United States in the Views of Adam Smith and Karl Marx Essay Sample free essay sample

Presentation The point is to investigate the United States political and financial framework in the purpose of position of two remarkable monetary personalities. Adam Smith and Karl Marx. The two hypotheses will be utilized to inquire about the financial judgments of the United States talking scarceness. partners and their effect on financial conclusions. creation and the utilization of beneficial assets. Adam Smith-Biography Adam Smith. appeared in Figure 1. was conceived in Kirkadly. Scotland in the twelvemonth of 1723. He moved on from the University of Glasgow at 17 years old and his directions and distributions turned out to be acceptable known. While going all through Europe. he met numerous pioneers known as physiocrats. whose convictions impacted Smith. Adam was against the financial arrangement of his coevals which was trade framework. This framework was effective when a state would trade more than they import and they would limit imports following in cash fluxing into the state and tiny going out which making a progressively beneficial state. We will compose a custom exposition test on US in the Views of Adam Smith and Karl Marx Essay Sample or then again any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page He accepted that individuals ought to be permitted to work with no restrictions and by making so. it work will for the monetary framework. Smith’s monetary hypothesis depended on how individuals’ conscience contribution benefits the financial framework rather than the stunning Torahs implemented by the specialists. He expounded on his speculations in his two most praised plants. The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations. Adam Smith kicked the bucket on July 17. 1790 ( Bolotta. Hawkes. Mahoney. Flautist ) . Karl Marx-Biography Karl Heinrich Marx. appeared in figure 2. was conceived on May 5. 1818 in Rhineland. Germany. He examined precept and history at the University of Berlin. He got his PCPs degree at 23 years old and wedded two mature ages thusly. He was in opposition of the monetary development during his clasp as it depended on core industrialist rules. The rich get rich off the work of the hapless. He was extremely much against the well-off life. other than known as the Bourgeoisie and upheld the lower working class. known as the Proletariat. He began printing his communist situations through sections to the masses thus he was presently in issue with the specialists and had to go forward the state. He and Friedrich Engels consolidated and composed their hypothesis of socialism in The Communist Manifesto. They accepted that the transformation of socialism would get down after the Proletariat ascend to the Bourgeoisie ( Bolotta. Hawkes. Mahoney. Flute player ) . History and Description of Government The United States turned into its ain state on July fourth 1776. which is currently known as its Independence Day. after the American Revolution when they isolated from the control of Great Britain ( Wikipedia History ) . The state set up a sort of specialists called the Fundamental law of the United States in 1787 which permitted residents equivalent rights and an actualized a rule of their obligations as great. The Bill of Rights followed not long after in 1791. revising that every individual has certain rights that can non be taken off from them even by the specialists ( Wikipedia 2010 ) . It is obvious from the activities of the United States that the specialists was worked under numerous principles by Adam Smith. Leting residents their privileges shows that a cardinal approval will non be in power which was the convictions of Karl Marx. Vote based system was shown by the United States as individuals were enabled to cast a ballot and choose agents for the state ( Wikipedia 2010 ) . Portrayal of Economy With a populace of 310 million and a GDP of $ 14. 4 trillion. appeared in figure 3. the United States positions as one of the greatest human dynamo states known to man. The financial development that was preeminent presented by Alexandar Hamilton in the late seventeenth century has all inclusive become the most grounded framework ( Wikipedia 2010 ) . The gross local product gauges the states by and large estimation of financial creation. The higher a states GDP is. the more gainful the monetary framework becomes ( Wikipedia 2010 ) . Adam Smith upheld The Law of Population which shows a roundabout correlativity between the creation of a state and its populace. For representation. it is appeared in figure 2 and 3 that both the GDP and populace of the United States have expanded over the past team of decennaries. This hypothesis expresses that as creation increments. business will increment and organizations will without further ado increment the awards of the laborers they utilize. As a result of higher prizes. citizens’ day to day environments will better including having the option to flexibly better wellbeing consideration in this way. death rates reduction and populace augmentations. In the United States this has been valid as far as possible compensation has fundamentally expanded from about $ 3. 35 to $ 7. 25 in the past team of decennaries which has been one of the reasons for populace to increment ( Wikipedia 2010 ) . Adam Smith’s rules are unmistakably evident in the financial development of the United States. He accepted that self contribution. total compensation being the impetus. will by and large benefit the financial framework introducing a â€Å"free market† where it is guided by gracefully and request. The United States is an entrepreneur grouped financial framework proposing to a great extent everything in the state is in private claimed. This permits worries to run and keep up total compensations by and by Karl Marx accepted. entrepreneur economy will simply let the rich to procure more extravagant and the hapless get more unfortunate. This hypothesis is valid in the United States on the grounds that the specialists does non step in underway. The unseeable manus which is a hypothesis Adam Smith accepted will let the powers of the market to run its normal class. Factors, for example, flexibly. request. rivalry will obviously order the financial framework which is the reason he trusted Torahs ought to non abridge the market. The American monetary framework in private possesse s generally everything, for example, wellbeing consideration ( Bolotta. Hawkes. Mahoney. Flute player ) . Wellbeing consideration in the United States is one of the most productive enterprises since everything must be paid for by residents ( OECD ) . Not at all like majority of other to the full created states that give wellbeing thoughtfulness regarding residents. wellbeing consideration establishments are primarily possessed and run by the private area ( Wikipedia 2010 ) . Appeared in Figure 4. American residents spend the most known to mankind on wellbeing consideration which demonstrates a disadvantage for an entrepreneur monetary framework as residents get tiny guide from the specialists. Utilization of Scarce Resources and its Effectss The speculations of both financial specialists did non straight observe normal assets however with the example of their monetary frameworks. the utilization of exchange merchandise can be broke down. Karl Marx accepted that a cardinal approval should order what to deliver and its amount would be founded on the requests of its kin ( Bolotta. Hawkes. Mahoney. Flute player ) . Request does non come into dramatization in this hypothesis since individuals are enduring on what is fundamental and non on their needs. While examining the United States’ conclusions on the utilization of scant assets. the market chooses. In position of the two personalities. the United States observes a larger number of rules sing scarceness from Adam Smith than Karl Marx. Glancing further in thing at this hypothesis. common assets are non utilized as speedily if a state follows this financial hypothesis. Working under this framework has demonstrated to non be the most sensible. On the off chance that a state is bring forthing each piece much as shoppers need of a product. the scant asset will in a matter of seconds bounty run out. As appeared in figure 5 ( Ausubel ) . the whole backdown of H2O has been geometrically expanding for the last 100 mature ages. The existent ingestion of H2O is considerably less ; indicating that a major greater part of H2O is being squandered. At the rate that H2O is being utilized. it will run out and humanity will non have the option to deliver anything without it. Oil is another representation of an exchange decent that is being over utilized for about everything. America imported around 3. 300. 000 1000 barrels of oil in the past twelvemonth ( U. S. 2010 ) . Buyer request of oil is unending ( appeared in figure 6 ) and until it wraps up. it will ever be sought after. The â€Å"free market† of the United States permits individuals to purchase any exchange great. regardless of whether gracefully is altogether lessening ( Bolotta. Hawkes. Mahoney. Flute player ) . For delineation. oil is being utilized for travel. to fuel cars. trucks. planes. and so forth. Despite the fact that it is permitted. it is non key for everybody to purchase an auto or a boarding pass. By making so. consumer’s wants and needs outcome in the unneeded ingestion of characteristic assets. While examining the scarceness in a state. Karl Marx’s hypothesis works better for productivity as normal assets will non be going to blow. given that in a socialist monetary framework. the figure of merchandise being delivered will just be bounty to draw out human perseverance and non their wants. His supposition is that a cardinal approval controls the basicss of creation and obligation is shared between all residents each piece. The fiscal estimation of merchandise will neer increment as purchasers are non given the choice to interest for producers to raise financial qualities ( Bolotta. Hawkes. Mahoney. Flautist ) . By runing under Adam Smith’s convictions. the United States specialists is leting producers to deliver each piece much as conceivable inasmuch as buyer request is high. This will right away bounty lead the United States to a financial emergency when an asset runs out and buyers will be left vulnerable. In the event that there was no more oil left known to mankind. the majority of import partners that would be influenced are the producer

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping

Question: Talk about the essential trepidation with respect to the Simultaneous Localization and mapping or SLAM. Answer: Presentation The motivation behind this article is to talk about the essential dread with respect to the Simultaneous Localization and mapping or SLAM. This article additionally digs into the broad examines that have been performed on Simultaneous Localization and mapping throughout the decades since, the time it was first conceived (Ahn, Doh and Chung, 2015). Concurrent Localization and Mapping is the framework by the execution of which a versatile programmed vehicle or robot is made to make a guide of nature where that portable programmed vehicle or robot is as of now found, and figures its own area on the guide that it is making simultaneously. A fast and serious advancement in this specific field has been seen in the previous decade alongside various convincing executions in the utilization of SLAM techniques. Hammer an abbreviation for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping alludes to an automated mapping framework. The SLAM is really a computational calculation utilized for refreshing or building a guide of an area which is obscure to the client who is developing the calculation, intending to monitor the area of a specialist inside the guide. This may appear as a difficult that courses on a similar theme all the while, the basic reason for SLAM innovation is utilized generally mapping frameworks, where it is solely used to build a guide of an obscure area (Buck, 2014). For example, if a gathering of specialists are investigating an unexplored region under the sea, which may be unreasonably unsafe for them to approach legitimately; they convey a test for example a machine working on the standards of mechanical technology, actualize pummel procedures in the robot/test to investigate the locale which can't be gotten to by people. In this model the robot/test sent by the gathering of speciali sts is the operator and the innovation utilized for mapping the obscure area picked for the investigation is SLAM or Simultaneous Localization and Mapping method. The Purpose SLAM Serves The method is to tackle an issue by methods for utilizing a few calculations. These calculations are only intended to tackle a SLAM issue with the goal that the strategy can be utilized in like manner (Carmack, 2014). Despite the fact that there is no conviction or assurance that a specific utilization of the SLAM method will bring about gathering the desires in any case, in is guaranteed that a