OXO: Satisfaction Guranteed Essay

OXO’s most profitable customers are those with dexterity problems like arthritis such as the wife its founder, Sam Farber, had when coming up with the idea of starting OXO. Now OXO designs products that are usable by as many people as possible. This means that men and women, young and old, left and right handed, and those with special needs can utilize their products (OXO, 1990). â€Å"Through market segmentation, companies divide large, heterogeneous markets into smaller segments that can be reached more efficiently and effectively with products and services that match their unique needs (Kotler & Armstrong, 2014).† Psychographic segmentation is primarily used by OXO in efforts to target a multitude of consumer’s with different lifestyles. Each OXO product â€Å"was developed based on the concept of Universal Design (also known as Inclusive Design), a philosophy of making products that are usable by as many people as possible (OXO, 1990).† Many of the com petitions kitchen gadgets from the research attempt to conform to the needs of consumers such as OXO has done. There are few that have reached the standard for universal ease of use. The value proposition that is extended to OXO’s clients is a satisfaction guarantee which is clearly stated on its website. â€Å"We guarantee everything we make! If for any reason you are not satisfied with an OXO product, return it for replacement or refund (OXO, 1990).† OXO’s satisfaction guarantee is similar to that of some of it’s competitors but not all. Companies such as CUTCO and CHEFS share the 100% satisfaction guarantee value proposition. In order for OXO to develop their product line to stand out from competitors â€Å"Smart Design’s first assignment was to come up with tools that were comfortable in the hand, dishwasher safe, high quality, good looking and  affordable.† OXO’s â€Å"designers divided tool types by wrist and hand motions: twist/turn (used to scoop, stir and peel), push/pull (graters and knives) and squeeze (scissors, garlic press and can openers).† 3 Levels of Product Core customer Value: What is the customer really buying? OXO’s customers are purchasing â€Å"wonderfully comfort–able tools that are easy to use (Corporate Design Foundation).† Actual product: brand name, quality level, packaging, design, features OXO’s hand tools are sold under the name Good Grips, chosen because â€Å"it communicates the major advantage of the line quickly,† explains Farber. OXO’s goal is to provide â€Å"budget–conscious consumers with tools that adhered to OXO’s principles of universal design, focusing on user comfort.† OXO makes grave attempts to use less plastic in packaging (Corporate Design Foundation). Augmented product: delivery and credit, product support, warranty, after-sale  OXO provides product support via email, phone, fax, and mail. The company’s satisfaction guarantee is a warranty within itself. Customers can return products for a replacement or a full refund. After researching OXO’s products it became very apparent that the company follows an intensive distribution strategy. Their products are found in many different shopping outlets such as JC Penny, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohl’s, Amazon.com, and Sur La Table just to name a few. This type of distribution is very convenient for the company if they’re aim is to provide comfortable gadgets for all to use. Distributing to these types of stores appears to target all lifestyle groups. The pricing of OXO’s Good Grip products seem very reasonable in nature from the product prices I have seen recently. I’ve even purchased a few of the gadgets myself because the pricing and handiness. In comparison to like items, OXO adopted the correct pricing scheme and has made itself a viable competitor in the home goods market. OXO is doing what any other reasonable and profitable company is doing by advertising on social media sites. There is vast community of social media  users that can be pose as potential customers of OXO. Facebook and Twitter are the two most reputable social media sites and they OXO utilizes both to broaden its customer base. Facebook alone has: Over 1.15 billion users, one million webpages can be accessed with the â€Å"Login with Facebook† feature 23% of Facebook users login at least 5 times daily  47% of Americans say Facebook is the top influencer of their buying decisions On average, Americans spend %16 of each online hour on Facebook. 70% of marketers acquire new customers through Facebook. And Twitter: Now has over 550 million registered users and 215 million monthly active users Between 2012 and 2014, Twitter achieved a growth rate of 44% 34% of marketers use Twitter for lead generation (Romeri, 2014).† The vast amount of internet users speaks for itself. OXO is conducting business via internet and attracting a multitude of clients through social media and word of mouth. OXO has raised the bar for the kitchen gadget market with its Good Grips product line and its guarantee of satisfaction. They’ve even taken it a step further to cut advertising costs by advertising through social media sites and even creating a blog site in order to listen and respond to consumer thoughts and concerns on their products. References Corporate Design Foundation. (n.d.). Getting a Grip on Kitchen Tools. Retrieved from Corporate Design Foundation: http://www.cdf.org/issue_journal/getting_a_grip_on_kitchen_tools.html Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2014). Principles of Marketing. Upper Saddle, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. OXO. (n.d.). Blogger Outreach. Retrieved from OXO: http://www.oxo.com/bloggeroutreach/ OXO. (1990). Our Roots. Retrieved from OXO: http://www.oxo.com/OurRoots.aspx OXO. (1990). Satisfaction Guarantee. Retrieved from OXO: http://www.oxo.com/Satisfaction.aspx Romeri, M. J. (2014, February 18). New Social Media Statistics You Need to Know. Retrieved from Social Media Today:

How to Build Online Business Trust in the Philippines

Trust is probably the single most important factor in running an online business. Although the volume of online transactions are increasing, most customers are hesitant to use their credit cards due to the many scams, frauds and other fly-by-night operations plaguing the Internet. Studies show that nearly 70 percent of online shoppers have terminated an order in the middle of processing because they did not feel â€Å"safe† enough. But without the benefit of face-to-face interaction, how can you communicate trust to your online clients? Invest in design. The form, look and feel of your website is the first thing that can make your visitors feel at home. Viewer friendly layouts and customized content will help persuade customers to make that purchase. * Have great customer service. Many developers tend to forget that an offline presence is essential in beefing up your online business. Place telephone numbers and other vital contact information on your homepage. This will assure clients that there are flesh-and-blood people behind every transaction. Use an effective secure payment system. Secure payment gateways like Paypal up your credibility, especially when paired with SSL/PCI scanning seals and other forms of security verification. * Have a Trust Mark Seal on your website. A Trust Mark Seal Certification is probably the easiest and most effective way of building trust in your business. Rampant online fraud has taught shoppers to value third-party trust marks, resulting in significantly larger conversion rates on websites with these certifications.However, there are different kinds of Trust Mark. SSL and PCI Scanning Certifications protect data encryption, but they will not assure your clients that you are a legitimate legal entity, or help you stand out from the competition. Business Verification Trust Marks, on the other hand, certify your credentials and help showcase your company advantages. Having a Business Verification Trustmark will tell your cl ients that you are a serious company that cares about ethics, security and reliability.Localized service is key to choosing a Trust Mark. For Philippine firms, Sure Seal is the first service to offer this verification. So invest in design, customer service, payment security and Trust Mark business certifications. It may sound simple, but these four basic steps will go a long way in building trust in your online business. Qartas Corp. , recently launched the first Online Business Verification Service in the country through â€Å"SureSeal. ph†, with JobsDB. com, IslandRose.Net, Pinoydelikasi. com and Load. PH as one of their first featured members. With the SureSeal Trust Mark on your website, your can: * Differentiate your businesses from competitors, imitators and fraudsters. * Convert visitors into consumers. * Be part of a community of Filipino online businesses with the highest legal and ethical standards. Showcase your legitimacy and credentials as veri? ed by a trusted t hird party specializing in Philippine-based clients. SureSeal? localized service assures thorough investigation of client credentials relevant to customers.Firms certi? ed with the Sure Seal Trust Mark will be included in a searchable online database. This will allow potential customers to identify quality businesses, therefore helping minimize fraud on the Internet. The fees to acquire the seal and undergo the verification process, from what i heard, ranges from Php15k to Php20k.. visit www. sureseal. ph for further details. This service is targetted to Philippine registered companies only.

Mtn Nigeria Roll Out Strategy

MTN NIGERIA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED Prior to 1999, which heralded the return of democracy to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 30 companies had the Digital Mobile License (DML). None of these companies were fully operational as the lacked the technical and financial capability to operate the DML. Aside from the digital mobile licensee, the only active player who was more or less a monopoly was Nitel.The advent of democracy resulted in the appointment of a new regulator for the telecommunications industry. One of the mandates given to the regulator was to deregulate the telecommunications sector and to drive it to become an enabler of the Nigerian economy. The regulator’s first move was to revoke all DML licenses, free up the spectrums associated with the licenses and then open up the licenses to all that is interested.After a due diligence, going thru technical and financial bids, six players were invited to bid for three of the four spectrums put up for sale (the fourth was res erved for Nitel, the government owned company). After a very competitive, free and fair bidding process, MTN Nigeria Limited emerged as one of the winning bids, paying $285m for the license. As part of the terms to retaining the license, each operator of the DML license was to use the GSM technology. They were all given roll out targets, and targets on subscriber base. ROLL OUT STRATEGYAt a strategy management meeting, MTN identified that aside from ensuring that the roll out and subscriber base targets are met, they also have to ensure what ever strategy that is implemented will ensure that investment in the cost of the license and building of the network is recoverable and sustainable. Two roll out strategies were identified: Width strategy and Depth strategy or a combination of both. Whichever strategy was chosen, the marketing team were to ensure that the necessary marketing strategy, slogan and drive support it

