Physics

The Social Cognitive Theory Developed By Albert Bandura

Advertisements in all forms of media and all across the globe, depict women in compromising and passive situations which can be dangerous too their personal safety. The Social Cognitive Theory developed by Albert Bandura says that â€Å"social behavior is learned and modeled through direct and vicarious observation, which includes observation of gender roles† (Prieler et al 28). A study conducted by Fransisco Pereira studied gender stereotyping in Spanish and Portuguese ads which showed that men are most commonly portraying dominant roles such as experts and interviewers, while women are not only much younger than their male costars, but promote products related to household chores and beauty products (277). Numerous studies are finding that depicting women in advertisements in submissive or stereotypical roles, the advertising industry is only aiding in societies perception of a woman’s lack of strength which can be dangerous to their safety. Francisco Pereira conducte d a study that aimed to show the difference of how men and women are portrayed in television advertisements. The study looked at 86 bath and body product commercials, and out of 86 commercials, 53 depicted women as the main character, whereas only 22 men were shown playing the same role (Pereira et al 282) . Pereira also looked at 27 household commercials, and women were the main character in 26 of them. The study ultimately found that gender stereotypes were closely connected with the products and their use.Show MoreRelatedLeadership And Learning : Organizational Learning1401 Words   |  6 Pages Jewon Na 11401132 â€Æ' Executive summary This report is to provide the ways in leadership and learning through organisational learning theories and examples of organisational, social and personal areas. Reflection of organisational theories to the leadership and learning is the main issue of the report and it will help to understand how the organisational theories will work in real circumstances. This report seeks meaning of organisational learning and also asks mainly organisational learning forRead MoreTheories Of Albert Bandura889 Words   |  4 Pages The Theories of Albert Bandura I chose to research Albert Bandura. Albert is a contemporary psychologist specializing in development and educational psychology. A lot of his work revolves around the social learning theory. He is one of the most widely- cited psychologists of all time. He was born in Alberta, Canada in a small town of Mundare. He was the youngest of six children, two of his siblings died when they were young one from a hunting accidentRead MoreEffective Social Learning Theories1164 Words   |  5 PagesEffective social learning theories do not just explain behaviors, they build bridges. Few experts believe that social or even biologically determined actions arise in isolation: they come about as a result of a variety of factors that may be located inside or outside of the subject, but eventually they come together in combination. It is this recognition that has formed the basis (at least in retrospect) for the long-lasting impact of Banduras social learning or now social cognitive theory of behav iorRead MoreBanduras Social Cognitive Theory1167 Words   |  5 PagesBandura’s Social-Cognitive Theory The social-cognitive theory proposed by Albert Bandura (1925- ) has become the most influential theory of learning and development. It considers that people learn from one another, including such concepts as observational learning, imitation, and modeling. This theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and environmental influences. The four-step pattern of observational learning consists of: (1)Read MoreBandura s Social Cognitive Theory1202 Words   |  5 PagesBandura’s Social Cognitive Theory Video Notes Triadic Reciprocal Causation Describe what triadic reciprocal causation is. Albert Bandura, introduced triadic reciprocal causation as a term referring to mutual influences between three sets of factors: personal, the environment, and behavior. This can be a cognitive factor for memory, anticipation, and planning. How is triadic reciprocal causation of social cognitive theory different than earlier behavioral learning theories? Triadic reciprocalRead MoreAlbert Bandura2050 Words   |  9 PagesAlbert Bandura: The Social Cognitive Theory Jerry D. Nicholson Liberty University Student ID: 21273100 PSYC 341 October 7, 2007 Abstract Albert Bandura is one of the pioneers in the study of human development. His biographical background lays a good foundation for the basis of his work as a psychologist. His social cognitive theory will be examined in detail to highlight the effect that environment has on behavior. There are four basic features to the theory introduced by Bandura that willRead MoreErikson s Theory Of Psychosocial Development Essay1691 Words   |  7 PagesErikson s theory posits that every human being passes through several distinct and qualitatively different stages in life, from birth to death. According to him, the stages are universal, and the ages which one is said to have passed from one to another stage are also fairly universal (Ramkumar, 2002). Erikson developed eight stages of psychosocial development that analysis personality, behavior and understanding for facilitating personal development of self and others. Erikson s theory demonstratesRead MoreSocial Cognitive Theory Main Concepts Essay1471 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Cognitive Theory Main Concepts: According to the Social Cognitive Theory, people learn by observation and modeling behavior. Albert Bandura developed the social cognitive theory in 1986. Bandura believes that people obtain knowledge and how to function by modeling behavior from others by interacting with others. The main highlight of his theory is that people learn by observation, imitation and modeling behavior within the social environment (Merriam, 2014)). Individual remember theRead MoreEssay on The Theories of Albert Bandura804 Words   |  4 PagesThe Theories of Albert Bandura Albert Bandura was influenced by behaviorism while at the University of Iowa studying for his PhD in the early 1950s, he developed his own theories called reciprocal determinism, he believed that not only does the environment influence behavior, but behavior influences the environment, or to put it in his own words ’the world and a persons behavior cause each other‘. Bandura is often considered a ‘father’ of the cognitive movement,Read MoreBehavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches to Forming Habits Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesBehavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches to Forming Habits Norman L Fountain PSY 250 May 4, 2011 Nichelle Ancrum Behavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches to Forming Habits Habit as defined in Webster’s as a: a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance b : an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary (Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online, 2011). Behavior

Appraising an organisation’s environment Free Essays

Introduction The main aim of this paper is to present a proposal on the environmental scanning in the strategic management context. This proposal will demonstrate the main aims and objectives along with the background of the chosen organizationIt will further propose the rationale for the environmental scanning technique. The methodology section will explore the main tools, which will aid in the collection of the necessary data. We will write a custom essay sample on Appraising an organisation’s environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Background It is proposed to analyse the charitable organization, which is based at Nottingham University, namely NUSA (Nottingham University Samworth Academy). This organization specializes in fundraising on the global scale (NUSA Official Website, 2012). The main unique selling point is attributed to the fact that this organization acknowledges the great power of social media and technology. This implies that the fundraising activities are maintained by means of social and interactive promotions. Additionally, this organization is using for – profit approach, which suggests that the fundraising activities generate revenue for NUSA (NUSA Official Website, 2012). Aim and Objectives The aim is identified in order to provide the guidelines for the research proposal (Saunders et al., 2009). The main aim of this proposal is to explore the benefits and disadvantages of the key environmental scanning techniques in the strategic management context. The smaller objectives include: To contrast and compare the environmental scanning techniques To identify the main environmental scanning technique that would be beneficial in the context of strategic planning and management To evaluate long term implications of the chosen environmental scanning technique Rationale There are different techniques available for environmental scanning. Environmental scanning is regarded to be the most important task prior to strategic planning and management. The chosen environmental scanning model for the purposes of this research , is based on the adherence to the main objectives related to environment evaluation. These objectives include the identification of the activities, the evaluation of the processes, the analysis of the information sharing process and investigation of information produced. As a result, the environmental scanning model is based on implementation of PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces Analysis, Internal Analysis and Consumers (refer to the below demonstrated model). This process is based on the utilization of both macro – and micro-environmental evaluations, namely PESTEL and SWOT analysis. PESTEL analysis is designed in order to identify the main external forces that may emerge and thus impact the organization (Johnson and Scholes, 2009). These forces, namely in the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal domains, are uncontrollable (Johnson and Scholes, 2009). Therefore, these have to be identified in order to be able to respond to their emergence from a strategic perspective. SWOT is a micro-level analysis, which serves as a foundation for identification of the future opportunities and threats for the company (Ip and Koo, 2004). Opportunistic matrix identifies the main activities that may be performed in relation to the identified findings in terms of the possible response (Ip and Koo, 2004). Porter’s Five Forces, is the key framework, which is utilized in order to identify the competitiveness of the organization within the industry. This is established with the help of the analysis of the influences of the main competitive forces, namely the power of buyers, the power of suppliers, threat of substitutes, threat of new entrants and the degree of rivalry (Porter, 1985). The findings demonstrate the industry’s forces that are perceived to be weak therefore may be taken advantage of in the strategic context. Finally, the last stage of the environmental analysis aims to investigate the consumer behaviour and the key consumer trends. It is specifically focused on the identification of the patterns of consumer behaviour and consumer needs. It is maintained in order to apply the strategies that would affect the increase of customer satisfaction and further expansion of the target audience (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). The information sharing process is based on the implementation of the top down sharing approach. This implies that the information is transferred from the managerial levels to business and functional levels (Anderson, 2007). This enables quick ad facilitated information processing from the decision makers to the members of a functional level. Criticism of a Chosen Technique Despite the effectiveness and scope of the chosen technique, it is still subject to a certain degree of criticism. This implies that this framework does not incorporate the evaluation of the social impacts, which would be suitable, given the nature of the fundraising business (Becker, 2001). A PESTEL analysis mentions social impacts, whereas Opportunistic matrix involves evaluation of the societal forces (Correia and Wilson, 2001). On the other hand, this environmental scanning framework allows us to evaluate the company from the organization’s, industry’s and consumer perspectives, which adds the depth to the possible findings. Other than that, this model aims to identify the key trends that may emerge. As the result, based on the identified findings, the organization may plan future strategies that would aid in response to the possible trends. Even though, a PESTEL analysis tends to incorporate the risk analysis, much more advanced and in-depth risk evaluation might have been performed by IRGC (Model of Risk Governance) (Petts, 2008). However, given the scope of the framework and actual business, this analysis might have been perceived as too specialized. Porter’s Five Forces, is a beneficial model for industry’s investigation. However, it has been developed in relation to the idea that contemporary market is perfect. This is not true, therefore this framework fails to address some issues that would be applicable to the imperfect market. Methodology It is recommended to perform the analysis on the basis of integration of the secondary research. The main sources will be acquired from the academic and professional books and journals, databases , reports and news reports. The secondary research is regarded to be limited, since the material for it is collected and analysed at east 1-2 years prior to publication. Therefore, the sources may be regarded as obsolete and outdated (Saunders et al., 2009). Conclusion This paper, designed in the format of a proposal, has been produced in order to identify and evaluate the best environmental scanning model in the context of strategic management. The paper demonstrates the most suitable environmental scanning technique for the charitable organization, namely NUSA. This organization specializes in fundraising and is based at Nottingham University. The environmental scanning model consists of four main stages, namely PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT analysis and Consumer Evaluation. This analysis is regarded to be multidimensional thus adding depth to the evaluation. Despite it being a quite effective framework, it still has attracted some criticism. This implies that there is lack of evaluation from the social perspective, given the nature of the fundraising business. Furthermore, larger focus should have been applied to the possible risks examination. Other than that, this framework proves to be beneficial and effective from the s trategic perspective. References Anderson, (2007), â€Å"Social networks and the cognitive motivation to realize network opportunities: a study of managers’ information gathering behaviours†, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Vol.29,Iss.1, pp.51-78 Becker H. (2001), â€Å"Social Impact Assessment†, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol.16, Iss.2, 311-321 Correia, Z. and Wilson, T.D. (2001), â€Å"Factors in?uencing environmental scanning in the organizational context†, Information Research, Vol. 7, Iss. 1, – Available at http://InformationR.net/ir/7-1/paper121.html, (Accessed on 21st November, 2012) Ip, Y.K. and Koo, L.C. (2004), â€Å"BSQ strategic formulation framework: a hybrid of balanced scorecard, SWOT analysis and quality function deployment†, Managerial Auditing Journal, Vol. 19, pp. 533–543. Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R., (2009), Fundamentals of Strategy, p.102, London: Prentice Hall Kotler P., Armstrong G., (2010), Principles of Marketing, 13th ed., Pearson: USA NUSA Official Website (2012), â€Å"NUSA’s Mamelodi Fundraising Page†, Available: http://www.justgiving.com/NUSAMamelodiFundraising/ (Accessed on 2ast November 2012) Petts J., (2008), â€Å"Public engagement to build trust: false hopes?† , Journal of Risk Research, Vol.11, Iss.6, 811-832 Porter, M.E., (1985), Competitive Advantage, Free Press: New York Saunders, M.N.K., Lewis, P., and Thornhill, A. (2009), Research Methods for Business Students, 5th ed., Prentice Hall: UK How to cite Appraising an organisation’s environment, Essay examples