specific degree of progress can be accomplished while actualizing pummel strategies in the investigation and mapping purposes. This is because of the way that the calculations that are utilized to work out the SLAM issues have been intended to use the accessible assets and when mapping obscure districts it is fit for utilizing the current assets and make a guide as per the assets that were recently joined in it. Moreover, so as to acquire the estimated outcomes appropriate channels are required to be actualized in tackling the SLAM issue. In such cases channels like the Kalman Filter and Part icle channel are seen as exceptionally viable. Pummel methods and tried methodologies are normally utilized in local robots, unmanned airborne vehicles, auto working area vehicles, planetary wanderers, self managing submerged vehicles, and even investigation of the human body where without a doubt no different methods for investigation can be executed (Corbett, n.d.). The basic inquiry that emerges from the SLAM issue is that whether it is feasible for the programmed implies that is being utilized for the reason, to be really positioned at an unknown area and in a mysterious climate. Besides, it likewise digs into the conceivable outcomes that whether it would be really workable for that programmed intends to make guide of the area and further, process back its own area in the guide which it was intended to make in any case. The issue appears to be basic and the conceivable outcomes of accomplishment are restricted (Crew, Phanavanh and Garcia-Borges, 2014). Consequently, in a circumstance like this the answer for this issue has been contrasted and the Holy Grail in the portable apply autonomy vista. Since, usage of an innovation like this would bring about giving self-ruling capacities to a robot or some other programmed means or vehicles. In this manner, it would open the window for additional opportunities in the field of science and innovation whenever accomplished. The arrangements that were created throughout the years to take care of the issues identifying with SLAM, has been one of the significant forward leaps in the field of innovation in the previous decade. The answer for the issue originated from detailing the SLAM issue into a hypothetical issue and afterward explaining it in various structures so that; when the issue is found it would be imprudent not to open access for different prospects (Ferreira et al., 2013). In the wake of taking care of the SLAM issue, the methodology was actualized in various spaces to comprehend and examine the final products that would come out from its execution on robots, airborne and submerged frameworks before the idea could be utilized in the planetary wanderers. Thoughtfully and hypothetically, SLAM at present can be viewed as an issue whose arrangement has been found. However, a portion of the noteworthy issues despite everything endure. These issues continue appreciating or discovering increasingly nonexclusive answers for SLAM, which would particularly be compelling in seeing the general condition and making better maps as a segment of the calculation it is capable to. This would not just upgrade the usefulness of the item on which the SLAM has been executed upon yet in addition help in the making of better and point by point maps of the district focused on the reason (Gentile, 2013). The advancement that the cutting edge innovation is making towards this idea has been found in the Mars Rover Project. The Mars Rover Project idea depended on the idea of SLAM methods and utilizations the speculations and recipes that brought about offering reality to the SLAM idea. Notwithstanding, the strategy for SLAM joined in the Mars Rover is not the s ame as the technique utilized in household and open air robots. The strategy for SLAM utilized in the Mars Rover is far prevalent and depends on the idea and hypotheses referenced toward the beginning of this entry. A concise History about the SLAM issue The introduction of the likelihood based SLAM issue occurred in the time of 1986 at the IEEE Automation and Robotics discussion held in San Francisco. This was the period when the likelihood based techniques were being utilized acquainted in giving a still, small voice with the AI and robots. Be that as it may, this period was only the start of the stage and the analysts related with this vision were anticipating apply hypothetical estimation techniques to settle confinement and mapping quandaries. These gathering of specialists included Jim Crowley, Hugh Durrant Whyte and Peter Cheeseman (Havangi, 2015). The consequence of the discussion came out with the acknowledgment given to the strategy or to more readily say to the idea of probabilistic restriction and mapping. This depended on Durrant-Whyte, Cheeseman and Smiths measurable work on the control of geometric vulnerability among tourist spots and depicting the connection between. The key component of this factual work was to show the prerequisite for a high degree connection to be available between that which was to be the assessed area of the different tourist spots in the guide. Also, it required to be centered around in a respect that the relationships would create with each progressive and resulting perceptions (He et al., 2013). During this period two different specialists managing the fuse of likelihood based technique in limitation and mapping, Faugeras and Ayache had assumed the liability in creating implies that would give visual route. Crowley with two different specialists Laumond and Chatila were focusing on creating route frameworks for portable robots that would join sonar based methodology by methods for utilizing Kalmans Filter and that kind of calculations (Kim, 2012). Both the examination gatherings and the exploration works they were occupied with were pretty much occupied with comparative kind of work. In this period Cheeseman, Durrant-Whyte and Smith had gotten a discovery with their new hypothesis. This hypothesis portrayed that with each development that the versatile robot makes in an obscure climate, it will monitor its encompassing air. It will follow and register its perceptions of the encompassing tourist spots alongside its own area. The evaluations of the tourist spots would have been correctly related since; the assessed vehicle area framework had its mistakes. This proposal that their hypothesis offered was sagacious (Kster, 2014). This would require a trustworthy and complete answer for the joined mapping and confinement issue. Besides, this would require a joint status of the vehicle making out of its position and estimation of every one of the milestone position, and this would be refreshed with the perception of every milestone the versatile robot will be going through. This would evidently mean the robot will figure its own situation at a specified interim of time or based on tourist spots it went over. Additionally, it would require the one watching and taking n ote of down the appraisals in the robots programming to utilize a monstrous state vector, which would incorporate a request dependent on the numeric information portrayal on the tourist spots which were being kept up in the specific guide, total with fitting processing and scaling of the squares of the figure of milestones (Milstein, 2012). Critically enough this work overlooked the parts of joining properties of the consistent conduct of the guide. By then of time it was broadly assumed that the blunders comprising in the assessed guide would more uncertain merge and rather exhibit a mistake development that was unbounded and arbitrary walk conduct. In this way, gave

The Ultimate Founder Test Are You Ready to Become an Entrepreneur

The Ultimate Founder Test Are You Ready to Become an Entrepreneur As a corporate employee, you can be a dot on the map, or you can be the map itself. Do you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur?Here are some of the statistics on the new businesses that are springing up in the US:60.3% entrepreneurs started their own business because the standard work place environment did not hold any appeal for them.82% of the startups have been funded by the entrepreneurs themselves or by their friends and family.Neil Patel, the founder of KISSmetrics, says that 90% of the startups fail and only 10% survive. According to the SBA’s Office of Advocacy:  â€œAbout half of all new establishments survive five years or more and about one-third survive 10 years or more.”According to a publication by SBA, ‘Small Business by the Numbers’, 13-14% more patents are produced by small businesses employees in comparison to the large patenting firms. © Shutterstock.com | Sunny studioIn this article, you will first learn about 1) the difference between corporate world and entrepreneurship, and explore then 2) finding the right fit, 3) founder test questions you should ask yourself, and 4) founder test 8 signs that indicate you were born to become an entrepreneur.CORPORATE WORLD VS. ENTREPRENEURSHIPHere are three ways how entrepreneurship is different from the corporate world. Those are not the strict rules, but rather tendencies:Corporate workers are highly educated and have illustrious resumes. On the other hand, entrepreneurs are their own resume.Corporate workers apply their education in their jobs and are able to back up their work with popular theories and models. However, entrepreneurs follow their instinct and passion only.Corporate workers are clear, precise and predictable and follow rules, routine and patterns. In contrast, entrepreneurs may be not as clear about their objectives and may be slightly disorganized in th e founding phase.FINDING THE RIGHT FITJun Loayza, the founder of Future Delivery, a startup, differentiates the corporate life with the life of an entrepreneur and lists down what being an entrepreneur actually means. He feels that born entrepreneurs would feel shackled and unhappy as corporate workers. But they would be able to make a better choice only after getting the best of both worlds and realizing what being an entrepreneur actually means.Entrepreneurship is a Lifestyle and Not a Work-Life BalanceEntrepreneurship is a deliberately chosen tough lifestyle. Entrepreneurs work harder than everyone else, just because they choose to. Most corporate workers follow a 9-5 pattern and thrive in it, plan and look forward to weekends and vacations. On the other hand, entrepreneurs are always on the go, their subconscious is always actively at work, even in their sleep.Entrepreneurship is a Financial Risk and Not a Safe DealIn terms of money, entrepreneurship is a risk-prone investment, in terms of everything: time, money, energy, but money takes precedence because it means that you will use your own money to kick-start your venture. It means that you are at a risk to lose everything. An entrepreneur has to embrace the possibility of being broke and understand that entrepreneurship does not promise oodles of money right away. Those looking for a steady paycheck should stick to a 9-5 job.Entrepreneurship Requires You to Be the Best Always and Not Second BestWhen you are a corporate worker, you are safe if you stick to the defined patterns and rules. You only have to do a little better than others around you to stay in your job and get the bigger cubicle or the promotion. However, as an entrepreneur, you have to be the best always to stay ahead of the game. You strive for excellence, not the ‘good’ or ‘fair enough’. In many ways, you are competing with yourself only and measuring yourself against your own standards. So in a way you end up being your hardest c ritic as well.THE FOUNDER TEST â€" QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELFDo you have what it takes to fit the entrepreneur paradigm? Answer the following questions:Are you ready to limit your procrastination?Entrepreneurs wanted! Procrastinators need not apply. According to Paolo Pavan: “Procrastination kills your business.” Entrepreneurs do not drag on time and keep on delaying important tasks until they are absolutely due. They do not contemplate a lot when making tough calls and decisions. They do not believe in watching TV and playing online games or browsing the web idly for hours. Entrepreneurs move around with agility and precision. For them “To be or not to be” is never the question. They are more in the league of “Do it Or Die!”Are you ready for challenging questions?In a crowd full of people with regular 9-5 jobs and a steady salary, an entrepreneur is the odd person out, so he would stand out. Since people won’t understand why an entrepreneur does what he does, s o a lot of awkward and challenging questions would be thrown his way, such as, “But what do you actually do?”, “Does it pay well?”, “Why don’t you just get a regular job?”, etc.Thus, entrepreneurship is a lonely road and you would be often misunderstood by those around you. Your personal relationships would suffer as well because you would choose to work when everyone would be celebrating festivals and holidays. You would often end up arriving very late to a family event or may end