Speech on how to shoot a free throw correctly Essay

Speech on how to shoot a free throw correctly - Essay Example A player then spread the feet with the shoulder width apart to make a free throw stance (Hareas 234). In order to make a successful free throw, one needs to cradle the ball in the hand which a player uses to shoot. The offhand is later placed on the ball so as to offer support. The ball should be placed on the fingers in that it does not touch the palms of a player’s hand. The knee placed at a bent position and simultaneously raising the ball up straight until it touches the face of the player shooting the ball (Mullin and Brian 423). The elbows put inside the frame of the body makes it difficult for the elbows to point any direction but down as a player is taking a free throw. It is necessary to release the other hand without the balls one aims   to throw the shot. The free throw is supposed to be taken with the hand that is throwing the ball. Bend the back of the wrist until it becomes perpendicular to the court and then releasing the ball without touching the palm (Hareas 234). A follow through after the throw is needed by maintaining the hands in a release position, way after taking the shot. Lastly, it is vital to stand on the free throw line until the ball touches the

Consumer Behaviour College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Consumer Behaviour College - Essay Example This term, central to any understanding of consumer behaviour, refers to how consumers view a product/service, its price and its quality, among others. It focuses on subjective consumer interpretations of a product's attributes versus its price, what its possession and use will contribute to a consumer versus its price. Within the context of consumer theory, personality has two meanings. The first is consumer personality and the second is brand personality. Ideally, correlation between the two motivates the consumer market to purchase the brand in question and exhibit loyalty towards it. In both instances, personality refers to perceived attributes and characteristics. Consumer market segmentation is integral to focused marketing and the identification of potential consumers. The elderly refers to the consumer market segment which is comprised of the aged, generally those at, or above, pension age. This type of segmentation is restricted to age. The second type of segmentation is concerned with economic status. It effectively refers to consumer income and, more specifically, to those in the upper income brackets. The affluent are the rich consumers, irrespective of gender and age. The ever-increasing popularity, both national and global, of plastic surgery is amply evidence in the appeal of television shows and serials such as "Extreme Makeover" and "Nip/Tuck." Plastic surgery is now openly discussed and is no longer confined to emergencies or to the female market. In other words, plastic/cosmetic surgery is regularly performed for beautification and anti-ageing purposes and not out of necessity and is now being undertaken by both males and females, not just the latter. 3.1 Industry Facts and Figures The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (cited in Ruiz, 2007) estimates that the number of cosmetics surgeries performed per year has increased by almost 50% from 2000 to 2006. Market researcher, writing on the size of the industry and market, assert the impossibility of gauging the size of the industry/market as statistics are based upon procedures performed in hospitals and not those carried out in private clinics (Davis, 1995). Hazarding a guess, nevertheless, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (cited in Ruiz, 2007) asserts that it is a multi-billion pound industry. Indeed, tens of billions of pounds are spent on the global plastic surgery industry per annum (Jeffreys, 2005). It is, in other words, an extremely lucrative, constantly growing market. 3.2 Consumer Characteristics Several

An Age-Old Challenge to Organisational Change Essay

An Age-Old Challenge to Organisational Change - Essay Example This paper illustrates that organisations normally structure their basic operations along with traditional paradigms, or patterns, in their field. These patterns are a guide for managing organisational behaviour that put emphasis on organisational goals and structure and embody a unique value system. For instance, law and accounting organisations have customarily applied patterns that stressed equality among groups and individual self-reliance. A number of patterns are quite recurring and permanent throughout an organisational domain that people think this pattern is the appropriate and most effective organisation approach. But organisations at times discard such patterns, deviating from traditional paradigms in their domain, which consequently brings about organisational change. The Force of Innovation Innovative activities diverge radically from existing activities. Innovations may alter the current technology, norms, routines, skills, and outcomes in an organisation. Innovations a re prone to generate major cognitive difficulties when they contain a new basic knowledge or new connections among basic concepts, indicating that novelty in relation to the knowledge of the core organisation may create the problem of acceptance or change. Organisations with well-built procedures and activities confront the challenge of integrating change in the midst of stability. A traditional procedure has slight uncertainty in implementation and a substantiated history of successes, whereas an innovation has extremely ambiguous future successes. Moreover, organisations have a tendency to stick to practices that brought good outcomes in the past and are arranged to take advantage of the activities they regard to be competencies or competitive advantage. Thus, the preference of many organisations is to carry on with their existing practices or routines. Innovations are uncommon, yet when they take place, the outcomes for the competitors and the adopter are normally crucial. Organi sations perform product and/or service innovations to advance into other businesses, experiment with new technologies, or carry out process innovations to gain higher profits or acquire leverages over competitors. Organisations exploit innovations as means to obtain resources, as witnessed most evidently in the launching of groundbreaking technologies that weaken the existing technological structure. Such technologies are usually not launched by the major companies but by novice competitors. These innovations heighten the research and development activities of current companies and new competitors, as they try to gain knowledge of and become proficient in the technology and for its repercussions for businesses. Only when organisations have opted for a particular way of exploiting new technologies, a governing pattern, does the exhaustive research and development efforts end. This theory of interrupted continuity in technological development has been broadened to encompass other form s of changes in capacities, like changes in organisational structure and market approach.

Baroque art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Baroque art - Essay Example Dutch art is insightful of the Protestant Reformation. Frans Hals was the foremost painter in the seventeenth century Haalem, a city in Dutch whose affluence developed from brewing beer and making extravagance fabrics. Even though Hals painted various scenes of every day’s life, he was essentially a portraitist. His outstanding group portraits of the public guards and administrators of helpful foundations, all of which are in the Netherlands, are particularly famous. To avoid flattery, Hals illustrated his sitters with a dynamic honesty that called for their strong, informal tastes. Winning political freedom from Spain in 1648 and the liberty to devotion in the new protestant belief, the Dutch Republic was as well immensely rich from overseas trade. Dutch burghers, even as they took considerable pride in material ownership, they were still socially traditional, most holding to a reserved and an uncomplicated lifestyle. Some of his paintings illustrated the various strata in th e society. By firm religious rule, the early Protestants dressed in only black and white outfits, despite the cost of the fabrics. Hals revolved the bare clothing to an advantage, making use of the neutral outfits to begin his sitters’ complexions beside light tan or dark gray environment. To evaluate Hals’ varying styles, it is useful to look carefully at fine points, like lace collars, that he handled in a different way during his progress. Two features of hands, separated by almost twenty years, indicate a development in Hals’ technique.

To what extent do David Hockney and Chuck Close adopt traditional and Dissertation

To what extent do David Hockney and Chuck Close adopt traditional and digital processes in their Fine Arts practice - Dissertation Example Therefore, it is important to understand how a piece of work becomes a piece of art, and to what purpose that label provides to society. One of the first tools that provided this narrowing of the gap between the artist and the crafter is the camera. Photographic art is defined by parameters that society has set in order to assign value to one photograph over another. However, people from all walks of life and with a variety of intentions have cameras and take photographs, some sharing aspects of artistic quality of those taken by people whose work is considered art. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to create definitive separations between those who use the same types of equipment and create the same kinds of work. Two artists that can be used to discuss the development of digital art are Chuck Close and David Hockney. Chuck Close imitates the digital form, his paintings recreating the digital world through painstaking techniques that create startling realism. One of the finest ex amples of digital art that can be seen through the manipulation of photographic images is in the work of David Hockney. The narrative that is created through his form of collage he called ‘joiners’ creates a reflection of cubism, the individual pieces of the work creating a sense of communication. Defining Art The digital world is a place where the amateur has been given the opportunity to create work that is as expressive as the professional, artistic creations being made with the need for technical skills, at least in the way of tangible elements being put into the works, eliminated and replaced with user friendly tools. Most people have embraced the use of computer technologies, meaning that now almost anyone has the capacity to create art without having to brush paint, form clay, or construct true form. The virtual world is a malleable place which recreates the imagery of three dimension or allows for the manipulation of elements and forms. This means that not only the concept of a true artist is in contrast to a crafter has been permanently blurred, but it means that much of the physical needs of the artist can possibly be replaced with a medium that strips away the need for physical skill, replacing it with intellectually learned skills, the medium diminishing the need to know how to manipulate the real. A digital environment abstracts the fallibility of the human stroke against the canvas and replaces it with an opportunity for perfection. Creating art in a digital world can allow the artist to bypass some of the frustrations that can occur when the creation isn’t reflecting the vision so that the intent of the work can more easily and readily come through to the viewer. Digital art can also allow the artist to take what could not be rendered to perfect expression and refine it to reflect the intended vision. When the human mechanics can not create something that has the nuance that a digital work has, then the artist must consider t o the use of digital enhancement to create what is envisioned. The artist is given a broader number of tools in which to manipulate his expressions, those tools requiring a different type of technical knowledge that was not in previous history available. The artists skills are relevant in a different way, not through his or her expertise with simple tools, but with his or her ability to use common tools of the technical age. What will define the artist