Imagination - Values - and Emotion

Question: How has your study of this artifact contributed to your understanding of the humanities? Answer: Style/ movement or period of time and date: The music takes a surprising turn in 1975 towards conventional expression and lyricism. The musical composition is a melodious indeterminate piece for any loud sounding group of instruments. The genre of the music is anti-Germanic and anti-Romantic, which marks an exit from Post War European Serialism and its offshoots (Boosey.com. 2016). The Location and Culture Origin: The impulse of postmodern impulse about classical music rose in the 1960s with the introduction of musical minimalism. The music experts of the postmodern era reacted to the perceived elitism and dissonant sound of atonal academic modernism with simpler music textures and consonant harmonies. The relevance of the artifact, while building a stronger understanding of postmodern period The musical composition display experimentalist preoccupation, which is intentionally anti-romantic by nature. The artifact stresses on freedom of expression and Eclecticism, in response to the rigid and artistic limitations of modernism, which was a hallmark for postmodern period. Contribution of the artifact towards humanity As the name of the artifact states, postmodernist movement formed partially in response to the ideals of modernism, but in reality, the artifact has to do much with the functionality and the impact of globalization, than it is with a particular reaction, movement or approach towards humanity (Wolfe 2014). Considering some of the relationships Humanity is a key aspect that reflects the nature of a human being. If a person is not a good human being then no one can progress in his or her personal life. Humanity reflects directly on the works of any human being. The real practice of humanity in personal life would inject happiness in an individuals life. Value of Humanity My value towards humanity finds its application under three sections: Respecting Life Respecting the rights of every individual, accepting personal value and cherishing individual right to life Protecting Dignity Protecting the intrinsic value of every individual and living with mutual respect amongst each other Caring for the Needy To have a heartfelt caring attitude References Boosey.com. (2016)Louis Andriessen [online] Available at: https://www.boosey.com/composer/Louis+Andriessen [Accessed 14 Mar. 2016]. Wolfe, C. (2014). Country Music in the Modern Era, 1940s-1970s.Ethnomusicology, 21(3), p.518

The movie The History Boys Essay Example For Students

The movie The History Boys Essay The movie The History Boys written by Alan Bennett introduces the importance of the value and meaning of education. Set in the 1980s, after attaining the highest grades their school has ever seen, eight boys are prepared for their Oxbridge examinations although are taught with the contrasting philosophies of their teachers. Each boy through his own individual manner grasps what they feel is crucial from each teacher. The results driven headmaster hires a young historian (Irwin) who is aware that the key to exam success is the individualism that differentiates a student from all the rest. In his classes, Irwin challenges the boys to express unorthodox views on and interpretations of history forcing them to have original perspectives on historical deductions. Here the boys use the Way of Knowing of reasoning and logical thinking to counteract their beliefs or even commonly held beliefs for example on the Holocaust. As it is such a mournful part of history, another WOK (emotion) is subtly revealed as having a crucial role in thought process. We will write a custom essay on The movie The History Boys specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Even though the topic has so many emotional strings attached to it, Irwin teaches the Holocaust in such a way that the truth and emotion are irrelevant and as a result he poses the question of how learning should take place. Is it with the absolutes of reasoning or emotion? Or with a mindset that includes both? Emotion is less objective than reasoning and it is not factual knowledge that education is so obviously based on. Even though some factual knowledge is required to form an interpretation, the gut feeling from which the interpretations arise are based on personal experience (derived from emotion) and allows students to develop a unique deduction of the topic. This idea that a blend of rationalism and emotion is needed to teach applies only to certain Areas of Knowledge like History as described above. However this concept must be explored further into other AOKs such as Mathematics and the Arts to better understand the extent to which one must be prioritized over the other. In mathematics, rationalism is virtually the only relevant aspect out of the two. Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, etc. are all solved using logical deductions from mathematical rules or laws rather than from an emotional response. However, the Arts suggest that emotion holds a greater importance over rationalism. Art is an expression of the self that can be shown through various mediums such as on a canvas, in a sculpture or even in a poem or novel as Hector indicates. In his words, all knowledge is precious whether or not it serves the slightest human use. In the movie, Hector often cites poetry or lines from novels to express his thoughts instead of a wordy explanation. In this way, art is very subjective so the way we interpret it is dependent on our personal values and beliefs. Reasoning and emotion are two very vital parts of teaching. Irwins teachings indicate reasoning should dominate the ways in the process of education should take place whilst Hector suggests personal beliefs must matter most when one teaches. However, with these conflicting philosophies in the movie comes the conclusion that both rational thought and emotional response is necessary for a student to fully understand the meaning of whatever subject they may be focused on. This is evident as one cannot be used without the other being imposed.

Fires Of Jubilee book review essays

Fires Of Jubilee book review essays Biographer Stephen B. Oates is an award winning Civil War era expert. The Fires of Jubilee is just one of sixteen books that he has written. As a History professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Oates wrote this biography of Nat Turner and his infamous insurrection. Nat Turner was convinced that he was a "chosen" man of the Lord. Ironically, the name Nathaniel is Hebrew for "the gift of God". Nat felt, deep in his heart, that he was special and important in the fight for the freedom of all slaves. As a child he was something of a spectacul. His mother and father would brag to the other slaves of how Nat had congenital bumps and scars on his head and chest, which in African tradition meant that he was destined to be a leader. Also, Nat was naturally a highly intelligent person. As a child he was able to learn to read and write at ease on his own. This astonished many of the the slaves, as well as his master Ben Turner. Nat also astonished his mother by telling of an even t that happened prior to his birth, that he had no way of knowing. When she asked how he knew of the incident he said that somehow he just knew. Many of the whites and other slave also made Nat feel "different" than the other slave by saying that he "would never be of any service to anyone as a slave." A comment that, at a young age, gave Nat the impression that he might one day be freed. Nat knew he was different. Even though it was considered disgraceful for slaves to not get drunk on holidays, Nat never drank, much less got drunk. The most convincing sign, to Nat, that he was "chosen" was that he had visions, that he claimed were from the Lord. Visions that would eventually be his motivation for insurrection. Until the age of 8, Nat was owner by Ben Turner, who was considered to be a fair and kind master. However, at the age of 9 Sam Turner, Ben's son, became Nat's new master. Sam was definetely a harsher master than his father, which was a blow to ...