up skipping it altogether to attend to the last minute details or sorting work-related emergencies.Are you ready to be a teamplayer?After discussing the entrepreneur at length, we move on to the other important aspect that is his or her team. Entrepreneurship is not a one-man show. It is not a sole prerogative of the man on top. Rather, entrepreneurship is an attitude that is diffused throughout the team. An entrepreneur hooks up with hardworking individuals, works with them, and leads them to achieve an anticipated goal.These individuals may lack creative vision and entrepreneur fire, but they refine the entrepreneur’s ideas through execution and application. Thus, entrepreneurship is a collective effort and not necessarily a solo one. It is an enterprise where the achievement of an entrepreneur is the result of accumulation of small and large contributions of other talented individuals. A good entrepreneur honors his or her team.Are you ready to fail?The entrepreneur is not a pessimist but he understands that he might fail. In fact, the failure statistics of startups are pretty real. 90% of startups fail that means one in ten startups usually achieve success. The entrepreneur has the hardest job that is, to keep on working 100 hours per week, continue to inspire the team working under him, and keep on paying them despite a loss and hoping against hope that it will all soon fall into place. Sometimes, it does; many times, it does not. Hence, they also know when to p ull the plug, accept failure and work in another direction, or take a fresh start. Entrepreneurs are optimistic and resilient. They understand that it takes many attempts and failed efforts to finally succeed.Do you have great creative solutions to solve problems?Potential entrepreneurs become distinct and noticeable from start even when they are working in corporate sectors. They are the innovators, solution providers, and over achievers. They create value for the company, hate wastefulness even when it is the company’s money that is getting wasted; they look for creative solutions and pitch ideas.Entrepreneurs do not look for monetary compensations or try to work in accordance to their paycheck. They actually deliver in terms of results and impact and not just move from deadline to deadline. They do not arrive on time and are messy but they are also creative and may get ten hours of work done in two hours and then start on something entirely new.Do you have other priorities rath er than only financial reward?Entrepreneurs may or may not have formal education and important degrees from illustrious universities, but they have the expertise, creativity, and passion. They also do not attach monetary importance to everything, they continue working towards a goal without thinking about the compensation, promotion, or bonus. They do not ask the question: “What’s in it for me?” They rather ask: “What is the best way to do this?” “What am I good at? What am I best at?”Are you ready to sell your products by yourself?Entrepreneurs are excellent communicators, but not in terms of suave and glibness. They do not have the charms of the snake-oil salesman. Yet they are often asked to give presentations and lead in on meetings. They are conversational and passionate. They deliver with confidence whenever they are asked to contribute from the front. They convince; they do not offer suggestions; they offer solutions. From being embodiment of their company’s v ision and mission statement, they are everything: communicators of important announcements, emails, sales pitches and presentations as well as mediators amidst conflicts. They can give presentations anywhere, anytime because they are so attuned to their ideas and vision.Are you ready to make your angry customers and employees happy again?More people turn to the entrepreneur to have insight into the policies and procedures instead of the HR. Entrepreneurs do not departmentalize and compartmentalize things, they do not hide behind the procedures. They are quick enough to assist new employees and potential customers.Likewise, they quickly respond to irritated and angry customers in person. They move in to carry out damage control when needed. People turn to entrepreneurs than to others because they trust them to find a solution.8 SIGNS THAT INDICATE YOU WERE BORN TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEURFollowing are the several signs that can help you determine if you are an entrepreneur or not.You†™re Passionate about What You DoYou are not ruled by the desire for money or by fame, rather than by the desire to do what you are passionate about. You have a higher purpose in life. You are a self-starter and do not need to be managed. Whenever you feel stuck in a situation, you do not compromise or go with the drift and flow. If you feel stuck in a situation, you make an effort to change it.You Never Take No for an AnswerNaysayers do not deter you. You see every ‘no’ as an opportunity to improve, strategize, reinvent, and approach the prospect with another angle. You persist until you are able to turn the no into a ‘yes’. You see possibilities in negations. When you are told that their ideas are unlikely to work and would flop miserably, you do not take it to heart. You work even harder and persist.It does not make you foolhardy. You hear valid criticism and improve your ideas and strategies. You face obstacles and failures like everyone; you feel dejected too. However, y ou do not give up and try to create an alternate path around a problem and find a solution.You Have a Competitive NatureYou are competitive and not complacent. You want to do better than others. When you see someone successful, you do not feel indifferent or jealous; you see the possibilities instead and ask yourself: “Why can’t this be me?”, “How can I be better?”, “How can I succeed?”An entrepreneur tries to gain a competitive advantage over his rival by fair means. The competition in the startup world is intense and you have to keep on working hard to gain even a little competitive edge over your rivals and to stay ahead of the game. Startups fail when they are unable to face the competition. However, competition is a way to test and improve one’s ideas and products. In fact, the success of the business depends on the ability of the entrepreneur to keep on inventing and reinventing.You Are a Self StarterYou are a self-starter and do not need to wait for motivation or the deadline. You work with minimum supervision and work with ideas. You are not concerned with whether everyone else is showing up or not, and when. You start your work ahead of everyone and continue working until it is done. You are not ruled by the clock on the wall but rather the inner clock that keeps you gunning ahead for getting it right.You Think Out of the BoxYou never stop thinking. You are always thinking about ideas and their feasibility and potential. You brainstorm and make clusters of ideas. Your ideas and solutions are not just great and extraordinary but practical and executable as well. In the entrepreneur world, the desire to create something is not just about creating something from scratch, but also about improving something that is already there. You do not work hard to “get an idea or find it” instead; you try to look for ways to make something that people want or love, even better.You have Your own Definition of SuccessSuccess and failure are two subj ective terms. For a corporate worker, success might be a huge salary, a bigger house, a cruise, or a retirement plan. However, money is not always success. For an entrepreneur, it can be the ability to invent something that people would find useful, to make oneself memorable, and to leave a legacy behind.You might have lesser money and work long hours, practically out of your garage, as an entrepreneur. But as long as you are doing what you have always dreamed of or loved then you are luckier than most. Most of the corporate workers wake up every day dreading to go to work and wish it had been the weekend.You are UnpredictableAs an entrepreneur, you are unpredictable and adventurous. You make changes often to shake things up, to make an idea or product better. However, unpredictability does not mean that entrepreneurs are impulsive and irresponsible; they embody the spirit of reliable unpredictability that is, they need to change and evolve continuously in order to be better than th e rest. You cannot afford to get satisfied and stop innovating your existing idea and product because the world around you is highly competitive.You Have Strong People’s SkillsYou understand as an entrepreneur that you are dealing with people ultimately, no matter what is the product or idea that you are selling. You serve the customers as well as manage your team. You convince people and win them over to your side. If you are not good at communicating, then you try to learn and evolve. Entrepreneurs try to spend time with people and rather than working in isolation. If they are not good at communicating, then they try to partner with someone who is better.Besides the above-mentioned eight signs of an entrepreneur, you can also take a personality test to determine if you have the personality to be an entrepreneur. A free version of a short personality test is available here.To score well on this test, one has to be a reformer and move by the desire to change what exists, into some thing better. They recognize problems and seek practical solutions to solve them. They try to create value for everyone, and not just for themselves.Here is what the great entrepreneur, Steve Jobs stated about entrepreneurs:“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… The ones who see things differently â€" they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 978 Words

I know at this point many will think; ok, maybe tobacco and alcohol are worse than marijuana, however legalizing this drug will only lead to an increase in violent crimes, and will cause more accidents on the road due to impaired driving. Furthermore, it will increase the use among teens and minors. As well as becoming a gateway drug that will lead to other dangerous drugs, and what about the use of the drug while a woman is pregnant, how will that effect a baby in the womb? Let me begin by saying, that at this moment there is no research that indicates that a woman smoking marijuana can hurt an unborn baby, but just like tobacco and alcohol it is not safe for a pregnant woman or woman breast feeding to use the drug. With any substance there will always be risk that can be harmful to an unborn baby or babies who are breast fed. But without any research we will never know what effects it can have, the more reason why they should take marijuana off Schedule I and allow for more researc h to be done. Secondly, there is no conclusive evidence to support that the drug effects of marijuana are linked to the abuse of other illicit drugs. However, the use of smoking and alcohol in underage teens has opened up a gateway to the use of other drugs, marijuana included but rarely to be the first one. In my younger years, I’ve met various types of people, who began drinking, partying and being exposed to different drugs. Not one of them will tell you that they begin by smoking marijuana.Show MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pageswhether marijuana should be legalized. Around 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. In the state of Illinois, medicinal use of marijuana has been passed on April 17, 2013. Since January 2014, patients are able to obtain marijuana with a doctor s recommendation. The new debate is whether marijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Although some believe that marijuana i s harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana shouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1715 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana in Society Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel â€Å"high† or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). Like mostRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 Pagescannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, econo mic benefits, and criminal benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1245 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana is a highly debatable topic that is rapidly gaining attention in society today.   Legalizing marijuana can benefit the economy of this nation through the creation of jobs, increased tax revenue, and a decrease in taxpayer money spent on law enforcement.   Ã‚  Many people would outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, gambling, and tanning beds because of the harmful effects they have on members of a society, but this is the United States of America; the land of the free and we should give peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. 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In recent years, numerous states have defied federal law and legalized marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Arizona has legalized marijuana for medical use, but it still remains illegal to use recreationally. This is absurd, as the evidence gathered over the last few decades strongly supports the notion that it is safer than alcohol, a widely available substance. Marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conductedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1596 Words   |  7 Pages But what needs to be known before a user can safely and completely make the decision if trying Marijuana is a good idea? Many do not want the drug to be legalized because they claim that Cannabis is a â€Å"gateway drug†, meaning it will cause people to try harder drugs once their body builds up a resistance to Marijuana, because a stronger drug will be needed to reach a high state. This argument is often falsely related to the medical si de of the debate over legalization. It is claimed that this wouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?985 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize Marijuana Despite what people believe about marijuana, it hasn’t once proved to be the cause of any real issue. It makes you wonder what the reason as to why there is a war on drugs. Why is marijuana the main concern? Since the time that alcohol and tobacco became legal, people wonder why marijuana isn’t legal yet. The fact that marijuana is illegal is mainly caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the drug war. Once the government starts anything, they stick to it. At

