Ethical Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Ethical Argument - Essay Example Even so, Pope (530) warns against embracing such social change without understanding what is at stake. Despite the results of the opinion poll, only a handful of the American states allow the marriage between couples of the same sex with others reversing their earlier stand supporting the union. This could be an indication of the fact that this form of union goes against certain expected standard social norms. Therefore, same-sex marriage is socially deviant and should not be legalized. Civil marriage refers to a legal contract or social unions between two persons with the government, through its officials, performing, recording and recognizing it (Corvino and Gallagher 11). Marriage accords the couples exclusive rights and benefits. However, same-sex marriage brings forth a myriad of symbolic, religious and constitutional questions that has caused a continuous intense debate on the legalization of same-sex marriage (Pope 530). Gertsmann cites the Marriage Act 1961 which was amended in 2004 that defines marriage as the union between a man and woman and excludes all the others (15). This excludes same-sex marriage from being considered as marriage, a fact that has caused same-sex activists to push for change for their recognition in law. The case against same-sex marriage revolves around religious, moral and health concerns. By prohibiting homosexuality, a majority of religions, by extension, prohibit same-sex marriage. A majority of Christians argue that same-sex marriage is immoral and goes against the will of God and the reason of procreation that saw Him put man and woman together (Pope 533). In fact, Christians quote God talking of such a union as detestable in the Old Testament. Islam also prohibits same-sex marriage noting that the reason why Sodom was destroyed was because of such sins. Similarly, Hindus oppose same-sex marriage noting that for every soul, there exists another soul mate of the opposite sex. Since sex may

Health Care Marketing Essay Example for Free

Health Care Marketing Essay The United States spends more than $4.2 billion annually as a resource to market in the direction of health care consumers. Advertisements consist of pharmaceuticals, alternative medicine, and in many cases, lawsuits as a result of alleged bad drugs. The two forms of marketing are direct to consumer advertising (DTCA) of medicines to treat a disease or illness, and direct advertisements reaching a more diverse populace of health care consumers requiring medication. Through the practice of print advertisements, television announcements, radio commercials, the far-reaching side effect of health care marketing is fast becoming an epidemic. My Opinion on Current Health Care Marketing Techniques While my opinion on health care is apparent, I also realize the ever-changing atmosphere and understand that with change come additional responsibilities. From first-hand accounts and voice-to-voice with family in the health care arena, I am doubtful that all possible improvements have been implemented. It is my desire to see a more established forefront to the real problems in health care. We have great potential in this country to improve the processes and services available to health care consumers. How I feel Current Marketing Techniques Are Affecting Consumers? Marketing techniques, in my opinion, often overstep the boundary of ethical behavior; more particularly regarding the use of pharmaceutical marketing techniques. I often wonder about the validity of claims made on behalf of pharmaceutical companies, providing vast amounts of information to an unrecognized audience. â€Å"A recent content analysis of 38 television commercials concluded that the emotional appeal overshadowed factual information about the drug: only 26% of commercials provided information about the causes of or risk factors for disease, and 19% suggested lifestyle changes as adjunctive treatments† Pharmaceutical Industry Profile 2007. This information has aided in forming an opinion about how techniques are often over-extended to reach a more diverse population, often with disregard to how this information is perceived by the audience. Conclusion I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this course. My hopes are to expand my understanding of the processes of health care marketing, learning all the facets of techniques, capabilities, and social responsibilities. References Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Pharmaceutical Industry Profile 2007. Washington, DC: PhRMA, 2007.

Last Minute Solving :: essays research papers

Transplantation of organs between animals and humans is called xenotransplantation. Pig liver are already being used to supply some time to liver-transplant patients; and for years, pig heart valves have been used in open-heart procedures to replace damaged human valves. Cloning research may contribute to treating diseases by allowing scientists to reprogram cells. The benefits of cloning could provide spare materials. Liver cells, eyes cells and bone cells may one day lead researchers to create organic organs such as hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys. Embryonic stem cells can be grown to produce organs of tissues to repair or replace damaged ones. If someone was to be injured and/or was an amputee, it would be possible for new limbs to be regenerated. There are many other possibilities, such as: burn victims could receive new skin; brain cells could assist in the healing of brain damage; or spinal tissue could help a quadriplegic walk again. If cloning is banned, this may never be a reality. One of the strongest reasons to support that cloning is beneficial to humanity is that there would be a solution to organ limitation. One of the greatest problems in medicine today is that many people need organs for various reasons, which are not available. This creates a lot of unnecessary deaths, and problems for patients. There are not enough organs to supply the need in demand. Currently in America, 2300 of the 40,000 Americans who needed a new heart in 1997 got one. That means that approximately 94% did not receive one. This is just the heart we are talking about. Imagine the staggering number of organs that are needed in the world. For example, in the States, there are 36,00 patients waiting for an organ transplant. Also, about one third of these patients waiting will die because of the lack of available organs. There are a great number of failures with organ donation. The failures can cause serious illness, and possible death. Therefore, cloning human organs is very beneficia l to humanity.