Cause and Effect Essay Essay Example for Free (#6)

Cause and Effect Essay Essay In Act Four Scene One Friar Lawrence explains the plan to Juliet, â€Å" Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off, When presently through all thy veins shall run A cold and drowsy humor, for no pulse Shall keep his native progress, but surcease. No warmth, no breath shall testify thou livest. The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade To paly ashes, thy eyes’ windows fall Like death when he shuts up the day of life. Each part, deprived of supple government, Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death. And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death Thou shalt continue two and forty hours,And then awake as from a pleasant sleep. Now, when the bridegroom in the morning comes To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead. Then, as the manner of our country is, In thy best robes uncovered on the bier Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie. In the meantime, against thou shalt awake, Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,And hither shall he come, and he and I Will watch thy waking, and that very night Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua. In Act Four Scene One Friar Lawrence explains the plan to Juliet, â€Å" Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor drink thou off, When presently through all thy veins shall run A cold and drowsy humor, for no pulse Shall keep his native progress, but surcease. No warmth, no breath shall testify thou livest. The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade To paly ashes, thy eyes’ windows fall Like death when he shuts up the day of life. Each part, deprived of supple government, Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death. And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death Thou shalt continue two and forty hours,And then awake as from a pleasant sleep. Now, when the bridegroom in the morning comes To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead. Then, as the manner of our country is, In thy best robes uncovered on the bier Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie. In the meantime, against thou shalt awake, Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,And hither shall he come, and he and I Will watch thy waking, and that very night Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua. † Cause and Effect Essay. (2016, Sep 18).

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 3 SLP Essay

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 3 SLP - Essay Example One major implication of health care fraud and abuse is the monetary loss due to e improper activities which endanger patient safety. The United States Attorneys' offices (USAOs) are held responsible for the civil and criminal prosecution of health care providers, professionals, and other specialized business agencies who engage with health care fraud and abuse. The US government has appropriated certain amount (DOJ, 2000) from the United States Treasury general fund and they in turn must appropriate the Account for transfer some to the federal Bureau of Investigation in order to carry out the purpose and processes as described in above statements. Another implication is the intensification of health care fraud enforcement. This can never be achieved without the cooperation of other stakeholders. In fact, the FBI is one organization involved in the said cooperative effort. Federal agencies needs to collaborate with health care fraud working groups, have a liaison program among organizations and attend trainings as well as conferences. New statutory tools are believed to support ad be provided in order to combat health care fraud. Although Around $451,000 was budgeted to HCFA ($395,500) as well as the ASMB or Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget at the end of 2000 for the formal risk management operations.

Was Immigration Directly Influenced by Religion in American in the Essay

Was Immigration Directly Influenced by Religion in American in the Late 1800's and Early 1900's - Essay Example It is pertinent to acknowledge that religion played a key role in the way people had to live in America after they had migrated there. Zollman notes that in order to feel secure the immigrants wanted to live in areas where the other people practiced the same faith. No one wanted to be alone because the immigrants were new in the country and as a result, they wanted to live in religious groups and this could only be achieved through religion. Although most immigrants moved to new countries to seek better economic opportunities, it is of equal importance to note that religious persecution makes people moving into new lands because they want to practice their faith freely. This is the reason why many Jews had to move from England to the U.S after they were expelled from their countries on the basis of their faith. When a group of people immigrates to a new country, they often settle in a group, which comprises of people from their own country. This means that the immigrants do not have a chance of learning the culture of the new country because they tend to practice their old traditions. This results in groups that are based on the same religion or ethnicity. Although many people left their countries for America because of religious persecution, it is of paramount importance to note that many others left for a diverse number of reasons. Yes response Religion and freedom play a crucial role in ensuring that people are free and they do not have to worry about what they do in their lives. However, in most countries, freedom to practice one’s faith is not guaranteed and as a result, people find it hard to enjoy their beliefs. One ought to understand that in America, everyone is free to practice his or her religion. Between 1800 and early 1900’s religious persecution was practiced heavily especially in Europe. This is the reason why many

Mouse Trap Ease Essay Example for Free

Mouse Trap Ease Essay 2) Has Martha identified the best target market for Trap-Ease? What other market segments might the firm target? Martha has targeted women for her product. She feels that women are the best group to target because they don’t like the mess or the risks created by traditional mouse traps. But what Martha doesn’t know about is woman is a large segment that is too wide to be targeted properly. In the society, woman population is shrinking rapidly causing market that Martha is targeting is shrinking. By right there are a lot of other markets that have more potential which Martha could target. Other market which hold larger potential for Trap-Ease are market like environmentalist, pet’s owner, family with kids, factories, sewage, farm and man. Trap-Ease are reusable and durable, therefore it create less effect on the environment. This advantage would attract environmentalist that would care more for the earth. The environmentalist market are growing rapidly as more and more people are getting aware of the problem faced by the earth such as global warming and deforestation. Trap-Ease also would be attractive for pet’s owner as it doesn’t required poison and dangerous spring mechanism. The traditional mouse trap would pose a treat for the pets as pets might mistaken the poison for the food while the spring loaded mechanism might accidentally snapped on a paw or tongue of pets. Family with kids would also like to have Trap-Ease, traditional mouse trap and poison pose a very large risk to infant and kids. Parent would be happy to have this innovative safe mouse trap to be around compared to the dangerous traditional substitute. The rats are also commonly found in factories, Martha should send some salesman to this market to introduce them Trap-Ease which would not create any mess and reusable. Factory would found it attracting as traditional mouse trap will create mass that would possibly contaminate the food that factories are producing. Martha also could group up with food safety NGO to make sure the factories are free of rats to the benefits of the society, while in doing so introduce Trap-Ease into it which will be the cost effective solution for the problem. Sewage are the main place mouse would live in a city, its full of mouse. Martha could propose to the government to install the Trap-Ease in the sewage to reduce the amount of disease carrying rats in it. This could possibly be the largest market Martha will have. Finally, farm would be very interested to have this Trap-Ease in the farm as this is a cost effective way to control pest. Mouse has always been farm biggest problem, having a cost effective way to manage them? Excellent! Man should be the market segment instead of woman because males that enjoy heavy duty work such as grinding and the like are also another target Market to be considered. Normally in family, man do these â€Å"hard work† instead of woman because most woman are scared of rats. 5)Who is Trap-Ease America’s competition? Trap-Ease America’s competition is any company that creates mouse traps. These competitors are large and hard to fight because most of the companies sold low quality cheap mouse trap. The mouse trap and poison they sell pose a large risk to pets and kids as well as the mouse they are supposed to kill. Regardless, there is also version of live catch mouse trap similar to Martha’s. Some company such as Mice X offer a version of mouse trap that allow the user to dispose the trapped mouse without touching the mouse. They sell it for $5 which is higher than Trap-Ease. This has given an idea that Trap-Ease have lower price compare to their competitor which is a large advantages. Companies such as Kindle did offer mouse trap that uses glue, it is reusable for a short term but are cheaper compared to other mouse trap. Other competitor included: Riddex, Mouse Free, and Sovart.

The Difference Between Men and Women Essay -- Gender Difference Human

The Difference Between Men and Women The fact that men and women are different is well known. Some of these differences are constant and some are not; some have changed in the past and some are about to change in the future. While some physical differences are obvious, some of them are controversial; in addition, psychological and cognitive differences are always divisive. Men are considered to be physically stronger than women. First, the physical duties of a household always seem to be a job for the man of the house. For example, in â€Å"Punch and Judy† by Dave Barry he mentions that â€Å"From the dawn of human civilization, the task of inflating the inflatable pool toy has always fallen to the male.† Second, for now, men are most of the army fighting force of any country. While in Israel everyone has to go to the army, only men have to fight; women are able to do so if they like to and found physically capable. Another example is a quote of Mary Armstrong, director of Women’s Studies at California Polytechnic from â€Å"The Draft: Debating War and Gender Equality† by Jana Larsen—â€Å"Currently, the (American) military assigns women a ‘limited’ or ‘adjusted’ role, that is, women in the military do not do all the same things as men in the military.† Third, occupations that require physical effort are occupied by men. For example, most of the construction and moving workers are men and there are only men in all of the sports team that participate in to face no public important world...

India vs Bharat Essay

India Vs Bharat Our constitution describes ‘India that is Bharat’ is a union of states. And it is a sovereign, secular, socialist and a democratic republic. But anyone also knows that the way the country is developing as two distinctly different block , †¦it seems as if it is no more India , ie Bharat †¦ rather, it looks like India and Bharat. Yes, any thinking mind with a power to analyze, understand and define would agree to the assumption that to day, we have†¦ Two countries in one nation. Two sets of public in one republic Two hugely different life they both live and two greatly different dream they both see. Where is that unity in diversity Where is that common destiny And yes, where all it leads to †¦ One side we have over 100 crore simple, poor and helpless citizens living life with all struggle and helplessness. And the other side you have few crore of complex, selfish, arrogant , corrupt people who live a life flaunting all the ill gotten wealth with a bizarre mindset and uncouth life style. One side a person has all the ill gotten money to throw a party with over 300 dishes and on the other side there are millions who struggle hard even to eat a proper food to live. One side, a corrupt man throws lakhs of rupees just like that and gets treated in a five star hospital amidst all the luxury even for a slightest health disorder, on the other side we have millions of simple, hardworking , honest and very poor citizens who can’t even afford to go to a doctor for whatever health disaster. One side a rich man’s child over eats all the goodies in the food kingdom and throws parties after parties to friends and on the other side we have millions of children who can’t even grow up properly because of lack of normal, everyday food. One side any one who is someone is looting the nation’s precious natural resources for big personal gain, on the other side a honest, hard working citizen spends a whole life time but still fail to have a roof over his head. One side a minority only  drink the best of clean , hygienic water spending any money , but on the other side many have to walk miles even to get a drinking water to carry home . One side some have over hundreds of pairs of dresses to wear , the other side, the majority have to live with just two pairs †¦even all through out their lives†¦ while some even don’t have that too. One side people become millionaire looting the nation and make scam after scam, the other side the majority work so hard †¦but never get their rightful due †¦. Friends, we all know that. It is a tragic story of a great , unforgivable , heart chilling divide that poses serious danger to country’s harmony and peace and leads the nation towards a foreseen catastrophe .†¦ Yes, I will not call it unforeseen catastrophe†¦because I am not blind.. and I can see what this grave discrepancy is leading to. Let us spare some time to think of all this and let us be serious to spread the consciousness , so as to be more proactive, only to act positively to save the nation from further divide †¦and doom . Yes, friends, in order to spread this consciousness and concern †¦ we at Paras foundation will come out with a series of articles that focus on this subject. Hope, you all come in great numbers and play your youthful, energetic , and responsible role in nation building. After all, how come a nation’s future not be safe and secure if its youth are sensible †¦ No ?†¦

