means that its member countries will have to come up with standardized policies, which focus on collective bargaining. The European Monetary Union seeks to ensure that unions benefit from adjustments of exchange rates. As a member of the European Union, it will be easy to benefit from issues that affect organizations that are unionized. Furthermore, organizations will now be competitive and know how to balance off inequalities (Glassner & Watt, 2010). Moreover, there is a need for organizations to adjust the wages of their employees in order to meet the expectations of the European Union. Organizations were worried that the money regime, which exists, would make want to stop working. Fortunately, Europeans organizations have come up with effective instruments, which are known as wage formulas. In the public sector, many of the employees have had their salaries drastically reduced. Organizations in, which employees are in unions, are the ones which have not been affected as much by this crisis. They have actively negotiated with their employees. It has even reached a point whereby, some employees are given counter offers, so as not to go and work in the United States. It must be known that, in the future, such unions will be the ones, which will run matters concerning employee relationships.

In conclusion, the pluralist approach should be used by employers who are in managerial positions, in various organizations. It has been found out in various studies that employment relationships are strengthened through the process of collective bargaining. Most employees are now fully aware of their rights, and that is why they have joined various unions. The economy crisis affecting the world has made negotiations, and collective bargaining become hard to deal with. Fortunately, organizations have found ways to be constructive and gain from collective bargaining and becoming unionized.

References

Glassner, Vera. & Watt, Andrew. (2010). The Current Crisis reveals both : the importance and the limitations of the transnational coordination of collective bargaining policies. Social Europe Journal. 15, 45-78.

Forth, J. & Millward, N. (2000) High involvement management, unions and pay, mimeo,

National Institute of Social and Economic Research

Palokangas, T. (2000) Labour Unions, Public Policy and Economic Growth, Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press

Wajcman, J. (2000) Feminism Facing Industrial Relations in Britain’, British Journal of IndustrialRelations, 38, 2, 183-202.

Ackers, P. (2002) .Reframing employment relations: the case for neo-pluralism, Industrial

Relations Journal, 33, 1, 2–19.

Armstrong, P. & Goodman, J. (2009). Managerial and supervisory custom and

practice, Industrial Relations Journal, 10, 3, 12–24.

McDonald, Kathlene. (2000). Same goals, but another way of getting there.

Social Policy, 30, 4, 23.

Susseles, Elliot. & Magid, Marcia. (2005). “Pay for Performance in the Public Sector.” Benefits & Compensation Digest. 42, 1, 32-35.

Hogler, R. (2005). “The Changing Role of Unions: New Forms of Representation.” Choice, 42, 7, 1273

Tyler, Kathryn. (2005). Good-Faith Bargaining.” HR Focus, 50, 1, 8-53.

Freeman, Richard. (2005). What Do Unions Do? Journal of Labor Research, 26, 4,641-668.

Collective Bargaining Outlook: Expect a Hard Line on Benefits. HR Focus. 82, 4, 9.

3g Wireless Networks to 4g Networks

CIS 500

Assignment #2 4G Wireless Networks

Strayer University

Introduction

3G is the generic abbreviation for 3rd generation. It is the wireless technology that initially enabled Internet browsing over wireless networks. An example of 3G technologies is EV-DO. 4G is the generic abbreviation for 4th generation. It is the wireless technology that was designed to optimize data over wireless networks, improving the speed and efficiency of data delivery. LTE is one of the technologies that can be used to build a 4G network. This research will compare contrast 3G wireless networks to 4G networks.

Compare and contrast 3G wireless networks to 4G networks in terms of

3G Wide Brand Wireless Network is used with which the clarity increases and gives the perfection as like that of a real conversation. The data are sent through the technology called Packet Switching. Voice calls are interpreted through Circuit Switching. It is a highly sophisticated form of communication that has come up in the last decade. In addition to verbal communication it includes data services, access to television/video, categorizing it into triple play service. 3G operates at a range of 2100MHz and has a bandwidth of 15-20MHz. High speed internet service, video chatting are the assets of 3G.

With the help of 3G, we can access many new services such as GLOBAL ROAMING. Another thing to be noted in case of 3G is that Wide Band Voice Channel that is by this the world has been contracted to a little village because a person can contact with other person located in any part of the world and can even send messages too. Then the point to be noted is that 3G gives clarity of voice as well can talk with out any disturbance. Not only these but also have entertainments such as Fast Communication, Internet, Mobile T.V, Video Conferencing, Video Calls, Multi Media Messaging Service (MMS), 3D gaming, Multi-Gaming etc are also available with 3G phones.