Eating disorders: a problem Essay

Eating disorders are a world-wide problem. There are many types of eating disorders. There are programs out there to help people with eating disorders. With so many types we must understand the differences by looking at each type, how it affects teenagers, and what influence the media has on this issue. Eating disorders come in many different types. One of these is anorexia. Anorexia is a serious disease which causes a severe lack of eating. The proper name is anorexia nervosa.  Anorexia nervosa causes people to lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height. Persons with this disorder may have an intense fear of weight gain, even when they are underweight. They may diet or exercise too much or use other ways to lose weight. Their self-esteem is usually overly related to body image. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001401/) Anorexia nervosa has many warning signs that can tell someone if they have a problem. Someone may refuse to eat certain foods/food categories and deny their hunger all together. A person may develop â€Å"food rituals† in which they arrange foods in a certain way, excessively chew, eat in a certain order, etc†¦ One may withdraw themselves from their friends, family, or society. They may frequently make a comment about being â€Å"fat† or â€Å"overweight† despite their weight loss. (http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/anorexia-nervosa) Another type of eating disorder is bulimia nervosa. Bulimia is an illness in which a person binges on food or has regular episodes of overeating and feels a loss of control. The person then uses different methods — such as vomiting or abusing laxatives — to prevent weight gain. Many (but not all) people with bulimia also have anorexia nervosa. The purging of food usually  brings a sense of relief. ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001381/) One form of an eating disorder is binge eating. Binge eating is an eating disorder in which a person eats a much larger amount of food in a shorter period of time than he or she normally would. During binge eating, the person also feels a loss of control. Some causes of binge eating include genes, such as having close relatives who also have an eating disorder. Depression or other emotions, such as feeling upset or stressed. Unhealthy dieting, such as not eating enough nutritious food or skipping meals. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0003749/) Some symptoms of binge eating are, eating large amounts of food in a short period, for example, every 2 hours. A person is not able to control overeating, for example is unable to stop eating or control the amount of food. A person may keep eating even when full (gorging) or until uncomfortably full. Sometimes a person feels guilty, disgusted, ashamed, or depressed after eating so much. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0003749/) Some treatment can be done for people with a binge eating problem. The goals are to lessen and then be able to stop the bingeing incidents. Be able to get to and stay at a healthy weight. Get treated for any emotional problems, including overcoming feelings and managing situations that trigger binge eating. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0003749/)

Gender stereotypes are still pervasive in our culture Essay

TOPIC AND RATIONALE Gender stereotyping is a topic we find all around us and without exception in early years settings. There is a set of notions about how girls/women and boys/men are expected to behave in society, therefore is very difficult not to transmit those ideas in Early Education. Often we find children which already have implemented a gender role and behave based on our assigned sex. I have chosen this subject because I am aware, as I have to deal with that every single day, of how gender stereotype affects people. I believe the best way to fight this issue is through education and promoting gender equality in early childhood settings. At my placement I have already seen several situations where girls dress in pink as they consider is their favorite color, draw and wish to be princesses and would like to be ballerinas when they grow up. Boys spend all the playground time playing football or using their imaginary gangs, dressing in dark colors or not allowing girls playing in the building construction area claiming that is not a game for them. Being personally affected and observing this conduct in young children at the childhood practice setting and in the nursery where I work, was my motivation to write about this interesting topic, which in some situations touch children subtlety, and in others can trigger a negative impact affecting in many ways their being. AIM AND OBJECTIVES My target is to find out if gender equality is promoted in early years settings. RELEVANT THEORIES AND APPROACHES to children’s learning and development and links with knowledge acquired through the HNC HOW TOPIC LINKS TO CHILDREN’S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, RIGHTS, AND INTERESTS Gender Equality is at the core of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which outlines in a few articles the relevance of the equality rights for all children independently of their gender. The Article 2 is directly related to the topic chosen and promotes non-discrimination. The Article 12 and 13 determinates the respect for the views of the child and their freedom of expression. Both of them encourage children to express their thoughts and feelings freely. Those right are important in the subject because their voices can be taken seriously if they feel affected by gender discrimination. The Articles 28 and 29 talk about rights and goals of education. Those articles promote education with the respect of the human rights including themselves, addressing gender discrimination and supporting equality among girls and boys. Finally, we have to have into consideration Article 4 which states that governments have to create systems and laws to promote and protect children rights, enabling all the above rights possible. Here a summary of the articles mentioned are shown: †¢ Article 2 – â€Å"The Convention applies to every child without discrimination, whatever their ethnicity, gender, religion, language, abilities or any other status, whatever they think or say, whatever their family background.† †¢ Article 12 – â€Å"Every child has the right to express their views, feelings, and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously. This right applies at all times, for example during immigration proceedings, housing decisions or the child’s day-to-day home life.† †¢ Article 13 – â€Å"Every child must be free to express their thoughts and opinions and to access all kinds of information, as long as it is within the law.† †¢ Article 28 –â€Å"Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child. Discipline in schools must respect children’s dignity and their rights. Richer countries must help poorer countries achieve this.† †¢ Article 29 – â€Å"Education must develop every child’s personality, talents, and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.† †¢ Article 4 – â€Å"Governments must do all they can to make sure every child can enjoy their rights by creating systems and passing laws that promote and protect children’s rights.†

