Heteronormativity Kritik Essay

This chapter is about sex, but not the sex that people already have clarity about. ‘Outer space’ as a human, political domain is organized around sex, but a ‘sex’ that is tacitly located, and rarely spoken, in official discourse. The poli ­ tics of outer space exploration, militarization and commercialization as they are conceived of and practiced in the US, embody a distinction between public and private (and appropriate behaviours, meanings and identities therein) highly dependent upon heteronormative hierarchies of property and propriety. The central aim of this chapter is to show how US outer space discourse, an imperial discourse of technological, military and commercial superiority, configutes and prescribes success and successful behaviour in the politics of outer space in particularly gendered forms. US space discourse is, I argue, predicated on a heteronormative discourse of conquest that reproduces the dominance of heterosexual masculinity(ies), and which hierarchically orders the construction of other (subordinate) gender identities. Reading the politics of outer space as heteronormative suggests that the discourses through which space exists consist of institutions, structures of understanding, practical orientations and regulatory practices organized and privileged around heterosexuality. As a particularly dominant discursive arrangement of outer space politics, US space discourse (re)produces meaning through gendered assumptions of exploration, colonization, economic endeavour and military conquest that are deeply gendered whilst presented as universal and neutral. US space discourse, which dominates the contemporary global politics of outer space, is thus formed from and upon institutions, structures of understanding, and practical orientations that privilege and normalize heterosexualiry as universal. As such, the hegemonic discursive rationalizations of space exploration and conquest ,re)produce both heterosexuality as ‘unmarked’ (that is, thoroughly normal ­ ized) and the heterosexual imperatives that constitute suitable space-able people, practices and behaviours. As the introduction to this volume highlights, the exploration and utilization of outer space can thus far be held up as a mirror of, rather than a challenge to, existent, terrestrially-bound, political patterns, behaviours and impulses. The new possibilities for human progress that the application and development of space technologies dares us to make are grounded only in the strategy ­ obsessed (be it commercially, militarily or otherwise) realities of contemporary global politics. Outer space is a conceptual, political and material space, a place for collisions and collusions (literally and metaphorically) between objects, ideas, identities and discourses. Outer space, like international relations, is a global space always socially and locally embedded. There is nothing ‘out there’ about outer space. It exists because of us, not in spite of us, and it is this that means that it only makes sense in social terms, that is, in relation to our own constructions of identity and social location. In this chapter, outer space is the problematic to which I apply a gender analysis; an arena wherein past, current and future policy-making is embedded in relation to certain performances of power and reconfigurations of identity that are always, and not incidentally, gendered. Effective and appropriate behaviour in the politics of ourer space is configured and prescribed in particularly gendered forms, with heteronormative gender regulations endowing outer space’s hierarchies of technologically superior, conquesting performance with theif everyday power. It is through gender that US techno-strategic and astro-political discourse has been able to (re)produce outer space as a heterosexualized, masculinized realm. Heteronormativity K 1NC 2. The drive to colonize space precludes queer identities and concretizes sexual difference. This reinforces heterosexism and turns women into commodities. Casper and Moore 95 (Monica J. , Ph. D in sociology from the University of California, San Francisco, feminist scholar and researcher on reproductive justice. Lisa Jean, Ph. D in sociology from the University