Psycholgy exhibited in the film John Q Essay

When asked to find something in the media that directly relates to subject matter that had been discussed in our psychology class there were a couple of topics that came to mind. However, one stands out to me in particular, and that is a movie that I have seen recently called John Q. In this film Denzel Washington plays the role of John Q. Archibald, a man who will go to any lengths to keep his one and only son, Michael, from dying. During the movie, John and his wife, Denise, learn that Michael has an enlarged heart and needs an emergency transplant operation. On top of that, John has recently been reduced from full-time to part-time work. He can’t afford the operation and his health insurance won’t cover it, so he vows to do whatever it will take to keep his son alive. This obviously becomes an extremely difficult moral decision that Archibald must make. In the psychology textbook, there is very similar example to what occurred in the movie John Q, this example was used by a psychologist by the name of Kohlberg to conduct a moral reasoning experiment. The situation in the text tells of a woman that is near death with a special type of cancer, and there is only one, recently developed drug that could possibly save her. However, the druggist was apparently charging 10 times what it cost to make the drug, which is 2000 dollars. The woman’s husband tried to get all the money he could however came up short, and the druggist refused to cut him a deal, and therefore, leaving the man two choices, to either let his wife die, or steal the medicine. And like any good husband the man broke into the store and stole the drug for his wife. This above situation when described in class made me immediately think of the movie John Q, and is the reason this paper is being written. In the film however, the victim was a child who has barely experienced life yet, and measures for his survival were much more desperate. Instead of a just a simple pill or treatment this boy needed a new heart, and a matching heart with that, and without the proper insurance the transplant was near impossible. So, John took the matter into his own hands. He felt that his only option is to take the emergency room hostage until the doctors agree to give his son the operation that he desperately needs and find him a compatible heart. After locking himself, his son and a handful of doctors  into an operating room, the operation gets underway; however, a compatible heart still is yet to be found. Much of the time in this film is spent on the search for a compatible heart, and also John’s communication with the media and police outside the hosp ital like it is some sort of negotiation, when in reality what he wants is just a good life for his son. Nearing the end of the movie, a heart still cannot be found. So John is on the verge of killing himself so that his son can live. So he puts a single bullet into his gun and puts the gun slowly toward his head. At this point in the movie, it is revealed that the whole time John was holding up the hospital with an unloaded pistol. However, just in the nick of time, a donor is found and John’s wife runs hysterically toward the hospital to assure that both her husband and son make it out of that building alive. Eventually the heart reaches the hospital and the young boy survives. John is sentenced to something like 2 to 3 years in prison for holding the emergency room hostage. The movie John Q presents to the viewer in a very clear fashion what is known as an ethical vignette, which was introduced in the 80s by Kohlberg. As our class talked about rather extensively and the textbook touches on Kohlberg, was a famous psychologist in the early 80’s. His studies were primarily focused on moral reasoning, or the thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong. Kohlberg also presents the idea of vignettes, or a perplexing moral situation where something morally wrong must be done in order to do what a particular individual sees as right or mandatory. Apparently in his research Kohlberg conducted an experiment where he asked people of various age groups to determine the morality of a situation, as well as what they would do if they were in this persons place. And from the responses that these people gave, Kohlberg could tell how well developed these people were intellectually. Kohlberg describes 3 stages of moral development in the text. They are preconventional morality, conventional morality, and postconventional morality. Each of these stages are usually achieved by certain ages however, some people may never fully develop into postconventional morality. In conclusion, I believe in John Q, what John did was totally in his and his families’ best interest, and is a perfect example of an ethical vignette. I  also believe that John thought on a very postconventional scale. He knew what he was doing was morally wrong and against his ideals, however, since the insurance companies are such bloodsuckers, he was left with no choice. However, he was looking out for the best interests of his family and himself and simply refused to let his son die. I think very few people are throw into a situation as drastic as this as quickly as John Q was in the movie, however, it just goes to show that there is no price for a human life and that hospitals simply shouldn’t deny care to those that aren’t rich. I feel that what John did in this movie was perfectly acceptable, and it played out very well in Hollywood however, in reality I think he would have been unable to single-handedly take a hold a whole emergency room hostage. But, i t still remains a very clear example of an ethical vignette. And is a perfect portal of the saying â€Å"desperate times call for desperate measures.†

Lowes Companies Inc. Essays - Financial Ratios, Free Essays

Lowe's Companies Inc. Essays - Financial Ratios, Free Essays Lowe's Companies Inc. Home Renovation Retail Industry - Risks and Opportunities The home renovation retail industry is a vast industry with high competition to gain market share. This is industry also heavily relies on the economy when it comes to sales and customers. The crisis in 2008 led to a decline in industry sales for a connective two years but the sluggish economic growth recovery, led to a gradual increase in sales growth which averaged 3% in 2010-2011. (Case pg.2) This shows when the economy is down and the interest rates have lowered, home owners are more willing to invest into their property to raise its value. This case highlights that about 75 % of homeowners completed a renovation project on their property at least once a year, with the average cost of a single renovation being around $4,100. (Case pg.2) This poses a huge risk for this industry if the economy starts to steadily increase. The data shows that the amount of customers would decrease. This means if you don't capture enough market share before the economy increases you could face man y financial problems such as being liquid enough to meet financial obligations Other than the interest rates effecting this industry the weather also plays a big role in sales. During the first couple winter month's sales tend to decline or be much lower than the warmer season. (Case pg.2) This can be considered a huge risk especially if the economy rises. Winter months also provide a huge opportunity in this industry. If a company like Lowes can develop a strategy to attract customers and move the same amount of merchandise as they do in the other 3 seasons, have a huge potential to capture a large portion market share and develop brand loyalty. Lowe's Current Strategy Lowes current strategy is based on their core values which is currently states as to "offering quality home improvement products at the lowest prices, while delivering superior customer service." (Case pg.4). This shows Lowes has decided to focus on offering the lowest price. Lowes strategy is also broad because they offer over 40,000 different stock units which suite the needs of many demographics to obtain the most market share. (Case pg.3) Lowest obtained this strategy based on their relationship with their manufactures. Unlike many other companies in this industry at the time, Lowes bought their inventory directly from the manufacture instead of buying from distributors. This allowed them to offer lower prices than their competitor. These prices were also lower than average consumer of this industry was accustomed to. This method of strategy helped develop the company's name and reputation they currently holds. (Case pg.3) Competition The home hardware market is highly concentrated with as many as 23,000 stores in the US at the time of the case. Also at this time Lowes had three huge competitors in this market which together controlled 90% of the market revenue. (Case pg.2) currently in Canada Lowes, Home depot and RONA are the major players in the hardware/home improvement industry. Home Depot was currently the world largest home improvement retailer in the world. Their current vision is "vision to provide customers with the know how and tools to performs task while saving. (Case pg.3) This vision helped Home Depot obtain a huge portion of the market share and a strong position in this industry. Their second competitor RONA was founded in 1939 by a group of hardware store operators. They joined forces together to pool their orders for products to obtain an economy of scales to gain better prices on their merchandise. RONA was also crowned, largest retailer and distributor of home renovation in Canada in 2012. (Case pg.3) These competitors offering vary similar products and services offering the lowest prices and quality services are crucial to compete in this industry. Current initiatives Lowes current initiative is to change form a total home improvement retailer to a home improvement company. (Case pg.4) By changing from a retailer to a company Lowes plans on offer not only products but also motivation, inspiration and support to their customers in an on-demand manner. This new strategy Lowes plans to implement is to continue to obtain substantial gown and capture larger market

What is communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is communication - Essay Example ation on the other hand does not incorporate the use of symbols in the communication but it considers all the verbal exchange between two or moirà © parties as communication. The oxford dictionary traces the origin of the word ‘communication’ to the Latin word communis meaning â€Å"common† and Reuben and Stewart believe that the first form of communication originated in the Greek empire especially by the early philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates who developed different explanations concerning communication. These two explanations of communication resemble the Schramm’s model of communication in that they all realize the importance of understanding between the sender of the information and the receiver. In Schramm’s model he calls it the ‘commonness’ between a source and the receiver. All the parties in the communication channel must understand one another and this can only be measured through a feedback from the receiver (Ruben & Lea 20). The transactional model of communication is a preferred model because the communicators can act simultaneously by sending and receiving messages and that the communication process in this case is dynamic and it changes over time. In this model the people whom you are communicating with keep on changing as well as the environment in which the communication is taking place. This model enables the parties involved to gain understanding of the information being communicated because the two parties are interdependent thus the source cannot relay information without the receiver and vice versa. The several factors that affect the reaction of both the sender and the receiver are factors like their cultural beliefs, self esteem and their own backgrounds (wood, 6). My own model of communication would be a linear model that will enable the receiver to give feedback of the received information. This model will be effective than any other in the textbook since the linearity of this model will enable the receiver to listen

Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Statement - Essay Example I will attempt to prove all this today and over the following nine days, but first I would like to tell you some more about who the victim in this case really is. Ms. Chen joined the staff at Monash University as a teacher and research academic in May of 2008. Before that time Ms. Chen had worked at the Imperial College in London and also at the University of Cambridge. She had gained two PhDs; one from Imperial College in 2007 for Biomaterials and the other from the University of Science and Technology of Beijing in 1992 for Metallurgical Physics. Professor Sian Harding from the Imperial College of London made the comment that "Qizhi (Ms. Chens nickname) is an exceptionally bright and creative scientist." In terms of her teaching capabilities, Professor Alexander Bismarck, also from Imperial College, remarked that Qizhi is "a gifted teacher." To put it simply, Ms. Chen is an independent thinker, hard-working academic and strong-minded woman who has carved out a fine academic career for herself. In contrast to many female academics who choose to put their career above a family, Ms. Chen is a very typical conservative Chinese woman with a strong family life. She also has a 12-year-old son, who is the apple of her eye. In conjunction with pursuing her academic goals and objectives, Ms. Chen is of the belief that being a mother with a caring family around her is considered to be the greatest achievement a woman can make. In line with her cultural values, Ms. Chen possesses the traits of loyalty, decency, and honesty. Also, Ms. Chen balances her work life and personal life in a way that allows her to have healthy relationships with everyone who she comes across. She is a woman who is quick to forgive and only make judgements based on facts rather than conjecture. In the workplace, Ms. Chen prefers an inclusive approach whereby knowledge can be shared for the benefit of

Social Media and Gap Incorporated Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Social Media and Gap Incorporated - Essay Example Social media represents any effort on behalf of the marketing company in the online environment which promotes socialization or offers insight into consumer opinion through the use of user-generated content (Smith, 559). Some companies are even taking advantage of social networking site models like Twitter’s TweetBeep alert system which emails a professional whenever their company is mentioned in the social network (Hogan and Miller, 25). In order to make the site more interactive, Gap Incorporated can setup a consumer blog which rates certain fashions or the models that are being depicted in the online advertisements. A Rate This! promotion attached to visible consumer links would build interest in leaving comments. This system would need to be maintained by an information support systems team to update the information timely. This blog could give unique insights into consumer values, beliefs, and their current thinking toward the fashion industry as a whole. If the new inter active features are interesting and exciting enough, it will create a viral marketing outcome which should build higher consumer visits to the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, et al. brands. Gap Incorporated should also consider the results of a recent study conducted by Cone Business which identified that consumers crave social interaction (Black, 41). This is due to the high rise of social networking and the amount of time consumers interact in the online social environment increasing. This study also identified that when important stakeholders are online (in this case the consumer) they are looking to speak with organizations and different brands in the digital environment (Black). Gap Incorporated should consider that interactive website promotions, such as a compete to win promotion battling different online users in a trivia contest for discounts, would also provide consumers with their

Stretching Our Horizons Essay Example for Free

Stretching Our Horizons Essay Comparing and contrasting Platos Allegory of the Cave with Paulo Freires Pedagogy of the Oppressed is a complex example of comparing bananas with tangerines. It is hard to take in the mind of a great philosopher. It is even harder to make that mind your own. For that reason the task of fully evaluating these two pieces side by side may forever be a work in progress. Each essay contains three major points. These points discussed new and advised teaching methods, how man is related to or with the world; and the responsibility that enlightened individuals have to mankind. The ideas of these two philosophers both mirror and oppose each other in varying degrees. Through taking very different paths the two writers make their own points clear and demand rational and logical thought of their readers. Plato was a student of Socrates and though the writing of Allegory of the Cave is all his own the basis for his ideas came from none other than his own teacher. The teacher you see is one half of the great element in Platos epiphany. Socrates is in fact a main character in the conversation from which this excerpt is taken. It is said that in this particular work, Plato described symbolically the predicament in which mankind finds itself and proposes a way of salvation (Plato 1). Throughout the conversation a system of ideas develops that are meant to teach the reader or readers about themselves, their world and how it should be viewed rather than a simple, inverted, non-involved outlook that is common to everyday people. The purpose of this writing was to bring about enlightenment. To bring forth this enlightenment we must search for knowledge according to Plato and this knowledge he refers to as light. Light brings the world into focus, so does knowledge and realization of ones plac e in the world. In Platos model, the teacher questions the actions or ideas of the student so that the student will learn to think on their own. A person who quests knowledge for themselves and engages in thoughts other than those placed in their heads by another individual will find that knowledge. The quest for knowledge is not only a right but also a duty and one that brings with it responsibility and dignity. Everyone has the ability to search for and find the light, or knowledge as we call it. Everyone also has the ability to attain this  knowledge. According to Socrates in this dialogue, living a life with true knowledge and enlightenment is living a philosophical one. A life that casts a downward look onto one of politics is one of true philosophy and one of true philosophy. This life is the only one that degrades the grandeur of political ambition. Part of finding this light is becoming aware of the human relationship with the world. Plato believed that most men see themselves as living in a narrow world. If the truth is told the world as they believe it is not a picture of reality. Therefore, the world exists and man is here in it, but does not truly understand what it really is for he does not knows even himself as a man. Once a person has discovered himself, once he has discovered the light, it is his inborn duty to share this with the world. His purpose is now to become a writer of philosophy, to become a teacher in the school of thought. Despite the level on which a person decides to do these honorable deeds, it is not enough. It is the enlightened mans reason for being part of this great world that he has discovered. Pablo Freires ideas about man and educating are compiled in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed. He strongly suggests that for teaching to be the most effective it must be cognitive or revolutionary forum. The students should be pressed toward thinking on an individual level and this must be done in such a way that the teacher is not the source from which the knowledge comes. The instructor should be a means to obtain knowledge, a tool that is an aid rather than a necessity. Often times the teacher must become the student in the since of being open to new arguments and ideas that are introduced by the student. Freires theory also states that a person is not part of the world; but the world is part of the person. He says that without mankind the world would not exist because there would be no one to say that it was doing so. What a person is what becomes reality, it is the true world. Freire suggests that to be enlightened, one must be more humanistic. The more humanistic a person can become the more knowledge they have obtained and the more they can help the world. This is the most important element because since they are of such great knowledge it is their job to pass this onto the world so that everyone may become more enlightened and raise the level of our existence. As it may be seen the two writers have both theories in common and those completely at odds with one another. Plato says that to teach you must challenge that you must force, but Freire says that you must stand back and let the student come to personal and individual cognition. In this Freire argues a revolutionary teaching method, but does so in an essay that follows the style of narrative banking, while Plato rigidly portrays his methods in the way that his writing is developed and constructed. Both men see that man has a direct relationship with the world. Plato sees man as a part of the world, which must be brought into the light to see in reality. Freire on the other hand says that the individual is the world and that what he sees is what is real. The main area of agreement comes when both philosophers convey, it is the enlightened peoples place to carry on their knowledge to others. In one suggestion Plato uses his theory of philosophical lives being of a higher level than thos e of simple political ambition as an example of how to broaden the horizons of common place people by saying that enlightened people should be the ones in these political offices. From these offices they will be able to do more good than an unenlightened person will. They will be able to teach life and the value of it. Freire believes that an enlightened person must teach the very enlightenment and that the responsibility of extending this thought lies both on the student and the teacher. People cannot become great on their own, they must have educators, people to point them in the right direction. Their aid in seeking personal enlightenment could be anyone or anything and come from any of the various methods. The existence of the world is what we make it. Our duty is to ourselves and that entitles all that we believe both as individuals and as a group. While the debate about whom is right or wrong will continue throughout time, one thing is for sure: we must go on.

