Saturday, January 25, 2020

Vidal Business Strategy Overconfidence

Vidal Business Strategy Overconfidence Introduction During the annual business plan meeting regarding the shower gel brand Vidal, it was decided for 2017 to decline the 1+1 promo quantities in an effort to achieve better profitability versus last year. From the arguments that were presented, i believe that the team has overestimated the probability for the latter scenario to happen, since the decision might has been impacted by overconfidence. The aim of this report is a) to present arguments that justify the latter, b) to detect the source of this bias and c) to recommend de-bias techniques that will be proved useful also for the future. The case Vidal, in a short period of time became the 3rd player into the segment, with a continuous growth. Last year it gained +3.5 points in terms of market share and a +30% increase in value sales. Managers pointed that the key drivers of success were: a) the great value for money product b) the highest rate of 1+1 promo intensity c) the investment on distribution and traditional advertising. The team concluded that the objective to penetrate the market was completed and there is an opportunity to achieve better profitability and ROI at the end of 2017. This could happen by a 20-25% reduction in 1+1 promo quantities. Following this strategy, managers estimated that they can retain at least last years value sales, which in combination with the lower cost of selling goods will improve the brands profitability. The greatest ally that will support the latter is products excellence and consumer loyalty. More specifically, they considered that the combination of products low price (2ndlowest) and quality is so unique, that by reducing the 1+1 promo, consumers will be directed towards the regular product. Moreover, after the distribution expansion the team estimated that the products superiority versus competition will attract new consumers. I feel that both scenarios are overconfident and their probabilities should be reassessed for the following reasons. Initially, the findings of a qualitative research indicated that Vidal is a value for money product, but still lacks in terms of packaging. Most consumers considered the packaging as old fashioned and correlated it with Private Label. Additionally, they indicated some practical issues during the usage which are capable to restrain both users experience and perceptional quality. From a quantitative perspective, it was noticed that 55% of Vidals revenues were generated from the 1+1 quantities whereas the regular product presented a sharp increase in 3 out of 5 variances, mainly because of distribution expansion and not from gaining consumers from other players. Private Labels are leaders into the segment while in 2016 presented a substantial growth. From the data report, I noticed that the second player had around -40% lower price during some periods that are not supported from their 1+1 promo wave. From the latter I suspect that they might invested in price reductions in order to constrain PLs growth since they are more expensive. As a consequence I would like to underline that: Private labels are growing significantly in a price sensitive segment. Maybe by reducing 1+1 quantities we might push our consumers towards them, since we are highly correlated and more expensive. Palmolive might has realized the threat of PL and might has adapted its strategy by offering price reductions. The initiative to reduce our investment under these circumstances might also outflow consumers towards them. I think that the team has overestimated the regular products competitive advantage compared with competition and underestimated the importance of 1+1 promo. I believe that the source of this bias is generated by the teams motivation to improve profits since its a key performance indicator for both the companys and managers growth. During this effort managers knew that is not feasible to increase investment in order to boost sales and consequently they thought about a cost reduction strategy. The initial feedback about the very good results might boosted their confidence, whereas the fact that the brand has experienced only successes might constrained them to consider alternative scenarios. In order to improve the decision making process I would like to recommend some techniques of reducing overconfidence. The first is related about the importance of counter-argumentation. This means that managers when taking a decision should consider reasons why this decision might goes wrong. If the latter is difficult then they could ask from outsiders to express their opinion. For example in our case before approving the decision all the team members is recommended to list a number of reasons why the 1+1 reduction could not lead to increased profitability. In case that no one could think about any reason then, the Sales force should provide some input, since they have excellent sense of the market and its dynamics. Secondly, I would indicate the importance of feedback. The company is operating since 1970 while is consisted form experienced and new members. It is a great opportunity to exploit the companys knowledge by creating a case-study library that will host all the companys past successes and failures. Once a year we could organize the Sarantis-Training-Academy, in which managers will be assigned with cases, and they will be asked to provide their input for each strategy by assigning probabilities about their favored hypothesis. Afterwards, they will be informed about the real outcome and managers will be aware if they are overconfident or not. Finally from now on, I recommend that the Brand manager should be accountable for every decision. After every business plan meeting he will be responsible to present the proposals on the board of directors. The fact that he will have to present the ideas to seniors and experienced members might help him to enhance both self and group-criticism and reducing overconfidence. Conclusion