Mule killers Essays

Mule killers Essays Mule killers Essay Mule killers Essay It is very clear that the narrators father is very childish; he simply doesnt understand that Eula doesnt like him, and that he will never marry her. He doesnt realize the seriousness of the girls pregnancy, it seems like he thinks its just a disease thatll disappear again. Also, he doesnt understand why his father cries and prays. First when he is an old man, he realizes why his father cried. In the end the father and son are together picking asparagus in what used to be the narrators mothers garden. She is now dead, and nothing has grown in the garden since she died. It is very clear: he must have married the boring girl; why else would they be in her garden? When the mother lived, the garden was filled with beautiful flowers and herbs, now it is a big wilderness. As said before the father was very childish at the age of eighteen. He was very immature and he didnt understand the cause of his actions. Of course he has become more experienced and mature through the following years, but first in the end he admits who his father really cried for that night. The theme in the story is absolutely unrequited love and its consequences. The narrators father never gets what he wishes for; he must deal with the second best. Eula was taken away from him, and Orphan was taken away from him too, he had to die because of the technological progress. In the end he even lost his wife. Text 4, the poem To His Lost Lover actually describes the fathers life well. The poem is about a man who lost his love, and he never fulfilled his wishes with his love. We dont know if she died or if she left him, but in both cases it matches the fathers life: he never had Eula, but he did dream about them doing things together and getting married. As said before, he lost Orphan too, who he loved very much indeed, and then in the end he lost his wife. The story doesnt tell whether he learned to love the mother of his son, but he probably did. She was all he had in life, and as he grew older and more mature, he probably learned to appreciate her, and when he finally learned that, she died. So he has had several lost lovers through time. Another theme is the change from child to adult. Teenagers are no longer children, and not yet adults. They dont have the innocence of a child, and they dont have the experience of an adult. In the teenage years the innocence and experience meet, and the teenager creates his or her own identity. This is described very well in William Blakes poem The Ecchoing Green from 1789. The first two paragraphs describe the innocence of childhood. Children are playing on the green, the sun is rising, the merry bells ring, the birds sing laud and the old people are laughing it is all very idyllic.