Natural Output Levels: Fiscal and Monetary Policy Impact

Natural Output Levels: Fiscal and Monetary Policy Impact In this essay I discuss whether the fiscal and monetary policy has impact on the natural level of output. Natural level of output, in other words potential output is a total gross domestic product (GDP) that could be produced by an economy if all its resources were fully employed. This means if the economy is at natural level of output, the unemployment rate equals the NAIRU or the natural rate of unemployment and other factories, such as technology and capital are kept at optimal capacity level. We can derive the natural level of output function. It is given by: Yn=Nn=L(1-un) where natural level of output is equal to natural level of employment and it is equal to the labor force L times 1 minus the natural rate unemployment rate un. In addition, the natural level of output satisfies this equation: F((1-Yn)/L,z)=1/(1+ÃŽÂ ¼) The natural level of output is such that, at the associated rate of unemployment, the real wage chosen in wage setting the left side of equation is equal to the real wage implied by price setting the right side of equation. However, it is hard to change the natural level of output as it is difficult to change the natural level of unemployment. Lets consider why natural unemployment rate cannot be changed by government policies. Famous economists Friedman and Phelps explained that using Phillips curve. They opposed this idea on theoretical grounds, as they noted that if unemployment was to be permanently lower, some real variable in the economy, like the real wage, would have changed permanently. Why this should be the case because inflation was higher, appeared to rely on systematic irrationality in the labor market. As Friedman remarked, wage inflation would eventually catch up and leave the real wage, and unemployment, unchanged. Hence, lower unemployment could only be attained as long as wage inflation and inflation expectations lagged behind actual inflation. This was seen to be only a temporary outcome. Eventually, unemployment would return to the rate determined by real factors independent of the inflation rate. According to Friedman and Phelps, the Phillips curve was therefore vertical in the long run, and expansive demand policies would only be a cause of inflation, not a cause of permanently lower unemployment. The policy implication is that the natural rate of unemployment cannot permanently be reduced by demand management policies (including monetary policy), but that such policies can play a role in stabilizing variations in actual unemployment. So, we should find out what exactly impact the government policies have to the countrys economy. Firstly, we should consider monetary policy and whether it has affect to the natural level of output. Monetary policy is the process a government, central bank, or monetary authority of a country uses to control the supply of money, availability of money, and cost of money or rate of interest to attain a set of objectives oriented towards the growth and stability of the economy. Monetary policy is referred to as either being an expansionary policy, or a contractionary policy, where an expansionary policy increases the total supply of money in the economy, and a contractionary policy decreases the total money supply. Expansionary policy is traditionally used to combat unemployment in a recession by lowering interest rates, while contractionary policy involves raising interest rates to combat inflation. Lets look how the monetary policy is working and that is then happening to equilibrium output. Suppose that government is running the expansionary monetary policy and increase the level of nominal money from M to M. Assume that before the change in nominal money, output is at its natura l level. So now we will try to find out does the monetary policy affect the natural level of output. In the Figure 1 we see that aggregate demand and aggregate supply cross at point A, where the level of output is equals Yn, and the price level equals P. Figure 1. Suppose the nominal money level increase. Remember the equation Y=Y(M/P,G,T). For a given price level P, the increase in nominal money M leads to an increase in the real money stock M/P leading to an increase in output. Aggregate demand curve shifts from AD to AD. In the short run economys equilibrium goes from A to A, output increases from Yn to Y and prices increases from P to P. Over time, the equilibrium changes. As output is higher than the natural level of output, the price level is higher than was expected so the wage setters revise their expectations which cause AS curve to shift up. The economy moves up along the aggregate demand curve, AD. The adjustment process stops when output is returned to the natural level of output. In the medium run the aggregate supply curve is AS, the economy is at point A and the price level have rose and is equal to P. So the only effect achieved by monetary policy in medium run is price level rise. The proportional increase in the nominal money stock is equal to the proportional increase in prices. So we can see that expansionary monetary policy did not affect the natural level of output. We should consider why it did not succeed. As we know that stabilizing inflation will also stabilize output at its natural level, so it suggest assumption that monetary policy does not affect natural level of output, but only changes real level of output and returns it to the position of natural level of output. So, in the short run, monetary policy affects the level of real output as well as its composition: an increase in money leads to a decrease in interest rates and a depreciation of the currency. Both of these lead to an increase in the demand for goods and an increase in output. In the medium run and the long run, monetary policy is neutral: changes in either the level or the rate of growth of money have no effect on output or unemployment, so it cannot affect the natural level of unemployment and the natural level of output. Changes in the level of money lead to proportional increase in prices. Changes in the rate of nominal money growth lead to corresponding changes in the inflation rate. Secondly, we should consider the fiscal policy and whether it affects the natural level of output. Fiscal policy is the use of government expenditure and revenue collection to influence the economy. Fiscal policy can be contrasted with the other main type of economic policy, monetary policy, which attempts to stabilize the economy by controlling interest rates and the supply of money. The two main instruments of fiscal policy are government expenditure and taxation. Changes in the level and composition of taxation and government spending can impact on the following variables in the economy: aggregate demand and the level of economic activity; the pattern of resource allocation; the distribution of income. Lets consider the fiscal policy impact to countrys economy and natural level of output. Take an example the government is running a budget deficit and decides to reduce it by decreasing it spending from G to G and leave taxes T unchanged. Assume that output is initially at the natural level of output so that the economy is at point A in figure 2 and output equals Yn. Figure 2. The decrease in government spending from G to G shifts the aggregate demand curve from AD to AD: for a given price level, output is lower. In the short run, the equilibrium moves from A to A: output decreases from Yn to Y, and the price level decreases from P to P. As we can see the deficit reduction leads to lower output. In the medium run as long as output is below the natural level of output, the aggregate supply curve keeps shifting down. The economy moves down along the aggregate demand curve AD, until the aggregate supply curve is given by AS and the economy reaches point A. By then, the recession is over, and output is back at Yn. Like an increase in nominal money, a reduction in the budget deficit does not affect output forever. Eventually, output returns to its natural level. However there is an important difference between the effect of a change in money and the effect of a change in deficit. In this case output is back to the natural level of output, but the price level and the interest rate are lower than before the shift. So we can conclude that fiscal policy cannot affect the natural level of output it only affects the real level of output which in the medium and long run comes back to its natural level. Thirdly, we should consider whether government has any other policy that can affect the natural level of output. We have find out neither fiscal nor monetary policy cannot affect the natural level of output by itself. However, using both of these policies together in appropriate way can cause a desirable result and a change the natural level of output. Lets look in Figure 3, which shows the mix of monetary and fiscal policy. There are two ways to stabilize income at Y*, which is the natural level of output. First, there is expansionary or easy fiscal policy. This leads to a high IS schedule IS1. To keep income in check with such an expansionary fiscal policy, tight monetary policy is needed. Government choose a low money supply target, which is represented by LM1 schedule in the Figure 3. Equilibrium E1 is at output Y*, but has the high interest rate r1. With high government spending, private demand must be kept in check. The mix of easy fiscal policy and tight monetary policy implie s government spending G is a big part of national income Y* but private spending (C + I) is a small part. Alternatively, government interested in long-run growth may choose a tight fiscal policy and easy monetary policy. In this case target income Y* is attained with a lower interest rate r2 at the equilibrium E2. With easy monetary policy and tight fiscal policy, the share of private expenditure (C + I) is higher, and the share of government expenditure lower, than at E1. With lower interest rates, there is less crowding out of private expenditure. It rises the investment level and high investment increases the capital stock more quickly, giving workers more equipment with which to work and raising their productivity. In the long run it will cause the growth of the natural output level. Figure 3. Income Y* Interest rates r1 r2 E1 LM1 LM0 IS0 IS1 E4 E3 E2 So we can make a conclusion, that neither the fiscal nor the monetary policy can affect the natural level of output working separately. Though, if the government uses both policies, this mean use the mix of monetary and fiscal policies, for example for expanding the government spending on such things as basic research, public health, education, and infrastructure, this will cause the long-term growth of potential output. EGovernment: History, Causes and Trends EGovernment: History, Causes and Trends BENCHMARKING EGOVERNMENT SERVICES Abstract: Governments around the world have embraced the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This represents a relatively new branch of study within the IT field. EGovernment Services are provided through many different means of access and to a variance of audiences, citizens, businesses or even other governmental entities. After clarifying the definitions and differences among similar terms (i.e. eGovernance and Digital Government, eDemocracy) this paper examines how eGovernment is measured by analyzing the dominating methodologies that are used. Furthermore, following specifically the eGovernment benchmarking methodology that is used by the European Commission, a greater focus in the evolution of eGovernment in Greece has been made. The finding through this assessment was far from satisfactory. Particularly, comparing the 20 Basic eGovernment Services offered in Greece, from 2007 to 2009, no development in terms of improvement, has taken place. Finally, the measures tha t governments need to undertake are discussed. Introduction In the past years, assisted by the invasion of Information Technology in everyday lives, governments all over the world have begun widely using information technologies for increasing the effectiveness and quality of the services they provide. These initiatives have become known as â€Å"electronic government† or eGovernment services. In most cases, when words gain that attractive â€Å"e-â€Å" in front of them, the popular belief is that they have become â€Å"electronic†, whatever that means, even though in some cases it does not make much sense. This confusion is much more obvious when the original word itself has conceptual and abstract meanings. Words like Government and Governance. Section I presents the most popular definitions, choosing the one that describe each term the best, and clarifies boundaries between the most common terms. Furthermore, the different ways that eGovernment can be classified, depending on the delivery model or the audience, is outlined. Although the definitions of eGovernment may vary widely, there an obvious shared theme emerges; eGovernment involves using information technology, and especially the Internet, to improve the delivery of government services to citizens, businesses, and other government agencies. It acts as enabler for citizens to interact and receive services from governments twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Monitoring eGovernment development and evaluating its effectiveness is a complex and challenging task, as the phenomenon is new and dynamic. In Section II, the basics of Benchmarking are presented and its structural elements are analyzed. Focusing on specific examples of methodology used, a set of four dominant practices that represent the longest running efforts for measuring eGovernment is chosen to be explored further. Using the reports