No need Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

No need - Essay Example After taking the introduction to conflict and resolution class, I learnt that there are many theories that one can use to understand the reason of conflict such as the nested theory, which reasonably analyses the reason of conflict. Indeed, I learnt the importance of culture and religion in the field of conflict and resolution as well as how they relate with the idea of peace building. This paper will be about the ideas, theories, and readings that I believe are important to conflict and resolution. Indeed, one can notice that the field of conflict and resolution contains various theories and ideas that are sometimes different yet they all try to answer the same questions such as why countries conflict. They also seek to explain human behavior. Furthermore, to me culture is very important in conflict and resolutions. This is because culture is deeply rooted in one’s past experiences, and as such, we can view it as a derivative of one’s own experiences (Avruch 20). Indee d, any person worldview is determined to a big extent by his/her culture, and therefore, culture is quite important in conflict resolution. In fact, from personal experiences, a person can build his/her new opinions and believes or become more attached to his/her pervious opinion. As a result, when two people have different opinions over an idea and none of them has enough information about the other side background, this will lead to conflict. Ideally, the two will conflict because each will try to convince the other side with his/her opinion and not being aware of the reasons that made the other side reject his/her opinion. One of the theories I learned this semester in the conflict resolution class is the Nested theory that I believe helps to explain the reason why conflict exist. The Nested model of conflict is based on the structural nature of the conflicts. In the nested model, Dugan identified three levels of conflict. These levels include the issue specific level, relational level, structural subsystem level, and structural system level. The levels are interrelated and adopt a pattern where the narrow types or levels of conflict nest within the broader level (Dugan 14). We can view these levels as the spider web where it starts with small circles surrounded by larger circles (Kotev paragraph 1). In the middle of the web, we have the individual surrounded by the community and then the larger circles represent the society (Kotev paragraph 1). In order to understand the reason of conflict, one should first look at the individual and what is around him/her to determine what kind of intuitions and community can affect his/her way of thinking. In addition, one can use the larger circle to see how the society affects the communities and the individuals. According to this theory, in resolving conflicts, we should first critically analyze the conflict and locate it within the category of conflicts where it fits. Having done that, we should then proceed to find the best way to resolve the root causes of the conflict. The reason why I mainly focused on culture, religion, and the nested theory is that I come from a religious country to a western country, which is the United States. I noticed that many American students and citizens do not know a lot about the Arab countries culture and religion. In fact, many think that Qatar, UAE and KSA are one country. For example, many westerns view the Arab women as oppressed women and that they are forced by men

To what degree did Hitler use illegitimate tactics vs legitimate Essay

To what degree did Hitler use illegitimate tactics vs legitimate tactics in his rise to power in 1933 - Essay Example The intention of the investigation is purely to obtain information from pieces of the past albeit the same may be utilized in the furtherance of academic studies of the lives and obsessions of world leaders and other significant figures. There are accounts that Hitler did not have fixed and definite plans during the course of his adventurism for influence and control. Instead, he was simply practical and acted pursuant to what he believed was applicable and effective at the moment. (A Pragmatic Approach? BIDEFORD COLLEGE HISTORY DEPT’. Bideford College Online. [internet]). This attitude of Hitler was apparent both in his policies dealing with foreign as well as domestic matters. Hence, as far as regarding the involvement of Germany outside of the nation, Hitler moved his way responsively to whatever then was taking place around the world, particularly the neighbors of Germany in Europe and in other parts of the West. It might therefore be that the dictator did not give too much attention to whether or not the processes of his operations were legitimate. This technique of Hitler was seen when Benito Mussolini started his own expansion by invading Abyssiania in 1935. Assessing the intrusion as having diverted g lobal awareness of the occurrences in Germany, Hitler took similar actions in Rhineland in March 1936 by establishing authority and supremacy in the area. He did not care if his moves were construed as inappropriate and he acted decisively and to the fullest while the opportunity was still at hand. During the incursion, the German leader must be under the belief and perception that it would bring results efficiently and effectively while the allied forces were out of sight. It is very significant to observe that the military campaign clearly violated the Treaty of Versailles which mandated Rhineland to be a neutral ground. (Timeline for WW2: 1933-1941, Beginning of Nazi Germany to Invasion of Soviet Union.

Drama Paper on Trifles †Susan Glaspell Essay Example for Free

Drama Paper on Trifles – Susan Glaspell Essay

The Biggest Bill in History and The Lessons of 193 Essay Example for Free

The Biggest Bill in History and The Lessons of 193 Essay Two articles on the current economic crisis—Pubic Debt: The Biggest Bill in History (The Economist, June 11, 2009) and The Lessons of 1937 (The Economist, June 18, 2009) both list down various points and issues that liken today’s financial crisis to that of the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Upon introduction, Romer writes that â€Å"policymakers must learn from the errors that prolonged the Depression (par. 1)†, while Ryder contrasts between â€Å"the right and wrong ways to deal with the rich world’s fiscal mess (par. 1). † The Lessons of 1937 In a guest article, Presidential Economic Adviser Christina Romer describes the barriers that economic recovery had to hurdle in the late 1930’s. She credits this downturn to the â€Å"unfortunate, and largely inadvertent, switch to contractionary fiscal and monetary policy (Romer, par. 3). † Romer stresses the importance of looking at the events of the 1937 Depression and learning from its mistakes. There is a strong urge today to declare victory and the return of fiscal stability at the slightest sign of economic improvement—Romer believes that today’s lawmakers should strongly avoid doing so until the employment rate closely approaches its highest degree. The lessons of the 1930’s should inspire us to â€Å"find constructive ways to respond to the natural pressure to cut back on stimulus (Romer, par. 7). † Public Debt: The Biggest Bill in History Brett Ryder’s opinion piece describes massive public debt as another potential â€Å"cloud†¦on the financial horizon (par. 1). As tax revenues are reduces and more money reserves are spent on bailouts, unemployment benefits and stimulus plans, international governments continue to borrow massive amounts of money. Ryder also writes that whatever damage this borrowing is doing, it is a necessary â€Å"antidote† to the current economic decline (par. 3). Governments should hold off on fiscal tightening until economies are much stronger. Works Cited Romer, Christina. â€Å"The Lessons of 1937. † Economist. com. 18 June 2009. 22 June 2009. http://www. economist. com/businessfinance/displaystory. cfm? story_id=13856176. Ryder, Brett. â€Å"Public Debt: The Biggest Bill in History. † Economist. com. 11 June 2009. 22 June 2009. http://www. economist. com/opinion/displaystory. cfm? story_id=13829461. The (Macro)Economic Crisis:

Meritocracy in UK Education: Bernstein and Bourdieu

Meritocracy in UK Education: Bernstein and Bourdieu ‘Education policy in the UK now contributes to a more meritocratic society. Discuss the various explanations that sociologists have offered for differences in educational outcomes Introduction Many policy developments regarding education have had as their express aim the need to make the education system fairer (including the 1870 and 1944 Education Acts and the 1988 Education Reform Act, which introduced the National Curriculm): that is, to achieve a position in which educational achievement reflects children’s innate ability.[1] However, despite these manifest aims the basic pattern of educational achievement remains stratified along lines of class, race and gender: in general, children from middle and upper class families (as defined by the occupational grouping of the father) tend to achieve both a longer and more qualified education (see Douglas, 1964 or Halsey et al, 1980). Similarly, race differentials of attainment are also evident (see Orr, 2003). Finally, educational outcomes, despite successive attempts to overcome them, remain gendered: girls tend to be concentrated within the ‘feminine’ subjects such as English, whilst boys tend to do bette r in mathematics and the sciences (see Thomas, 1990). However, the largest factor affecting educational outcomes in the UK remains class: this is not to say that all working class children fail educationally; however, there remains a strong correlation between social class and achievement levels. Thus, despite a widespread belief in the meritocratic nature of modern western society this belief may in fact be little more than a legitimating ideology: it is therefore the unequal educational outcomes of children with similar ‘natural’ abilities that social theorists have sought to explain. However, as many theoretical approaches have been utilised in this attempt as the number of theorists so involved: theorists with liberal, conservative, feminist and socialist leanings may further show actor-centred, structuralist or functionalist tendencies to their explanatory schemas. In this essay I have decided to concentrate on the work of two theorists, Pierre Bourdieu and Basil Bernstein, my reasoning is threefold: firstly, space limitations negate the feasibility of a broader survey; next, though Bernstein was previously influential within educational theory, it is the work of Bourdieu that now appears ascendant and to have wider applicability; finally, whilst both Pierre Bourdieu and Basil Bernstein have been associated with class-based analysis, it is that of Bourdieu that has subsequently been more widely adopted, therefore they provide neatly contrasting explanations of educational differentials. In the next section I outline the educational theory of Basil Bernstein; in the following that of Pierre Bourdieu. In the conclusion, I critically asses both approaches, arguing that, whilst at first glance they appear similar in that they both aim to account predominantly for the class-based dimension to educational differentials, in fact it is the more subtle and nuanced theory of Bourdieu that is better able to account for educational differentials of a wider type: those based on gender, race, and class. Basil Bernstein: The Elaborated and Restricted Codes Basil Bernstein (1925-2000) initially developed his account of the elaborated and restricted codes during his time teaching young men motorcycle repair in the 1960s. It was then that he noticed the different ways in which language was used by the tutors and pupils, leading him to conclude that it was in fact two different forms of language that were being used: the restricted and elaborated codes. He defined the ‘restricted’ code as being inherently context bound, emotion based and reliant on condensed symbols: ‘restricted codes are more tied to a local structure and have a reduced potential for change’ (Bernstein, 1972: 164). In contrast, the ‘elaborated’ codes ‘orient their users towards universalistic meanings’ (Ibid.) and are defined by Bernstein as utilising rationality and logic; ‘elaborated’ codes are thus described by Bernstein as being context-free; it is the elaborated code that Bernstein takes to be dominant within education. Bernstein believed that the elaborated language code is the norm for the middle classes, whilst the restricted code is usually used both within working-class and middle-class families, with differences the result of the ‘cultural transmission’, via socialisation, that turns the biological infant into a cultural being (Bernstein, 1972: 162). He argued that the process of socialisation naturalises the social order and occurs via social institutions such as the family and school. He identified two family types: the ‘positional’ and the ‘person-centred’, and these are likely to utilise specific modes of interaction (Bernstein, 1972: 170). Arguing that all children have access to the restricted code, Bernstein believed that it is only those from the person-centred family type (the middle-class families) who are likely to have had regular contact with the imaginative and interpersonal language of the elaborated code outside of formal education, giving them an advantage within education: Historically and now, only a tiny percentage of the population has been socialised into knowledge at the level of meta-languages of control and innovation, whereas the mass of the population has been socialised into knowledge at the level of context-tied operations (Bernstein, 1972: 163). In short, the language used within the home gives middle class children an advantage at school; they ‘speak the same language’ as the teachers. Bernstein does not argue that either mode is better than the other, his aims to be a descriptive, rather than a prescriptive, account; instead he argues that it is the educational system itself that favours one code above the other and thus privileges the children of one group, middle-class children. Pierre Bourdieu: Cultural Capital Similar to Bernstein, Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) developed his theory of cultural capital as part of an attempt to explain the class-based educational differentials between children with similar natural abilities. Two concepts are central to this schema: those of cultural capital and cultural reproduction. In the first, culture is viewed as similar to power (Bourdieu, 1986: 243) because, like money, one is able to inherit it and it can be translated into other social resources, including wealth and status (Bourdieu, 1986: 244-5). It is this transferability of cultural capital that leads to the second key concept, that of cultural reproduction: for in this schema the class that dominates economically is also able to dominate culturally and ideologically; thus, similarly to Bernstein, schools play a key role in socio-cultural reproduction by valuing middle-class culture more highly than that of the working-classes. Bourdieu isolates three distinct types of cultural capital, embodied, objectified and institutionalised: the first describes the way that cultural capital becomes incorporated into the very body of the individual (Bourdieu, 1986: 244-5); the second refers to artefacts which may be inherited (Bourdieu, 1986: 246); whilst the third refers to those academic qualifications which allow an individual access to economic capital via the job market (Bourdieu, 1986: 247). In this way schools, along with other institutions, help to both naturalise and perpetuate inequality. Like economic capital for Karl Marx, for Bourdieu cultural capital has the capacity to reproduce itself ‘in identical or expanded form’ (Bourdieu, 1986: 241). In short, for Bourdieu education plays a key role in legitimising and naturalising social inequality; for if all children are believed to have equal opportunities to succeed according to their ability then any failure must be a result of differences in their level of ability: it must be their own fault rather than the fault of the system as a whole. Bourdieu posits the educational shortcomings of the working classes on their situational constraints in two ways; firstly, the objective class position of the children’s family is used to provide the basis for assumptions regarding the kind of cultural resources they therefore hold; secondly, their social position limits the amount and type of capital an individual is likely to accrue and pass on to their children. Within Bourdieu’s theory, each economic class is thus assumed to have developed a ‘class culture’, or way of both acting in and perceiving the social world, and in this way social inequality is intern alised or embodied as it is also naturalised. Analysis and Conclusion The two approaches appear similar at first glance; both concentrate on the class-based aspects of educational inequality, and, as such, both are open to the criticism that they fail to account for other educational differences, such as those resulting from race or gender (McCall, 1992: 851). Further, both approaches are liable to be criticised for their economic determinism: John Frow has argued that with Bourdieu’s approach the cultural resources of an individual are merely assumed from their class position (Frow, 1995: 63) and this criticism might equally be applied to Bernstein. Finally, both approaches entail the idea that differential educational achievement is best explained with references to ‘barriers’ to achievement: both posit the way that society is organised, the education system in particular, as itself limiting the ability of some children to succeed. However, Bernstein’s theory has been criticised empirically, theoretically and ideologically; first, little empirical is cited to support his hypothesis and he conducted no participation observation of either middle or working class family homes (Rosen, 1974: 10). Theoretically, Bernstein utilises a crude conception of class analysis which ignores the ruling class entirely whilst also concentrating solely on the unskilled section of the working class (Rosen, 1974: 6). He fails to address the relations between the two classes (Ibid.), further, by concentrating on the role of the family his theory fails to acknowledge other institutions or the role of peer groups or the media (Rosen, 1974: 7). Finally, he fails to acknowledge the effect that the attitude of the teacher toward their students may have on their education. Whilst there is a ‘grain of truth’ to his argument, in that there are differences in the language use of the various social classes, by attributing t he failure of working class children solely to their language-use Bernstein misses the point: it is not the language that inherently contains power, but rather it is the broader education system that, by imposing middle-class culture via pedagogic authority, limits the ability of working class children to succeed. Although he aims to only describe the differences between the two language types, Bernstein himself falls into the ethno-linguistic trap of believing his own language use to be the superior form (Rosen, 1974: 6). Finally, as Deborah Cameron states: ‘the theory of codes could be boiled down to a political truism, those who do not speak the language of the dominant elite find it difficult to get on’ (Cameron, 1985: 159-160). Bourdieu’s approach is more subtle; although he agues, similarly to Bernstein, that language plays a key role in the under achievement of the working classes, Bourdieu’s explanation involves many other factors, including the development of a specific habitus, or set of predispositions, and the social, cultural and economic capitals. Thus Bourdieu does not point to language as the sole cause of working-class children’s educational failure, but instead describes a complex process that not only attempts to account for this failure but also its internalisation. Indeed, Bourdieu’s theory is supported by in-depth participation-observation, rather than the assumption and anecdote of Bernstein, reflecting his recognition of the complexity of the causes of unequal educational achievement. In recent years Bernstein’s theory, though once influential, has fallen out of favour within educational sociology, as a quick survey of recent articles reveals, whilst the theory of cultural capital has become increasingly influential (Burkett, 2001). Whilst at first glance the theories appear similar, in fact it is the theory of Bourdieu that is better able to account for educational differentials of a wider type: those based on gender, race, and class and many theorists have sought to thus extend the theory to account for these wider differentials (see, for example, McNay, 1999; Reay, 2004). Indeed, Ben Fine has argued that academia has been gripped by a kind of ‘capital’ mania (in Burkett, 2004: 234), in part, at least, attesting to the strength of the explanatory schema. Bibliography Bernstein, Basil (1972) ‘Social Class, Language and Socialisation’, Language and Social Context: Selected Readings, Giglioli, Pier Paolo (Ed.), London: Penguin Education, pp. 157-178. Bourdieu, Pierre (1986) ‘The forms of Capital’ in Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, Richardson, J (Ed.), London: Greenwood Press, pp. 241-258. Burkett, Paul (2001) ‘Book Review: Social Capital versus Social Theory: Political Economy and Social Science at the Turn of the Millennium’ by Ben Fine, London: Routledge, Historical Materialism, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 233-246. Cameron, Deborah (1985) ‘Beyond Alienation: An Integrational Approach to Women and Language’, Feminism and Linguistic Theory, London: MacMillan, pp 134 – 161. Douglas, J.W.B (1964) The Home and the School: A Study of Ability and Attainment in the Primary School, London: MacGibbon. Frow, John (1995) ‘Accounting for Tastes: Some Problems in Bourdieu’s Sociology of Culture’, Cultural Studies, Vol. 1(No. 1), pp. 59-73. Halsey, A.H; Heath, A Ridge, J.M (1980) Origins and Destinations: Family Class and Education in Modern Britain, Oxford: Clarendon Press. McNay, Lois (1999) ‘Gender, Habitus and the Field: Pierre Bourdieu and the Limits of Reflexivity’, Theory, Culture and Society, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 95-117. Orr, Amy (2003) ‘Black-White Differences in Achievement: The Importance of Wealth’, Sociology of Education, Vol. 76, pp. 281-304. Piper, David Warren (1984) ‘The Question of Fairness’, Is Higher Education Fair to Women?, Acker, Sandra and Piper, David Warren (Eds.), Guilford: SRHE and NFER-NELSON, pp. 3-24. Reay, Diane (2004) ‘It’s all Becoming a Habitus’: Beyond the Habitual use of Habitus in Educational Research’, British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 431-444. Rosen, Harold (1974 [1972]) Language and Class: A Critical Look at the Theories of Basil Bernstein (3rd Ed.), Bristol: Falling Wall Press. Thomas, Kim (1990) ‘The Question of Gender’ and ‘Feminism and Education’ in Gender and Subject in Higher Education, Buckingham: SRHE Open University Press, pp. 1 – 23. 1 Footnotes [1] See David Warren Piper (1984) for a discussion regarding the feasibility of attaining true ‘fairness’ in education.

Compare And Contrast The Star And The Necklace :: essays research papers

The story â€Å"The Star†, which was written in 1970’s, is trying to say that we need to understand the truth of our fate rather than put on blinders and quit refusing everything else that we don’t want to see. In the story â€Å"The Necklace† written by Guy De Maupassant the woman worked herself to the bone for ten years trying to pay off the debt used to pay for the necklace she lost at the ball. The woman in this story is a poor pretty woman who thought she deserved a better life than one that she already had. The main character in this story is a woman named Louis, the daughter of simple working class man. Both stories include a sub theme of a hope for a better life, in which all men were created equal and all the ugly injustices in the world would cease to exist. But the cold hard fact is that we humans have this innate sense of optimism, which blocks our thinking for reality, because without it we would have no reason for living. In the case of the woman in the story "The necklace" the object being the necklace which she eventually loses and tries to replace. Instead of hiding the truth and facing the music, which was harder, to take than when she lied. The old adage which says," What a tangled web weave when we first start to deceive." We humans can't handle the truth. We think we know what is the truth. What that really is just bullshit. It's arrogance-playing tricks on our minds making us think we are in control of our lives. If we really were in control of our lives then why can't we control every little aspect of it that gives discomfort? Because we can't, because we don't know how, and eventually the truth will show that is we don't what the truth really is. Using the slippery slope logic one can conclude that the two stories are more similar than they are different but because the assignment at hand requires for me to compare and contrast in an illustrative manner then I guess I sho uld start. In the story the Star the setting is on a rocket ship with astronauts and the setting in the necklace is old France in the late 1970's. The Star is a science fiction story while the necklace is an illustrative story.