Case Study †Operations Management Essay

1.0 INTRODUCTION Operations management is defined as â€Å"the activity of managing the resources which produce and deliver products and services† (Slack et al. 2010 p4). This encompasses the entire activity carried out within the organization. With increasing pressure on organizations to deliver optimally at reduced cost, the role of operations has been transformed from that of strategy implementer to one of strategy driver. Operations strategy looks at the patterns of strategic decisions and actions in a bid to set the roles, objectives and activities of the operations (Slack et al. 2010). An understanding of these strategies is important in ensuring that organizations are well aware of the requirements needed to meet the corporate objectives set about by management. The report looks at a case study of Concept design services (CDS); a product based manufacturing company looking to break into service operations. It seeks to identify current strategy types evidenced in the organization and the role operations play in the implementation of this strategies. Also considered is the relationship between the core functions highlighting possible conflicts, current practices and perceived strengths and weaknesses. Issues such as servitization and growth strategies are considered in relation to the companies push for development in line with its desire to become a service provider. An analysis of the impact it will have on the company’s manufacturing and service departments is also considered. Finally, recommendations that will ensure operations develop with the new growth plan is presented to management. 2.0 STRATEGIES IN CONCEPT DESIGN Within CDS, there is evidence of an amalgamation of strategies. With a diversification of the company’s portfolio, the corporate strategy of the organization had to be reflecting the changing scenario of the business environment. To identify the different strategy types within CDS, there is first a need to understand what strategy is. Strategy can be defined has â€Å"the total pattern of decisions and actions that  position the organization in its environment and that are intended to achieve its long-term goals† (Slack et al. 2010 P79). Strategy has also been described as the long term direction an organization intends to go (Johnson et al. 2011). In achieving an over arching strategy, three levels of strategies have to be considered; corporate level, business level and operational level. The formulation of these strategies will determine how the different organizational strategies will interact with one another (Zanon et al. 2013) While corporate level strategy deals with the overall purpose and scope of an organization such as where to locate the business, what type of business to engage in; business level strategy is more concerned with the various ways the business can compete successfully against other competitors in its segment. Functional strategy looks at ways in which individual functions can contribute to the overall objective of the organization. Operations strategy is concerned with the strategic decision and actions that set roles, objectives and activities of the operations (Slack et al. 2010). It focuses more on how the different parts of the organization can deliver on set strategies through the management of resources, processes and people. Operations strategy’s primary role is to implement strategy, but with continuous business growth, operations is expected to support and drive the organizations strategy. This will see it contributing to the competitive advantage of the firm (Slack et al. 2010). This is aptly captured in Hayes and wheelwrights four stage model of operations contribution. Figure 1. Hayes and Wheelwrights four-stage model of operations contribution. Adapted from Slack et al. 2010 Slack et al. (2010), identified four different perspective to operations strategy; Top-down, bottom up, market requirement perspective and resource based perspective. He noted though that all four perspectives are required for proper understanding of operations strategy. Although the strategies employed by organizations may differ, it remains important to reconcile the needs of the market with operational resources  (Slack and Lewis 2008). Hence, it is important to analyse the process through which market needs are aligned with operational realities, thereby ensuring that operation can deliver what it is being asked of them and that this alignment will endure over time (Zanon et al. 2013). Evidenced in CDS operations is the implementation of two of the identified perspectives; Market requirement and Operations resource perspective. 2.1MARKET REQUIREMENT PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS A market requirement perspective focuses on what market position requires of operations (Slack et al. 2010). Its focus is not just on the industry, but it considers where the organization intends to compete as well as the nature of competition ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ (Lowson 2002). Hill (1985), suggested that to win orders in the market place, organizations operations strategy and the marketing strategy need to be in sync. CDS Marketing function identified a trend that seems to have worked for retailers in the decorative product industry. They realised the importance of fashion trends and its appeal to people. This market requirement led to the creation of a whole new industry. The need for premium, high quality household product characterised by the many different colour range became a market qualifying criteria that drove marketing’s strategy. This strategy was in line with the overall organizations strategy that saw a shift in the focus of its production of industrial injection-mould plastics to popular household items. In a bid to meet markets demand, supply services had to upscale its machineries by procuring additional large injection moulding machines to cater for the rapidly growing volume of products. Also, the design team had to be one step ahead of the competition by ensuring that they had a range of products that will keep customers engaged. Hence, the case study has shown that CDS have been able to develop its operations strategy by allowing operations meet the performance criteria required by the market (Slack et al. 2004). 2.2OPERATIONS RESOURCE PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS In the case of operation resource perspective or resource based view (RBV),  focus is on the organizations operation resources, competencies and capabilities (Lowson 2002). It focuses on the key strengths of the organization, looking at internal resources that cannot be purchased externally, thus providing the firm with competitive advantage through superior performance (Clulow et al. 2007; Fahey and Smithee 1999; Barney 1991). With operations-led, strategy is developed through sound understanding of current operational capabilities and an analysis of how it can be developed in the future (Slack et al. 2004). An understanding of the organizations strength will then influence the decision as to which markets should be considered for the deployment of current or future capabilities, and which competitors can pose a threat or can be taken advantage of (Hayes et al. 2005). CDS have clearly shown the strength of their operations over the years. Early experience gained from the manufacturing of industrial products have set them miles ahead of competition. This is evidenced in the quality of their product which drove sales to record highs and resulted in retail outlets signing up for the organizations product. The company prides itself on its technical abilities which has been achieved not just from years of experience but by investing in machineries. CDS have acquired latest precision equipment’s with the best quality moulds available. The technical knowledge of the employees also provides the company a unique advantage. Another area of operations that provides competitive advantage for the organization is its design expertise. CDS have in its employ professionally respected designers with the know-how of translating difficult technical designs into manufacturable saleable products. This has provided the organization leverage when dealing with design houses. The company is clearly leveraging on its operations resources, competencies and capabilities to obtain competitive advantage. 3.0AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CORE FUNCTIONS Within the context of any organization, there are 3 functions that must exist for the organization to realize its goals of meeting customers need. They are; 1) The marketing function 2) The product/service development function 3) The operations function The marketing function which also comprises of the sales unit is primarily responsible for communicating what product/services the organization has to offer to consumers in a bid to generate customers’ requests for the service. The product development functions’ responsibility is to create new and modified products and services in order to generate future customer request for services. And lastly, the operations function is responsible for fulfilling customers request for service through the production and delivery of products and services (Slack et al. 2010). The ability to effectively work with other functions in the organization is a key responsibility for the operation function (Slack et al. 2010; Zanon et al. 2013). Research as shown that in most organizations, different functions within the organization usually employ their own strategies to assist them in realizing their functional objectives. This unfortunately is a basis for corporate misunderstanding, inter-functional differences and rivalry (Hill 2005).While the objective of the operations function remains the production of goods and services whilst managing resources, it has to also manage its relationship with other functions of the organization. Due to the nature of its strategic importance, the operations function usually has conflicts with other functions. MARKETING In determining an organizations strategic objective, operations and marketing usually adopt different approaches. While marketing tends to emphasise improved service features that appeal to customers, operations focus more on efficiency and cost control (Nie and Young 1997). Erickson (2010), stated that the main reason operations and marketing functions in an organization have conflict is due to their perceived differing objectives. Largely, trade-offs are responsible for the conflicts between these functions as they attempt to balance competing priorities (Tang 2010). It is therefore important that organizations manage trade-offs in a manner that will ensure that they don’t compromise the over-arching organizational strategy for gaining competitive advantage. Zanon et al. (2013) in their research identified certain paradigm that organizations needed to implement for the  successful collaboration of the two functions. They argued that there is a need for alignment between market needs and operational realities. The objective here is to satisfy market needs while using appropriate operational resources and jointly developing those resources so that the operations department can acquire new capabilities and provide the firm with sustainable competitive advantage. The marketing function at CDS have been able to effectively market/communicate the value of their products to the market, this is evidenced in the phenomenal growth of the company. Through innovation, extensive advertisement – both on TV and in illustrated magazines, they have been able to drive sales of CDS products. The function have successfully carved a niche market for the organization through the portrayal of its products has been â€Å"classy† and for the upwardly mobile individual. Product differentiation, design partnership and extensive research, combined with a marketing manager with lots of experience and autonomy working with an experienced, technically astute manufacturing department has resulted in the success of the CDS products. The function has also been able to market itself and the value it can give to design houses in Europe. Through its marketing activities, CDS is moving from being just a manufacturer of commodities to a provider of services. Despite the progress that have been recorded by CDS, there still seems to be a misalignment between the marketing and operation functions. With the success of CDS products and the continuous innovation drive of the organization, it would seem that the marketing function is failing to acknowledge the limitations of the company’s capacity. CDS have a problem with the storage of finished goods and this has impacted on the delivery of product availability from supply services. They are currently struggling to ensure that they meet SKU stocking levels. Another problem has been the issue of proper planning and effective forecasting by the marketing team. The seasonal nature of CDS products requires that the marketing function carries out comprehensive forecasting to try and anticipate demand. Currently, poor forecasting by the function is costing the organization. Supply services have to deal constantly with issues of utilization,  efficiency and growing scarp rates; this is as a result of ad-hoc requests for urgent production to meet with un-planned demand. To minimize wastage and ensure proper alignment, marketing and operations will have to network and collaborate better (Johansen and Riis 2005) to ensure that the over corporate objectives are met. NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (NPD) â€Å"NPD is defined as the transformation of a market opportunity into a product available for sale, through a set of activities executed in a logical way, sequentially and concurrently† (Almeida and Miguel 2007). It allows organizations to gain competitive advantage, attract new customers, retain existing customers, and strengthen their ties with the distribution networks (Kotler and Keller 2006). Organizations that successfully introduce new products do so through a well-developed process that leads from creative designs to a successful launch of the product by focusing on satisfying specific customer needs (Chandra and Neelankavil 2008). The attainment of this task will require NPD to collaborate closely with both operations and marketing. NPD, in comparison to other functions is usually characterised by a high degree of uncertainty, risk and high cost to make changes to initial decisions made (Slack et al. 2010). For CDS, NPD is responsible for transforming designs from marketing into workable design moulds. Operations then ensure that the products from the mould are standardized and tested appropriately and efficiently. The moulds then have to be tested on the production machines. A great deal of inter-functional collaboration is required to ensure that proper scheduling is in place to enable NDP carry out testing without disrupting production. Getting this right is easier said. The reality is that there is usually a delay in getting the moulds from the suppliers in South Korea. This will then result in a need for an urgent test of the moulds. That said, CDSs’ NPD function are technically sound. They have managed to build for themselves a reputation of being able to overcome problems with designs regardless of its nature. The NPD function contributes to the organizations unique operations resource. 4.0 AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE OPERATION OF THE  MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE DEPARTMENTS CDS like most manufacturing organizations are starting to appreciate the intrinsic value of adopting servitization as a practice. Servitization have been described as the process of transforming manufacturers to compete through product-service systems rather than products alone (Baines et al. 2007). The rationale for this transition from ‘purely product’ to ‘product- service’ or ‘purely service’ can be viewed from three perspectives (Oliva and Kallenberg 2003). They identified the reasons as; First, economic. Research has shown that substantial revenue can be generated from products with a long life cycle; also services in general have higher margins than products and services also provides a more stable source of revenue as they are resistant to the economic cycles that drive investment and equipment purchases. Secondly, there is pressure on organizations from customers demanding more services. This has led to firms adopting a narrow definition of core competencies while increasing their dependence on technology to help in their bid to specialize. Lastly, it is viewed as providing competitive advantage. The less visible a service is, and the more labour dependent it gets, the more the probability of imitation reduces (Oliva and Kallenberg 2003). Manufacturing has long moved beyond production alone and a combination of both products and service business model are now generally accepted as playing a key role in the success of any modern business (Baines et al. 2014). Companies that have adopted the concept of servitization will probably not follow the product-service classification, but will instead seek to distinguish on the basis of the value proposition with their customers (Baines and Lightfoot 2013). This is the case in CDS, where the company have had to adopt differing service model while dealing with the design houses and retailer service market. While the design houses have adopted a proposition that sees both companies working together – that is the customer wants the company to work with them (Baines et al. 2014), the retailers on the other hand, are happy to leave the management of the entire operation to CDS. Baines et al. (2014) have identified this differing forms of proposition has been ‘base’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘advanced services’. The relationship between the retailer services market and CDS can be classified as advanced. This categorization of product-service offering is centred on  the idea that due to the competencies of the company, maintenance and workability of the operations should be managed by the provider of the service. A feature of this type of offering includes customer support agreements, risk and reward sharing contract, and revenue through use contact (Baines and Lightfoot 2013). To meet with demand, and ensure that customer’s needs are met in terms of product availability, CDS will have to increase its production lines and increase holding capacity. Storage facilities will have to be located closer to the location of their customers. Localised facilities will ensure that store replenishment lead times are reduced. CDS will also have to invest in ICT. Setting up an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system will help connect the stores database with that of CDS. That way, they can easily track inventory levels and are able to respond in a proactive manner. Also, Oliva and Kallenberg (2003) argued that a good practice will be to set up a new service department whose focus will be to drive and improve performance objectives. The consolidation of the service offered is usually accompanied by a strong initiative to improve the efficiency, quality and delivery time of the services provided, and the creation of additional services to supplement the service offering. The consolidation of services also comes with the development of a monitoring system to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the service delivery. This monitoring system allows managers realize the size of the service market and account for services’ contribution to the firm’s operations (Oliva and Kallenberg 2003). Internally, these changes create the transparency of numbers needed to get a clear sense of direction and to monitor the success or failure of executed changes (Oliva and Kallenberg 2003). Externally, the improvement of quality will establish CDS as a reputable service provider among its clients. CDS has seen steady and continuous growth over the years, albeit its focus had been centred on a single product type. With the recent direction of the organization, there are real concerns surrounding it rapid growth and its diversification into services. Southard and Swenseth (2003) identified certain issues that evolving organizations encounter due to rapid growth, they include bottle-necks, back-orders, and decreased profits despite increased sales. Some of these issues are evidenced in CDS. The rapid growth  of the organization has resulted in capacity related issues. There is one in every twelve chances of a product not being available, continuous scheduling disruption due to demand surpassing supply and the popularity of its product and wide acceptance usually leads to stock outs. The manufacturing function seems to be stretched to the limit with support services equally struggling. It would seem that the organization is currently unprepared for the changes. 5.0RECOMMENDATION TO MANAGEMENT In line with the company’s objective for growth, it has become imperative to address the operational issues that can hinder the organizations growth strategy. Using the product/service lifecycle to analyse the organizations current operations, it is obvious that the transition from being a purely product based manufacturing company to a product-service based organization is still in the infancy state. This is characterised by uncertainty as customer’s needs are not well understood. Hence, operations management will be required to develop flexibility to cope with any changes and be able to give the product/service performance that will ensure quality is maintained (Slack et al. 2010). Other issues to be considered by management includes; the issue of capacity management. To meet with the demand of the market and its growth strategy, CDS will be required to get more warehouses and hold more inventories. The plastic business is clearly one of volume; hence CDS has to ensure that it maintains its status of been a reliable supplier. It also has to effectively operationalize it marketing strategy. The company is currently plagued by poor forecasting and planning. There is a need to upscale the competencies of the sales representatives. This will enable them gather appropriate data that can then be fed into the organizations planning to help reduce scheduling related issues, stock outs and disruptions. Also required is an alignment between the strategies of the core functions. Regular business meetings, where issues relating to each function get tabled will help build better understanding among the different functions. REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY ALMEIDA, L.F. and MIGUEL, P., 2007. Managing new product development process: A proposal of a theoretical model about their dimensions and the dynamics  of the process. Unpublished Phd. thesis, Universidade de Sao Paulo. BAINES, T., LIGHTFOOT, H. and SMART, P., 2011. Servitization within manufacturing. Exploring the provision of advanced services and their impact on vertical integration. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 22(7), pp. 947-954 BAINES, T. et al., 2013. Servitization of Manufacture. Exploring the deployment and skills of people critical to the delivery of advanced services. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 24(4), pp. 637-646 BAINES, T. and LIGHTFOOT, H.W., 2014. Servitzation of the manufacturing firm. Exploring the operations practices and technologies that deliver advanced services. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 34(1), pp. 2-35 BARNEY, J., 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), pp. 99-120 CALANTONE , R., DROGE, C. and VICKERY, S., 2002. Investigating the manufacturing -market interface in new product development. Journal of Operations Management, 20, pp. 273-287 CHANDRA, M. and NEELANKAVIL, J.P., 2008. Product development and innovation for developing countries. Journal of Management Development, 27(10), pp. 1017 – 1025 CLULOW, V., BARRY, C. and GERSTMAN, J., 2007. The resource-based view and value: the customer-based view of the firm. Journal of European Industrial Training, 31(1), pp. 19-35 FAHY, J. and SMITHEE, A., 1999. Strategic marketing and the resorce-based view of the firm. Academy of Marketing Science Review, 10, pp. 1-21 JOHNSTON, R., 1999. Service Operations Management: return to roots. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 19(2), pp. 104-124 KOTLER, P. and KELLER, K.L., 2006. Marketing management. 12th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. LIGHTFOOT, H., BAINES, T. and SMART, P., 2013. The servitization of manufacturing . A systematic litera ture review of interdependent trends. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 33(11/12), pp. 1408-1434 LOWSON, R.H., 2002. Operations strategy: genealogy, classification and anatomy. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 22(10), pp. 1112-1129 MILLER, A. and DESS, G.G., 1993. ASSESSING PORTER’S (1980) MODEL IN TERMS OF ITS GENERALIZABILITY, ACCURACY AND SIMPLICITY. Journal of Management Science, 30(4), pp. 553-585 OLIVA, R. and KALLENBERG, R., 2003. Managing the transition from products to services. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 14(2), pp. 160-172 PRASAD, S., BABBAR, S. and MOTWANI, J., 2001. International operations strategy: current efforts and future directions. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 21(5/6), pp. 645-665 RAMASESHAN, B., ISHAK, A. and RUSSEL, P.J., 2013. Interactive effects of marketing strategy formulation and implementation upon firms performance. Journal of Marketing Management, 29(11-12), pp. 1224 -1250 SOUTHARD, P.B. and SWENSETH, S.R., 2003. Transitioning operations to accommodate growing pains in evolving companies: an application of product profiling to a service company. Management Decision, 41(6), pp. 578-586 ZANON, J.C. et al., 2013. Alignment of operations strategy: exploring the marketing interface. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 113(2), pp. 207-233