The Culture of Beauty Essay - 873 Words

No two people in the world are the same or have the same ideas. The main reason for this is because everyone is an individual with their own perceptions. In addition, another reason is because of the culture they have grown up in and learned to accept. One’s cultural perception has a huge impact on their idea of beauty. Each cultural group has invented their own ideas to reflect their natural idea of beauty. A broad example would be the Eastern and Western ideals of beauty. The Western beauty is described as white, usually tan, thin, large breasts, small waists, and delicate features. Mostly all present day people from various races prefer a Western ideal of beauty. This idea of beauty is commonly used as a comparison tool no matter†¦show more content†¦Western’s idols are normally shown clothed, whereas Eastern’s idols are usually shown naked. The Western culture suggests that beauty is within the scripture. The Eastern culture’s idols are seen a s even more beautiful naked because they are respected and god-like. Each culture is called to admire one anothers idea of religious beauty so that their own cultural or religious beauty can flourish (Jain). â€Å"The nude body is thought to be the most beautiful thing because it captivates and seduces others and ourselves without beautification.† Nudity is not particularly approved of in either Western nor Eastern cultures. Both cultures’ definitions of the nude body are different in some way or another. We are not used to seeing or observing the naked body because of our religion, culture, and how we are raised. It is considered distasteful because of the sexual pleasure or instincts that are often associated with the naked body (Jain). Throughout the years, a woman’s body has been slowly revealed more and more. Clothes have become tighter, dresses and skirts have become shorter, and the neck line has become lower. Fashion has changed tremendously and the main reason is for sexual appearance. â€Å"Nudity-the natural conclusion- will never be in fashion, not just because the weather would not allow it, but because it is the only style that would put the whole indu stry on social security† (L.Watson 9). Many people want to beShow MoreRelatedWestern Culture and Beauty Standards702 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction:— Western culture is extremely popular in Asian countries like China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Thailand, to the point where entire generations of young adults are finding themselves in the middle of a warped identity crisis. These people have been bombarded by unrealistic images of what they should look like by the media, society, friends and sometimes, even family. This has created a narrow beauty standard which has manifested itself into many problems like—eating disorders, chronicRead MoreCulture of Beauty and Controversy in Advertising967 Words   |  4 Pagesthings are what girls are supposed to do to be considered attractive. Why do you need to have your nails look nice to be attractive? That doesnt even make sense. I obviously have been affected by this beauty myth that Naomi Wolf talks about in her article. I agree with her when she talks about how the beauty standards just keep getting worse and worse for women. Every decade there are so many more things shown in advertisements that women should do to look younger and more beautiful. I actually agreeRead MoreBeauty Is a Reflection of Culture and Perception Essay809 Words   |  4 PagesHow beauty is perceived and what beauty is defined as is a very controversial topic. Beauty is a reflection of one’s culture and perceptions. However, one’s idea of beauty may becom e contorted. 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Smart Phone Free Essays

string(104) " We suggest this finding may indicate why many in our study are not concerned about the security risks\." Smartphone Security Survey of U. S. consumers Sponsored by AVG Technologies Independently conducted by Ponemon Institute LLC Publication Date: March 2011 Ponemon Institute © Research Report Smartphone Security Survey of U. We will write a custom essay sample on Smart Phone or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. Consumers Ponemon Institute, March 2011 Part 1. Introduction Ponemon Institute is pleased to present the findings of the Smartphone Security Survey: A Study of U. S. Consumers sponsored by AVG Technologies. The goal of the research is to determine consumers’ perceptions about the potential privacy and security risks when using their smartphones. In addition, we wanted to learn if participants in our study care about these risks and if they take security precautions. We surveyed 734 consumers who are 18 years and older and own a smartphone. The risks that we address in our survey concern location tracking, transmission of confidential payment without the user’s knowledge or consent, diallerware (specialized malware unique to smartphones), spyware, viruses from insecure WiFi networks and others. What we learned is that most of the consumers in our study are using their smartphones without understanding that they are exposing their sensitive information to the risks listed above. We also believe the findings of this study signal a potential security risk for organizations because so many consumers surveyed use their smartphones for both business and personal use. With business confidential information stored on these smartphones, organizations should make sure employees and contractors take appropriate precautions to secure such sensitive information. We also recommend that security policies state these precautions and ensure they are enforced. Following are the most salient research highlights: ? Eighty-four percent use the same smartphone for both business and personal purposes. The cross over of business and personal usage means much more sensitive and confidential data is at risk and suggests that the smartphone is with them most of the time. Sixty-six percent admit they keep a moderate or significant amount of personal data on their smartphones. Such personal data include email address, name, contact lists, photos, videos, anniversary and personal dates, music, Sixty-seven percent of consumers surveyed say they are concerned about receiving marketing ads and promotions. However, less than half (44 percent) are concerned about having a virus attack on their smartphone when it is connected to an insecure Internet network. In addition to using it as a phone, 89 percent use their smartphone for personal email and 82 percent use it for business email. A smaller percentage of consumers use their smartphones for financial transactions including payments. In fact, 38 percent of consumers use the smartphone to make payments and 14 percent use it for banking. Sixty-six percent of consumers have paid at least once for an item using their smartphone. In addition, 12 percent of consumers say they have experienced a fraud attempt vis-a-vis a mobile payment scheme. Despite this fact, only six percent say they check their mobile bill or statement every month and eight percent check the statement when the bill is higher than usual. Fifty-eight percent of consumers say that based on how they used the smartphone for purchases, Internet browsing and location they were targeted by marketers. Accordingly, 67 percent say they are very concerned or concerned about aggressive or abusive marketing practices. ? ? ? ? ? Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 1 ? Despite security risks, less than half of consumers use keypad locks or passwords to secure their smartphones. In addition, only 29 percent of consumers said they have considered installing an anti-virus product to protect their smartphone. Forty-two percent of consumers who use social networking apps say they allow smartphone versions of well-known social networking applications such as Facebook to access the same key chains, passwords and log-ins that they use of their desktops, laptops or tablet. Only 10 percent of consumers say they turn off Bluetooth â€Å"discoverable† status on their smartphone when not in use. ? ? Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 2 Part 2. Key Findings In this report we have organized the findings from the study according to the following topics: Consumers’ use of smartphones, consumers’ awareness about the security risks that accompany their use of smartphones, scenarios that illustrate potential smartphone security risks and how consumers are or are not managing these risks. Consumers’ use of smartphones Most consumers use their smartphone for both business and personal use. Forty percent use their smartphone for business and personal use equally and 25 percent use it for personal but some business use (Bar Chart 1). Only 6 percent of consumers surveyed use their smartphone exclusively for business. Bar Chart 1. What best describes your smartphone use? Both business and personal use equally 40% Mostly personal but some business use 25% Personal use only 16% Mostly business but some personal use 13% Business use only 0% 5% 6% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Despite using the Smartphone for personal use, 34 percent say their employer purchased the smartphone and pays all monthly charges. As shown in Bar Chart 2, 35 percent say they purchased it without any reimbursement. Bar Chart 2: Who purchased your smartphone and who pays the monthly service fee? I purchased it without any reimbursement from my employer My employer purchased it and pays monthly charges I purchased it and my employer provided some reimbursement I purchased it and my employer pays monthly charges My employer purchased it and I pay monthly charges 0% 5% 13% 35% 34% 10% 8% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 3 Smartphones can perform a wide range of tasks. However, the most popular use next to the phone is business and personal emailing. The most popular smartphone uses are checking both personal and business email, using it as an address book, texting, Internet browsing, storing or moving data, obtaining and viewing documents, as a calendar and listening to music (Bar Chart 3). Least popular are banking, travel assistance and video conferencing. (For a complete list of tasks, please see Q. 24 in the Appendix to this paper. ) We suggest this finding may indicate why many in our study are not concerned about the security risks. You read "Smart Phone" in category "Papers" Because consumers believe its primary use is as a phone or to email they may think (incorrectly) that there are negligible security or privacy risks. Bar Chart 3: Tasks that consumers do on their smartphone Phone Personal email Business email Address book Texting Store or move data Internet browsing Obtain documents Calendar View documents Listen to music Schedule tasks Shop Camera Social networking 0% 20% 100% 89% 82% 57% 54% 53% 53% 52% 51% 51% 50% 48% 44% 42% 40% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% As reported in Bar Chart 4, 66 percent have paid for an item via their smartphone once, irregularly (once every two months) or regularly (maybe once a month). Fifty-one percent were surprised that they were charged for a service of product they signed up for. Bar Chart 4: Key questions about smartphone use Each bar defines the percentage yes response Did you ever pay for an item via the mobile phone? Did you every sign-up for a service or product on a mobile without realizing that there would be a cost? Have you ever signed a terms and conditions request on your mobile phone? 66% 51% 46% Have you ever been the victim of mobile payments fraud? 