The Dramatic Presentation of Truth, Justice and Morality in The Crucibl

The Dramatic Presentation of Truth, Justice and Morality in The Crucible "The Crucible" is essentially a story about witchcraft, but the one key theme which occurs throughout the play and plays a fundamental part in it, is justice. A large proportion of the play is actually set in court, the "house of justice", which is a very symbolic way of showing its importance. Normally in every day life, the judge of the court is the person who brings out the justice in the cases brought forwards, but in "The Crucible" it is not always clear if this is the case; sometimes it even seems to be the other way round. Often there are times when pivotal characters such as John Proctor will question Judge Hathorn or Deputy Governor Danforth's decisions and reasoning, and sometimes even the verdict, and the reader will see that in a lot of these cases, the two most powerful and influential men in the town are often in the wrong. This does not say a lot for the justice system in place in Salem. A prime example of this is in Act Two, when the authorities are trying to arrest Elizabeth for having a needle in a poppet in her house, because of something Abigail Williams has said. John becomes angry and says, "why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers?" This is a very good argument, and one which the reader feels grateful to John for pointing out. It is a long running error in the play, that infuriates the reader, to think that the only people with enough power to put things right seem completely oblivious to the fact that they are missing the blindingly ob... ...were hunted like the witches in Salem, and made to name other communists to prove they had abandoned their left wing views. Many fell to McCarthyism, but a few stood up for their beliefs - Arthur Miller being one of them. This is reflected in John Proctor throughout the play, and both men share the same thoughts and morals. It is obvious that Miller really wanted to put across the idea of being an individual, and standing up for what you believe in, and to show the irony of how unjust the justice system really was in those days, and still is in some places. It is clear he was very passionate about these things, and it really comes across in this play - just the words are enough to give a good impression of what he is trying to show, and builds up an image of each of the characters which the reader can really relate to.

Physics Lab Report Essay -- essays research papers

Physics Lab Report Statement of the Problem:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem that was arisen in Problem #5: Motion up an Incline was in reference to a change in acceleration in both an uphill and downhill motion. The question on hand was whether or not the acceleration was the same going uphill as it was downhill or different from each other in both directions. To obtain a secure conclusion this experiment required the use of a frictionless cart, an inclined ramp, motion sensor, meter stick, and assistance of computer programs. These tools help us to achieve/correct our predictions by giving us precise information about the acceleration of the cart in both the up and downhill direction. Prediction:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My prediction for Problem # 5 was how I felt that the acceleration of the cart would be equal but opposite to each other on the way up and down. As the cart is going uphill it would have a negative acceleration (see notebook for rough sketch of graph) because it’s slowing down and eventually going to return back to the bottom. As the cart is going down hill it is working with the acceleration making acceleration positive in a quantitative sense. Data & Results:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The lab for Problem #5 was conducted in a pretty simple manner. Since are main goal was to see if acceleration were the same on the way up as it was down we just had to do a couple experimental runs by launching the cart up the hill, allowing it to reach its max distance up and then come back down. While doing the previ...

Amazing Grace Review

In the 18th century millions of men, women and children were taken from their homes in Africa and sold into slavery. Few survived the slave ships, and even fewer lived through their slave labors. Some people thought the slave trade was wrong, but to find someone who had the courage to stand-up to make a stop was hard. â€Å"Amazing Grace†, is a movie based on a true story. Written by Steven Knight and directed by Michael Apted, it is about William Wilberforce and his quest to abolish the slave trade in the United Kingdom, and his battle against the British parliament of the 18th century. The film narrates William Wilberforce’s journey through time with many flashbacks. William, the son of a rich merchant, studied at Cambridge; this is where he met his close friend and future priminister, William Pitt. Pitt encourages Wilberforce to outlaw the slavetrade and fight against parliament. With his support and advice on how to conquer the government, they get over 3,000 signatures wanting to abolish the slave trade. Without his connections it would have taken Wilberforce much longer to achieve these goals and to see progress. Wilberforce committed many years, so many that he neglects his health, and becomes very ill. Wilberforce then meets Barbara Spooner, who pushes him to keep on going and fight for what he believes and gets him back on his feet. â€Å"Amazing Grace† is a portrait of faith and persistence. These themes are very evident as Wilberforce’s devotion to abolish the slave trade is number one priority- even over his own health. Wilberforce and Pitt also must have faith and believe that they will win the battle. This also leads into another theme, fighting for what you believe, and the theme of racism The theme that occurs continuously and ties all the above themes together is monstrosity. This theme is also shown throughout the novels of To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) and Frankenstein (Mary Shelley), when racist acts are made in To Kill A Mockingbird, and the real monster is revealed today’s society in Frankenstein. Throughout the movie, William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) shows the characteristics of a hero, and people around the world look up at him for his effort. Since the beginning of the movie, William Wilberforce shows signs of sympathy and care. When passing by a suffering horse, he stops and makes sure the abusing stops. Small details like this already give the viewer an instant idea of what sort character he is. As well as the amazing in-role acting the sound and lighting are the finishing touch. The lighting increases many aspects of the movie. When Wilberforce had flashbacks and was thinking of the slavery and the slave ships, the lighting became darker and the music also adjusted. To the viewer it isn’t that obvious until you specifically look for lighting and other technical edits. But without these things the movie the impact the movie gives wouldn’t be as great. As well as lighting, the camera angles where also very specific. There would always be close up shots when difference of facial expressions were shown, this emphases more emotion in the movie and also attracting the viewer. Amazing Grace, is a extremely intense and an instructive movie, as well as interesting and exciting. The viewers really feel pulled into the story and really get motivated to stand up for what they believe. William Wilberforce really was a role model sending out positive messages and leaving the audience with a winning smile on their face.

Meaning of life †Mind Essay

The meaning of life is a question that is thrown around from person to person asking them what they think. Some people have an idea of what the meaning of life is and other has no clue. Some believe that you just live life and others believe while living life you discover the meaning. During this essay I will be talking about what other people think about this question. When I had a conversation with my father about what the meaning of life is all about he had the same response to the question that basically everyone else had came up with. The one difference that he said while we were chatting was that life is full of choices and decisions. I thought long and hard for a while about what he said thinking that there was more behind it then just what he had stated. What I came up with was that maybe he was implying that what we do during our term of living is what sets up the next thing that happens in life. So each choice that we make is important in that it’s not the meaning of life that’s so important but the concept of what we do during life is the meaning. Some might disagree and imp still thinking about what my father has said to, but its just another point of view and I have no problem looking at it from a different angle. Another big topic when it comes to the question of the meaning of life is music. Music is a great way to hear what other people and especially artist think about the meaning of life thought their songs. Sometimes it’s hard to hear but if you listen closely there is always a message somewhere that says something about the meaning of life. For example in the song â€Å"I don’t wanna be† By the artist Gavin Degraw he speaks out about what he thinks about the meaning of life threw what other people are and what he doesn’t want to become. â€Å"I’m surrounded by liars everywhere I turn Imposters everywhere I turn surround me I’m surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn Am I the only one who’s noticed? I can’t be the only one who’s learned I don’t want to be anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately All I have to do is think of me and I’ve peace of mind I’m tired of looking ’round rooms wondering what I got to do Or who I’m supposed to be I don’t want to be anything other than me† (www. sing365. com) What these lyrics are basically saying is that he can see that everyone around him is acting like something that there not. Then he says that he doesn’t want to act like everyone else and not know who he is but he just wants to be he and live life the way he wants to. The next topic that is a good place to find out the meaning of life is the creative minds of artist and there art work. Art work is always a good place to find out the meaning of life because again the artist have a message in there work hidden and you have to find what there saying. The only difference from music is instead of saying the message they paint the message in a form of image weather it’s a paining or it’s a sculpture. There is many ways that you can discover meaning of life. In some ways its not what you find the meaning of life in its more about what you perceive of the meaning of life. When you look at something like a painting or a song what do you think it is trying to say? Does it paint a picture in your head and what does that picture look like? I find that the best way to see the meaning of life is threw movie. Movies are an image of the life that we live but it shows us the true meaning of life in a way that we can all understand. People are blind when it comes to what makes them in this world. In a movie the character is set up to live there life and threw events shows us what makes them unique. In one movie the Shaw shank redemption the main character Andy is convicted for a murder that he doesn’t commit and is forced to go to hail for life. In the movie you think that he has nothing to live for anymore but in a way they present what his meaning of life is and how it comes clear to the characters eyes. The character see’s that he needs certine things in life to live. Friends was one of the things that he discovered was important to live a happy and full life. Hope is another one; if you don’t have hope then you have nothing to look forward to so then what is the point of living. The main thought in the movie was get busy living or get busy dieing. What this is suppose to mean is if your not going to start living and doing all the things you want to complete in life you might as well start on dieing. The meaning of life is very complex and you can’t always pick up everything that it’s going to throw at you. That’s why movies, art and music in around so that other people who think about the topic more can show you there incite. If you listen and look at thoughts things you can learn things that will show you what the meaning of life is or at least what you can do to get started on living your life.