The Internet speed of 4G mobile services is 100MBPS (21 MB per second), when compared to the low speed of 21MBPS in 3G mobiles. 4G promise a downloading speed of 100Mbps and are yet to shower its wonders on. Then with the case of Fourth Generation that is 4G in addition to that of the services of 3G some additional features such as Multi-Media Newspapers, also to watch T.V programs with the clarity as to that of an ordinary T.V. In addition, we can send Data much faster than that of the previous generations.

The convenience of a faster Internet browsing is the main benefit of 4G when compared to 3G mobiles. In 4G mobiles, videos and other things can be downloaded at a speed that is four times as greater. Nowadays, many wireless carriers use different technologies that they call “4G”. There is Verizon has LTE, Sprint has WiMax, T-Mobile and AT&T have HSPA+, although AT&T plans to switch to LTE at some point this summeLTE, WiMax and HSPA+ are very different networks. In a recent past, HSPA+ was still considered as a 3.5G network. Somewhere along the way, carriers using it felt the pressure from competitors using the term “4G”, and decided to promote HSPA+ to “4G” status. That was an easy upgrade.

WiMax was the first network to be called “4G” in the USA. When it was introduced it was clearly faster, with downloads speeds of 5Mbps.

Forthcoming 4G networks will enable users to freely roam across different communication systems. This implies that formerly independent wireless and wired technologies will be integrated to deliver transparent access to a plethora of mobile services and applications. This will also involve changes in the user’s experience mainly derived from (1) mobility across heterogeneous technologies, (2) drastic changes in the underlying link conditions, and (3) continuous adaptation of applications, e.g. flexible coding schemes. This chapter presents a detailed study of these so far unknown phenomena arising in the context of 4G networks.

Current instrumental models employed to estimate user perception, such as PESQ (ITU-T Rec. P.862, 2001) for predicting the quality of transmitted speech, were designed to measure conditions that are common in today’s wireless and wired systems. However, it is expected that new conditions encountered in 4G networks are not going to be accurately handled by today’s models. Thus, they need to be adjusted, or new models should be proposed in order to predict the perceptual influence of new phenomena such as the three aspects aforementioned. The authors undertook this task and designed a novel methodology and experimental setup to measure user perception in future 4G networks.

Distinguish between the 4G LTE, 4G WiMax, and 4G WiBro networks

The introduction of 4G networks has given us a variety of network choices: 4G LTE, 4G WiMax, and 4G WiBro. The 4G LTE network stands for 4G Long Term Evolution. This is the 4G technology used by Verizon Wireless. It supports data rate exchanges at speeds of 100 Mbps for downloads and 50 Mbps for uploads. Users that are really taking advantage of the advancements seem happy with the 4G LTE services offered today, but there have been some reports of poor connectivity and sometimes no connectivity at all. Most of the problems are away from the metropolitan areas where there are fewer 4G cell sites. With time this will be resolved.

It is common knowledge that in order to access a 4G network a user must be equipped with a 4G network enabled device. Devices have some limits with compatibility of networks when going for 3G to 4G but the real issue is backward compatibility. There is backward compatibility of LTE-Advanced with LTE. This basically means that an LTE terminal should be able to work in an LTE-Advanced Network and the same in reverse. This is because LTE was designed to be backward compatible with GSM and HSPA. Because of this design, if a piece of mobile equipment travels beyond the range of an LTE network, it can fall back on a 3G network if it has the required radio technologies.

As of April 19th, 2012 Verizon’s 4G LTE network coverage maps showed their service covered two-thirds of the U.S Population. This coverage provides service to 230 markets in the United States with expectations of that coverage increasing to 400 markets and 260 million people by the end of 2012. With benefits like security, customer address control, enhanced customer experience and services for diverse uses it will no doubt reach its projected goals.

The 4G WiMax network stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access and is a different standard (802.16). This technology is also the current standard of wireless broadband devices in the United States. Sprint uses this technology for its 4G network. This type of 4G network was designed to provide broadband wireless access in on open Internet Architecture. Its cost to performance ratio exceeds all other technology and for that reason has already brought access to millions of users. Most data exchange rates show this technology to have a data rate of 70 Mbps. Reports have shown Fixed WiMax can provide speeds of up to 75 Mbps and Mobile WiMax offering speeds of up to 30 Mbps. When WiMax standard of 802.16d (fixed WiMax) was upgraded to 802.16e (Mobile WiMax) it was made to be backwards compatible with its previous version. Like LTE, WiMax is also backward compatible with 3G technologies. The Service availability for WiMax is limited in that it only allows so many users on the standard and will cut off any additional users trying to use the connection. For non-line of sight the network can reach up to 25 – 30 square miles, but for line of site between the transmission point and the receiving antenna, the range increases to 2,800 square miles. This Wireless Metropolitan Area Network can offer voice and data services without the high expense of cable or the limitations DSL has with distance.