Difference Between Anatomy and Physiology

Difference Between Anatomy and Physiology Anatomy and physiology are two related biology disciplines. Many college courses teach them together, so its easy to be confused about the difference between them. Simply put, anatomy is the study of the structure and identity of body parts, while physiology is the study of how these parts function and relate to one another. Anatomy is a branch of the field of morphology. Morphology encompasses the internal and outward appearance of an organism (e.g., is shape, size, pattern) as well as form and location of external and internal structures (e.g., bones and organs anatomy). A specialist in anatomy is called an anatomist. Anatomists gather information from living and deceased organisms, typically using dissection to master internal structure. The two branches of anatomy are macroscopic or gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy focuses on the body as a whole and the identification and description of body parts large enough to be seen with the naked eye. Microscopic anatomy focuses on cellular structures, which may be observed using histology and various types of microscopy. Physiologists need to understand anatomy because the form and location of cells, tissues, and organs are related to function. In a combined course, anatomy tends to be covered first. If the courses are separate, anatomy may be a prerequisite for physiology. The study of physiology requires living specimens and tissues. While an anatomy lab is primarily concerned with dissection, a physiology lab may include experimentation to determine the reaction of cells or systems to change. There are many branches of physiology. For example, a physiologist may focus on the excretory system or the reproductive system. Anatomy and physiology work hand-in-hand. An x-ray technician might discover an unusual lump (change in gross anatomy), leading to a biopsy in which the tissue would be examined on a microscopic level for abnormalities (microscopic anatomy) or a test looking for a disease marker in the urine or blood (physiology). Studying Anatomy and Physiology College biology, pre-med, and pre-vet students often take a combined course called AP (Anatomy and Physiology). This anatomy portion of the course is typically comparative, where students examine homologous and analogous structures in a variety of organisms (e.g., fish, frog, shark, rat or cat). Increasingly, dissections are being replaced by interactive computer programs (virtual dissections). Physiology may be either comparative physiology or human physiology. In medical school, students progress to study human gross anatomy, which involves dissection of a cadaver. In addition to taking AP as a single course, its also possible to specialize in them. A typical anatomy degree program includes courses in embryology, gross anatomy, microanatomy, physiology, and neurobiology. Graduates with advanced degrees in anatomy may become researchers, healthcare educators, or continue their education to become medical doctors. Physiology degrees may be granted at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral level. Typical courses may include cell biology, molecular biology, exercise physiology, and genetics. A bachelors degree in physiology can lead to entry-level research or placement in a hospital or insurance company. Advanced degrees may lead to careers in research, exercise physiology, or teaching. A degree in either anatomy or physiology is good preparation for studies in the fields of physical therapy, orthopedic medicine, or sports medicine.

Dickinson College Admissions and Acceptance Rate

Dickinson College Admissions and Acceptance Rate Dickinson College is a somewhat selective schooljust over half of those who apply will not be admitted. Students generally will need solid grades and an impressive resume in order to be accepted to the school. Dickinson uses the Common Application, which students can fill out online. The school is test-optional, meaning that prospective students are not required to submit scores from the SAT or ACT. Require application materials include high school transcripts and letters of recommendation. For updated information, and to start an application, be sure to check out Dickinsons website! Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016) Dickinson College Acceptance Rate: 43%GPA, SAT and ACT graph for DickinsonTop PA colleges SAT score comparison4-year college SAT score comparison4-year college ACT score comparisonTop PA colleges ACT score comparison Dickinson College Description Dickinson College is a highly ranked liberal arts college located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The college has an impressive 9 to 1  student / faculty ratio  and an average class size of 15, so students can expect a lot of interaction with the faculty. For its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Dickinson College was awarded a chapter of the prestigious  Phi Beta Kappa  Honor Society. Chartered in 1783 and named after a signer of the Constitution, the college has a long and rich history. For student athletes, the Dickinson College Red Devils compete in the NCAA Division III  Centennial Conference. The college fields ten mens and eleven womens intercollegiate sports. They have had over 200 student-athletes named All-American. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 2,420  (all undergraduate)Gender Breakdown: 41% Male / 59% Female98% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17) Tuition and Fees: $51,205Books: $1,130 (why so much?)Room and Board: $12,794Other Expenses: $1,650Total Cost: $66,779 Dickinson College Financial Aid (2015- 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 78%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 73%Loans: 47%Average Amount of AidGrants: $29,967Loans: $6,110 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Biology, Economics, English, History, International Business, Political Science, Psychology, Public PolicyWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 90%4-Year Graduation Rate: 81%6-Year Graduation Rate: 84% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Football, Swimming, Tennis, Squash, Cross Country, Basketball, Golf, Track and Field, Baseball, Lacrosse, SoccerWomens Sports:  Basketball, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Track and Field, Lacrosse, Softball, Squash, Tennis, Cross Country Data Source National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Dickinson College, You May Also Like These Schools Hamilton College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSwarthmore College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTrinity College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWesleyan University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTufts University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBowdoin College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphColgate University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphConnecticut College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphLafayette College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphVassar College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAmerican University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph

Mncs As A Force For Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mncs As A Force For Development - Essay Example The unprecedented increase and expansion of multinational corporations has seen increase of interest among the media, scholars and the public who have explored the subject. Multinationals are deemed as key instruments in maximizing economic welfare across the globe while in other aspects they are deemed dangerous agents of economic imperialism (Ietto-Â ­Giles 2012, p. 33). These are issues and basic facts that have been examined by different scholars using different theories and have had different views and conclusions through different opinions and ideologies. Growth in multinational enterprises has been associated with growth in world economies through development of technology, information and communication as well as distribution of resources across the globe (Buckley 2009, 132). Multinationals have also been deemed vital in creating employment in the world markets and enhancing economic development in the economies where they have invested. However, these positive aspects have not been free from the possible perils that come with foreign investments and growth of multinationals. For instance, growth of multinationals in third world nations has been associated with the uneven development; this has mainly risen from overpricing of technology (Rodriguez-Clare 1996, p. 852). Aim of the study The main aim of this study is to explore the growth in multinational corporations and their spread across the world, with a view to examine the extent to which they are a force of development and progress. The study will explore the current trend in multinational corporations and identify how the growth has been associated with economic development and progress. The study will also examine possible perils associated with growth of multinationals. This will help identify whether the positive results of multinationals growth far outweighs the possible perils. Growth trend in multinational enterprises According to Buckley and Casson (2009, p. 1563), Multinational enterprises or the MNEs are defined as firms that own and control activities in more than one country through mergers joint ventures or franchises. These are businesses that are started in one country and later on start investing in foreign countries by establishing their market operations in the existing and emerging markets. There has been enormous growth in multinational enterprises or the MNCs and the international direct investment in the recent decades (Buckley, P & Casson 2003, p. 219). Companies based in industrialized nations have been leaders in establishment of multinational operations due to their strength in ownership advantages that is derived from innovation and highly advanced technological applications. Multinationals have been strongly associated with economic growth and trade. United States, Japan and Sweden among other developed nations are identified as leading home countries for most multinationals since the countries are mainly the source of the foreign direct investment (Dunning & Sarianna 2008, p. 182). FDI is one of the most common mechanisms used by MNCs to start and maintain business operations in foreign countries. Few companies were investing overseas in the early and mid-1960s, however, the trend of growth changed and there was significant change towards foreign direct investment activities. Since 1990s, there has been significant growth in international trade and production that has not only been reflected by the magnitude of the multinational firms but has also had sectoral composition of inflows and outflows. The significant change in sectoral composition and geographical investment activi

Is the UK economy out of recession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Is the UK economy out of recession - Essay Example The financial crisis that emerged from sub prime-mortgage crisis in 2007 in the United States transformed into a global recession. The financial and economic activities of about all the countries have been severely affected by this sub prime-mortgage crisis. The industrialised economies have been hit hard in this crisis. The UK economy underwent the impact of this crisis in the second quarter of 2008. During this period, UK faced the largest contraction in economy on record. However, the latest statistics of UK are predicting that era of soaring borrowing and economic downturn is over. At the end of year 2008, British economy could not come out of recession, showing the lagging position of economy and everyone was afraid of the potential relapse in the following year. Although the recession emerged from sub-mortgage crisis in the United States, however, UK economy was at disadvantage because it was highly dependent on the financial sector. The poor performance of UK financial sector along with the increasing levels of consumers debt, were keeping the state at a lag behind the other industrialised states, thereby, preventing UK economy to recover from global recession. The official statistics that have been published in January 2010 reveal that British economy is out of recession. While we cannot answer this question exactly, unless there have been some visible trends in the economic conditions. Before analysing whether UK is out of recession or not, looking into what has happened to UK during the last few years (particularly before recession) will be very significant. During the last ten years, the investment and growth in UK has remained passive however, the economy has faced high levels of FDI. The financial sector has become stronger both domestically and internationally whereas; the manufacturing sector has gone down. Moreover, the growth of financial

Analyzing the key public of CASA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing the key public of CASA - Essay Example The cases of abandoned or abused children from the African American community make nearly half those in courts these days in Montgomery County. Having volunteers from this community is an absolute importance to the organization as it shall be adding a group that the children will be feeling directly connected to and will be free and open to interact with. The other group that is of at most importance to add as volunteers to the organization is the law students (Tumminia, 2006). This is a welfare that deals with matters that are legal and adding young and energetic volunteers who not only understands but also practices law is needed. It shall be a move that will also ensure smooth transition and stretch the life of the organization in many years to come. Another important group is the retired mental health workers (Montgomery County Office of children and youth, 2008). The children, who have experienced abuse in many cases if not well taken care of and closely examined, can go into state of mental quandary. The organization need people who understand mental cases and who have hands on experience in these situations (Peak & Glensor, 2004). Other minority groups that need to be targeted and urged to volunteer their time and services are: other retirees, past participants, homeowner association members, animal lovers and retired and active police officers. The organization must sell its operations to the public of Montgomery for all people to be aware of its existence. CASA need to target people who will be instrumental in reaching out to the public and sensitizing them about the programs of the organization. One such group is the gardeners (International Conference on Student Mental Health, & In Funkenstein, 2009). Nearly every home in Montgomery employs the services of the gardeners and this makes them to be an important network for passing information about the