Justice in V for Vendetta Essay

James Warren Pike Essay question: How far and in what ways has a writer presented justice as an important concept? Refer in detail to any work of literature you have studied. Justice is one of the fundamental principles upon which builds a nation. V for Vendetta conveys justice as fairness. V for Vendetta is a film based on a graphic novel written by Alan Moore and David Lloyd in 1982. Through the plot and motifs presented in the film, we gain insights into the idea of justice. Several characters in the story bring the juxtaposing views of V? action, while V sets the conflict between fascism and anarchism. The director, James McTeigue leaves V? s act of justice in the film unjustified, and guides the audience to interpret it themselves. The opening scenes of the film accentuate justice through a voice over, this voiceover not only retells the history of Guy Fawkes, but also sheds light onto the revisionism of V. V as the protagonist in the film, is critical to the representation of justice, because the film portrays the definition of justice through V? s actions. The Guy Fawkes mask depicts the main adumbration of justice in the film. Guy Fawkes was involved in the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. The Gunpowder plot was a group of Catholics attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament. V? s impulsion in the film is to destroy the central criminal court, the Old Bailey. V wears a Guy Fawkes mask throughout the film, not only to hide his identity, but also to bequeath the idea of being a superhero to the audience. The Guy Fawkes mask is not a V? s privileged weapon. In the scenes of the Shadow Gallery, the point of view shot of V wearing his mask gives the audience the feeling of wearing the masks themselves. V also shares the masks with the public and invites them to attend the 5th November protest. The mask is a representation of political justice. These scenes suggest to the audience that all people should have the right to fight for political justice. This is also supported through the history allusion of the Gunpowder plot, where Guy Fawkes was brave enough to stand up against the government. The anonymous V attempts to annihilate the Norsefire dictatorship by killing several members of the party. James McTeigue illustrates the British government as fascist through the naming the different bodies of the government. „The Eyes? are referred to the surveillance organizations, â€Å"The Nose? to the detectives, â€Å"The Mouth† to the propaganda and â€Å" The Finger† to the fingermen. V kills â€Å" The voice of London†, Lewis Protherol. Protherol? s rant on V suggests to the public that no on escapes judgement, which is irony to himself getting killed after. On one hand, it was an act of personal justice, because Protherol was a commander in the Larkhill detention camp. On the other hand, Protherol was one the main propaganda creators, a part of â€Å"The Mouth†. The motif of fire strengthens the idea of justice in the scenes of Larkhill. This fire was first introduced in the opening scenes of V. A fiery, sharp blaze swoops across the screen, drawing the letter of „V?. The fire symbolizes destruction, anger, and also passion. The destruction was the violent acts V was going to do, anger was V being tortured in Larkhill, passion was V enjoying the violent acts. V for Vendetta allows audience to justify the morality of V? action and to identify the British government as a functional institution. The story of Larkhill is told to the audience through the quest of unearthing V? s past. Detective Finch investigates Dr. Surridge? s diary and reveals to the audience how V was taught to obey orders through violence. The same way V pursues justice by killing people who were involved in the Larkhill detention camp. Through the voice of V, the speech given by V on British Televison Network further advocates the idea that all people should have the right to fight for political justice. V? s speech is also invigorated through a piece of artwork he had in the shadow gallery – A mirror with carved Latin words „Vi Veri Vniversum Vivus Vici? This not only suits V? s love of words starting with the letter V, but also empowers the power of truth. V? s speech on British Television Network accuses the public of bowing down to the High Chancellor Sutler, allowing fear to be the government? s biggest weapon. V fought for fairness because he though „People should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their people? V alleged the government of oppressing the people, and justice should be attained through the power of the people. This justice he is suggesting to the people is not violence, but is the power of the truth. V destroys the Old Bailey not only to get attention but also to prove to the public how vulnerable the government may be. Scenes on the roof with Evey, with the background music of parts of the 1812 Tchaiskovsky, suggest to the audience that V was enjoying it and treated it as a musical performance. On the other hand, he broadcasted the music to the public through the public surveillance speakers.