0% 10% 12% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 4 Consumers store confidential information on their smartphones. Sixty-six percent (40+26) of consumers store a moderate or a significant amount of personal data. Bar Chart 5 shows that only 11 percent say they do not store personal data on their smartphone. Bar Chart 5: How much personal data do you store on your smartphone? 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% A moderate amount of A significant amount of personal data personal data A small amount of personal data None 11% 26% 23% 40% As shown in Bar Chart 6, data most often stored on smartphones include email addresses, names, contact lists, photos, anniversary and other personal dates and location. Consumers are less likely to store planned future purchases, purchase history, health data and security test questions (see Q. 3 in the Appendix for the complete list). Bar Chart 6: What kinds of data do you store on your smartphone? Email address Name Contact lists Photos Anniversary personal dates Location Music Home address Confidential business documents Date of birth Gender Credit or debit card numbers Videos Passwords 0% 20% 97% 85% 69% 59% 53% 52% 47% 40% 37% 33% 32% 29% 25% 23% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 5 Many consumers surveyed have used email and text to sign up for services or products without realizing they would be charged. As noted previously in Bar Chart 4, 51 percent made what they thought was a free service and later found out they were charged for it. Bar Chart 7 shows most of these purchases were made by consumers using email (46 percent), text message (34 percent) and website (31 percent). Bar Chart 7: The methods used to sign-up for services or products on your smartphone 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Email Text message Website Other 12% 34% 31% 46% Despite these unexpected charges, Bar Chart 8 shows consumers surveyed rarely check their bills for unusual or unidentified payments. Only six percent check their bills every month and eight percent check their bills only if it is higher than usual. Fifty-two percent never check their smartphone bills. Bar Chart 8: Do you check your mobile bill or statement for unidentified charges? 60% 52% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Never Yes, occasionally Yes, but only if the bill is higher than usual Yes, I check it every month 8% 6% 34% As previously noted in Bar Chart 4, the majority of consumers (78 percent) say they have not experienced any mobile payments fraud. Twelve percent say they have experienced such fraud and 10 percent are not certain. Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 6 Consumers’ awareness about the security risks that accompany their use of smartphones Marketing messages—not privacy and security risks—worry consumers. While the majority of consumers do not feel their private information is at risk or that their smartphone will be hacked (56 percent and 58 percent, respectively), they do worry about receiving unwanted marketing messages. A shown in Bar Chart 9, consumers also worry about being tracked when using their smartphone (64 percent). Bar Chart 9: Attributions about privacy and security risks The agree response is a combination of strongly agree and agree. The disagree response is the sum of unsure, disagree and strongly disagree. I worry more about the security of my desktop or laptop computer than my smartphone. When downloading software to my smartphone I do not always check to see if the app is from a trustworthy source. I do not worry that a hacker will attack my smartphone. I do not feel my private information or privacy is at risk when I use my smartphone. I do not worry about losing my smartphone while traveling. I do not worry about being tracked when using my smartphone. I do not worry about receiving marketing messages on my smartphone. 5% 35% 62% 38% 58% 42% 56% 44% 50% 50% 36% 64% 33% 67% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100% Agree Disagree They also worry more about the security of their desktop and laptop computers than the security of their smartphone. Because of these perceptions about the security of the smartphone, they are not likely to check to see if an application comes from a trustworthy source before downl oading it. Scenarios concerning smartphone risks In the survey, we asked consumers to respond to eleven scenarios illustrating a range of security issues and risks. Specifically, they were asked if they are aware that what is described in the scenario could happen to them, if they are aware that they experienced what was described in the scenario and what was their level of concern. Following are the 11 scenarios: 1. Location data embedded onto image files can result in the tracking of the smartphone user. 2. Smartphone apps can transmit confidential payment information (i. e. credit card details) without the user’s knowledge or consent. Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 7 3. Smartphones can be infected by specialized malware called â€Å"diallerware† that enables criminals to make use of premium services or numbers resulting in unexpected monthly charges. 4. Smartphone apps may contain spyware that allows criminals to access the private information contained on a smartphone. 5. Financial apps for smartphones can be infected with specialized malware designed to steal credit card numbers and online banking credentials. 6. If a social network app is downloaded on a smartphone, failing to log off properly could allow an imposter to post malicious details or change personal settings without the user’s knowledge. . A smartphone can be disposed of or transferred to another user without properly removing sensitive data, allowing an intruder to access private data on the device. 8. In many cases, people use their smartphone for both business and personal usage, thus putting confidential business information at risk (a. k. a. cross-over risk). 9. A s martphone can connect to the Internet through a local WIFI network that is insecure. This may result in a virus attack to the smartphone. 10. Smartphones contain basic security protections that can be disabled by jailbreaking, thus making the smartphone more vulnerable to spyware or malware attacks. 11. Smartphone users can be targeted by marketers based on how the phone is used for purchases, Internet browsing and location. As a result, the user may receive unwanted marketing ads and promotions their smartphone. Bar Chart 10 summarizes the consumers’ level of awareness about the above-mentioned smartphone security risks. Consumers are most aware of receiving unwanted marketing messages based on their smartphone usage (60 percent). They also understand that they may be putting business confidential information at risk when using the smartphone for both personal and business use (55 percent), and that they are vulnerable to a virus when connecting to the Internet through a local WIFI network is insecure (35 percent). Bar Chart 10: Are you aware of the following smartphone security risks? Each bar defines the percentage yes response Marketing abuse Cross-over Insecure WIFI Improper disposal Location tracking Jailbreaking Spyware Social network snafu Auto transmission Diallerware Specialized malware 0% 11% 11% 10% 9% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 15% 15% 21% 35% 31% 55% 0% 60% 70% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 8 Bar Chart 11 reports consumers’ actual experience with these security issues. Fifty-eight percent of consumers say they indeed have received unwanted marketing messages. In addition, 52 percent say they have experienced cross-over risk – wherein the security of business information was jeo pardized because of the personal use of the smartphone. Bar Chart 11: Have any of these situations happened to you? Each bar defines the combined very concerned and concerned response Marketing abuse Cross-over Insecure WIFI Improper disposal Location tracking Spyware Jailbreaking Social network snafu Diallerware Auto transmission Specialized malware 0% 5% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 8% 8% 6% 11% 10% 16% 13% 23% 52% 58% 60% 70% Bar Chart 12 summarizes consumers’ level of concern about eleven smartphone security risks. Accordingly, a large percentage of these consumers say they are very concerned or concerned about each scenario happening to them, especially diallerware (68 percent), unwanted marketing (67 percent), and the auto transmission of personal data from the phone (66 percent). Bar Chart 12: Are you concerned about of the following smartphone security risks? Each bar defines the combined very concerned and concerned response Diallerware Unwanted marketing Auto transmission Jailbreaking Spyware Location tracking Specialized malware Improper disposal Social networking snafu Insecure WIFI Cross-over 0% 10% 20% 30% 42% 40% 40% 50% 60% 51% 50% 60% 68% 67% 66% 65% 65% 65% 70% 80% Consumers are concerned about being tracked while using their smartphones or having their security protections disabled through â€Å"jailbreaking† but generally are not aware of this risk. In Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 9 contrast, only 40 percent of consumers are very concerned or concerned about cross-over and 42 percent about an insecure smartphone-to-WIFI connection. While there is some awareness that a smartphone that is disposed of or transferred to another user without removing sensitive data could allow someone to access private data on the device, about half of consumers are not very concerned about this occurring. In summary, consumers surveyed are least aware that the following can happen on their smartphone: the transmission of confidential payment information without their knowledge or consent, downloading a financial app for their smartphone that has specialized malware designed to steal credit card numbers and online banking credentials, â€Å"diallerware† infections that enable criminals to make use of premium services or numbers resulting in unexpected charges and spyware that allows criminals to access the private information contained on a smartphone. Those who are aware of these risks are generally very concerned about how these risks may affect their smartphone. Line Graph 1: Summary of consumer responses to eleven smartphone security risks 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Location tracking Auto Diallerware transmission Spyware Specialized malware Social network snafu Improper disposal Cross-over Insecure WIFI Jailbreaking Marketing abuse Are you aware? Has this happened to you? Level of concern Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 10 Part 3. How consumers are managing security risks associated with smartphones Despite the confidential information on their smartphones, consumers are not taking appropriate security precautions. As showing in Bar Chart 13, less than half (43 percent) of consumers surveyed consider security features to be important when deciding which smartphone to purchase. It is not surprising, therefore, that they are not taking security precautions. Bar Chart 13: How important is security as a feature on your smartphone? 60% 50% 43% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Important Not important 57% Bar Chart 14 shows 51 percent of consumers surveyed have neither keypad locks nor passwords on their smartphone. Nineteen percent have passwords and 10 percent have both keypad locks and passwords. However, when we analyzed the responses of the more experienced users the percentage dropped to 31 percent who do not use keypad locks or passwords on their smartphone. Bar Chart 14: Do you have keypad locks or passwords on your smartphone? 60% 51% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% No, neither Yes, keypad locks Yes, passwords Yes, both keypad locks and passwords 20% 19% 10% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 11 Forty-two percent of consumers allow smartphone versions of well-known social networking applications such as Facebook to access their key chains, passwords and log-ins that are used on their desktop computer or tablet (see Bar Chart 15). Twenty-nine percent of consumers say they have considered installing an anti-virus product and 10 percent turn off Bluetooth â€Å"discoverable† status on their device when they are not using it. Only 10 percent set up download controls on their smartphone to protect against apps and games that may contain malware. Bar Chart 15: Security habits of smartphone users Each bar defines the percentage yes response Do you allow smartphone versions of well-known social networking applications such as Facebook to access your key chains, passwords and log-ins that you use on your desktop computer or tablet (only for those who use social networks)? Have you considered installing an anti-virus product on your smartphone? 