The marketing team might has overestimated the probability of their scenario regarding the brands strategy of 2017, whereas this time has neglected also the normative approach. The excellent launch in combination with the fact that Vidal has experienced only successes might boosted the level of confidence. In order to improve the decision process this report has proposed 3 debias techniques (feedback, consider-the opposite and accountability) that according to the behavioral research seem to eliminate overconfidence. Part B Introduction Overconfidence might be proved a deleterious element for the decision making process since it does not only evokes people to overestimate their probabilities about the favored scenario but it also can cause catastrophic consequences. For example, in a study that examined the effect of overconfidence on newsvendors forecasts, showed that the higher the overconfidence the faster the profit loss (Crosson and Ren, 2009), while nowadays overconfidence seems to be a key driver for many start-up failures. This report is based on previous studies, and aims to underline the causes that triggered overconfidence to the Vidals marketing team while in parallel is focusing to provide a series of debiasing techniques in an effort to eliminate its effect. Overconfidence and Success In Vidals case I feel that the successful launch among with the wide recognition of the teams efforts, might have boosted their level of confidence. This relationship between success and overconfidence has lot of similarities with the case of Ducati. More specifically, in 2003 Ducati entered the motorcycle racing circuit MotoGP without having high expectations. During this effort, the team was focusing on data analysis and was gathering continuous feedback from the drivers for its improvement. At the end of the first year, Ducati surpassed every expectation and gathered the 2nd place, whereas for next year the team targeted the 1st place. This time the differentiated point was that the team stopped looking deeply into the data and receiving feedback. They considered that now their experience was enough in order to create an even better motorbike. Once a team member indicated you look into the data to understand whats going wrong and not why you are performing well. The next year Ducati did not covered expectations and performed even worse than the previous year. (Gino and Pisano,2011). Similarly, like on Ducatis case, it is remarkable how the Vidals marketing team after its successful launch didnt look deeply into the data, since so far it was a key principle prior taking any action. Additionally, the team seemed overconfident not only about their predictions but also about the products characteristics and performance. There are findings which show that success can inspire overconfidence. For example in a recent study, Hilary and Menzly (2016) found that analysts becoming overconfident when they achieve accurate forecasts as they tend to rely more on private information and to neglect markets reaction. As a consequence they perform less accurate predictions in the future. Additionally, when a trader achieves successful performance he becomes overconfident as he tends to revise his perceptional skills higher than the expected. The latter leads him not to use important information even though he might has a good database (Gervais and Odean, 2001). Walter and Ferrier (2004) stated also that success could generate overconfidence while it makes managers intolerant on new prospects. Since, success inspires overconfidence, it is important for managers to examine and understand the causes of success (Gino and Pisano,2011). Definition and Sources of Overconfidence Plous (1993,p.217) stated that no judgement decision is more prevalent and more catastrophic than overconfidence. In order to support this rationale in his book are some examples of the negative consequences of overconfidence. One of them is the destruction of Pearl Harbor, since Americans considered impossible the scenario for someone to conduct a proper attack in that location. Similarly, NASA, before the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, had estimated that the risk of failure was 1/10,000. Overconfidence might has different forms. The first is related when someone overestimating the probability of the favored outcome to occur (Griffin and Varey, 1996), while the others are related when people consider themselves to be better than others, or when someone overestimates his skills or performance (overestimation) (MooreHealy,2007). I believe that in Vidals case both types are valid. This happens because the team might overestimated the probability to retain the amount of 2016 value sales by neglecting critical information, while they have excellent perception about the products potential. Russo and Shoemaker (1992) stated that a major cause of overconfidence is a persons difficulty to imagine all different outcomes that an event could have (availability bias).Due to this deficiency people become overconfident regarding their predictions as they have fewer paths to consider. In Vidals case the team could not envision different consequences of the cost reduction strategy, whereas the fact that the brand had only successes, might restricted the teams effort to recall or envision different scenarios. Another cause of overconfidence according to Russo and Shoemaker is anchoring. They stated that managers are anchored to one value or idea without making any adjustments, As a result they might generate sales forecasts before setting and adjusting their confidence rates. A prior study of Tversky and Khaleman (1974) confirmed this relationship by also stating that people tend to underestimate the risk of failure. The fact that cost reduction was the first thing that crossed the teams mind, might be due to an association based error. People are not used to think hard and usually trust the judgment that comes first into their mind (Kalheman,2003). Here, the first thing that the managers