Management Information System Essay

Maxis Berhad is a leading telecommunication company in Malaysia with more than 11.4 million mobile subscribers, Maxis has been providing a full suite of services on multiple platforms to fulfill the telecommunication needs of individual consumers, SMEs and large corporations in Malaysia. Other than that, Maxis Berhad is offering on postpaid services under the Maxis brand and via prepaid formast under the Hotlink. It uses the dialling prefix identifier of â€Å"012†, â€Å"014† and â€Å"017†. The uses of different brands are to support each other by synergy value. It helps Maxis Berhad to maintain and develop prepaid businesses while keep on maintaining their growth in postpaid field. Maxis Berhad is the first telecommunication company who build up integrated communication service and launched 4G LTE which is the highest internet speed in Malaysia. Besides that, Maxis Berhad is a trendy company that brings in iPhone, BlackBerry and Samsung Galaxy to the local mar ket compare to the other telecommunication companies, it helps local users to catch up their technology knowledge with other countries. In addition, Maxis Berhad is having customer service center throughout the countries, which provides conveniences to the customers for paying bills, signing up, and reporting problems. Customers are now able to reach Maxis service representatives via telephone, web and social media platforms. Maxis Berhad had significant growth and strong track record of bringing innovation and excellent customer service. Maxis Call Centre was awarded the ‘Best of the Best’ honor at the 2012 Customer Relationship Management and Contact Centre (CCAM) Annual Awards. They are the only service provider that awards scholarships to children of their own postpaid customers. Maxis Berhad had awarded as Malaysia’s Top Ten Companies: Ranked 1 – Asia’s 200 Most Admired Companies, The Wall Street Journal Asia in 2006. Morten Lundal was appointed as a Director of Maxis on 1 October 2013. Maxis Berhad currently is streamlining its organisational structure into four business areas, each with its respective head in order to strengthen their core business areas for future growth. The first area, enterprise solutions, it manages the company’s enterprise, government and SME business. For the second area is about consumer business. It is responsible for the end-to-end management of all mobile and fixed business for the consumer segment. Sales and service, the third area, focuses on customer service and channel and  supply chain management while the fourth, digital services, oversees the development of Maxis’ innovative digital media and cloud-based services including mobile apps. The four business areas will be supported in their day-to-day operations by the information services, network, finance, human resources, corporate affairs, regulatory & government affairs and legal divisions. In telecommunication industry, there are many companies to choose with, but finally our group end up with Maxis Berhad because we found that it is perform better when compared to its competitors. The primary reason that we choose Maxis Berhad as our company is due to Maxis Berhad has maintained their leadership among the telecommunication companies. They have approximately 13 million of customer during the year end 2013. They were also the first company that launched 4G LTE which is the highest internet speed in Malaysia. They always seek for new ideas and innovations by putting a lot of effort and capital on the R&D investment. Next, Maxis Berhad has achieves many awards and recognitions throughout its operations period. There are two awards we have to emphasize here due to these achievements have truly lead them to be more well known. Maxis Berhad has won the prestigious 2011 Global Telecoms Business Innovation Award for the Missed SMS Notification service in the Wireless Network Infrastructure Innovation, SMS network innovation category. Maxis is the first in the world to provide this service in partnership with Acision. Besides, Maxis Berhad has received the award, â€Å"Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award at the second Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards year 2011† which was hosted by the Employer Branding Institute of Singapore. It succeeds in creating a culture of contribution and innovation at work and its belief in consistent improvements in Human Resources policies. Maxis was also recognised for its role in developing future leader. Part 2: Types of e-commerce used Electric commerce is commonly known as e-commerce, and it is defined as the exchange of goods, services, and money through electronic mediation using Internet technology. There are seven types of e-commerce we learnt, which are business to consumer (B2C), business to business (B2B), consumer to consumer (C2C), consumer to business (C2B), government to business (G2B), government to government (G2G), and government to consumer (G2C). First and foremost, one of the types of e-commerce used by the Maxis Berhad is the business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce. Based on the research made, there is a 80% of the internet user has looked for the goods and services to purchase in the internet, however, only 30% of them has really purchased the goods the services online as they may worry about the security system of the online payment. This trend has been observed by the Maxis Berhad and thus, the company has made a strategic decision to have collaboration with the PayPal, a popular online payment platform, to ensure that their consumers (customers) can easily and safely shop online. This will provide the convenience to their customers as the collaboration between the Maxis Berhad and the Paypal will simplify the process of the online shopping today which require the customers to repeatedly fill in payment card and contact details for each transaction or merchant. The customers can enjoy the speed of the online payment with the Maxis-PayPal account. They just need to log in with their Maxis PayPal credentials as well as their phone number to make the payment and the payment option is available online and in all major smartphone platforms, such as iPhone, Android and Blueberry. The most important thing is the customers do not need to worry about their financial details such as credit card number will be exposed to others as the process of the payment is highly secure. Besides, the business to business (B2B) e-commerce is used by the Maxis Berhad. Maxis Berhad offer an online business partnership application to those who are interested in on their main website, https://www.maxis.com.my/en/about-maxis/partnerships/business-partnership.html. On the website, the company show the brief introduction of their business partner, job description and partnership criteria to make the internet users more familiar with the business partnership which the company looks for. There are 3 types of select partners that the company desires, which are application solution provider, content provider as well as system integrator. Furthermore, the types of alliance displayed on the website are technology partners, device and hardware partners, and the consulting partners. As the appliers has been successfully selected, Maxis Berhad will collaborate with the selected business partner (applier) to create a variety of mobile services for the applier’s enterprise. Moreover, the collaboration  will generate repeatable and market-impacting mobility solutions for the selected business partners, within selected industries. There are also some benefits that the selected business partner will gain such as the leverage on the Maxis’s strong branding, leverage on Maxis’s global communications alliances, leverage on Maxis’s communications technology expertise & technology roadmap and so on. Part 3: Identify of the Information System The Information System is explained by the BusinessDictionary.com as a combination of hardware, software, data, telecommunications and trained personnel organized to facilitate planning, control, coordination and decision making in an organization. According to Valacich and Schneider (2014), Information System allows an organization to be more productive and profitable. It also helps the organization to gain competitive advantage towards the competitor in the industry. Most importantly is reaching out to more customers and improve the organization service to their customers. Maxis Berhad as one of the main organizations in Malaysia telecommunications industry, its business nature will generate a huge amount of transactions, each of the transaction contains a specified subscriber’s activity such as phone calls, SMS and data roaming. Maxis Berhad has to use the various information system to help its organization to deal with their customers correctly. 1) Transaction Processing System While any transaction occurs by the subscriber, Maxis Berhad is recording those transactions and encoded into various format. The recorded transactions is called Call Data Records (CDR). The CDRs could be encoded by various formats and protocols, for examples ASN.1, XML and CSV. To allow Maxis’s Transaction processing system to function, first those encoded transaction data will be separated into batches and periodically transfer to the position where this system can process it. The Transaction Processing System is arranged and grouped into batches and periodically to check all the new transactions data batch. The TPS uses standard network protocols to transfer the CDR batch file to the TPS. TPS is responsible in ensuring the integrity of each file transferred, ensuring that no IP network errors renders the file corruption. Other than that, it also ensures the  transaction data are not corrupt and not process more than once. After the error checking complete, those subscriber’s transaction data will back up in a long term memory for future use. Some Governments require that a record of every transaction need to be stored infinitely in its raw format. Once the Maxis Transaction Processing System gathers the batch of transaction data, it will decode the data into human readable format. Followed by, enhances the information within the transaction data regarding the subscriber’s activity and have a duplicate checking. After all the transaction has been processed, it will load into a particular datastore. The decoded CDR batches are then checked for duplicate records. While the intermediate processing on the CDR batches have completed, the CDR will loaded into the specific data store, the Transaction Processing System will summarize the important detail of the CDR and ready to present those details to the Maxis management in order for Maxis management to assess the performance of Maxis Berhad. Lastly, the Transaction Processing System enables Maxis Berhad to present its company performance through the annual report to the shareholder regarding the daily operation. 2) Management Information System According to BusinessDictionary.com, Managing Information System (MIS) is refers to an organized method to understand the information needs of an organization’s management at every level in making operational, tactical, and strategic decisions. This system objective is to design and implement procedures, processes, and routines that provide suitably detailed reports in an accurate, consistent, and timely manner. In management information system, modern, computerized systems continuously gather relevant data, both from inside and outside an organization. This data is then processed, integrated, and stored in a centralized database (or data warehouse) where it is constantly updated and made available to all who have the authority to access it, in a form that suits their purpose. Managing Information System (MIS) is one of the commonly used information system by Maxis to verify the customers, recover pending bills, and distribute the bills to their customers. The information prov ided by MIS enable managers to plan and control the different strategies of Maxis in order to make better decision for the business. The purpose of MIS is to meet information needs for decision-making of all the managers in Maxis. The next objectives of MIS is  provide and set strategies and goals. Those processed data received will be used for different purposes in Maxis. Computer based MIS helps Maxis to gather process and information efficiently. Maxis using the concept of information technology to improve their overall performance and working capacity. Normally MIS is used by Maxis to process their data and present the output in different types of reports used at regular intervals. Different level of managers of Maxis is using the information to recognize the purpose of the organization, its policies, programs, plans and goals. Maxis mainly focus in Customer Verification, Recovery and Bill Distribution. Without using MIS, Maxis will face problems to check the status of customer verification, recovery or bill distributed to the customer. While using the concept of MIS, Maxis can easily determine the status and situation stated above. By developing TAT (Time Allocation Table) in MIS, the MIS executive gives predefine time to each customer verification executive to complete the case. The TAT will complete the verification case by showing the case, assigned executive, date of case allocated to executive and date limit. By using such TAT, the MIS executive or manager is able to check the status of performance of verification easily. In conclusion, MIS is one of the effective systems for collecting and managing the data for Maxis. The development of MIS for organization enables Maxis to find several types of report like pendency at executive level, pendency at agency level, the overall performance of Maxis in an effective way. 3) Electronic Commerce system According to Valacich and Schneider (2014), Electronic Commerce is defined as the exchange of goods, service and money among firms and their customers, and between customers, supported by communication technologies such as the Internet. From the previous study given, the business to customer e-commerce system (B2C) is used by Maxis Berhad. Maxis Berhad has made a world first strategic collaboration with the PayPal, the the world’s leading online payment solution provider to provide their customer a better and efficient online service. With a Maxis PayPal account, the customers can carry out the online payment faster and conveniently. They did not need to go to the Maxis store/department purposely to set off the payment, but instead, they just need to log in with their Maxis PayPal credentials or  their phone number to make the payment and this changes will provide the convenience and save the time of the customers. Besides, there are major smartphone platforms where the payment option is available, such as as iPhone, Android and Blueberry. Furthermore, the customers do not need to have the security concerns about the system and their financial details such as credit card number will be protected under the system as the process of the payment is highly secure. Morever, the business to business e-commerce system (B2B) is also implemented by the Maxis Berhad to ‘communicate’ with the potential partner. Maxis Berhad has created their own website and in the website, there is a webpage of online business partnership application which is used to attract the potential partner. The potential partner (webpage viewer) can get the enough information and details about the partnership in the webpage through the B2B system, thus, it will make them to be more confident in doing the business with the Maxis Berhad. Part 4: S W O T Analysis Strength (a) Quality of Internal and External Communications A good information system must be supported by electronic data communication network systems which are the extranet and intranet. With the proper application of intranet and extranet for their company communication management, both inside and outside party of the company especially among the staffs, customers and suppliers can exchange information more effectively and efficiently. By now, Maxis is no longer relied on papers, telephone and faxes to further convey their information to the public. (b) Quality of Planning Planning is an essential process for every business. Maxis use Management Information System (MIS) which is a computer systems used for data managing to make searching, analysing data and spring information easier. MIS are