29% 42% Do you turn off Bluetooth â€Å"discoverable† status on your device when you are not using it? 10% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 12 Part 4. Methods Table 1 summarizes the sample response for this study of US consumers who own or use smartphones. Our sample frame consisted of nearly 30,000 adult-aged consumers located in the Unite States. These individuals were screened to ensure they use a smartphone for both personal and business purposes. A total of 793 responded to our web-based survey. Fifty-nine surveys failed reliability tests, resulting in a final sample of 734 consumers (2. 5 percent response rate). Table 1: Sample response Sample frame Invitations sent Total returns Rejections Final sample Frequency 29,921 27,498 793 59 734 Pct% 100. 0% 91. 9% 2. 7% 0. 2% 2. 5% Table 2a provides the types of smartphones used by consumers. Table 2b lists the operating systems contained on these smartphones. As can be seen, the top rated smartphones are Apple’s iPhone, RIM Blackberry and Google Nexus One. Accordingly, the top rated operating systems are iPhoneOS, RIM and Windows Mobile. Table 2a. Type of smartphone Apple iPhone RIM Blackberry Google Nexus One Nokia N8 Motorola Droid X T-Mobile G2 Sprint HTC EVO 4G Palm Pre Plus Samsung Epic 4G Other Total Pct% 27% 21% 12% 9% 9% 6% 6% 5% 4% 0% 100% Table 2b. Operating system iPhoneOS RIM Windows Mobile Android Symbian OS Linux Maemo Garnet OS Bada MeeGo Other or unsure Total Pct% 24% 19% 12% 9% 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 25% 100% Pie Chart 1 reports the age range of consumers in our study. Pie chart 2 shows the employment status of consumers. The largest segment of consumers are aged 36 to 45 (21 percent), and 52 percent are employed in a full or part-time position. Pie Chart 1: Age range 10% 2% 18% 18 to 25 26 to 35 36 to 45 46 to 55 19% 17% 56 to 65 66 to 75 75+ 21% 14% 10% 9% 52% 8% Pie Chart 2: Employment status 5%2% Employee Homemaker Retired Student Unemployed Business owner Active military 13% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 13 Pie Chart 3 reports the household income of consumers. Pie Chart 4 shows the location of consumers according to their region in the United States. A total of 44 states are represented in our sample. The median household income of consumers is $81,000 per year. Pie Chart 3: Household income Pie Chart 4: Regional location 1% 4% 10% 13% Below $20k 20 to $40k 41 to $60k 19% 19% Northeast Mid-Atlantic 14% 20% 61 to $80k 81 to $100k 101 to $150k 12% 18% Midwest Southeast Southwest 15% 17% Pacific west 16% 22% 151 to $200k Over $200k In addition to web-based survey analysis, we conducted debriefing interviews with a random cross-section of consumers. In total 128 individuals were contacted, resulting in 66 one-to-one interviews to discuss certain questions and probe for additional insights from the consumers when appropriate. A total of 53 percent of consumers are female, 47 percent male. Forty percent of consumers say they use their smartphone for both business and personal reasons. Only six percent say they use their smartphone solely for business (see Bar Chart 1). Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 14 Part 5. Conclusion The key finding from this research is that consumers in our survey are unaware of the security risks associated with their smartphones. This could be attributed, in part, to the lack of information being published about smartphone security risks. We also conclude that there may be a perception that because the most popular uses are phoning and emailing they are not putting the data on their smartphones at risk. In contrast, the security of desktop and laptop computers receives much more attention. It is not surprising, therefore, that consumers surveyed are more worried about protecting their computers from security risks. This is despite the fact these devices can contain just as much sensitive data that if lost or stolen could result in financial harm. Caveats There are inherent limitations to survey research that need to be carefully considered before drawing inferences from findings. The following items are specific limitations that are germane to most Web-based surveys. ? Non-response bias: The current findings are based on a sample of survey returns. We sent surveys to a representative sample of adult-aged consumers in the United States, resulting in a large number of usable returned responses. Despite non-response tests, it is always possible that auditors who did not participate are substantially different in terms of underlying beliefs from those who completed the survey. Sampling-frame bias: The accuracy is based on contact information and the degree to which the list is representative of individuals who are information system auditors. We also acknowledge that responses from paper, interviews or telephone might result in a different pattern of findings. Self-reported results: The quality of survey research is based on the integrity of confidential responses received from consumers. While certain checks and balances were incorporated into our survey evaluation process, there is always the possibility that certain consumers did not provide responses that reflect their true opinions. B ? ? Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 15 Appendix: Detailed Survey Responses Following are the survey results for a final sample of 734 adult-aged consumers located in all regions of the United States. Fieldwork concluded in February 2011. Sample response Sample frame Invitations sent Total returns Rejections Final sample Part 1. Background Q1a. Please select th e smartphone that you presently use. If you use more than one smartphone, please select the one you use most frequently. T-Mobile G2 Apple iPhone Motorola Droid X Samsung Epic 4G RIM Blackberry Sprint HTC EVO 4G Nokia N8 Google Nexus One Palm Pre Plus Other (please specify) Total Q1b. Please select the operating system your smartphone runs on. Symbian OS Android Linux Windows Mobile Bada MeeGo Maemo Garnet OS iPhoneOS RIM Other Unsure Total Q2. What best describes your smartphone use? Please select only one. Business use only Mostly business but some personal use Personal use only Mostly personal but some business use Both business and personal use equally Total Frequency 29,921 27,498 793 59 734 Pct% 100. 0% 91. 9% 2. 7% 0. % 2. 5% Pct% 6% 27% 9% 4% 21% 6% 9% 12% 5% 0% 100% Pct% 3% 9% 3% 12% 1% 1% 2% 2% 24% 19% 0% 25% 100% Pct% 6% 13% 16% 25% 40% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 16 Q3. Who purchased your smartphone and who pays the monthly service (usage) fee? Please select only one. I purchased it without any reimbursement from my employer I purchased it and my employer provided some r eimbursement I purchased it and my employer pays monthly charges My employer purchased it and I pay monthly charges My employer purchased it and pays monthly charges Total Q4. Please select all the tasks that you do on your smartphone? Phone Personal email Business email Address book Texting Internet browsing Store or move data Obtain documents View documents Calendar Listen to music Schedule tasks Shop Camera Social networking Payments Games Maps and navigation Upload videos Location services Watch TV/films Banking Travel assistance Video conferencing Monitor health Q5. Have you ever paid for any item via your mobile phone? Yes, only once Yes, irregularly (maybe once every two months) Yes, regularly (maybe once a month) Never Total Q6a. Have you every signed up for a service or product on your mobile without realizing that there would be a cost? Yes No Total Q6b. If yes, please select the all the methods you used to sign up for the service or product. Text message Email Website Other Total Pct% 35% 13% 10% 8% 34% 100% Pct% 100% 89% 82% 57% 54% 53% 53% 52% 51% 51% 50% 48% 44% 42% 40% 38% 34% 24% 24% 23% 21% 14% 10% 9% 5% Pct% 11% 32% 23% 34% 100% Pct% 51% 49% 100% Pct% 34% 46% 31% 12% 123% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 17 Q7. Do you check your mobile bill or statement for unusual or unidentified payments? Yes, I check it every month Yes, but only if the bill is higher than usual Yes, occasionally Never Total Q8. Have you ever signed a terms and conditions request on your mobile phone? Yes No Unsure Total Q9. Have you ever been the victim of mobile payments fraud? Yes No Unsure Total Part 2. Attributions Q10. Please rate each one of the following statements using the scale provided below each item. Strongly agree and agree shown. Q10a. I do not feel my private information or privacy is at risk when I use my smartphone. Q10b. I do not worry that a hacker will attack my smartphone. Q10c. I do not worry about receiving marketing messages on my smartphone. Q10d. I do not worry about being tracked when using my smartphone. Q10e. I do not worry about losing my smartphone while traveling. Q10f. I worry more about the security of my desktop or laptop computer than my smartphone. Q10g. When downloading software to my smartphone I do not always check to see if the app is from a trustworthy source. Part 3. Scenarios Pct% 6% 8% 34% 52% 100% Pct% 46% 21% 33% 100% Pct% 12% 78% 10% 100% Strongly agree 18% 25% 10% 11% 18% 25% 21% Agree 38% 33% 23% 25% 32% 40% 41% Q11. Sometimes location data can be embedded onto image files such as digital photos contained on your smartphone so that other people can track where you are. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Pct% 21% 45% 34% 100% Pct% 13% 28% 59% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 18 On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your location could be tracked while using your smart phone? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q12. Smartphone apps can transmit confidential payment information such as credit card details without the user’s knowledge or consent. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your credit card details could be transmitted with your knowledge or consent? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q13. Smartphones can be infected by specialized malware called â€Å"diallerware† that enable criminals to make use of premium services or numbers resulting in unexpected monthly charges. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone could be infected by diallerware? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q14. Smartphone apps may contain spyware that allows criminals to access the private information contained on a smartphone. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total Very concerned 29% Concerned 36% Pct% 11% 53% 36% 100% Pct% 6% 41% 53% 100% Very concerned 31% Concerned 35% Pct% 10% 58% 32% 100% Pct% 8% 65% 27% 100% Very concerned 36% Concerned 32% Pct% 15% 53% 32% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 19 If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone could be infected by spyware? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q15. Financial apps for smartphones can be infected with specialized malware designed to steal credit card numbers and online banking credentials. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone or downloaded apps could be infected by this specific type of malware? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q16. If a social network app is downloaded on a smartphone, failing to log off properly could allow an imposter to post malicious details or change personal settings without the user’s knowledge. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your failure to close the social networking app on your smartphone could allow unauthorized access and/or malicious posts your user account? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Pct% 11% 56% 33% 100% Very concerned 33% Concerned 32% Pct% 9% 57% 34% 100% Pct% 5% 66% 29% 100% Very concerned 32% Concerned 28% Pct% 11% 56% 33% 100% Pct% 8% 55% 37% 100% Very concerned 26% Concerned 23% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 20 Q17. A smartphone can be disposed of or transferred to another user without properly removing sensitive data, allowing an intruder to access private data on the device. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Pct% 31% 36% 33% 100% Pct% 16% 54% 30% 100% On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that private information on the smartphone would not be removed properly before disposing of it or transferring it to another user? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q18. In many cases, people use their smartphone for both business and personal usage, thus putting confidential business information at risk. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your use of a smartphone for personal reasons could put the confidential information of your business at risk? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q19. A smartphone can connect to the Internet through a local WIFI network that is insecure. This may result in a virus attack to the device. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Very concerned 23% Concerned 28% Pct% 55% 28% 17% 100% Pct% 52% 36% 12% 100% Very concerned 19% Concerned 21% Pct% 35% 42% 23% 100% Pct% 23% 45% 32% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 21 On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone when connected to an insecure Internet network may result in a virus attack? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q20. Smartphones contain basic security protection that can be disabled by jailbreaking, thus making the smartphone more vulnerable to spyware or malware attacks. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone’s security settings could be disabled remotely by a third party without your knowledge or consent? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q21. Smartphone users can be targeted by marketers based on how the phone is used for purchases, Internet browsing, and location. As result, the user may receive unwanted marketing ads and promotions. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Very concerned 22% Concerned 20% Pct% 15% 57% 28% 100% Pct% 10% 55% 35% 100% Very concerned 34% Concerned 31% Pct% 60% 17% 23% 100% Pct% 58% 15% 27% 100% On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone could receive marketing ads and promotions? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Part 4. Other Questions Q22. On average, how much personal data do you store on your smartphone? None (Go to Q24) Only a small amount of personal data A moderate amount of personal data A significant amount of personal data Unsure Very concerned 31% Concerned 36% Pct% 11% 23% 40% 26% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 22 Q23. What kinds of data do you store on your smartphone? Email address Name Contact lists Photos Anniversary and other personal dates Location Music Home address Confidential business documents Date of birth Gender Credit or debit card numbers Videos Passwords PIN number Hobbies, sports and travel interests Ages and gender of children Names of children Alarm codes Planned future purchases Purchase history Health data Security test questions Q24. Do you use a one Gigabyte (or higher) storage device on your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Q25. What do you worry more about? Losing my wallet/purse Losing my smartphone I worry about both equally Total Q26. What do you worry more about? Losing my laptop computer Losing my smartphone I worry about both equally I don’t have a laptop computer Total Q27. Do you have keypad locks or passwords on your smartphone? Yes, keypad locks Yes, passwords Yes, both keypad locks and passwords No, neither Total Pct% 97% 85% 69% 59% 53% 52% 47% 40% 37% 33% 32% 29% 25% 23% 19% 15% 13% 13% 11% 8% 8% 5% 2% Pct% 19% 68% 13% 100% Pct% 50% 23% 27% 100% Pct% 38% 10% 19% 33% 100% Pct% 20% 19% 10% 51% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 23 Q28a. Do you synch your smartphone with any of the following devices? Laptop Desktop Another smartphone An online backup storage solution None of the above Total Q28b. How regularly do you synch your smartphone with any of the devices listed in Q28a? Hourly Daily Weekly Monthly Irregularly Total Q29. Do you allow smartphone versions of well-known social networking applications such as Facebook to access your key chains, passwords and log-ins that you use on your desktop computer or tablet? Yes No Unsure I don’t use social networking apps Total Q30. Do you turn off Bluetooth â€Å"discoverable† status on your device when you are not using it? Yes No Unsure Total Q31. Have you considered installing an anti-virus product on your smartphone? Yes No Total Q32a. Do your children have a mobile/cell smartphone? Yes No I don’t have children Total Q32b. If yes, do you use your children’s smartphone to keep track of them (from a security perspective)? Yes No Total Pct% 44% 38% 9% 8% 45% 144% Pct% 25% 29% 14% 8% 24% 100% Pct% 21% 25% 4% 50% 100% Adjusted 42% 50% 8% 0% 100% Pct% 10% 83% 7% 100% Experienced 30% 62% 8% 100% Pct% 29% 71% 100% Pct% 22% 33% 45% 100% Experienced 53% 47% 100% Pct% 41% 59% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 24 Q32c. If yes, do you set up parental controls on the smartphone to protect your children when they access the Internet? Yes No Total Q33. Do you set up download controls on your smartphone to protect against apps and games that may contain malware? Yes No Unsure Total Q34. When deciding which smartphone to purchase, how important are its security features? Very important and important shown. Response Part 5. Demographics D1. Please check your age range. 18 to 25 26 to 35 36 to 45 46 to 55 56 to 65 66 to 75 75+ Total D2. What is your present employment status? Full-time employee Part-time employee Business owner Homemaker Retired Student Active military Unemployed Total D3. What range best defines your annual household income? Below $20k 20 to $40k 41 to $60k 61 to $80k 81 to $100k 101 to $150k 151 to $200k Over $200k Total Pct% 21% 79% 100% Pct% 10% 74% 16% 100% Very important 21% Important 22% Pct% 18% 19% 21% 17% 13% 10% 2% 100% Pct% 48% 6% 5% 13% 10% 9% 2% 8% 100% Pct% 13% 20% 22% 17% 14% 10% 4% 1% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 25 D4. What is your highest level of education attained? High school Vocational University or college Post graduate Doctorate Other Total D5. Please check gender: Female Male Total D6. Are you head of household? Yes No Total D7. US Region Northeast Mid-Atlantic Midwest Southeast Southwest Pacific Total D8. Please rate each one of the following statements using the following five-point scale. Strongly agree and agree sown. The Internet is central to my lifestyle I often give advice to others about how best to use computers and software I need to ask for help if something goes wrong with my computer I always try to spend as little time as possible online I am often confused when I try to use the Internet to do things I am really concerned about online threats Only people who do risky things on the Internet are at risk to online threats I don’t feel the online threat is that significant Pct% 21% 22% 45% 7% 1% 4% 100% Pct% 53% 47% 100% Pct% 48% 52% 100% Pct% 19% 18% 17% 15% 12% 19% 100% Strongly agree 25% 19% 22% 16% 23% 18% 15% 18% Agree 32% 21% 23% 24% 24% 35% 28% 34% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 26 Please contact us at 231. 938. 9900 or send an email to research@ponemon. org. Ponemon Institute Advancing Responsible Information Management Ponemon Institute is dedicated to independent research and education that advances responsible information and privacy management practices within business and government. Our mission is to conduct high quality, empirical studies on critical issues affecting he management and security of sensitive information about people and organizations. As a member of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO),we uphold strict data confidentiality, privacy and ethical research standards. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from individuals (or company identifiable information in our busine ss research). Furthermore, we have strict quality standards to ensure that subjects are not asked extraneous, irrelevant or improper questions. Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 27 How to cite Smart Phone, Papers

Ryanair low cost airline

Introduction This case study highlights some aspects of Ryanair low cost airline operation. The company was the largest airline carrier by passengers and market capitalisation in the year 2009. The company based its operational model on the low cost strategy in order to increase its market shares and reduce costs. This model proved suitable during the economic crisis of 2008. The company also has a huge potential for growth as the EU low fare airline markets expand.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Ryanair low cost airline specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ryanair has also introduced ancillary services to increase its revenues. However, some these strategies are not popular with customers. In addition, the company also suffers from negative publicity due to its treatment of customers and persons with disabilities. Still, Ryanair also has challenges related to legal issues, fierce competition, EU ban, regulator y measures and costs, and fuel costs among others. The company needs a new strategy for its future operation. This should focus on reducing its risks and improving its market share. Current mission/objectives and strategy Low fare Ryanair operates on a low cost strategy. Customers and competitors know Ryanair for low prices. The company underwent restructuring in the 1990s and changed policies that eliminated free services. Ryanair has been operating as no frills passenger airline. The company has relatively low fare in relation to its competitors. However, Ryanair also has some of the most controversial charges in the airline industry. For instance, Ryanair has additional charges for passengers using wheelchairs, infant fees, baggage charges, check-in fees, and onboard toilet fees among others. Such fees related to wheelchairs, and how the company treats persons with disabilities have attracted controversies and negative publicity among stakeholders. In all, the low price strategy has positioned the airline as the cheapest in the European markets, and it constantly changes its strategy to match the European market (H’Oggins 618). The company also has some serious challenges from both inside and outside. These include poor customer services, legal challenges, fierce competition, regulation requirements, and poor relations with unionists among others. Low maintenance cost The low cost model has also resulted into low maintenance cost strategy. For instance, the company reduced its operating costs by 4 percent. The company maintains its costs as low as possible due to its fleet and staff. This approach also covers environmental area as the company strives to invest in environmental friendly fleets. These fleets are also fuel-efficient. The company’s low maintenance cost also includes staff training. Ryanair also reduced flight frequencies in loss making routes in the UK and Ireland.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let 's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ancillary services Ancillary services are also core parts of Ryanair strategy. This strategy aims at increasing the airline’s revenues. The company has in-flight beverages, food, online and onboard gambling, mobile phones, ‘fat tax’ for overweight customers, and sale of merchandise for extra revenues. In addition, Ryanair also has accommodation, car rental and travel insurance services. According to Ryanair financial statements of accounts, revenues from ancillary services have been growing steadily for the past three years, i.e., from  £3.6 million in 2007 to  £5.9 million in 2009. However, not all these ancillary services, such as gaming and entertainment console were successful as they met resistance from passengers. Expansion strategy Ryanair also has an aggressive expansion strategy. For instance, the company expects to operate 300 fleets by the year 2012. Meanwhile, Ryanair has invested in new and environmental friendly flights. The company reduced operation in loss making routes of the UK and Ireland, but replaced them with profitable routes in Germany, France, and Spain. The company took advantage of diminishing carriers and planned to open 146 new routes in 2010. At the same time, Ryanair also focused on increasing its market shares. This was also evident in the failed takeover attempt of Aer Lingus. Productive Employees Productive workforce strategy is also a strategy in Ryanair, and this starts from the CEO. The company nearly doubled its staff during the last three years of operation. Ryanair claimed that it paid its crew better than any other airline company. For instance, in 2009, the company Annual Report claimed that it paid an average of  £45,333 higher than other companies. In addition, pilots and other cabin crews negotiated new pay deals with the company. These negotiations aimed at maintaining a healthy workforce and complying with th e EU regulations. Web site advertisement Ryanair marketing strategy aims at positioning it as a low cost airline company. Ryanair has exploited Internet marketing opportunities and in turn eliminated travel agents. The Web site has been the primary tool that the company uses to advertise its low cost services. Consequently, Ryanair promotes its Web site on newspapers, radio, and television. This effort has ensured that 99 percent of the booking takes place via the Internet.