Legal Foundations of Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Foundations of Health Care - Essay Example Progress in health care facilities was also significant and began immediately into the century. The developments began in the year 1903 with Willem’s invention of electrocardiograph, a development that facilitated diagnosis and therapies. The â€Å"first basal metabolism apparatus† in 1906 was another development in the industry (Pozgar, 2012, p. 9). The â€Å"Wassermann test† followed this in the same year before invention of the â€Å"fluoroscopic screen† two years later. Tests on functionality of the pancreas were also developed by the year 1906. The progression in facilities also included equipments for taking blood based tests and tests on other body fluids as well as development of health care laboratories (Pozgar, 2012). Developments was further realized in establishment of training facilities for health care personnel, as was the case of the Foundation of the American College of Surgeons, in the year 1913. Progress in health care facilities however slugged after the year 1929 because of effects of the First World War and the Great Depression but was later facilitated by profit-oriented ventures in the health care sector. Computerization was another development in the period and was realized towards the end of the 20th century. Its features were vested in healthcare technology such as â€Å"computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography† (Pozgar, 2012, p. 10). These developments in medical technologies have also been the major identified elements of progression in the 21st century. The progression has adopted the developed trend in towards the end of the 20th century when care providers sought to resolve existing and emerging problems in the society and to a ttain efficiencies in their operations. Other developments in healthcare facilities in the period include development of antibiotics and equipments for managing infections, development of pharmaceutical products, establishment and

My way through the ECMO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

My way through the ECMO - Essay Example The large community base has only made me realize the kind of understanding and oneness a society can have within its folds. Therefore I appreciate the unity that exists within such realms and attribute my success to my elders and the society essentially. I recently made my way through with the ECMO (the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) Lab at the University of Michigan. My work within this project has been for a period of about six months now. It has enabled me to act and react to a number of varying situations and circumstances and has thus leased a fresh life within me. It has taught me quite a lot about the different aspects of health and human sciences, and has instilled in me the confidence to move ahead further with the passage of time. I look forward to being a part of the Health and Human Sciences, and this is the reason that I wish to apply at the University of Michigan as a freshman to the college of literature, science and arts. It would further my future with the kin d of understanding that I have desired for myself. This deems more significance as I will be able to put forth my wish towards accomplishment. Basically, I have volunteered for this role at the laboratory which has put solid faith within me that I can make my way through and learn the nuances with such fields today and apply them for a better use in the coming times. My experience with different people at the laboratory has made me realize that one needs to appreciate the little moments of happiness that life brings within it. And this is the reason why I would like to pursue my up coming education within the same quarters. It would instill in me a sense of pride and achievement that I have not yet attained in my life.

Legal Foundations of Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Foundations of Health Care - Essay Example Progress in health care facilities was also significant and began immediately into the century. The developments began in the year 1903 with Willem’s invention of electrocardiograph, a development that facilitated diagnosis and therapies. The â€Å"first basal metabolism apparatus† in 1906 was another development in the industry (Pozgar, 2012, p. 9). The â€Å"Wassermann test† followed this in the same year before invention of the â€Å"fluoroscopic screen† two years later. Tests on functionality of the pancreas were also developed by the year 1906. The progression in facilities also included equipments for taking blood based tests and tests on other body fluids as well as development of health care laboratories (Pozgar, 2012). Developments was further realized in establishment of training facilities for health care personnel, as was the case of the Foundation of the American College of Surgeons, in the year 1913. Progress in health care facilities however slugged after the year 1929 because of effects of the First World War and the Great Depression but was later facilitated by profit-oriented ventures in the health care sector. Computerization was another development in the period and was realized towards the end of the 20th century. Its features were vested in healthcare technology such as â€Å"computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography† (Pozgar, 2012, p. 10). These developments in medical technologies have also been the major identified elements of progression in the 21st century. The progression has adopted the developed trend in towards the end of the 20th century when care providers sought to resolve existing and emerging problems in the society and to a ttain efficiencies in their operations. Other developments in healthcare facilities in the period include development of antibiotics and equipments for managing infections, development of pharmaceutical products, establishment and