publish by each one of them, on a periodical basis, their inner workings are analyzed and the various developments, changes and evolutions in the methods employed by each one are mentioned. Section III focuses at benchmarking of eGovernment Services in Europe. In order to recognize how eGovernment has evolved and matured within the European Union, the relevant European directives, initiatives and frameworks for the development of eGovernment Services in the region since 1999 are examined. Following that, the methodology used for benchmarking eGovernment the European Union is examined in detail. All measuring elements, including some that were used for the first time in the most recently published report are evaluated. Having established what eGovernment is, what Benchmarking is and how its methodologies function, Section IV uses the data from the latest European eGovernment Benchmarking Report, which was published in November 2009, to assess how the Greek eGovernment landscape evolved since the previous report in 2007. The results are disappointing. When comparing the 20 Basic eGovernment Services offered in Greece, there was no improvement, what so ever, from 2007 to 2009. Following that, Greek performance in the two new indices introduced in the latest report (EProcurement and User Experience) is reported and compared to the respective EU27+ average. Finally, in Section V, a general overview is provided along with the conclusions about the (lack of) progress in eGovernment in Greece. Scope and aims The scope of this project is to analyze how the meaning of eGovernment has evolved in the past few years and then review the current trends in benchmarking the penetration sophistication of eGovernment services in Europe and the rest of the world. Furthermore, this project reports and analyses the level of eGovernment services offered in Greece. The basic aims of this project are: Define the eGovernment ecosystem, typology and taxonomy. Analyse the dominant methodologies of benchmarking eGovernment services Gather and process existing results about eGovernment in Greece, regarding service penetration and sophistication, along with other relevant metrics. Resources This project relies heavily on research. In particular, a lot of research on what the different and sometimes contradicting terms that define eGovernment as well as the rest of the relevant terms in academic papers throughout the previous decade was made. Following that, further research about the current and past trends in benchmarking in general and eGovernment benchmarking in particular are is conducted. From there on, having established what eGovernment is and what the provided services should be, along with how they are measured, more research was conducted in order to reveal what the actual current level of provided eGovernment services is. To accomplish this, reports from many different parties are used. These include reports published both by well knows analyst firms or government bodies in various levels as well as reports issued at a global level such as the United Nations to local reports issued by the authorities of each country such as the IT Observatory in Greece. Typology Convention Throughout the bibliography, or any other sort of resource for that matter, â€Å"electronic† terms do not have a consistent representation. So, just like electronic mail can be found abbreviated in quite a few forms, â€Å"electronic† Government is abbreviated to eGovernment, e-Government, E-Government etc. To avoid this inconsistency, through this project the term eGovernment will be used (changed to EGovernment only in the beginning of sentences). This convention will apply to â€Å"electronic† terms that will be used such as eGovernance. I. EGovernment, eGovernance and Digital Governance EGovernment is one more of the recent years â€Å"buzzwords†. It is usually either paired with the word â€Å"services† at the end or other words like eGovernance and Digital Government. Like every other (relatively) new and cool â€Å"buzzword† they are used widely by a broad spectrum of individuals who represent mostly two different backgrounds. Information technology and politics. The first because it is a technological issue, the later because they have come to realize, even though a little late, that they represent an excellent vehicle for them to provide a better experience to anyone who interacts with the Government. But, what do these terms mean? Do they collide or conflict each other? How about covering or including one another? A. EGovernment Definitions There is not one, unique and commonly accepted definition for eGovernment. It is quite difficult to decide over a specific one but after the research made, the following definition from the World Bank (ÃŽ  ÃŽâ€˜ÃŽ ¡ÃŽâ€˜ÃŽ  ÃŽÅ¸ÃŽÅ"ÃŽ  ÃŽâ€") describes it best: â€Å"Government refers to the use by government agencies of information technologies (such as Wide Area Networks, the Internet, and mobile computing) that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government. These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and industry, citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management. The resulting benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth, and/or cost reductions ((AOEMA), 2004). Although other definitions have been provided, this definition is preferred. The reason is that it is the most concise and the easiest to be understood since apart describing in simple words how eGovernment is utilized, it goes on to offer a very brief, yet to the point, reference to its main advantages. EGovernment definitions various other sources as follows:  · United Nations definition ((AOEMA), 2004): â€Å"E-government is defined as utilizing the Internet and the world-wide-web for delivering government information and services to citizens.† * Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce GBDe definition ((AOEMA), 2004): â€Å"Electronic government (hereafter e-Government) refers to a situation in which administrative, legislative and judicial agencies (including both central and local governments) digitize their internal and external operations and utilize networked systems efficiently to realize better quality in the provision of public services.† * Gartner Groups definition: â€Å"the continuous optimization of service delivery, constituency participation, and governance by transforming internal and external relationships through technology, the Internet and new media.† * Definition of the Working Group on eGovernment in the Developing World: E-government is the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to promote more efficient and effective government, facilitate more accessible government services, allow greater public access to information, and make government more accountable to citizens. E-government might involve delivering services via the Internet, telephone, community centers (self-service or facilitated by others), wireless devices or other communications systems.† EGovernment is in the first stages of development. Most governments have already taken or are taking initiatives offering government services online. However, for the true potential of eGovernment to be realized, government needs to restructure and transform its long entrenched business processes. EGovernment is not simply the process of moving existing government functions to an electronic platform. Rather, it calls for rethinking the way government functions are carried out today to improve some processes, to introduce new ones and to replace those that require it. The range of services that may be provided by e-government spans from simple information sites to fully interactive experiences where users and government engage in a dialog mediated by information technology. Internal information systems of Government agencies, information kiosks, automated telephone information services, SMS services and other systems all comprise e-Government services. All these are applications of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to improve the services of the Government towards its primary clients: the citizens. In the last few years, there has been much talk of mobile government or m-government. MGovernment refers to the use of wireless technologies like cellular/mobile phones, laptops and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) for offering and delivering government services. MGovernment is not a substitute for e-government, rather it complements it. 1. Benefits of eGovernment E-Government initiatives contribute to citizen empowerment by making information about government processes and decisions easily available, and allowing information-sharing among people and organizations, and between citizens and the civil service (Accenture and the Markle Foundation, 2001). Well-informed citizens are better able to hold their governments accountable. Governments are then compelled to improve the quality of services, expand accessibility of these services, and increase responsiveness to their constituents. Many Government services rely on information passed among different offices within a department or across departments. The large amount of information and paperwork required results in an environment where for red tape rips, the workforce is inefficient and bureaucratic, and the delivery of services is ineffective. With the usage of ICT, the government bureaucracy and citizens are both winners in the battle against the paper trail. eGovernment allows government kno wledge and data exchange to be accessed more easily (whether public or secure) by the appropriate offices or individuals. By this, it reduces redundancies of information flows, and resulting in overall increased productivity. Another result of the integration of operations of government agencies is the improvement of transparency in government. EGovernment minimizes redundant information flows, helps to eliminate duplications of functions, and improves the adherence of public servants to proper government procedures, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption. This, provided it is accompanied by well-informed and active citizens, will assist in limiting the relationship between bureaucracy and corruption and will help lead to a higher sense of accountability among officials. B. EGovernment Taxonomy EGovernment can be classified according to different criteria. It can be classified according to its level, its audience and last but certainly not least, according to the delivery mechanism used. 1. Reach EGovernment can be categorized in the following five distinct levels depending on how broad it is. The levels are: * International * National * Regional * State/Provisional * Local These levels are illustrated below (see 1 adapted from Heeks, 2006) 2. Audience The question of where eGovernment originates is pretty much self-explanatory. Nevertheless, the same does not apply when wondering about who is in the receiving end. The answer that first comes to mind is, the citizens. But isnt so. Apart from citizens, there are other entities that are benefited by eGovernment services. According to Backus, â€Å"the three main target groups that can be distinguished in eGovernment concepts are government, citizens and businesses/interest groups. The external strategic objectives focus on citizens and businesses and interest groups, the internal objectives focus on government itself† (Backus, 2001). a) Government to Citizens (G2C) Government to Citizen activities are those in which the government provides, on-line, one-stop access to information and services to citizens. G2C applications allow citizens to ask questions of government agencies and receive answers, such us: * File income taxes * Pay taxes * Arrange driving tests or renew drivers licenses * Pay traffic tickets * Make appointments for vehicle emission inspections and * Change their address In addition, a government could: * Distribute information on the web * Provide downloadable forms online * Conduct training (e.g., in some US States, the classes for the drivers tests are offered online) * Assist citizens in finding employment * Provide touristic and recreational information * Provide health advice about safety issues (e.g. warnings for epidemics like the recent H1N1 virus) * Allow transfer of benefits like food coupons * File natural disaster relief compensation electronically through the use of smart cards; and the list goes on. b) Government to Business (G2B) Government to Business activities refers to those where the government deals with businesses such as suppliers using the Internet and other ICTs. It is a bidirectional interaction and transaction: Government to Business (G2B) and Business to Government (B2G). B2G is about businesses selling products and services to government. The most important G2B areas are eProcurement (which essentially is actually a reverse auction) and the auction of government surpluses. c) Government to Government (G2G) Lastly, Government to Government refers to those activities that take place between different government organizations/agencies/entities. Many of these activities aim to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of overall government operations. One such example is the Intelink, an intranet that carries classified information shared by different U.S. intelligence agencies. 