The WiBro 4G network technology stands for Wireless Broadband. This is offered as an alternative to WiMax. It is a radio service for broadband, mobile access designed in Korea for the purpose of maintaining connectivity on the go. There are similarities between WiBro and WiMax in that the transmission speeds for both are same. However, WiBro has the ability to mark out a receiver that is stirring from one location to another location at speeds of up to 74 miles per hour. WiMax avoids this because it requires a stationary antenna for receiving the signal. The rate of exchange has data rates of 30 – 50 Mbps.

Identify why the competition between the 4G LTE carriers has been so fierce and describe

benefits of this competition to the subscribers.

One of the driving factors causing competition between carriers is the customers increase in choices but there are several other factors that are causing more interest in mobile technology today that is also driving such fierce competition. One of those factors is the availability of mobile broadband speeds that are directly competing with fixed line access technologies. If an individual can be on the move and have the same level of connection speed as they do at their home or office, their productivity levels increase dramatically. Another big factor are the businesses with remote branch offices that want to adopt a cellular enabled business plan that adopt cellular-enabled business gateways as either primary or back up WAN connections.

One of the many other factors causing this competition is governments of undeveloped countries wanting to take advantage of global services by using the technology to increase telephone access to rural areas unable to be served by wired telephone infrastructures. The ability to offer 4G LTE network technology has taken the competition to a whole new level with accompanying benefits for the user. Prices are being driven down by having more than one carrier offer the service. Data plans have more competitive pricing and the desire to be the order winner is causing carrier to make improvements to their systems daily. The race to increase coverage areas is driving the competition along and spreading the benefits to each new market it reaches.

In January 2012, Verizon stated that 4G LTE is available in 190 cities covering 200 million American subscribers. According to AT&T’s Website, they had plans for covering 20 million Americans in 15 markets by end of 2011. Conclude why Verizon is able to cover more markets than AT&T. Verizon was the first carrier in the United States to offer a 4G LTE network. This gave them a full year’s competitive advantage to develop their coverage areas. AT&T just launched their network in September of last year and is trying to catch up. Verizon achieved this lead partly by offering unlimited service plans and popular data-equipped handsets. Verizon also obtained another 17 million people in their customer base by delivering wholesale access through third party resellers.

Conclusion

One only has to sit and watch television for a brief amount of time and he/she will see the advances in technology. Commercials for smart-phones abound and the technology accompanying them is showing the world the capabilities of mobile technology. Advancements from 3G wireless networks to 4G networks are just the next step in mobile technologies evolutionary process. I can’t wait to see what is next.

References

Turban / Volonino (2011) Information Technology for Management: Improving Strategic and Operational Performance 8th Edition, Class Text

Segan, S. (2012) 3G vs. 4G: What’s the Difference?, PCMag.com, http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399984,00.asp

Viswanahan, P. (2012) 3G Vs 4G – Which is Better? Pros and Cons of the 3G and 4G Networks, http://mobiledevices.about.com/od/carrierfaq/a/3g-Vs-4g-Which-Is-Better.htm

GoingWimax.com (2009) What is the Difference Between WiMax and LTE?, http://www.goingwimax.com/what-is-the-difference-between-wimax-and-lte-4155/

Conjecture Corporation (2012) What Are the Differences between WiFi, WiMax and WiBro?, www.wisegeek.com, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-differences-between-wifi-wimax-and-wibro.htm

Tech-Faq.com (2012) WiBro, http://www.tech-faq.com/wibro.html

Verizon Wireless (2011) News Center LTE Information Center, http://news.verizonwireless.com/LTE/Overview.html

Cisco.com (2012) Managed 4G LTE WAN: Provide Cost-Effective Wireless Broadband Service, http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns341/ns849/solution_overview_c22-686343.html

Frank, R. (2012) Verizon: A Strong Play for Profits Now, http://seekingalpha.com/article/475501-verizon-a-strong-play-for-profits-now