noticed was that Vidal had by far the highest promo intensity, while they might recalled from their semantic memory that cost reduction is a common and direct way to improve profitability. Arkes (1991) stated that people can think reasons to support their judgments much faster than the contradictory ones. The latter in combination with the fact that supportive reasons are greatly cued can cause overconfidence. Debiasing Techniques and Limitations Lichtenstein and Fischhoff (1980), stated that people are usually overconfident, but in an experiment that they conducted they found that feedback could improve participants calibration. Calibration is the skill to assign probabilities that equals the correct estimations (Sharp et.al, 1988). Performance feedback is one out of four types of feedback (outcome, process, environmental, performance) that are related with judgmental predictions, and can be divided into two subtypes (scoring-rule and calibration feedback)(Benson Onkal, 1992). In 1987, Arkes conducted an experiment between 2 groups in order to detect the effect of feedback. The 2nd group was informed that will have easy questions to answer while the 1st group was told that the questions were difficult. However, in reality both questions were difficult. After the first 5 questions the second group had higher confidence but same accuracy ratio with the first group. During the next sessions and after the second group received the discouraging feedback the members expressed less confidence and better accuracy. Similarly, in a recent study in which participated 57 students it was founded that performance feedback reduced overconfidence and lead to more accurate predictions (Al-Harthy 2016). Moreover, Richards (2015), examined as well the effect of feedback. This time the sample was consisted from 171 MBA students with 5 years of working experience. The participants were asked to assess themselves in 5 areas and afterwards to participate in a 3-hour assessment regarding their skills (problem solving, decision making, leadership, teamwork and planning).After the assessment, they participated in a pedagogy course in order to understand the essentials of behavior in relevance with the above skills. In parallel, they were being involved with many tasks such as: feedback and discussions with students. At the end of the semester the subjects repeated the same assessment. It was found that participants initially were overconfident in their self-assessment but after the feedback and the training cou rse their overconfidence level was reduced. Russo and Shoemaker(1992) pointed out the importance of feedback in companies since its a fast and cheap way to reduce overconfidence. He proposed that, companies should provide the employees with actual past cases where the result is known and to ask them to provide their guesses combined by their confidence level. With this method that was applied also successfully in Shell in order to train its junior gemologists, the employees learn to assess their level of confidence in relevance with their job and to identify if they are overconfident or not. However, all the above do not mean that feedback is always effective. Meikle et.al (2016) stated that this method is not suitable for people who have vested interest in seeing the world in a biased way. More specifically, a study in which participated football fans showed that feedback was not able to improve their accuracy on predictions since most of them still had preferences towards their favorite team (Massey et.al,2011).Additionally, the scoring-rule feedback (subtype of performance feedback) in which the forecaster gets rewards or penalties according to the outcome of his prediction doesnt show to reduce overconfidence (Fisher,1982). Finally, its important to indicate that this method is less efficient on overconfident CEOs, as they tend to show greater resistance on feedback which restricts them from improving calibration (Chen,et.al,2014). Feedback is useful for improving the decision making process since one of its characteristics is to warn that something, goes wrong or it might go wrong Thaler and Sunstein (2008). Kahneman (2003) stated that an outsiders view can provide more accurate predictions while it is less possible to provide unrealistic estimations. This happens because the outsiders view can provide safety against favored predictions that have less probabilities than the expected to happen (Kahneman Lovallo,1993). The outsiders can exploit knowledge from previous experiences by taking also into account the problems unique characteristics and data. As a result, since many people are overconfident, it is recommended for important decisions to ask either from an outsider to share his opinion or the decision maker to try to think like an outsider (Bazerman, 2013). This means that the decision maker should either think of reasons why his scenario might go wrong or to ask from others to provide counterarguments (Russo Shoemaker,1992). The latter might be proved helpful since considering the opposite scenario is capable to reduce the high levels of confidence (Soll et.al 2013).In a study that was conducted by Koriat et.al (1980), it was found that when subjects wrote down contradicted reasons and alternatives against their selected answer, they showed less confidence and better calibration. One way that might lead to this direction and to reduce overconfidence is accountability. The fact that the person is accountable for the decision, will lead him to enhance his pre-emptive self-criticism as he will have to present the decision and its rationale to others (Larrick, 2004).This mechanism will lead him to improve the decision quality and to assess more objectively the alternatives (Tetlock et.al, 1989). In a study that was conducted by Tetlock Kim(1987) the subjects participated in a person-perception process. The participants after receiving responses from each test taker they were asked to submit a short personality brief and to retake the test. This time they