Malicious Code Cyber Attacks

The use of internet and networks have various advantages where companies can increase cost efficiency by sharing resources and crucial data can be shared and backed up on various locations. The network of a company though quite important in modern times is prone to various cyber attacks which target the financial and sensitive sectors of a company. A potential hacker could target the network of a company in various ways if there is a security loophole in the company network. The various cyber attack threats a company faces include cracking, malicious code, back door, sniffer, TCP hijacking, mail bombs and other threats.The nature of such a threat, its effect on the network, problems caused by the attack and the countermeasures available to the company is explained. Cyber Attacks Using Malicious Code The most common type of cyber attacks involves malicious code. A hacker encodes a piece of code using some programming language and attaches an executable file to an email or sends this f ile to potential targets using an internet messenger service. The code usually creates a loophole in the network infrastructure of the company and the hacker can easily access any data or files available on the intranet of the company that is not shared with the general public.The hacker can easily access financial, personal and other sensitive information from the network of the company and misuse it in various ways. The sensitive data may include the industrial secrets of the company, the personal files of employees, financial information regarding the company and marketing policies and plans. When a company is attacked through malicious code, a person would receive an email or instant message requiring the person to open a file which would be executed and embedded in the network infrastructure and the company would face various problems (T., Sachs, Devost, Shaw, & Stroz, 2004). The level of severity of these problems may be minimum or maximum. The hacker would have access to the marketing and financial procedures of the company and could black-mail the company or provide this data to the competitors of the company. Another major problem caused by this attack would be the malfunctioning or stoppage of any crucial software which is necessary for running business operations. Personal information of the employees including names, telephone numbers and addresses would be compromised and would create a personal threat to them as well.The cyber attack could launch a companywide malfunction of hardware and software limiting the operations of the company, as today almost all operations are dependent on computers. The code could change critical information relating to business operations such as input data for various operating processes. The company can stop and prevent these cyber attacks in various ways. The malicious code technique of attack usually involves a file which is transferred through emails, instant messengers, loopholes in the firewall framework and da ta transfers from insecure websites and sources.The attacks can be prevented by filtering content received over the internet through emails and instant messengers. Antivirus, intrusion detection and content filtering programs can be implemented to limit transfer of malicious software or code. The employees of the company should be trained in this regard and should be made aware of the potential dangers of malicious code and the sources it can come from. The firewalls implemented in the company should be tested and audited with test scenarios to guarantee the safety of these firewalls.All backup of data should be kept in safe and secure locations which is not available on the network of the company. When the attack does occur there should be contingency plans available to cope with the effects of this attack and operating procedures should be defined well ahead of time to deal with such threats. Intrusion detection and prevention systems should be implemented at all levels of the net work to increase the safety and security of the network (GFI, 2009). Conclusion Cyber attacks are very common in modern times and there are various types of threats and these methods and types changing with the pace of time.Individuals and companies also need to be updated on the various new methods, techniques and prevention for such attacks. If there is a cyber attack on an individual or a company, it could result in adverse consequences including loss of crucial data and loss of financial resources. To prevent and limit the frequency and probability of these attacks various protection and safeguard tools such as antivirus and intrusion detection should be implemented. References GFI. (2009). Targeted Cyber Attacks. Cary: GFI. T. , P. , Sachs, M. , Devost, M. G. , Shaw, E. , & Stroz, E. (2004). Cyber Adversary Characterization. Burlington: Syngress.

Biological Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biological Psychology - Essay Example Introduction The biological basis of thought has often been a source of interest to scientists since a long time. Years of research through noninvasive technology has led to some understanding of the anatomy of behaviour and thought. This has been possible by brain mapping, a useful tool to gain understanding of the functional, genetic and various other molecular aspects of brain. Advances in brain mapping have contributed to understanding of several psychological, surgical and anatomical problems in the brain, thus providing clues for improved management and prediction of treatment outcomes. Brain mapping has been possible through advances in neuroimaging and also automation. Functional magnetic resonance imaging, a recent technology in magnetic resonance imaging has been an immense tool in understanding the functional areas of brain. For example, researchers are now able to see which brain areas are altered during performance of certain movements. Based on such information, it has been possible to divide the brain functionally and also understand as to how different areas of the brain work in conjunction during day-to-day activities (Jones and Overly, 2010). In this essay, brain mapping, methods used for brain mapping and benefits of brain mapping will be discussed. Brain mapping Brain mapping may be defined as a set of techniques related to neuroscience that map the biological properties and quantities onto spatial representations of the brain of the concerned mammal resulting in maps that are easily visualized and understood. Any technology in neuroimaging is actually a part of brain mapping, although brain mapping is considered to be higher form of neuroimaging that produces brain images supplemented by additional non-imaging or imaging data analysis, processing or both, like projecting of maps into analysis of behaviour with respect to regions in the brain. It is very important to understand biological basis of diseases so that appropriate treatment can b e based on that. In many diseases, genes have been attributed to the molecular basis of disease because they are the main instruction providers for the cellular molecular machinery. Infact, several genes have been identified for one single disease like 600 for multiple sclerosis (Jones and Overly, 2010). In this regard, a scientific team at the Allen Institute for Brain Science has envisaged a high-tech bridge between genetics and anatomy of brain which is basically an online atlas of the brain of the humans showing activity of about 20,000 human genes (Jones and Overly, 2010). This atlas is likely to expand over the coming years. Even now, the atlas provides an in detailed view of the activity of a particular gene in human being. For example, it is now possible for the scientists to determine the site of genes which encodes specific proteins, including those that are at high chances of being affected by a specific new drug. Based on this information, it is now possible to ascertain the therapeutic and adverse effects of the specific drug. On the other hand, a scientist can concentrate on specific brain structure and known about the genes which function there, thus gaining information about the molecular footprint of the condition. The scientist can also gain information about