Far Horizon's case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Far Horizon's case study - Essay Example Lastly, it should be aware of the income level of its target market, so that it can appropriately price the goods and services that it will offer, to match the market's willingness to purchase. Far Horizon has to make a product strategy that is very sensitive to its customers unique needs, as well as one that is innovative and quality-driven. The customers for this type of service are very scrutinizing, in a way that each set of customers have very unique needs, which might not be the same which the next set of customers. Far Horizon must therefore avoid the scenario where it will commoditize its products, in a way that it provides the same type of service to its different customers. Instead, the company must allow for a certain level of customization, for each accommodation package that the customers will demand, and it must make its service cater to the needs of its customers (and not the other way around). Another factor that will affect its product strategy is the generic type of service that this industry provides. Far Horizon can capitalize on this, by making its services more unique, to rouse more interest from its present customer base and to uniquely distinguish itself from competitors and similar companies. Along with customization, unique new features and creative add-ons will make Far Horizon, as a brand, stand-out from the rest of the competition. For example, the company may be bold enough to try hosting themed team-building events for corporate customers, or they may also try to hold festivals and cultural shows (in cooperation with the state) to coincide with a related conference or convention. Lastly, Far Horizon has to focus on consistently delivering quality-driven service to all of its customers. The high-level of customization and innovation will bring in a good bulk of the customers, but quality-driven service will retain the good customers, and will make them spread the news about Far Horizon's services to other potential customers. The innovative and customized features that the company can offer will be meaningless if quality is not stressed. Therefore, for Far Horizon to be a market leader in this service industry, it also has to be the market leader in delivering quality service to all of its customers. Place Strategy The most obvious factor that would affect Far Horizon's place strategy is its proximity to highways, airports or other transportation hubs. More and more customers would want to avail of Far Horizon's services, if the place was immediately accessible from public highways and airports. Another factor that can affect the company's place strategy is the scenic view that surrounds the place. While the company should focus on delivering customized and innovative quality service, it can also factor in the scenic surroundings around the place, to further enhance the company's image. Lastly, the overall attractiveness of the city or state of location affects the image that the company will project to its customers. If the city or state is known to maintain a high level of crime and theft, for example, then customers will still not be attracted to avail of Far Horizon's services. On the other hand, if the city or state has a good reputation among business and socio-civic organizations, then more customers will

East Asia Economic Community establishment Prospects Essay Example for Free

East Asia Economic Community establishment Prospects Essay Following the dynamic trends amplified by vast globalization, regional integration is becoming increasingly important throughout the globe. Since late 1940s, East Asia has been struggling to establish regional cooperation with little success. Massive differences, unrealistic demands and bureaucratic leadership has made this dream a quagmire in the horizon. However, understanding the massive benefits that other regional integrations like European Union have achieved, East Asian Countries appears to have made a clear decision to fully integrate. As indicated and amplified by the outcome of the 2007 Nikkei conference, the region has various prospects that integration is required to deliver to them after its adoption (Kent Francis, 2008, pp. 63-64). To begin with, they expect faster and improved economic growth in the region. With the region holding over 25% of the total world population globally and commanding a global Growth Domestic Product of over US $ 9 trillion, it posses a potential capacity both locally and internationally in terms of market forces of goods and services at all times. With increased technological capacity to produce high quality goods and services as indicated by China, Japan and Korea, the region looks forward to vast modernization which has been projected to surpass North America if fully and carefully implemented. As a block the region will command greater market and control to international outsourcing investors to its advantage. Therefore, like European Union, the community will act as the main negotiator for standards as well as the conditions and requirements for conducting business with other partners (Praduma, 2005, pp.14-15). To add to that, regional security will be highly boosted for the investors and the local community in the region. Since September 9/11 terrorist attack in US, South East Asia like other regions has been under great threat from terrorists. Integration therefore will ease the flow of information within the region; establish standards for goods entering the region and avail enough resources necessary for forensic diplomatic preparedness at all times. As denoted by the European Union, air, land and naval surveillance should be amply boosted thereby maintaining regional peace the whole region (Kent Francis, 2008, p. 235). Besides, regional disasters that frequent the region should be conclusively addressed. Adequate technological and financial preparedness should be established. As a result it will ease monitoring, prevention and subsequent mitigation of the possible resultant damages. To add to that, regional cultures should be greatly safeguarded to ensure that all the communities live in harmony with each other. Based on traditional philosophies and religious basements like Taoism in China, the bloc will have to carefully enshrine all the communities believes and faiths (Hua Sing Lim, 2008, pp. 25-26). Conclusion. East Asia Economic community prospects of improvement in regional economy, high level security as well as cultural diversity recognition and enhancement will ensure that the region remains focused. Leaders in the region therefore should refer to the above prospects as a uniting front for achieving the desired integration objectives in the region. This integration should therefore be hastened to ensure that speedy benefits trickle to the region. Work Cited Hua Sing Lim. Policy implications of of economic integration: East Asian community. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2008. Kent, Calder Francis Fukuyama. East Asian Multilateralism: Prospects for Regional Stability. John Hopkin press: Baltimore, 2008. Praduma, Rana. Economic Integration in East Asia: Trends, Prospects and possible road map. 2005. Retrieved from: http://www. ris. org. in/china_pradumna_rana. pdf.