had to predict the responses of each test taker by assigning probabilities and level of confidence. It was found that subjects that they were told (before the test), that the researcher would like to have a detailed interview about their answers, to show more appropriate levels of confidence and better accuracy. Similarly in a recent study that participated 71 student students in a computer-based laboratory showed that accountability reduced significantly overconfidence (Jermias,2006). However, Brown (1999) stated that accountability might lead managers to take decisions that are most favorable to their peers, while the great amount of information could cause the lost-pilot effect if it will not being used properly (Larrick,2004). Accountability, does not seem to improve calibration in organizations in which the answer to the question what is a good decision is maddeningly subjective (e.g advertising agencies), whereas it is more effective in preventing rather reversing judgmental biases (Tetlock Kim 1987). The positive effect of overconfidence recommendations Contrary to all the above, overconfidence does not have solely negative effects. As Goethe wroteFor a man to achieve all that is demanded of him he must regard himself as greater than he is. Bernardo and Welch (2001) stated that overconfident entrepreneurs are more likely to explore their environment and to provide additional information to their social group while overconfident managers are more willing a)to take risk decisions b)to devote more effort and c) to motivate the team to accomplish its goal (Gervais et.al,2002). Finally, Taylor and Brown (1998) indicated that overconfident and optimistic people are more positive, happier and they have excellent ability for caring about others. Since overconfidence has also a positive side, Russo (1992) recommends that managers should distinguish between deciding and doing. This means that the decision process should be combined by realism and rationality, whereas the implementation of the decision should take advantage of the motivational benefits of overconfidence. As a result, its important for the decision makers to realize what they do know and what they dont, while the ones who are implementing the decision should indulge overconfidence when they think that will be proved beneficial for the performance. Conclusion Overconfidence when impacts the decision process could have negative consequences. However, it has some advantages that can be exploited from the ones who are implementing the decision. Since the decision process is critical, it is suggested to eliminate this effect by using three debiasing techniques. Performance feedback seems to improve calibration, whereas when people are thinking about why their decision might go wrong, they tend to reduce overconfidence. Finally, in special cases accountability seems to enhance self-criticism and to lead to a more rational way of thinking. References       Al-Harthy, I. (2016). Prediction Accuracy: The Role of Feedback in 6th Graders Recall Predictions. International Education Studies, 9(3), 212. doi:10.5539/ies.v9n3p212 Arkes, H. (1991). Costs and benefits of judgment errors: Implications for debiasing. Psychological Bulletin, 110(3), 486-498. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.110.3.486 Arkes, H., Christensen, C., Lai, C., Blumer, C. (1987). Two methods of reducing overconfidence. Organizational Behavior And Human Decision Processes, 39(1), 133-144. doi:10.1016/0749-5978(87)90049-5 Bazerman, M. (2013). Becoming a first-class noticer. 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Shoemaker, P. (1992). Managing Overconfidence. Sloan Management Review, 1-7. Sharp, G., Cutler, B., Penrod, S. (1988). Performance feedback improves the resolution of confidence judgments. Organizational Behavior And Human Decision Processes, 42(3), 271-283. doi:10.1016/0749-5978(88)90001- Soll, J., Milkman, K., Payne, J. (2015). A USERS GUIDE TO DEBIASING, 1-29. Sunstein, C. Thaler, R. (2008). Nudge: improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness (1st ed.). Clitheroe: Joosr Taylor, S. Brown, J. (1988). Illusion and well-being: A social psychological perspective on mental health. Psychological Bulletin, 103(2), 193-210. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.103.2.193 Tetlock, P. Kim, J. (1987). Accountability and judgment processes in a personality prediction task. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 52(4), 700-709. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.52.4.700 Tetlock, P. Kim, J. (1987). Accountability and judgment processes in a personality prediction task. 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Friday, January 17, 2020

Accounting Harmonization In The Eu Accounting Essay

This study will supply a brief history and background on the procedure of harmonisation in the European Union with respects to the 2 methods it employed: Directives and IFRS acceptance. By supplying a footing for which harmonisation can be understood and why it is necessary, this study strives to clarify the successes and failures of the methods. In peculiar, the issues that arose during the execution of IFRS in the EU will be used to further show the demand for harmonisation, utilizing specific criterions as illustrations. The relationship between accounting harmonisation and auditing will be debated with specific focal point on the EC Green Paper on iAudit Policy: Lessons from the Crisisi as it points to ongoing concerns in the effort to accomplish accounting harmonisation. 