Entrepreneurial Survival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Entrepreneurial Survival - Essay Example Therefore, it is important for any company to prioritize credit management and cash flow for increased profitability and survival. There are different issues involved in managing credit in a company. A company first needs to understand well the credit and payment issues of its customers before carrying on a relationship with them. It is essential for a company to identify the high risk customers in order to adopt the most effective strategy of prioritizing collections. The nature of the credit controller of a company also influences the credit management, hence it is vital that a company utilises different credit controllers. Additionally, effective credit management involves strengthening existing customer relationships. A company could for instance renegotiate credit prices with loyal customers, among other incentives, since intuition to customer needs is an important aspect of credit management that can result in more profitability (Bullivant 2012). Having a company credit policy is critical, and this must be up to date with the present creditworthiness of specific customers of the company. Credit insurance is also important in the covering of individual accounts or the whole turnover of company (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants 2009). The strategies used in credit management impact on cash flow. Therefore, effective credit management improves cash flow. However, there are additional factors that enhance the cash flow of a company. First, improving the speed at which goods exchange hands with the buyer is important, because the faster a buyer purchases and pays for a good, the better it is for the company’s cash flow, even as inventory must move for cash to flow. Improved technology for faster payment and delivery of goods also helps to move inventory. Additionally, the use of information is key in improving cash flow. For instance, when delivering goods to customers, a company must track the

Science tells us the truth about reality (or not) Essay

Science tells us the truth about reality (or not) - Essay Example Science is victorious in the curing of doubt because it helps in tracking the real world state. It however cannot tell us the truth about reality. Many people have the belief that science is purely objective (Science and Reality, 1984). That it can be likened to a machine for churning out facts and converting ignorance to knowledge. Scientists are also seen like they are a special breed of truth-discoverers. Their pronouncements are viewed like the gospel. However, in reality, the practice of science deserves a more cynical look. Scientists are human too. They have insecurities to navigate, reputations to defend and careers to progress. They also do not abandon their years-long research programs or theories the minute something bad happens (Thind, 1939). Studies that did not work are run again, equipment is repaired or replaced and assistants of research get fired. It can be a messy job. A person’s best bet might be to appeal to some account of ideal form, citing a privileged relationship to truth if they wanted to mount a defense of science. And so long as it is done right, science deserves our commitment since it exceeds subjective belief and common sense and manages to latch on to ultimate reality in some systematic way. We would be compelled by science if we are committed to reason (Latour, 1999). However, this is where the founder of the school of thought known as pragmatism, Charles Peirce would disagree. In an essay he wrote in 1877, the fixation of belief (Peirce, 1997), he tries to forward the method of science without appeal to rationality, objective truth or reason. He instead argues that science if more like a good trick that happens to trump all other prescriptions. This is what pragmatism is all about. Anyone has uncertainty? Try science. Not for any metaphysical or theoretic reason but on the rounds of pragmatism instead. It just works. That explanation may however be too easy. First we may want to ask

Redo psychology in education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Redo psychology in education - Essay Example In spite of their individualistic cognitive and behavioral differences, there are certain areas in which students from the 9th to 12th grade equally need guidance and education. Such areas include but are not limited to the study of ethics, and corporate social responsibility. There is need to teach such subjects at all levels, though their content can be customized to match the level of complexity understandable for the students at different levels. Learner diversity in the curriculum is fostered not only by the inclusion of diversity in he curriculum, but also by keeping a diverse force of teachers that have to teach that curriculum to the students. So there is a need to work on both levels i.e. curriculum and faculty because underestimating the need to work on one would have an adverse impact on the other. For example, let’s talk about a school teaching different languages to the students because the knowledge of different languages is fundamental to social integration in the contemporary multicultural society. The languages being taught include English, Urdu, French, and Arabic. Now there is a need to either have a teacher who is well-equipped with the knowledge of each of the four languages or the school needs to hire four different teachers each having expertise in his/her own language to teach the students effectively. On the other hand, curriculum can be made diverse by including content from different cultures de pending upon which area a certain culture is more developed in or what a certain culture has more to offer in comparison to other cultures. From this standpoint, the subjects of science and technology can be based on Western knowledge since advanced economies are more advanced in the research and knowledge of science and technology as compared to the third world countries whereas the subjects of arts and craft, including performing arts can be based on the knowledge of South Asian cultures

Full price activity changes with hourly wage rate and the different Assignment

Full price activity changes with hourly wage rate and the different between income and substitution effects - Assignment Example The income constraint requires that the net household income should equal expenses on market items, where p is the price of household output, w is the hourly income, r is the price of variable inputs, and s is the price of market items. This furthermore will tell us about the bargaining power in household production unit. Thus: P ( YÂ ­C ) – w Tw – rV = sM We obtain full income constraint by such an expression after a little change: wT = Æ ©Ni=l FCi Where FCi= total cost of a good and FCi = pxi + wti where p= price index of xi, w= wage rate, xi= summed inputs in production and consumption of an item, while t is time spent working. In the same context, individuals will always minimize the total cost of consuming a commodity. This way we can understand the decline in fertility with increased income as well as why many people ignore coupons in grocery firms. We are also able to understand the cause of decrease expenditure on children as they become endowed. (Tran 2005). The fig.1 and 2. Show graphical examples of how the above theory can be represented. The sketch 2. Illustrates a substitution effect concerning wage rate. A rise in wage rate results in increased relative price of time and also the households substitute purchased items for time in the making and usage of a given level of each item.

Ethics and Legal Professionals Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Legal Professionals - Research Paper Example The second scenario is the fact that the prosecutor could be giving the jury misleading information so that the jury becomes convinced that the suspect is actually liable for the crimes that he is accused of having committed, and thus influence the jury to believe in the guilt of the suspect, which will in turn favor the prosecutor by enabling the jury to favor the conviction and charging of the suspect as guilty. Therefore, the jury is faced with the dilemma of choosing who to believe between the prosecutor and the judge and thus is torn between following the judge’s direction and following the information given by the prosecutor. The choice of whether to believe the prosecutor or to stick to the judge’s direction forms the ethical dilemma. The resolution of this ethical dilemma is complex since it entails the application of the relevant laws, which guide the conduct of professionals in the judicial system (Pollock, 2012). Legal professionals are required by the laws t o conduct their activities regarding the cases before a court of law in accordance with the guidance of the code of conduct of the legal professionals. According to the provisions of the code of conduct for legal professional, any legal professional handling a case before a court of law is prohibited from engaging in any form of discussion regarding the case with any side of the case, outside the courtroom (Beauchamp, Arnold & Bowie, 2009). Therefore, any discussion undertaken outside the courtroom with either the prosecution or the defense side is against the conduct of the legal professionals. Therefore, while the information provided by the prosecutor to the jury could be true and thus helpful to the determination of the case at hand, the manner in which it is obtained is against the provisions of the code of conduct of the professionals (Siegel & Worrall, 2013). Therefore, resolving this ethical dilemma requires the jury to adhere to the necessary code of conduct and ignore all the information that is obtained from one-sided party to the case outside the courtroom since the individual may be interested in misleading the jury and thus have his stance favored. Therefore, the ethical dilemma can be resolved through adhering to the guidelines offered by the judge and ignoring all the information obtained outside the courtroom. The system of ethics that I would most likely employ is the law enforcement code of ethics. This system of ethics provides that the fundamental function of a law enforcement officer, including the police, the prosecutor, the judge and the jury, is to serve mankind while at the same time protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression (Siegel, 2010). This system of ethics requires the legal professionals to conduct themselves in a manner that respects the constitutional rights of all individuals to liberty and justice. The legal professionals are also required to observe honesty and be mindful of the welfare of t he others, including that of the suspects, under the law enforcement code of ethics (Pollock, 2012). The legal professionals are also required to obey the laws of the land and ensure that they adhere to