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Ryanair low cost airline specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ryanair is sensitive to costs. Consequently, it relies nearly on free and controversial publicity. These include topical advertising, press conference and publicity stunts. In addition, the company also relies on distributions of promotional and advertisement materials, cooperative advertisement with other travel organisations and tourist boards. In ternal and external environment Economic factors Michael O’Leary commented that â€Å"an economic recession is good for Ryanair, as it can survive it better than airlines with higher pricing models† (H’Oggins). The globe recession of 2008 was the major economic factor that Ryanair faced. Economists like McConnell, Brue, and Barbiero claim that shifts in the economic patterns influence organisations operation (McConnell, Brue and Barbiero 34). The prevailing economic conditions influenced how passengers, sellers, and other stakeholders in European markets behaved. Airline companies diminished because their business models could not withstand recession challenges. However, as we have seen above, the recession created opportunities for low cost airlines like Ryanair. Ryanair was able to exploit the vacuum that other companies created. As a result, the company did not experience thorough effects of recession due to its business strategy of low cost. Instead, the com pany increased its operation to become among the best airlines in the region. From this observation, we can conclude that Ryanair business model was recession proof. However, tough economic conditions also had its effects on Ryanair. For instance, the company share prices dropped, revenue plummeted and it cancelled expansion decisions due to costs. The UK and Ireland routes became unproductive and forced the company to cut its operation in those routes. Ryanair was also able to exploit the favourable fuel prices in order to offer low fare fleets that no other company could achieve. In 2009 to 2010, the company managed to hedge 90 percent of its fuel costs and saved  £460 million. Political factors These are mainly regulations, taxes, and other related political factors. In this case, Ryanair must abide by EU regulations on airline operation. For a long time, Ryanair CEO has engaged in high-profile wars with the EU and British Airport Authority (BAA). For instance, the CEO accused the EU commission of bias towards low fare airlines.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company noted that the EU Commission prevented its agents from booking low cost airlines. This is a case of regional regulations affecting activities of Ryanair. At the same time, the Commission’s fixed charges also discriminate low cost airlines (Ryanair 2012). According Ryanair, this is discrimination against low fare airlines. At the same time, BAA has also imposed charges that affect the company’s revenues. For instance, the UK government planned to raise passenger charges from  £10 to  £11. Social factors The CEO can control the company’s image and its relationship with customers. This is because such factors affect consumers’ emotions, attitudes, opinions and interests about Ryanair services. Some of these social factors have generated negative publicity for the company. These may include relations with disabled and overweight passengers. At the same time, passengers who prefer service-oriented flights may not find high quality services in R yanair. Brassington and Pettitt note that social factors are priority concern to marketers (Brassington and Pettitt 24; Solomon 39). Technological factors Ryanair is technologically evolving company. The company conducts its 99 percent of bookings through its Web site. Ryanair noticed convenience that online services provided to its customers and the company. Therefore, the company advertises its Web site in different media. Technological developments have transformed the way airlines conduct their management processes (Kotler, Wong, Saunders and Armstrong, 2005). Legal factors The company has some of the most expensive lawsuits in the industry. Consequently, its operation costs have increased. The company has faced charges from regulators, competitors, passengers, and it is also in poor relations with trade unionists, politicians, and people with disabilities. Environmental factors Environmental factors also influence activities of Ryanair. The company embarked on using modern airc rafts and maximised usages in order to reduce emissions. At the same time, Ryanair also claimed that its decision to eliminate free food, beverages, and newspapers had reduced waste products from the company fleets. Ryanair SWOT Analysis Strength Low fare strategy Environmental friendly fleets Ancillary revenues generation Web site booking Few flights cancellations Weaknesses Poor customer services Overreliance on CEO Negligence on security issues Opportunities Growing EU markets Provisions of ancillary services Expansion of marketing strategies Investing in environmental friendly flights Using hedge to save on fuel costs Threats Expensive lawsuits Competition from other low fare flights and large flight companies, alternative modes like train EU ban on low fare flights Different states regulations and charges Unproductive routes like Ireland Customer resistance to some revenue generation strategies Negative publicities Map and determine the organizational stakeh olders’ expectations power and influence Shareholders High Power hareholders of Ryanair have significant power and control over the future of the company strategies (Roloff 233). Shareholders expect returns from their investments. However, since the year 1996, the company had never declared or paid dividends on shares. The company believes in retaining earnings for future expansions, acquisition of new fleets, and expansion of current services (Svendsen 85). However, shareholders of the company expect their dividends after 2012. We can also see how shareholders influenced Ryanair’s strategic decision to takeover Aer Lingus. Employees The company’s management team and employees have been responsible for its current position. Ryanair believes that it pays its employees relatively well above the average of other airline companies. For instance, the company report of 2009 claimed that the staff cost was  £45,333 above other European airlines. Employees can also n egotiate for favourable pay with the company, but their power is low. However, Ryanair also expects its employees to deliver positive results. Lenders Lenders have high interest in the company because of business advantages. However, their power to control the company’s decisions is low. Government /Regulators These groups influence all the company’s policy, charges, and decisions among others through their regulatory and tax measures. The company cannot consider decisions that go against governments’ wishes. Thus, their interest and power in the company remain high. Customers In a world of fierce competition, Walker and Marr believe that customers are key stakeholders for success (Walker and Marr 13). The company is favourable among low fare airlines in European markets. Customers expect fair treat and quality services for charges they pay. Though Ryanair is a low fare airline, the company has formulated some of the most controversial methods of charging custom ers extra fees. Some of these methods are not popular among its passengers. Ryanair charges persons with disabilities who use wheelchairs onboard. This move has generated debate on how the company handles its disabled customers. At the same time, the company also targets overweight passengers with its ‘fat tax’ charges. However, the ‘fat tax’ led to wastage of time and the management eliminated it. Some of these ancillary services for extra revenues have generated negative publicity for the company. In fact, critics of the airline believe that passengers use it because it is a low fare airline available in most routes. Competitors and Suppliers Competitors and suppliers are also important elements of Ryanair. We can look at fierce competitions among airline companies of Europe. These companies have based their battles on prices. Ryanair uses different media to compare its prices with its competitors. In turn, competitors have accused it of misleading passen gers. Competition among these organisations is responsible for the growth of the airline industry in Europe particularly the growth of Ryanair. The relationship between Aer Lingus is also crucial as it affected profits of Ryanair. Aer Lingus is a fierce competitor of Ryanair. However, Ryanair has 25.2 percent stake in the company. The deteriorating fortunes of Aer Lingus meant losses to Ryanair shareholders in the year 2009. As a result, Ryanair CEO admitted investment in the company was a mistake. In this case, the company could have sold its shares before accruing further losses (Lock 67). Another relationship of significance is the interaction between Ryanair and its suppliers. Ryanair attempted to expand its fleets in 2009, and the company invited Boeing and Airbus. The invitation of Airbus was a strategy that the company wanted to apply in order to get a massive discount from Boeing. Airbus declined because the process would be expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, t alks with Boeing collapsed. These cases show how Ryanair management use different strategies in order to keep costs as low as possible. Formulation of new strategic direction for the organization This was the largest airline carrier by passengers and market capitalisation in the year 2009. In fact, the airline and its management have won several awards. In addition, its low cost strategy proved recession proof in 2008. However, the company must address some concerns for future growth by balancing its strategic direction with revenue generation, legal issues, market dynamics, and industry relations among others (Kaplan and Norton 56). Home Business Ryanair should emphasise weekend travel and last-minute travel and provide the best packages for such travellers. The company can rely on such strategies for improving its customer base. However, home business strategy for Ryanair can lead to poor services as customers may increase beyond the company’s capacity. This strategy may al so affect perceptions of customers about the quality of services Ryanair offers. As a result, some customers may use alternative means like rail transport. Holiday packages Ryanair should introduce free seat campaigns for a given period of time, especially during winter seasons. The company should use this approach as sales strategy particularly in unpopular routes so as to increase the number of customers. The company should offer few seats in popular routes. The company should also inform its customers about tax charges with free seat campaigns. Such holiday packages should save customers on costs and improve experiences of their holiday. This shall enable Ryanair popularise itself among travellers and attract many travellers. Promotional strategies can only improve the number of customers who need free seats or discounted services. Thus, Ryanair must restrict such offers to a specific number of customers for its fleets. Frequent traveller loyalty programme Ryanair should introduc e loyalty programmes for its frequent travellers. The company can reward its frequent customers through free flights or reduced charges. Every travel should earn redeemable credits. The best method to capture such data is through the use of smart card. The company must also give specific periods for expiry of such credits. Loyalty schemes should not target blackout dates. Thus, customers can redeem their free flights at any time. However, loyalty programmes can severely affect the profit of the company (Pocket Mentor 12). Referral discounts The industry is still competitive (Bache and Freeman 3). Thus, Ryanair should work with local travel and accommodation companies so as to promote its flight. In turn, customers who also book through the Internet can also get discounted rates in hotels rooms and car hire among others. However, the company must apply policies such as nonrefundable and advance payment in order to discourage cancellations after booking (Madison 233). Referral discoun ts also shall affect the company’s profit margins. Baggage and Saving Ryanair should encourage its customers who have baggage to check while booking in order to avoid extra charges while boarding. Customers can check the option and determine the number of baggage they can carry in different flights. This means that customers can purchase the baggage depending on their travel requirements. This option should also give customers opportunities to save flight costs instead of incurring extra charges when boarding. Web Booking and Check-in Ryanair should continue exploiting Web booking, and it should also introduce Web check-in before with or without luggage before a given deadline for check-in expires. This should also allow customers to choose their ideal seats depending on availability. This is a method of improving customer service for Ryanair that has poor customer service. Conclusion Ryanair has used low cost strategy to increase its market share and reduce costs of operatio n. 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The Stakeholder Strategy: Profiting from Collaborative Business Relationships. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998. Print. Walker, Steven and Jeffrey Marr. Stakeholder Power: A Winning Plan For Building Stakeholder Commitment And Driving Corporate Growth. New York: Basic Books, 2001. Print. This case study on Ryanair low cost airline was written and submitted by user Julissa C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.