2. History and Background of Accounting Harmonization Definition Harmonization is a procedure of increasing the compatibility of accounting patterns by puting bounds to their grade of fluctuation ( Nobes & A ; Parker, 2010 ) . Basically, harmonisation allows states to utilize different criterions so long as they are non in struggle. This varies somewhat from convergence, the end of the IASB, which aims to develop high quality criterions alongside national standard-setters to cut down international differences. The importance of this differentiation highlights the differences in the harmonisation attempts by both the EU and IASC/B. The demand for harmonisation Globalization has led to big companies looking to increase their gross revenues and growing chances beyond national markets. To pull equity and debt funding to accomplish these ends, many of these companies are looking to be listed on different stock exchanges. Additionally, investors are spread outing their portfolios beyond national boundary lines as planetary markets have created greater chances for puting. As a consequence, the differences in the coverage patterns of such companies is now of great importance as this has led to troubles for those who prepare, consolidate, audit and interpret fiscal statements. Two of the major obstructions to accounting harmonisation are patriotism and the current size of the bing differences between states. The EU has attempted to accomplish harmonisation by utilizing Directives and Regulation through IFRS criterions ias such, the attempts of the EU in making a incorporate concern environment every bit good as the acceptance of IFRS in 2005 provide a relevant platform for understanding the harmonisation procedure. This study seeks to convey this in subdivision XXXXX below. 3. The Accounting Directives The Directives are an effort to harmonise coverage patterns by necessitating member states to integrate the directives into their national Torahs. The Fourth and Seventh Directives were aimed at accounting harmonisation while the Eighth Directive was aimed at audit. Fourth Council Directive i Annual histories of companies with limited liability iThis Directing co-ordinates Member Statesi commissariats refering the presentation and content of one-year histories and one-year studies, the rating methods used and their publication in regard of all companies with limited liability ( European Commission, 2009 ) .i The commissariats of the Directive require populace and private companies in all EU states to include a balance sheet, net income and loss history, with a pick of 2 different layouts, every bit good as notes to the histories as portion of the one-year histories. It besides provides the general rules by which points must be valued. The earliest proposal for the Fourth Directive led to the first bill of exchange being developed in 1971 i the bill of exchange was to a great extent influenced by German jurisprudence and as a consequence, the Directive prescribed conservative rating regulations, stiff formats and limited revelation in the notes. By 1974, a twelvemonth after accession to the EU, UK influence in the Directive became evident with the debut of the itrue and just viewi construct ; greater flexibleness in the presentation formats and increased accent on revelation in the notes. The Directive was adopted by the EU in 1974 and has since been amended every bit many as 14 times in line with international developments. One major amendment was in 2001 when the Directive was further aligned with IASB criterions by leting the demands of IAS 39 on the just rating of fiscal instruments to be employed. This was a significant move as this had been a combative issue and served the intent of modernizing European accounting regulations – this will be discussed in more item in subsequent subdivisions. Another critical amendment came in 2003, when the Accounts Modernisation Directive was issued i it extended the usage of just values and farther eliminated incompatibilities with IASB criterions. The most recent amendment in 2009 resulted in 2 developments ; foremost, companies in member provinces with 10 or fewer employees were exempt from the demands of the Directive. In add-on, a audience papers was issued puting out a proposal for rearranging the Directives to better its comprehension* . Seventh Council Directive i Consolidated histories of companies with limited liability iThis Seventh Company Law Directive coordinates national Torahs on amalgamate ( i.e. group ) accounts Together with the Fourth Directive on the one-year histories of public limited liability companies, it belongs to the household of â€Å" accounting directives † that form the armory of Community legal Acts of the Apostless regulating company histories ( European Commission, 2009 ) .i This Directive was adopted in 1983 to better international readying and comparing of fiscal statements. It does so by ordering the fortunes under which amalgamate histories must be prepared every bit good as the methods for readying. Harmonizing to the Directive, any company that lawfully controls another company is required to fix amalgamate histories. The 1976 and 1978 bill of exchanges failed to clear up the construct of control for the intent of consolidation. As such, the adopted Directive efforts to better what is meant by the term icontroli . In states where consolidation had been unheard of e.g. Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, the Directive signified a marked move towards modernization. This was of great significance given that in 2005, the EUis harmonisation attempts in footings of group accounting eventually converged with that of the IASB with the acceptance of IFRSs by EU listed companies. As such, the Seventh Directive has now since been overtaken by IFRS criterions. 