Plato on Justice Essay Example for Free

Plato on Justice Essay Platos interpretation of justice as seen in ? The Republic is a vastly different one when compared to what we and even the philosophers of his own time are accustomed to. Plato would say justice is the act of carrying out ones duties as he is fitted with. Moreover, if ones duties require one to lie or commit something else that is not traditionally viewed along with justice; that too is considered just by Platos accounts in ? The Republic. I believe Platos account of justice, and his likely defense against objections are both clear and logical, thus I will endeavor to argue his views as best as I can. Platos view of justice ties in with his view of a perfect world. In Platos ideal world, the society would be a wise one, wise in understanding that their own position in society is just. This society in turn, must carry out their duties fitted to them by their position. Unfortunately the real world does not function in that manner, Plato understanding that ? fault with society tells us that if the society is lacking wisdom, the most wise ones would be philosophers, (473d) and society should consider them to be the authority. Plato believes that being just is so innately important that everyone is better off being just than unjust, no matter the situation. Plato in 360e-362d uses Glaucon to make this point, Glaucon asks who is better off? The just or the unjust, given the premises that the unjust man is rich, famous, respected, and powerful and that the just man is poor, defamed, and lives a life of suffering. Platos only real way to answer this is to prove that justice is innately good and that injustice is innately evil; simply prove the poor, defamed man happy and the rich, respected unjust man unhappy. Plato goes about this by explaining what justice is; justice has to do with doing what is right, and there exists some specific virtue in everything, which enables it to work well. If it is deprived of that nature, in contrast it would suffer. It is much the same with the soul, the soul must also perform its specific virtue. The more virtuous, or ? just a soul is, the happier the soul is. The happier the soul is, the happier the person is. Therefore a just man lives happily and well, whereas an unjust man would not. This argument follows the a=b b=c therefore a=c argument form. Another objection, brought about by a radical and different theory of Justice is brought up by Plato in a conversation between Socrates and Thrasymachus. In this argument Thrasymachus defines justice as in the interest of the stronger. This basically means that justice belongs in the hands of the rulers, and that the rulers are whoever is stronger, therefore getting to a ruling position. Laws are then made, based on the ruling partys interest, and only theirs. Those who violate such created laws, will get punished for breaking the law and so on and so forth. Socrates completely disagrees with this theory of justice and gives the analogy of a physician who is studying and exercising his power is in fact doing so in the interest of his patients, not himself. In the same manner, the government will do what is in the interest of the people, and not of itself. Some unanswered objections that may come up against Platos idea of justice may target the part where he believes that philosophers are the only qualified individuals to run his ideal society. Plato believes that philosophers have knowledge, I pose a scenario where there are no more philosophers, perhaps because of a philosopher massacre, or one where there is simply nobody wise enough. One can easily make the argument that since philosophy is dealing with the same questions for the past 2500 years, that we are actually not wise, and in fact quite the opposite. I believe that for the most part, Plato has a successful account of justice. Platos criticism of then present theories of justice and his defense against the xxxxxx theories make sense logically. Furthermore, Plato was ages ahead of his time by arguing for equal rights among men and woman when concerning the guardians, unlike Aristotle who got almost everything wrong and most likely set philosophy and other sciences back centuries, I believe Plato was ages ahead of his time in understand that men and women are equal in at least the ? capacity to understand reality and make reasonable judgments about it. (454d) However; just that fact does not lead to a proper defense against arguments. One thing a reader may have a problem is that Plato seems to be showing a little Heidegger by alluding to a dictatorship which are ruled by the wise, namely, philosophers. Even if such a Nazi and Communist-esque dictatorship were to be implemented, I fear it would hit the same brick wall that other dictatorships face, the people will not sit idly by while they are told what to do. I believe that leads to a larger problem. Plato seemingly wants to hint more and more at an innate knowledge which includes justice, or if the person does not have this innate knowledge he can be taught in society: knowledge and the just thing to do. I believe this poses a problem for Plato, if society innately knows the correct thing to do, but does not do it, then this is contradictory with the definition of justice Plato wants for us. And if there is one thing philosophers have insisted upon over time is that there are no contradictions. In its defense; I do not know of any philosophical questions that have a complete answer, otherwise there would be no more philosophy. Even with the possible shortcomings, Plato argues his justice logically, and uses Glaucon and Adeimentus well, to show the strengths of his arguments.