widely used by Maxis to analyse and facilitate strategic and operational activities to generate information to improve efficiency and effectiveness of decision making. (c) Quality Control and Supervision Maxis with the Transaction Processing System (TPS) and Management Information System (MIS) are built and maintained properly in their management, the activities within the business environment are constantly monitored. This is because monitoring is certainly an impact on improving control over every procedure and activities occurring within the company. By this, Maxis is able to reduce the loss of information and keep a better record of the management. (d) Quality and Responsiveness of the Competitors’ Condition Aspect of business intelligence is very important since a long time with a variety of formats and needs. Maxis in order to reach the point of rapid and appropriate response on the dynamics of the competition, they rely on the Management Information System (MIS) to require, collect, analyze and compile the information needed by decision makers in the company. With the help of information system, Maxis is able to grow and remain competitive in the telecommunication industry. (e) Customers’ Satisfaction Maxis able to easily detect the activities and behaviour of their customers with the help of Transaction Processing System. Besides, Transaction Processing System (TPI) will speed up the process so that, the time required to serve a customer can be faster. This not only helps to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in operation but also increases their customers’ satisfaction of their services. Weaknesses (a) High Maintenance Fees Information Systems such as Transactional Processing System (TPS) and Management Information System (MIS) need a high cost to maintain its operation from day to day as the company need to hire maintenance team for the maintenance to run the system smoothly. Maxis Berhad has to hire employees or technical who can accurately maintain the operation of computers, company website, and other Information Systems as well. It means that Maxis Berhad has a huge budget on the wages and maintenance fees. For example, the organisation has to hire expert technical with high wage to monitor the systems and repair it when it is broke down. This would lead to the increasing of the labour cost and directly increase the company expenses. (b) Lack of internal securities control Information outflow is one of the serious problems faced by Maxis Berhad. Customers’ information is the top priority needed to secure for the telecommunication company. Maxis Berhad has approximately 13 million of customer during the year end 2013. For example, the outflow of confidential information of Management Information System (MIS) will cause the competitors to gain competitive advantages over Maxis and directly lead to the loss of the profit. The existing of the information outflow for Maxis Berhad are when their database system attacked by the outsider or taken from the inside employees. It is because the price for the information is very high. Besides, this is a very strong weapon for the competitors. (c) Unstable Services of the Information System Maxis Berhad has launched 4G LTE, which is the highest internet speed in Malaysia. However, Maxis Berhad has received some complaints from the customers about its 4G and 3G services. Even though the quality of Maxis service has been deemed to excellent in Malaysia, but, the services is yet to be enough stable to reach the customers expectation. The network service of Maxis often drops to edge, and sometimes is very slow and even has no connection. The 3G service still has not fully cover in the Malaysia and for the new 4G service; it only covers for the few particular place. Besides, information system may not be always function perfectly. It may cause by system break down, operations interruptions and so on. (d) Poor customer services Although the distribution of the Maxis outlet is very wide and available in many places, but, not all the Maxis outlet is able to provide the sufficient customer service. For example, some of the Maxis centre is only able to let customer make the payment and deal with some small case, and customers need to travel to urban areas to get further services. For example, the small Maxis firm is unable to help the customer if the customer has loss his simcard and want and get back the number, he might need to go to the Maxis centre in order to get this service. The most important thing is the customer even need to pay for the services. Opportunities (a) Increasing Visibility to Outsider By using the e-commerce system, the message regarding to the sales can be  transmitted to the public by Maxis Berhad more effectively compared to the other communication companies. In that case, the customers can get the latest sales information of Maxis Berhad all the time through their website, those users able to get most accurate data whenever they need. E-commerce system offers different ways to present data. Therefore, Maxis Berhad is more user-friendly when it adding more features to their website. (b) Decision Making of Investment Decision making of investing Maxis Berhad can be made through the reports provided by the Managing Information System (MIS) of Maxis Berhad. Decision supported with faultless information combined with the intelligence of the company’s directors can lead to unexpected opportunities. Maxis Berhad provides their financial report to the public, so their potential investor will make decision whether to invest Maxis Berhad. (c) Speed time-to-market for new products B2C e-commerce of Maxis can introduce their new telecommunication plans more efficient in the market. When Maxis publishes their plans online, it is faster for the information to reach their customers in the market because it eliminated the time consuming processes such as printing and distributing the hard copies, flyers, leaflet and brochures to the customers. In order to compete with other potential competitors like DiGI and Celcom, Maxis have to be first letting the information of their products reach the customers. This way can lead them to have competitive advantage. (d) Focus on Market Segment Using Managing Information Systems (MIS) enable Maxis Berhad to analyse specified market, and narrow the target market in the telecommunication industry. This Managing Information Systems help organization to analyse consumers’ buying behaviour so that Maxis Berhad can efficiently advertising and marketing their business plans to the target market. (e) Lower procurement and distribution costs When there is a direct online interaction between Maxis and its customers, so this company able to understand the market better. The formation of  relationship with the customers will lead to subscribe services or purchase electronic devices from Maxis directly. As a result Maxis can get rid of the middleman; it will result in reduction in cost. At the same time, customer of Maxis will be beneficial from the reasonable price. Threats (a) Strong Competitors In telecommunication industries, there are a lot of other strong competitors such as DiGi, U-Mobile, Celcom and so on. Strong competitor is one of the threats that almost all firms will experienced. Strong competitors will offer much more benefits to the consumers which might influence Maxis’ customer choices. This will cause Maxis to suffer loss on their sales and customer. For example, consumers will prefer a lower cost telecommunication network in order to save more expenses. (b) Malicious Emails Electronic messages enable easy communications between Maxis and their customers in B2C e-commerce but most of the electronic messages today cannot be easily trusted. This is because most of the emails were sent by anonymous and they might attach some phishing links in the messages. With an accidently click of the phishing link will lead Maxis’ computer software defects bugs which will automatically infect computers without further action. (c) Identity Theft and Internet Frauds The bigger the size of the organizations and the more advance information systems used, therefore Maxis will expose to more risk regarding the frauds on the Internet. For example, Maxis will face loss of important information if they fall into the trap of identity theft that uses false credentials to obtain information, services and credit while Maxis using Transaction Processing System (TPS). When TPS is processing the transaction data, the data might be alter and be stole in the process of encoding and decoding. Leak out of important information will give a big impact to Maxis as they might lose the competitive advantages in the telecommunication industry. (d) Blended Attacks Blended attack happens when the criminals use multiple methods to beat even the best security in order to get the confidential information of a company.  Since the competitive advantages are so strong in the telecommunication industry, the hackers might hack into the Managing Information System (MIS) to obtain Maxis’ various confidential reports, Maxis will be the next victim to be hacked as the criminals leak their company’s confidential information to the competitors. Maxis will face losses of their confidential information which might affect the company’s future performance and shareholders’ confidence in their company. (e) Delivery Risk Business to Customer (B2C) as one of the e-commerce using by Maxis. While having online businesses, Maxis facing a very important issue which is how this company deliver the electronic devices. Company must be very careful in choosing the delivery methods to ensure the product reach the customer in time and no damage should be found or to minimize the damages that can be caused. For example, when Maxis deliver handphone device like Apple or Samsung to the customers, they have to ensure the deliver cost be minimized including the damages that might happen in the process of delivery. Part 5: Recommendation Weakness (a) High Maintenance Fees In the telecommunication services market, it is hard to reduce the production costs to set lower price in order to pay for the maintenances fees and compete with the others competitors such as Digi, Celcom, and U-mobile. Maxis Berhad may concentrate to focus on the product innovation and product features in order to fulfill the customer needs. For example, the launched of the 4G LTE services have huge increases in their profit. Besides, Maxis Berhad can apply for funds, discount or allowance from the government to minimize their maintenance fees. (b) Lack of internal securities control Maxis Berhad need to always update and improve their securities system in order to prevent attacked by the hackers and viruses. Maxis Berhad can hire security agencies to monitor and protect their system all the time. Besides, Maxis Berhad has to strengthen internal control policies, processes and procedures as well as monitor their employees which are responsible for the customer’s information to prevent information outflow. The information of  the customer needed to fully secure to protect the company’s image. (c) Unstable Services of the Information System Maxis has to concern about the unstable services. Most importantly, Maxis must spend for the regular upgrade and maintenance for the unstable services although the cost is very high. Besides, 3G and 4G services available place should be expanded in order to get more customers who stay at rural areas. It is because nowadays the 3G and 4G is very important, customers tend connect to internet wherever and whenever by using the services, so, the stability of 3G and 4G will be the important criteria for customers in choosing the telecommunication service. With a better 3G and 4G services and wider coverage, Maxis will have the competence to compete with the strong competitors, for example P1 wimax is a competitor of Maxis who offers cheaper packages. (d) Poor customer services Customer service plays an important role in the business especially in the telecommunication industry, with good customer service, it’s able to retain the existing customers and attract more potential customers to subscribe the Maxis services. Maxis has to make the Maxis centre become one-stop service in order to facilitate the customers and make them to be more satisfied with the Maxis service. Besides, Maxis has to promote their services and offer free services to the customer in order to attract more customers and improve company’s image. Threats (a) Strong Competitors The business nature of Maxis Berhad is oligopoly competition, which is a type of market form in which the industry (telecommunication) is dominated by a small number of sellers. Competitive relationship between the Maxis berhad and other companies is strong. Therefore, the Maxis Berhad have to aware of the actions of others and make the most suitable decision based on the decision of other company. Thus, we will recommend that the Maxis Berhad could implement the market research and analysis system to investigate their competitors as well as deploy the job costing system to control and minimize the cost of production, and indirectly, they could adjust and lower their pricing in order to gain the competitive advantage. (b) Malicious Emails The other threat is the malicious emails. In this case, we would recommend that the Maxis Berhad could create their own unique symbol or signature on the email they sent to the customers in the B2C ecommerce transaction in order to differentiate it with the malicious emails. (c) Identity Theft and Internet Frauds The identity thief and internet fraud is also one of the threats the Maxis Berhad faces. In our opinion, the company could deploy the information security management system (ISMS) to provide an additional protection on the company information to make it secure. (d) Blended Attacks The other threat is the blended attack. In order to manage the blended attack, we will recommend that the Maxis Berhad should master the urge network administrators to make it more vigilant about patch management, employ server software to detect the malware and keep updating and using the firewall products. (e) Delivery Risk The delivery risk is also a threat the Maxis Berhad needs to concern about. In our opinion, the Maxis Berhad should implement the service delivery risk management (SDRM) to enable the Maxis having a better understanding on their client profitability, cost and revenue drivers, and exception management and governance process. Part 6: Conclusion In the beginning, our group decide to choose Maxis Berhad based the company’s performance and its achievement. From the part of the type of e-commerce used by Maxis, our group found that there are two type of it which is business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B). There are three type of information system used by Maxis which is transaction processing system (TPS), process all the routine transactions in the business which is necessary and able to track consumer behaviour at the same time; Managing Information System (MIS), system that produce detailed information to help manage the firm; electronic commerce system (ECS), system enable customers to buy goods and service from Maxis. From SWOT analysis above we recognise the strength part include Quality of Internal and External Communications,  Quality of Planning, Quality Control and Supervision, Quality and Responsiveness of the Competitors’ Condition and Customers’ Satisfaction. As the weakness part of the information system brings to Maxis which is High Maintenance Fees, Lack of internal securities control, and Unstable Services of the Information System and Poor customer services. The opportunities are Increasing Visibility to Outsider, Decision Making of Investment, Speed time-to-market for new products, Focus on Market Segment and Lower procurement and distribution costs. In addition, there are also five threats of the information system assist Maxis which Strong Competition, Malicious Emails, Identity Theft and Internet Frauds, Blended Attacks and Delivery Risk. Reference Artem Evgenovich Babenko, h. (2014). E-commerce Systems. ITSource. It-source.net., from http://it-source.net/en/E-commerce/ Khurana,. (2014). Is Ecommerce Right for Your Business? 36 Pros and Cons. About., from http://ecommerce.about.com/od/eCommerce-Basics/tp/Advantages-And-Disadvantages-Of-Ecommerce.htm MalaysianWireless,. (2011). 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