4. Statutory Audit Directive ( Previously ) Eighth Council Directive i Qualifications of individuals responsible for transporting out the statutory audits of accounting paperss iThis Directive purposes to increase the credibleness of fiscal coverage and to heighten the European Unionis ( EU ) protection against fiscal dirts by puting down regulations harmonising the processs for statutory audits of one-year histories and amalgamate histories. It establishes, among other things, a demand for external quality confidence, commissariats on public supervising, the responsibilities of statutory hearers and the application of international criterions and the rules of independency applicable to statutory hearers. The Directive besides provides a footing for cooperation between regulators in the EU and those in 3rd countriesi ( European Commission, 2009 ) . The adopted Directive ( 1983 ) differs well from earlier bill of exchanges which would hold had important impact on the preparation forms and range of work of comptrollers in a figure of states, notably the UK. The Directive was introduced to find which individuals are allowed to transport out audits by ordering making and educational demands. The demand to overhaul the Eighth Directive was recognized by the EC in the communicating iReinforcing the statutory audit in the EUi , published in 2003. It contained the scheme of the EC in coming old ages sing audit affairs such as public inadvertence and ordinance at the EU degree. In response to Enron and other accounting dirts, the Directive was amended in 2006 i it focused on quality confidence by necessitating the constitution of hearer inadvertence organic structures, supplying regulations on professional unity and independency, guaranting attachment to ISAs as endorsed by the EU in executing statutory audits, constitution of audit commissions and the publication of transparence studies on audit houses. In a command to promote the growing of alternate audit houses, farther recommendations were released in 2008 with the aim of giving more duty to oversight organic structures and to promote member provinces to restrict the civil liabilities of hearers ( European Commission, 2008 ) . Following the fiscal crisis of 2007/8, the EC has deemed it necessary to amend the statutory audit directive through a proposal issued in November 2011 ( European Commission, 2011 ) . The amendments follow on from the EC Green Paper on iAudit Policy: Lessons from the Crisisi and tackles issues such as joint audits, proviso of non-audit services, etc. , which are discussed subsequently on in this study. Red boxes to travel in appendix? To travel in sum-up? EU efforts at harmonisation through the usage of Directives were non wholly successful and as such the EC chose alternatively to follow the convergence scheme of the IASB by following IFRS. The insufficiencies of the Directives derived from the fact that they failed to cover many subjects e.g. rental accounting, accounting alterations, foreign currency interlingual rendition etc. , which IFRSs were better equipped to manage. Besides, the Directives still allowed for a grade of pick within their prescriptions which meant that non-comparability was still an issue.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Watershed Issues And Policies Of The Himalayan Region

Sharon Fighter Final Paper Watershed Issues and Policies in the Himalayan Region The Himalayan region provides water to more than 150 million people in the uplands and lowlands, and the water basins support 1.5 billion people who inhabit the area, and up to 3 billion people rely on the food and energy produced using the Himalayan watershed (1). The glaciers in the Himalayas deliver large quantities of runoff to the major tributaries of the Ganges and the rivers in the adjacent basins (2). These glacial resources are essential to the water supply both in the uplands and lowlands for irrigation, hydroelectric power and agriculture and household use. The flows of the Himalayan watershed are affected by the precipitation and the melting of snow and ice from the glaciers. The runoff of melting snow and ice in recent years suggests that climate change may be having a significant impact on flows in the watershed, reducing the amount of runoff in addition to the decline in monsoon rainfall since the 1960’s (2). Inadequate water supplies and energy shortages are causing serious problems in all the surrounding countries that these rivers serve. They threaten domestic stability, leading some of the countries to build dams to control the flow of water and to generate hydroelectric power (3). In the uplands, China has an increasing demand for hydro-electric power, but water scarcity of the rivers is causing tension in the Himalayan watershed and international tension is created alongShow MoreRelatedWater Is Essential For Meeting Human Needs1022 Words   |  5 Pagesstoring the excess run-off, the average production of rice can be raised to 120 million tonnes and that of wheat to 70 million tonnes within the next 5 to 10 years. Many eminent intellectuals are in the view that the third world war would happen on the issue of water. One of the most crucial factors affecting development, is the management of water resources. Water is the essential for sustainability. Day to day there is an increase in demand for water resource due to population growth and it is essentialRead MoreClimate Change And Agriculture On Indi Impacts And Adaptation For Sustainable Future1646 Words   |  7 Pagestheir livelihood. Agriculture, along with fisheries and forestry, contributes 16.11 % to the Indian Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Therefore India has concern about climate change issues because of its large population who depends upon climate sensitive activity like agriculture for their livelihood, water storage in the Himalayan glaciers which are the source of major rivers and groundwater recharge. Possible changes in temperature, precipitation and CO2 concentration are expected to significantly impactRead MoreWater as a Sour ce of Future Conflict in Sa26984 Words   |  108 Pagesbillion people† already lack water supplies. Water use has risen six-fold over the past 70 years. By 2050, it is estimated that 4.2 billion people live in countries that cannot meet people’s daily basis needs. South Asia is a region of water abundance and scarcity. â€Å"Issues concerning water allotment are the basic strategic distress over the state relations billion people will be† (Kshatri 2004, 4). 