Business Development Plan and CRM: Thomas Cook Group

Business Development Plan and CRM: Thomas Cook Group 1.0 ABSTRACT Customer relationship management(CRM) consists of the processes a company uses to track and organize its contacts with its current and prospective customers. CRM in its broadest sense simply means managing all customer interactions. In practice, this requires using information about ones customers and prospects to more effectively interact with its customers in all stages of its relationship with them. We refer to these stages as the customer life cycle. The customer life cycle has three stages: Acquiring customers Increasing the value of customer retaining good customer BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT The specialist area o fbusiness development comprises a number of techniques and responsibilities which aim at gaining new customers and at penetrating existing markets. Techniques used include: assessment of marketing opportunities and target markets intelligence gathering on customers and competitors generating leadsfor possible sales advising on, drafting and enforcing sales policies and processes follow-up sales activity. Project work: Learning of the major products and services of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. Major Clients Major Competitors Acquiring a larger market share Learning about Customer Relationship Management Objectives Acquiring new customers. Retaining existing customers To have larger market share Limitations: Sometimes it is very hard to get an appointment with a corporate client as they have tough schedules. Meeting the right person in the organization is not an easy task who has the decision making power. Lack of transparency by companies in providing their data. Time period constraint was there for carrying out analysis. 2. INTRODUCTION 2.1 Company Profile Thomas Cook Group plc is a leading international leisure travel group, created by the merger of MyTravel Group plc and Thomas Cook AG in June 2007. Thomas Cook Group plc is a fully listed company on the London Stock Exchange. Thomas Cook (India) Limited is a part of Thomas Cook Group. It remains as a subsidiary of TCIM Limited, an unlisted private company, incorporated under the laws of England and Wales having its Registered Office at Peterborough, England, U.K. and holding 55.87% of the post Rights Issue paid-up equity share capital of the Company. Thomas Cook UK Limited (TCUK) apart from holding 21.45% of the post Rights Issue paid-up equity share capital of the Company, also holds 100% holding in TCIM Limited. Thus, TCUK indirectly holds 77.31% of the present paid-up equity share capital of the Company. 2.2 Thomas Cook (India) Limited During the year 2008, the Company successfully consolidated various businesses across Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its subsidiaries. The Company derived the synergy benefits in 2008 arising out of various initiatives like network harmonization, closure of non-core and loss making units, manpower realignment, and contributions from tourism boards for marketing spends, re-negotiation with vendors due to increased bargaining power. The one-time cost of integration amounted to Rs. 69.8 million. Thomas Cook organized a 19 city Summer Holiday Sale, a pan-India Holiday road-show offering the best Holiday deals. The roadshows were very successful giving a boost to the Domestic Business. The year 2008 was focused on Domestic Tourism with its launch through the brand name: My India, My Way. During the year, packages catering to the needs of different segments of customers were created. the Company was the first Travel Company to offer Indian Rail Bookings online in partnership with IRCTC on its portal. Further, the Company also integrated with Hotels4u real time on www.thomascook.in giving its online customers first hand access to over 30,000 hotels in the Hotels4u inventory. The Company also tied-up with Axis Bank for pre-paid forex card which offers exchange upto 7 currencies. Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. is the largest integrated Travel and Travel related Financial Services Company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that include Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, Leisure Travel, and Insurance. The Company launched its Indian operations in 1881 and is celebrating its 127 years of world-class service in India. Thomas Cook (India) operates in the following areas of business, namely:Leisure Travel, Corporate Travel Management, MICE, Foreign Exchange, SWIFT Network, Travel Insurance, Credit Cards, Pre-Paid Cards, Life Insurance and E-Business. Post March 31st 2008, Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL) is a part of Thomas Cook Group plc UK (TCG). On March 7th 2008, TCG announced its decision to acquire TCIL from Dubai Investment Group. Thomas Cook Group plc is one of the largest travel groups in the world with a market capitalization of approximately US$6 Billion. In June 2006, Thomas Cook (India) acquired LKP Forex Limited and Travel Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd. (TCI).TCIL presently operates in over 61 cities across almost 166 locations in the country. The company has overseas operations in Sri Lanka which is a branch of TCIL and Mauritius which is a subsidiary of Thomas Cook (India). The Company employs over 2,500 resources and is listed on both the Bombay Stock Exchange as well as the National Stock Exchange. Thomas Cook (India), over the years has received several prestigious awards such as the Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Golden Award for Best Travel. Recently, the Company won the Best Tour Operator at the CNBC Awaaz Travel Awards 2008 and was also accredited the P1 rating which is the highest financial rating given by Crisil. 2.3 Financial Facts of the Company Revenues as on December 31, 2010 as declared in the annual report was Rs 2588 million crore. A dividend of 37.5% on the equity share capital had also been the proposed dividend on the equity capital and preference Capital absorbs Rs. 93 million for dividend and Rs. 16 million for Dividend Tax. 2.4 Listing of Shares THOMAS COOK INDIA LIMITED is listed on two Stock Exchanges in India viz. Bombay Stock Exchange Limited, Mumbai and National Stock Exchange of India Limited, Mumbai. 2.5 Principal Bankers: State Bank of India ICICI Bank Limited HDFC Bank Limited IDBI Bank Limited Deutsche Bank Standard Chartered Bank The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Apart from this Thomas Cook has won the following awards: Best Travel Agency Award2004 given by TTG Asia Part of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for the 5th year in succession. The Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Governance, for the second time in a row. The Criteria for this award are transparency, excellence in conducting business, various levels of management, social and environmental responsibility, ethical business practice and Consistent creation of value for all the stakeholders. The National Tourism Awardfor 2001-2002 2002-2003, winning the second rank in category 1 for the company that achieved the highest foreign exchange earnings from Ministry of Tourism. National Tourism Award Best MICE Operator2006-07 National Tourism Award 3rd prize Inbound Operator2006-07 The Association of Business Communications of India(ABCI) where the company won the first prize for its website www.thomascook.co.in Awarded The Best Outbound Inbound Tour Operator of the Year award at the Hospitality India Awards 2006 hosted by Hospitality India. Recipient of the prestigious Government of India Ministry of Tourism award for Excellence in Conference Tourism Best Travel Agency India for the year 2008by TTG Asia Part of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Best Tour Operator by CNBC Awaaz in 2008 Best Outbound Tour Operatorin the 4th Hospitality India Explore the world Annual International Awards 2008 2.7 SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Image Overall presence Customized services Efficient sales staff High focus on customer satisfaction Handling last minute transactions Weakness Inability to fully cover each market Not aggressive in advertising Opportunities Unexplored Market Hotels in Manesar Threats Other players in foreign exchange market. 3.0 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 3.1 About Foreign Exchange Market In todays world no economy is self sufficient, so there is need for exchange of goods and services amongst the different countries. So, unlike in the primitive age the exchange of goods and services is no longer carried out on barter basis. Every country in the world has a currency that is legal tender in its territory and this currency does not act as money outside its boundaries. So whenever a country buys or sells goods and services from or to another country, the residents of the two countries have to exchange currencies. Foreign exchange market is described as an OTC (over the counter) market as there is no physical place where the participants meet to execute the deals. The largest foreign exchange market is in London, followed by the New York, Tokyo, Zurich and Frankfurt. The market are situated throughout the different time zone of the globe in such a way that one market is closing the other is beginning its operations. Therefore, it is stated that foreign exchange market is functioning throughout 24 hours a day. 3.2 Need for Foreign Exchange If an Indian company exports cotton fabrics to USA and invoices the goods in the US dollar. The American importer will pay the amount in US dollar, as the same is his home currency. However the Indian exporter requires rupees i.e. his home currency for procuring raw materials and for payment to the labour charges, etc. Thus, he would need to exchange US dollar for rupee. If the Indian exporter invoices their goods in rupee, then the importer in USA will get his dollar converted in rupee and pay the exporter. From this we can infer that in case goods are bought or sold outside the country, exchange of currency is necessary. 3.3 Following are the major bifurcations: Full fledge moneychangers these are the firms and individuals who have been authorized to take both, purchade and sale transaction with the public. Restricted moneychanger these are shops, hotels, etc that have been authorizes only to purchase foreign currency towards cost of goods supplied or services rendered by them or for conversion into rupees. Authorized dealers these are the ones who can undertake all types of foreign exchange transaction. Banks are the only authorized dealers. The only exceptions are Thomas Cook, Western Union. 3.4 Participants in foreign exchange market The main players in foreign exchange market are as follows: Customers: The customers who are engaged in foreign trade participate in foreign exchange market by availing the services of banks. Commercial Banks: They are the most active players in the foreign exchange market. Commercial banks dealing with international transaction offer services for conversion of one currency into another. They have a wide network of branches. Central Bank: In all countries Central Bank have been charged with the responsibility of maintaining the external value of the domestic currency.. Generally this is achieved by the intervention of the bank. Exchange Brokers: Forex brokers play a very important role in the foreign exchange market. However the extent to which the services of foreign brokers are utilized depends on the tradition and practice prevailing at a particular Forex market centre. Overseas Forex market Speculators 3.5 Major Competitors The major players in the foreign exchange market VKC FRR WEIZMANN FCM TT FOREX CENTRUM RR SEN MERCURY 4.0 SERVICES 4.1 Holidays Inbound Inbound Tourist refers to tourists/ travelers coming to India. Inbound tour operators promote India as a tourist destination. TCIL organizes tours for foreign tourist visiting India. TCIL organizes Individual tours, group tours and Conferences. Various services offered in inbound business are accommodation, ticketing, roundtrip, excursion, land arrangements, airport transfer etc. These services are procured from providers of these services like hotels, airlines, transporters, guides etc. within India. Customers are typically individuals and are sourced by overseas principals, tour operators or travel agents. TCI, one of the subsidiaries is among the leaders in inbound tourism and works closely with tour operators worldwide. TCI has a widely distributed network of travel agents and tour operators worldwide. It has around 20 offices in India and a total of 11 offices in USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, China, Korea, Japan and Australia. TCIL also acts as a ground handling agent domestically for Charter flights coming from international destinations. TCIL also offers customized individual holidays, group escorted holidays, MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition) arrangements and emergency medical assistance. Inbound travelers handled by our Company are primarily from Europe and USA.TCIL enters into business arrangements with the foreign tour operators for servicing their customers when they arrive in India. 