3. Delivery Mechanism EGovernment services are provided not only via the Internet. Instead, many other means are often used. In fact, studies and reports indicate that these â€Å"other† means of eGovernment services provision show in some cases extremely high utilization. For example: * Telephony dominates channel usage in some situations: Accenture (2005) reports 63% of industrialized country respondents contacting government by telephone; compared to 31% using the Internet over a 12-month period. * In-person visits dominate in other situations: an Australian survey reports half of government contacts to be face-to-face compared to one-fifth undertaken via the Internet (AGIMO 2005). * Survey data also reflects an ongoing preference for telephone or in-person channels especially for transactional, problem-solving, urgent and complex interactions (AGIMO 2005, Horrigan 2005). a) Multichannel Examples Some Governments have embraced this reality and adopted a multichannel approach to the services they offer. In its Progress Reports, the European Comission includes some specific examples: * In Malta, citizens can access their personal social security records and payments via the internet, and may also opt to be notified about their social security payments via SMS rather than receiving printed payment advice by post. However, the most innovative initiative is the introduction of eGovernment Agents that act as intermediaries to those without access. (ePractice eGovernment Factsheets Malta, 2009) * In Austria, all websites that belong to the .gv.at domain are available free of charge or connection fees via wireless hotspots (WLAN), and via public kiosks, thanks to an excellent cooperation between the Austrian Government and two major telecommunication providers. Similar to Malta, Austria also has legislation in place allowing officials to act as intermediaries for citizens who do not have online access or a citizen (ePractice eGovernment Factsheets Austria, 2009) * In Spain, 060 is the magic code providing a single access point. Many services provided by different administrations can be accessed via the 060 network, whether they are office-, internet-, or phone-based. Citizens can access the networks 2800 points of presence in the street or their office on the web, by the phone (060) or SMS. The 060 phone number is intended to replace over 1000 phone numbers available for citizens to access information of the General Administration of the State. The network is available 24/7 and currently offers 1225 national, regional and local public services. It is worth noting that In August 2007, only 15 months after its creation, the citizen information phoneline 060 had already dealt with 700000 enquiries. (ePractice eGovernment Factsheets Spain, 2009) C. EGovernance Definitions Just like eGovernment, there is not a single common definition to describe eGovernance. However, the UNESCO defines it best: â€Å"E-governance is the public sectors use of information and communication technologies with the aim of improving information and service delivery, encouraging citizen participation in the decision-making process and making government more accountable, transparent and effective. E-governance involves new styles of leadership, new ways of debating and deciding policy and investment, new ways of accessing education, new ways of listening to citizens and new ways of organizing and delivering information and services. E-governance is generally considered as a wider concept than e-government, since it can bring about a change in the way citizens relate to governments and to each other. E-governance can bring forth new concepts of citizenship, both in terms of citizen needs and responsibilities. Its objective is to engage, enable and empower the citizen.† Other definitions include * â€Å"EGovernance, meaning ‘electronic governance is using information and communication technologies (ICTs) at various levels of the government and the public sector and beyond, for the purpose of enhancing governance.† (Bedi et all, 2001, Holmes , 2001 and Okot-Uma, 2000). * Whereas according to Backus (2001), eGovernance is defined as the, â€Å"application of electronic means in (1) the interaction between government and citizens and government and businesses, as well as (2) in internal government operations to simplify and improve democratic, government and business aspects of Governance.† D. Digital Government The term Digital Governance was introduced more than 7 years ago (McIver Elmargarmid, 2002). Notions such as eGovernment, eGovernance and any future technology of ICT (e.g. Web 2.0 applications), should fall under the Digital Governance umbrella (Schellong, 2009). This term has been preferred by other researchers as well, due to the excessive usage of adding letters like â€Å"e† (electronic), â€Å"m† (mobile), â€Å"u† (ubiquitous) or â€Å"2.0† to government-related terms. Schellong goes further to suggest a specific typology (2008) as illustrated below in 2: EGovernment contains the terms: * EAdministration Internal use of ICT * EServices. External use of ICT * EDemocracy. Use of ICT for direct public participation in government (decision making or voting) EGovernance is a completely different branch and deals with government, society and economy. E. Open Government In the last decade, there have been many efforts to promote eGovernment. A new initiative has emerged though, Open Government, or OpenGov as it is usually abbreviated. OpenGovernment efforts have begun not only in the US but also in other countries, like Greece. Although OpenGovernment and eGovernment have similar characteristics and share common goals, the greatest one being the promotion of transparency, they are not the same. Open Government can be argued to be an evolution of eGovernment (GUSTETIC, 2009), since the only reason that it exists as an initiative today is because of advances made by eGovernment along with various technological improvements and innovations. II. Benchmarking A. Definition Benchmarking is defined as the process of measuring the performance of an organization along with the practices it applies in key areas and subsequently comparing them to other organizations. It is widely accepted in the private sector and is being used as a practical tool in order to achieve positive results with unlimited potential. EGovernment benchmarking means undertaking a review of comparative performance of eGovernment between nations or agencies. These studies have two purposes: * Internal: Benefit the individual and/or organization undertaking the benchmarking study * External: Benefit achieved for users of the study. This project falls into the first category, as described in the Scope and Aims paragraph earlier in the document. B. Goals With new expectations about their performance, government entities are being encouraged to look at ways of implementing changes in their practices. Benchmarking provides them with one of their most useful options. In every industry, there are ways of doing things that are broadly recognized as standard practices for that industry. However, every industry has its leaders. These leaders are organizations that over perform when measured against those standards. They have achieved â€Å"best practices† as demonstrated by their results in quality, cost, customer satisfaction and responsiveness. Benchmarking aims to discover what the â€Å"best practices† are that lead to superior performance. In greater detail, the process of benchmarking e-Government : * Fosters accountability for eGovernment projects. * Helps meeting rising public expectations * Enables government officials to take more informed decisions and corrective actions * Validates the generated public value * Fosters projects interchange Moreover, benchmarking can be distinguished from other traditional forms of evaluation by its attempt to visualize â€Å"best practices† through normalizing comparison and by urging public entities to ask themselves what they can do to promote them. Benchmarking enables and motivates them to determine how well current practices compare to others practices, locate performance gaps, experience best practices in action, and prioritize areas for improvement or other opportunities. It is quite important to note that â€Å"Benchmarking is not the same as benchmarks. Benchmarks are performance measures and benchmarking is the action of conducting the evaluation.† (Yasin, 2002). C. Data Sources After establishing what benchmarking is, the most common data sources are evaluated.. 1. Calculated Indicators Quite a few benchmarking reports use composite indicators, for example, for the purposes of national rankings. Because it is not always clear how they are calculated or researched, composites have been criticized (UIS 2003) for their lack of transparency along for their subjectivity. Fortunately, a guide for good practice in use of composites has been developed (eGEP 2006a:45) and includes: * Developing a theoretical framework for the composite. * Identifying and developing relevant variables. * Standardizing variables to allow comparisons. * Weighting variables and groups of variables. * Conducting sensitivity tests on the robustness of aggregated variables. Other than the composite calculation of national rankings, there seems to be little use of calculated indicators in the benchmarking of e-government. The most commonly used indicators include: * Benefit/Cost Ratio. * Demand/Supply Match. * Comparative Service Development. * National Ranking Some examples along with the methods used for each indicator are illustrated in Table 1below (adapted from Heeks, 2006). Calculated Indicator Example Method Benefit/Cost Ratio Expected financial benefit (impact) / Financial cost (input) (NOIE 2003) Interview (internal self-assessment / internal administrative records) Demand/Supply Match Preference for online channel in particular services versus Online sophistication of that service (Graafland Essers Ettendgui 2003) Mass citizen survey Comparative Service Development Stage model level of citizen services versus business services (Capgemini 2005) Stage model level of different service cluster areas (Capgemini 2005) Third party Web assessment National Ranking Composite of features and stage model level for national websites (West 2005) Composite of ICT and human infrastructure with stage model level for national/other websites (UN 2005) Composite of stage model level, integration and personalization of national websites (Accenture 2005) Third party Web assessment Table 1 Calculated Indicators Used in eGovernment Benchmarking (Heeks, 2006). 2. Standard Public Sector Indicators Apart from calculated indicators, others (Flynn 2002) suggest using a standard indicator set for public sector performance. This set is displayed in Table 2 below (adapted from Flynn 2002). Indicator Explanation eGovernment Example Benchmark Economy The amount of inputs used Expenditure per capita on IT None Internal efficiency The ration of input intermediates Cost per website produced per year Minimization External efficiency The ratio of inputs: outputs (use) Cost per citizen user of government websites per year Minimization Internal effectiveness The fit between actual outputs (use) and organizational objectives or other set targets The extent to which underserved communities are users of e-government services Maximization External effectiveness The fit between actual impacts and organizational objectives or other set targets The extent to which citizens are gaining employment due to use of an eGovernment job search service Maximization Quality The quality of intermediates or, more typically outputs (use) The quality of eGovernent services as perceived by citizen users Maximization Equity The equitability of distribution of outputs and impacts The quality of time/money saved by eGovernment service use between rich and poor Maximization Table 2 Standard Indicators for eGovernment Performance (Flynn 2002) D. Methodologies Having described the methodologies used more commonly when benchmarking eGovernment services, the next step is to illustrate how the necessary data is gathered. There are a number of official methods (eGEP 2006b): * Focus groups * Internal administrative records * Internal self-assessment * Mass user surveys * Official statistics * Pop-up surveys * Third part web assessment * Web metrics and crawlers Each of these methods can be compared in four different and distinct factors (Heeks, 2006). Those are: * Cost: The time and financial cost of the method. * Value: The value of the method in producing data capable of assessing the downstream value of e-government. * Comparability: The ease with which data produced can be compared across nations or agencies. * Data Quality: The level of quality of the methods data. In particular, Heeks suggests using the CARTA (Complete, Accurate, Relevant, Timely, Appropriate) check list when assessing data quality (2006). There is also a set of methodologies that are not used as frequently as the ones mentioned earlier. These are: * Intermediary Surveys. * Intranet Assessment. * Public Domain Statistics. * Public Servant and Politician Surveys. 1. Automation With new eGovernment services being introduced by Governments every day, benchmarking is gradually becoming a more and more important mechanism for identifying best practices and keeping track of developments, but as the number of the offered services increase, data collection becomes more and more difficult. Apart from that, since eGovernment is being expanded to other eGovernment levels, as illustrated earlier in 1, it is only natural that the number of benchmarking studies is increasing fast. Thus, the traditional approach of fata collection has not only become a very challenging but also a very resource intensive task. In order to address this matter, there are projects (eGovMon) which attempt to automate the data collection (Research Council of Norway, 2009). In particular, the eGovMon project is co-funded by the Research Council of Norway and â€Å"is developing methodology and software for quality evaluation of web services, in particular eGovernment services, concerning four areas:†  · Accessibility  · Transparency  · Efficiency  · Impact Additionally eGovMon will provide a policy design tool