2. The melted snow of the Himalayas plays an important role in Water Resources of South Asia, whichRead MoreChallenges Faced On River Linking Projects3840 Words   |  16 Pageshydro-electric power from the plants. †¢ Navigation Since new canals are built new ways and routes are automatically generated, which makes it very easy to transport water which otherwise is a very expensive issue. DISADVANTAGES: †¢ Environmental issues The ecological and environmental issues are the major concerns in the river linking projects, since the rivers due to force of flow might change the course once the river linking is completed, this might create huge problems with respect to the environmentRead MoreHimachal Pradesh an Overview9238 Words   |  37 Pagesdances that are specific to certain regions and are best performed by the people of that area.   Some of the dance forms of Himachal are Losar Shona Chuksam (Kinnaur), Dangi (Chamba), Gee Dance and Burah dance, (Sirmour), Naati, Kharait, Ujagjama and Chadhgebrikar (Kullu) and Shunto (Lahaul amp; Spiti).   As for the music of Himachal Pradesh is concerned, there is no classical form though there plenty of folk music to listen to. The folk stories of mountainous regions often find a mention in this musicRead MoreClimate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction6524 Words   |  27 Pagesoverall long-term characteristics of the weather experienced at a place. For example, Singapore, in the tropics, has a hot wet climate, while continental Mongolia always has cold winters. The ecosystems, agriculture, livelihoods and settlements of a region are very dependent on its climate. The climate therefore can be thought of as a long-term summary of weather conditions, taking account of the average conditions as well as the variability of these conditions. The fluctuations that occur from yearRead MoreThe Holy River of India-River Ganges9512 Words   |  39 PagesGanges is mainly in India, but also flows through Bangladesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The river, about 2,510 km (1,560 mi) long , rises in a snowfield called THE GANGOTRI GLACIER, situated among three Himalayan mountains all more than 6,706 m (22,000 ft) high. It issues as the Bhagirathi River from an ice cave, 3,139 m (10,300 ft) above sea level, and falls 67 m per km (350 ft per mi). About 16 km (10 mi) from the source is Gangotri, the first temple on its banks and a traditional resortRead MoreGround Water Depletion6229 Words   |  25 Pageseach year) and are growing at a rate of 5.5 percent per annum. There are more than 27 million private tube-wells in the country Pervasive usage of individual wells makes monitoring and enforcement extremely difficult, and hence impedes conventional policy design to check over-extraction. World Bank estimate in 2005 warned that if the cur-rent trends continue, 60% of all aquifers in India will be in a critical condition within 20 years . In a recent study, Rodell et al. used Gravity Recovery and ClimateRead MoreGround Water Depletion6229 Words   |  25 Pageseach yea r) and are growing at a rate of 5.5 percent per annum. There are more than 27 million private tube-wells in the country Pervasive usage of individual wells makes monitoring and enforcement extremely difficult, and hence impedes conventional policy design to check over-extraction. World Bank estimate in 2005 warned that if the cur-rent trends continue, 60% of all aquifers in India will be in a critical condition within 20 years . In a recent study, Rodell et al. used Gravity Recovery and ClimateRead MoreRoles of Media in Environment Awareness5969 Words   |  24 Pagesdisseminator of information, and being an agent of change. Regarding the issue of environment awareness, media plays a vital role in spreading the true message. Along with bringing it into the hub of debates and discussions, it tries to suggest alternatives to people and policy-makers. First of all, the mere awareness also creates a genuine interest to probe into the exact matter. Thus, environment awareness is one of the important issues which media presents consciously and effectively to say a few things

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

E-Commerce Research Proposal - 3067 Words

METHODS IN BUSINESS RESEARCH RESEARCH PROPOSAL HOW WILL TAXES EFFECT E-COMMERCE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY? ABSTRACT: The rationale behind this research proposal presentation involves the process of E-commerce and Taxation as how the taxes effect e-commerce within the global economy as the Internet Tax Freedom Act, provides ban on the state taxation of Internet transactions and that the legislators are expected to vote on whether to extend the ban or to make it permanent within issues and that the decision will affect e-commerce businesses. This issue impacts on any business selling goods and services over the Internet that the Internet taxation issue doesnt directly affect e-commerce in the global economy as e-commerce has grown and†¦show more content†¦Taxes on e-commerce are taxes on innovation and cripple the development of the new economy. Countries that pursue the pernicious policy of taxation, members hamper their ability to compete effectively in the emerging new economy. In reality, it appears that most arguments regarding externalities are based on politics, not economics. (Goolsb ee 2001, p. 19) Nonetheless, even some who recognize both that the case for taxation exemption is at best transitory and that governments are to surrender tax base willingly appear to take solace in the view that, try as governments might, the combination of e-commerce, financial innovation and globalization will provide at least some temporary tax relief for this innovative sector. * Tax It Like Anything Else In sharp contrast, most governments, led by the OECD, argue that it is critical to develop and enforce effective methods of taxing electronic transactions, both in order to ensure a level playing field for bricks-and-mortar competitors and to be able to finance needed public-sector activities. The OECD has argued that taxation should be neutral and equitable between all forms of commerce, that compliance and administrative costs should be