4.2 International Holidays Outbound tourist refers to Indian Nationals traveling out of India. TCIL offers outbound tour packages across approximately 50 Countries. Outbound packages include various services like air tickets, visa, travel insurance, airport transfer, hotel accommodation, sight seeing, etc. International Holidays is further classified into following categories: Group Escorted Holidays: These are ready made packages where a group of travelers is escorted by a Tour Manger. Customised Individual Holidays: Tailor made packages based on individual requirements MICE: Dealers/Employees are sent on tour by Corporates. Sales agency amongst others for Star Cruise, Rail Europe, Globus, Cosmos Tours, Greyhound, Amtrak, Rocky Mountaineer Vacations, Japan Rail and Costa Cruises 4.3 Domestic Holidays Domestic Travel refers to Indian Nationals (Tourists, Business Travelers, Students, Leisure travelers) traveling within India. Various services offered are accommodation, ticketing, roundtrip, excursions, land arrangements, airport transfer, etc. These services are procured from service providers like hotels, airlines, transporters, guides, etc. TCI, one of our subsidiaries specializes in special interest and incentive tours, conferences and air charter / cruise ship ground operations. It operates its own Taj Mahal Tour and Delhi City Tour and is a General Sales Agent (GSA) for the Palace on Wheels and the Deccan Odyssey. TCIL is an active member of various industry and professional organizations. 4.4 Air Tickets Book your Air Tickets for your travel with TCIL either offline or online through the sitewww.thomascook.in.   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   TCIL offers a complete range for flights, right from Low Cost to Full service Airlines, to choose from. 4.5 Rail Tickets Book your Rail Tickets for your travel with Thomas Cook either offline or online through the sitewww.thomascook.in. You can choose either Indian Rail Tickets that are available via IRCTC or International Rail Tickets via Rail Europe. TCIL offers a complete range for Rail Bookings, International or Domestic. 4.6 Corporate Travel Corporate Travel forms a dominant share of overall travel business of our Company. TCIL manages the travel budgets of several large national and multinational companies. The large scale of operations enables it to effectively manage travel budgets of several Multi National Companies, Blue-Chip companies and Multinational banks to their advantage. The Company provides Integrated Travel Management / Advisory Services to more than 300 Corporates. TCIL provides customers a complete basket of products for all their travel needs: Air Reservations Hotel Reservations Land arrangements which includes sight seeing, car rental, transfers etc. Passport / Visa Service Conference / Incentive tour arrangements Foreign Exchange Insurance The branches specialize in offering tailor-made Travel Policies for each corporate, thereby bringing savings on spend. Based on requirements and volumes of business, corporate are serviced either by having a dedicated relationship team visits clients office regularly or having a dedicated expert travel consultant with Centralised Reservation System located at the clients site as an implant. 4.7 Meetings, Incentives, Exhibitions Conferences Experience:This refers to the experience of the travelers right from the time they board the airline to the foreign destination till the time they come back. The travel here is a REWARD for the dealers/employees of the company who have done well over a period of time. The company (as well as the employees) expects the trip to be an enjoyable, hassle free and fun filled experience. Thomas Cook understands their concern and provide them this experience through our:- Experienced, dependable and extensively traveled Tour Managers, who are available with the group 24 X 7, provide their personalized services to the group and at times, act as crisis managers. In contrast, the other tour companies often send their ticketing person as the tour manager. The requests for special Dietary requirements are taken care of completely. The Indians are very particular about the food they eat (e.g.) Jain food. It is made sure that the clients get the same, irrespective of the location they are traveling to. The sightseeings that are offered are often exotic and different from the rest of the tour operators. Customer Focus/Customer Centric/Exceptional Service:This primarily refers to the experience of the corporate with the sales representatives. There is a huge extent of customization in case of a MICE trip in terms of destinations, hotel requirements, conference needs, sightseeings to be covered, gala dinner venue, team building activities etc. The prime focus is always to cater to our customers specific needs and the intent is to delight the customer by always delivering more than promised by us/expected by them. Dependable:This comes out of the reputation of the company (TCIL) and the vast experience of handling a large number of MICE movements in the past. The fact that TCIL has trusted business partners (suppliers) for every destination and that there is always an experienced tour manager with the group ensures that the clients feel secure when they travel with us. Moreover, the reputation of the company ensures that there will be no let up in the service quality and there wont be any trivial financial issues. Reservoir of Knowledge:The experienced employees of the MICE business make sure that they function as a travel consultant to the client rather than being a travel agent to them. It is believed that with the expertise, TCIL is in a position to provide multiple options to our customers. This is especially true in case of clients who have a budget constraint. Once the client is provided with multiple options along with the pros and cons for the same, they are in a much better position to take a decision regarding the destination as well as the services that they expect us to provide them. Value for Money/Cost Effective: TCIL is committed to provide quality service to its clients and they do not believe in any compromise on the same (0% Compromise). It is made sure that the experience that our clients get is of a greater value than the cost that they pay for it. If TCILs cost is more than the competition, then there is ALWAYS a very strong reason for the same (which could be better quality of hotels, better airlines, EXTRA inclusions etc.). Product Innovation:Over the last decade or so, the MICE industry has been booming. Since then, some of the companies have been traveling each year (with multiple incentives/conference tours). They are always looking out for new destinations for the incentive trips. TCILs endeavour is to be ahead of the competition at all times and product innovation is one way of doing that. TCIL has promoted new destinations at different points of times which have traditionally never been thought of for a MICE trip. E.g. Jordan, Japan, Macau, Canada. Moreover, within the same destinations, TCIL has managed to change the product mix by changing the venues for Gala Dinner (at cruise, Desert Safari etc.) or including some exotic sight seeings or providing some out of the box team building activities or in any other way. Wide Reach:TCIL is confident of providing our customers with the best of the services at any destination that they wish to visit. This is due to the vast resources of the company and due to the number of trusted business partners that we have all over the world. One Stop Shop for MICE needs/Integrated travel services:Its the firm belief that once the customer enters one of our offices, all his travel needs will be catered to. TCIL provides the customer with the forex services, insurance cover and a travel card. Moreover, TCIL can service their visa requirements better than any other tour operator because of our goodwill and the relationships that we have with the various embassies/consulates. We have the ability to provide the customer with a 360 degree experience on a consistent basis. Work with Play:This is particularly true in case of the corporates who have an offsite for a conference/meeting. TCIL ensures that after a hard days work, they have a relaxed and fun filled evening. This can be done by sending them on a night cruise or by treating them to a Gala Dinner with free flow of liquor and a Live DJ. In one of the cases, we had sent a couple of VJs and RJs (RJ Taraana) from India who made sure that everyone from the group was involved in the fun activities. 4.8 Thomas Cook Credit Card Salient Features: Thomas Cook Titanium MasterCard features in brief: The card has been specially designed for frequent travelers. Attractive 6 reward points for each spend of Rs.100 on the card on Thomas Cook products Free Delivery of Foreign Exchange within city limits Rs. 5,000 discount on any Thomas Cook GIT product 1 Free Air ticket to a domestic destination on the issuance of new card Complimentary travel inconvenience insurance policy Access to MasterCard travel lounges at Airports across the world Redemption of reward points for Thomas Cook holiday packages, hotel stays, air tickets, airline upgrades, etc Conversion of Thomas Cook reward points to frequent flyer miles convert the reward points earned on card to frequent flyer miles on select domestic airlines. Positioned as a comprehensive travel card Assured gifts for the joining fees free air ticket / discount voucher Higher reward points for card swipes at Our Companys outlets Redemption of reward points against Thomas Cook products encouraged 4. 9 Travel Insurance Insurance business of being carried out through our 100% subsidiary Thomas Cook Insurance Services (I) Ltd. (TCISL). TCISL is a corporate agent of Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited. TCISL entered insurance distribution in 2001 and offers the following products and services: TravelCare (Overseas Travel Insurance)- Travel Care offers security for travelers which covers travel insurance, hospitalization, loss of documents, Repatriation of Remains, emergency Cash Advance or any other crises which requires assistance. FamilyCare- An Overseas travel Insurance cover for entire family of 4-5 persons with single overall sum insured. ScholarCare (Overseas Student Insurance)- A customized product for all students studying abroad which ensures timely assistance in case of unexpected surprises in a foreign land. CorporateCare (Overseas Corporate Travel Insurance)- For Companies where employees travel abroad frequently on work, we have customized group policies. All foreign trips undertaken by employees in a year are covered under a single policy. TCISL provides all insurance products at all our outlets, leveraging on ability to cross sell insurance products to our Travel and Forex customers. 4.10 Foreign Exchange Thomas Cook India is the largest non banking authorized Dealer in India providing an array of foreign exchange products and services to various customer segments in India, Srilanka and Mauritius It has the largest network of branches with 144 locations across 53 cities in India including 28 airport counters in major cities working 24 x7x 365 days. It also has a vast presence in Mauritius with 12 locations including international airport and also in Sri Lanka at 3 major locations. It has been awarded the best foreign exchange company by CNBC Awaaz for the year 2008 and 2009. 4.11 Service Strategy of Thomas Cook To deliver exceptional service to all internal and external customers By Being  Ã‚  Ã‚   By Providing  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By Ensuring Proactive   Professional Service  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Personal Care Speedy Flexible Transparent Reliable Creative 5.0 FOREIGN EXCHANGE Thomas Cook has been granted an authorized dealers license (category II) by RBI to deal in foreign exchange through its designated branches. Under this license, we have been, inter-alia, granted permission to undertake the following activities: 1. Retail purchases of foreign currencies and travelers cheques. 2. Bulk purchases/sales of foreign currencies from/to authorized dealers, money changers and franchisees. 3. Release / remittance of foreign exchange for the following activities: a. Private Visits b. Remittance by tour operators/travel agents to overseas agents/principals/hotels c. Business Travel (including for Central and State Government officials) d. Fee for participation in global conferences and specialized training e. Payment of crew wages f. Film Shooting g. Medical Treatment abroad h. Overseas Education i. Remittance under educational tie up arrangements with universities abroad j. Maintenance of close relatives abroad k. Stall rentals and participation fees in connection with participation in overseas exhibitions / fairs 4. Import and export of foreign currency and export of encashed Travelers Cheques 5. Maintenance of foreign currency accounts with banks abroad and undertaking forex cover operations in India and abroad. The activities permitted by RBI are carried out only at the specific locations permitted by RBI. As an Authorized Dealer, we are a member of the Foreign Exchange Dealers Association of India. Our Company provides the foreign exchange and payment solutions for: Individual travelers Foreign exchange for leisure outbound travelers Foreign Exchange for migration, employment, medical treatment Remittances for students studying abroad, gift remittances etc Encashment services inward remittances for inbound tourists visiting India, Non Resident / Resident Indians. Corporates Travel money and remittances for business travelers. On site support for inbound tour conferences. Film production houses traveling for shoots abroad. Remittances of tour proceeds for tour operators. Institutions Bulk purchases and sales of foreign currencies from Banks, Non Bank Retailers and Money Changers. Our business model revolves around leveraging its position as an Authorized Dealer with systems, ability and experience of handling large volumes of forex transactions for both wholesale and retail customers in a highly cost-efficient manner. 5.1. Network The strong network enables TCIL to attract large wholesale clients such as public and private sector banks, FFMCs and RMCs to use our services. TCIL has a strong network of approximately 160 offices in 55 cities and 100 RMCs Hotel Franchisee. The Company has foreign exchange counters at the international airports of Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin and Trivandrum which are open 24 hours and 365 days a year to cater to the needs of the international travelers. It also has a round-the clock Foreign Exchange counter at the New Delhi Railway Statio

The Possible Causes Of Sick Building Syndrome Environmental Sciences Essay

The Possible Causes Of Sick Building Syndrome Environmental Sciences Essay The World Health Organization defines Sick Building Syndrome as a complex of sub-chronic symptoms that occur while occupants are in a building and generally decrease when they leave. The EPA defines it as phenomena used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The discomforts faced by the occupants are usually of the dermis, the nervous system and the mucous membranes (Brinke et al., 1998). Typical symptoms may include itchy eyes, itchy and/or dry skin, irritation of the nose, throat, difficulty in breathing, headache, nausea, fatigue, chest tightening etc. (Apter et al, 1994). The problem may not necessarily be one related to the place of occupation, but studies that describe it refer almost specifically to occupation related disorders. Sick building syndrome is a by-product of building related illness which itself is an extension of indoor air quality. SBS is hard to diagnose as the symptoms that accompany it are not mutually exclusive to it, and may also be the manifestations of other illnesses. Previous studies and surveys conducted on office buildings in the U.S and Europe indicate that at least a 5th of the healthy individuals in the building experience symptoms related to SBS (Pickering et al.,1992) . Usually however, the symptoms disappear if the person leaves the building. 2. CAUSES OF SBS The following are the possible causes of sick building syndrome: 2.1. Ventilation (or lack thereof) In the mid 1900s the building ventilation standards were set at approximately 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of outside air for each building occupant, primarily to dilute and remove body odors (US EPA). As a result of the 1973 oil embargo, however, national energy conservation measures called for a reduction of the amount of outdoor air provided for ventilation to 5 cfm per occupant, which in most cases were found to be inadequate. Inadequate ventilation may also occur if heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems do not effectively distribute air to people in the building(US EPA). To maintain adequate indoor air quality, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently revised its ventilation standard to provide a minimum of 15 cfm of outdoor air per person (20 cfm/person in office spaces). ( ASHRAE Standard 62-1989). 2.2. Contaminants Contaminants are of a varied nature and varied origin. They can be broadly categorized into two categories on the basis of their composition i.e. chemical and biological; and their origin i.e. indoor and outdoor. 2.2.1 Indoor chemical contaminants These originate inside the building. Examples could be chemicals/fumes from the paint, carpeting, wood products, upholstery, copying machines, computers, cleaning agents. Such chemicals are usually classified as Volatile Organic Carbons. Other chemical contaminants can be the CO2 exhaled in totality, the fumes/chemicals in cigarette smoke. Heating systems especially the old ones can give rise to combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxides, aerosol particles, ozone etc. Various studies have been conducted on almost all of the above mentioned chemicals contaminants and their ill effects have been well documented. 2.2.2. Outdoor chemical contaminants As the name suggest, these originate outside the building. These also include VOCs, gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, oxides of sulfur, ozone, etc. However, the basic difference between this and indoor chemical contaminants is that outdoor contaminants arise due to vehicular use outside the building, which gradually pervades inside the building. 2.2.3. Biological contaminants Bacteria, molds, pollen, and viruses are types of biological contaminants. These contaminants may breed in stagnant water that has accumulated in ducts, humidifiers and drain pans, or where water has collected on ceiling tiles, carpeting, or insulation. Sometimes insects or bird droppings can be a source of biological contaminants. Physical symptoms related to biological contamination include cough, chest tightness, fever, chills, muscle aches, and allergic responses such as mucous membrane irritation and upper respiratory congestion. One indoor bacterium, Legionella, has caused both Legionnaires Disease and Pontiac Fever (Apter et al, 1994). 3. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SICK BUILDING SYNDROME Several studies have been conducted on the Sick Building Syndrome, and the effects related to it. These studies had employed questionnaires which depended on self-reporting by the subjects, and indoor quality measurements. The first of such surveys/studies which focused primarily on building related sickness or complaints was done in the United Kingdom for humidifier fever by Anthony Pickering (Pickering et al, 1992). The same method was utilized by the subsequent researchers, with some modifications in the study design or questions. The studies were usually comparative, i.e. there was a test group in which the subjects worked/resided in not so well ventilated buildings, and the control group in which the subjects were in well ventilated buildings. Self reporting was usually a component of the study design (Redlich et at, 1997), and by its very nature the most likely to introduce bias in the study. Subjects usually reported nasal symptoms such as congestion, pruritis, rhinorrhea etc. , eye related symptoms such as tearing, dryness etc., and others such as tightness and congestion in the chest area, nausea etc. (Apter et al, 1994). When comparisons were made between the two groups, it was seen that the prevalence of all these symptoms was higher in the subjects that were in the test group. This would help to draw the conclusion that there was some factor in the building, possibly the ventilation or lack of it that contributed to these symptoms. Though building related factors are not the only variables in such studies, age, gender, environmental factors also account for a lot. A study conducted by Ooi et al. suggests that building related health complaints were reported more frequently by people who handled/dealt with visual display units. A majority of the researchers conducting these studies agree that these symptoms could also be manifestations of work related stress, which obviously plays a major part in todays work environment. Stress related disorders include headaches including migraines, peptic ulcers, high blood pressure, bronchial asthma etc. When these are considered in conjugation with building related health complaints, there is a very high degree of overlap. Indoor air quality measurements usually help to somewhat pinpoint the origin of these disorders, if not accurately predict them. Air quality measurements with respect to building related disorders prove that inadequate ventilation is usually a major cause of the disorders. Inadequate ventilation fails to dissipate the concentration of the chemical and biological contaminants, and may even lead the increase in their concentration over time. Sources of these contaminants will be discussed further. 3.1. Sources of the Contaminants A).VOCs: Volatile organic compounds are usually aerosols of hydrocarbons. They arise from various sources and are present in a variety of compounds present indoors. Such sources are paints, coatings, caulks, carpeting, Office products such as type-writer correction fluids, photo-duplication and laser printing toners and their thermal degradation products, and carbonless copy paper release. In addition, perfumes, emissions from dry-cleaned clothes, and other products associated with human beings may give of VOCs. Also certain microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi may emit VOCs (Brinke et al, 1998). B). BIOAEROSOLS: As the name suggests, these are released by biological sources such as micro-organisms and even humans. Plants also emit bioaerosols. Inadequate cleaning services and moisture control may lead to the proliferation of microorganisms. Furthermore, dust may collect in vents and in between carpeting (Apte et al., 2000). Workers may even carry them in through their clothes, and these are the major ways how organisms such as dust mites, cockroaches and even bed bugs are transported and subsequently propagated. These compounds usually give rise to respiratory illnesses and can increase the incidence of asthma, though their epidemiology is not much supported by previous studies. C). ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE: In most U.S office buildings, smoking is prohibited. However, already present outside smoke may pervade in through doorways and windows through wind patterns. Usually tobacco smoke is not much of a problem in the United States; however, it is so in many other countries especially developing countries. Such a factor may increase passive smoking, and increase the incidence of asthma, and other respiratory diseases. D). OUTSIDE AIR POLLUTION: Vehicular exhaust, factory exhaust and other outdoor pollution factors can pervade indoors gradually. This is seen in buildings which are near busy roadways and city centers. The compounds in such are usually VOCs and aerosols which cause a huge variety of problems (Brinke et al, 1998). E). PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS: Work stress is a psychological factor that can exacerbate already existing health problems and/or make a person more susceptible to them. Furthermore, several studies have proved that gender and age play a big part in the prevalence of the disorders. Typically, women and older workers are more susceptible to sick building syndrome disorders (Brasche et al, 2001). 4. POSSIBLE REMEDIATION OF SICK BUILDING SYNDROME Sick building syndrome is different from building related illness in the sense that it is reversible, i.e. most people report alleviation in their symptoms if they leave the building. This improvement in their health is more or less fast, and it is this factor that makes SBS somewhat easy to manage. The following solutions can be used in combination or separately to remediate these symptoms. 4.1. Elimination of contaminants This method is the best remedy if the sources are known and it is economically feasible to remove them. A well maintained HVAC system can automatically help to eradicate some or most of these pollutants. The EPA suggests the following procedures to help in eliminating the contaminants: 1. Periodic cleaning or replacement of filters 2. Replacement of water-stained ceiling tile and carpeting 3. Institution of smoking restrictions 4. Venting contaminant source emissions to the outdoors 5. Storage and use of paints, adhesives, solvents, and pesticides in well ventilated areas, and use of these pollutant sources during periods of non-occupancy 6. Allowing time for building materials in new or remodeled areas to off-gas pollutants before occupancy. 4.2. Increasing ventilation rates Improving ventilation and the general air distribution greatly impacts the indoor air quality of a building. It is usually the most economically feasible options of counteracting SBS. HVAC should at the very least meet the minimum standards of local and/or national building codes. The ASHRAE suggests operating HVAC systems at their design optimum which is usually better and higher than the generic codes. The most optimum and the best option to operate HVAC systems is to the ASHRAE standard62-1989. If there is a large proportion of outdoor pollution pervading indoors, the exhaust systems have to operate to their most optimum capacity so as to continually eliminate such contaminants. Another plausible but far less economically plausible option could be to avoid such congested areas altogether, and build new buildings in comparatively more open spaces, however, this could lead to the reduction in a places green cover, and would be ultimately counter-intuitive to the purpose of elimination of air pollution. The EPA recommends local exhaust ventilation to remove pollutants that accumulate in specific areas such as rest rooms, copy rooms, and printing facilities. It also recommends that the HVAC systems must bring in adequate amounts of outdoor air to dilute and eventually remove indoor contaminants. 4.3. Air cleaning Air cleaning is usually a good remediation option if the SBS is too much, or the indoor air quality is too deteriorated. It is more of a cure than a prevention strategy. Like most mechanical cures, this option also comes with a lot of limitations. Particle control devices such as the typical furnace filter are inexpensive but do not effectively capture small particles whereas high performance air filters capture the smaller, respirable particles but are relatively expensive to install and operate. Mechanical filters do not remove gaseous pollutants. Some specific gaseous pollutants may be removed by adsorbent beds, but these devices can be expensive and require frequent replacement of the adsorbent material (Wargocki et al, 2000). 4.4. Proper Communication and Education These are one of the most important measures in remediation and prevention of SBS. The top management needs to keep in mind the health of its employees and should communicate measures to help them. All the levels of the management must work in tandem to maintain good or rather excellent indoor air quality. The EPA eloquently puts it as When building occupants, management, and maintenance personnel fully communicate and understand the causes and consequences of IAQ problems, they can work more effectively together to prevent problems from occurring, or to solve them if they do. 5. CONCLUSION Sick Building Syndrome is increasingly becoming an issue in the workplace and there are documented proofs that it results in reduction in productivity. However, thankfully, it is a reversible and easily remediable phenomenon, and if the employers and employees work together in eliminating it, it can truly be eradicated.

Alchemy -the Predecessor Of Modern Chemistry :: essays research papers

There are many ways to examine the subject of alchemy, including alchemy as a source of symbolism, psychology, and mysticism. It has also been an influence on the world view of various writers, artist, and musicians. The focus of this report is alchemy as a pre-chemistry, which gave a new impulse towards the preparation of medicinal remedies and also was a major influence on today's scientific investigations.Alchemy is an ancient art, practiced in the Middle Ages. The fundamental concept of alchemy stemmed from Aristotle's doctrine that all things tend to reach perfection. Because other metals were thought to be less perfect than gold, it was reasonable to believe that nature created gold out of other metals found deep within the earth and that a skilled artisan could duplicate this process. It was said that once someone was able to change, or transmute a "base" chemical into the perfect metal, gold, they would have achieved eternal life and salvation. In this way, alchemy turned into not only a scientific quest, but a spiritual quest as well. Although the purposes and techniques were often times ritualistic and fanciful, alchemy was in many ways the predecessor of modern science, especially the science of chemistry.The birthplace of alchemy was ancient Egypt, where, in Alexandria, it began to flourish during the Hellenistic period. Also at that time, a school of alchemy was developing in China. The writings of some Greek philosophers may be considered to be among the very first chemical theories, such as the theory that all things are composed of air, earth, fire, and water. Each of these were represented by different elements, such as sulfur, salt, mercury, and, ideally, gold. Other ideas held by alchemists were that each of the known elements were represented by heavenly bodies. Gold was earth's representation of the sun, silver for the moon, mercury for the planet Mercury, copper for Venus, iron for Mars, tin for Jupiter, and lead for Saturn. The typical alchemist's laboratory in Renaissance Europe was a dark, cluttered place that stank of smoke and mysterious chemicals. Many alchemists worked at home, in order to save money and avoid outside interference. Some settled in the kitchen, to take advantage of the cooking fire. Others chose the attic or cellar, where late-night activity was less likely to be noticed by inquisitive neighbors. These small, makeshift laboratories were often filled with a grimy jumble of instruments, manuscripts, skulls, animal specimens, and assorted mystical objects.