minimized and that the potential for tax evasion and avoidance should be minimized. General criteria for a good tax system are usually easy to state, and even to agree to. Implementing them effectively, however, can be quite another matter.Show MoreRelatedBusiness Skills for Ecommerce1474 Words   |  6 PagesRDI/EDEXCEL Level 4 BTEC Higher Nationals Computing and Systems Development Business Skills for e-Commerce Assignment Tutor: Steve Presland 1 Introduction This assignment will enable you to apply the business skills needed to design an eCommerce solution for a music production company. You will need to consider the organisation and processes of the company and consider what the impact of the Internet and e-Commerce has been on the company. Answers to the tasks will demonstrate: 1: An understanding ofRead MoreE Commerce, An Aspect Of Information Communications Technology1335 Words   |  6 Pagescapacities through the use of tools such as electronic commerce (e-commerce) (Briggeman Whitacre, 2010; Roe et al., 2014). E-commerce, an aspect of information communications technology (ICT), is defined as the buying, selling, and marketing of goods and services online (Hua et al., 2015). E-commerce lowers costs, increases revenues, raises productivity, and brings access to new markets (Briggeman Whitacre, 2010; Roe et al., 2014). E-commerce has advantages for small farm farmers seeking toRead MoreE Marketing : The Implementation Of Electronic Marketing Essay1350 Words   |  6 Pagesinternet as a way of marketing their products, paving way for e-marketing to grow rapidly. The implementation of electronic marketing has led to a tremendous growth in the shape and nature of the modern businesses worldwide. The rise in the usage of e-marketing devices such as cell phones and e-mail in electronic exchanges may not only create business opportunities but might also eradicate their major threats. It is clear that the internet, e-marketing and electronic media tools have an indispensableRead MoreLogistics : Logistics And Distribution Of Physical Goods Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Source: Leeway Logistics, 2015 Logistics is considered as an operational process which includes activities such as storing, transporting and distribution of physical goods. E- Commerce has made a big change in logistics and distribution processes. Due to introduction of online purchases, way of handling materials have also been changed. Online retail industry is being expanded year to year. According to Goldman Sachs, Online Sales will reach $750B mark by 2016 with annual growthRead MoreLogistics : Logistics And Distribution Of Physical Goods1165 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Source: Leeway Logistics, 2015 Logistics is considered as an operational process which includes activities such as storing, transporting and distribution of physical goods. E- Commerce has made a big change in logistics and distribution processes. Due to introduction of online purchases, way of handling materials have also been changed. Online retail industry is being expanded year to year. According to Goldman Sachs, Online Sales will reach $750B mark by 2016 with annual growthRead MoreResearch On Subjective Experiences Of A Social Environment, Based On Individual Perspectives Essay1296 Words   |  6 Pagesdoctoral study proposals. Qualitative researchers focus on subjective experiences of human beings in a social environment, based on individual perspectives (Liamputtong, 2010). Qualitative research deals with interpretive data from natural settings and individual perceptions and experiences (Erlingsson Brysiewicz, 2013). Researchers should be aware of the different experiences of the participants in the stu dy (Erlingsson Brysiewicz, 2013). A qualitative method allows a researcher to assess theRead MoreThe Affect of the Internet on Jordans Economy1714 Words   |  7 Pagesevent in the history of information and communications technology (Chircu et al, 2000). The internet has already fundamentally changed the way many organizations think about and perform their work. The last few years have shown us the revolution of e-commerce in all over the world; so many organizations take this opportunity in our dynamic environment and adapt themselves in order to take the benefits of this new business model. To improve profits and achieve strategic sustainability in a rapidly changingRead MoreSample Persuasive Message1317 Words   |  6 PagesWorkplace Electronic commerce has become a part of everyday lives. Many retail choices available through the Internet, which can save time, effort, and provide a greater selection. Electronic retailers (e tailers) realize this has become an increasingly competitive environment. These retailers must not only find new customers but also retain the existing customers. As with any retail-company, business research is vital for their existence. E-tailers must understand customer behaviorsRead MorePm 598 Quiz 3 Answers1552 Words   |  7 Pageshelpful to review in preparation for the week three quiz. 1. Ways to gain maximum results in an e-procurement environment. E-procurement has had an increasingly important role in business-to-business(B2B) commerce. Web-enabled B2B e-commerce enhances inter-organizational coordination resulting in transaction cost savings and competitive sourcing opportunities for the buyer organization. E-business has radically altered the ways in which firms interact with their suppliers(Phillips 2003).Read MoreWireless Technologies Proposal994 Words   |  4 PagesWireless Technologies Proposal Angeline Moore University of Phoenix Introduction to Computer Application and Systems BIS/220 Veronica Wade January 23, 2013 Wireless Technologies Proposal In an ever-evolving technological world, Party Plates want to create a business where Party Plates sales and marketing team can network consistently with our clients in a team effort as well as to initiate items and inventory to increase local and regional communication to achieve corporate goals