Human Resource Management Essay

Human Resource Management Essay Introduction I want to develop my research to formulate a specific research question which I will then be able to write a full report on. The initial review looks at HRM as a whole and the theories that surround this, often over-looked, subject. Specifically, I want to look at how the HRM structure works within the tourism industry, especially looking at a major British holiday company and focussing on how HRM motivate their employees in various aspects of the business such as the customer service department. However, to achieve this I must first look at HRM as a topic to get the background research for my project to begin. Human Resource Management in the Tourism Industry As a direct result of new and more sophisticated technology becoming available to us, businesses are increasingly growing to such an extent that they develop into a global concern. This means that the role of Human Resource Management has become very important within businesses, but it is still looked upon as a lower department.   However, the concept of Human Resource Management (HRM) has been heavily debated in literature and is used more increasingly within employment sector organisations. The history of HRM could be summarised as it being developed initially from work in the USA in the 1960s and 1970s and was created from several interrelated sources and since then the concept has been spread from the USA, into Europe and eventually Australasia. There is no formal definition of HRM because different companies imply different definitions from various evidential sources. Basically, HRM can be defined as a range of circumstances that affect the employment and contribution of people, against the criteria of coherence and appropriateness (Brewster, 1994). However, Kirkbride (1994) suggested that the use of the term HRM gives the general sense of the policies, procedures and processes involved in the management of people in various work environments. Bratton and Gold (1999) also noted that a definition of the subject matter under which HRM covers would help to analyse and understand the HRM practices. They also defined HRM the subject as: That part of the management process that specialises in the management of people in work organisations. Human Resource Management emphasises that employees are the primary resource for gaining a sustainable and competitive advantage, and that human resource activities need to be integrated within the corporate strategy, and that human resource specialists help organisations to meet both the efficiency and equity objectives... Mead (1998) states that the key terms in HRM literature are strategic focus. This meant that the need for human resource policies and practices had to be consistent with the overall business strategy, allowing the individual sections of a HRM package to reinforce each other. This should particularly emphasise teamwork, flexibility, employee involvement and organisational commitment. This, however, is a completely opposite message to the traditional demands on the human resource systems of countries like USA where there is a collective bargaining arrangement from both the employers and the policy-makers. Therefore, the product market environment of the 1980s changed this situation so that the traditional demands would still be met, but at the same time the human resource management system would also meet their new demands at the level of the individual employee and throughout the entire organisation (Beaumont, 1993).   The Harvard Business School approach to strategic HRM suggests that the need for all the people involved with the business organisation, such as the employees, their union, the customers, etc., should be taken into account when considering any organisational arrangements, and making employee influence one of the leading policy areas in their attempt to develop a pro-active, strategic and broad-based HRM orientation in each individual organisation or department. The terms and content have changed considerably through the 1980s and 1990s, with a greater emphasis now being placed on the financial, communication and problem-solving activities. (Beaumont, 1993). Again, Bratton and Gold (1999) also stated that HRM could be described as the organisations valued assets, emphasising the commitment of employees as a means of competitive advantage, and therefore creating calculative, quantitative and strategic managerial aspects of managing the workforce in a rational and humane way.   HRM Practices As there is an increase in the greater quality of competition, the higher the emphasis on the market and the constantly changing attitudes towards work itself has made it necessary to identify and adopt different management approaches.   Even though the focus has moved from a structural and systematic way of thinking to the development of specific managerial practises that will stimulate a corporate culture and in return employee commitment is secured to the extensive use of employee resources by the HRM. Therefore, in order to understand why HRM is needed in the tourism industry, it is important to look at the role of HRM within an organisation, as this is the custodian of competitiveness. A review of the literature based on international HRM by Harzing and Ruysseveldt (1995) revealed three main areas of discourse; staffing, training and development, assessment and compensation. These are also considered to be the main activities in both domestic and international HRM.   In general, staffing issues in an international organisation usually involve filling critical management positions. This means that almost all employees in the middle management and more operative levels are always selected and recruited on a local basis to the organisation. Sometimes, when certain candidates for upper management posts are being recruited, there are various options as to whether choose a candidate from the organisations parent-country nationals, their host-country nationals or even third-country nationals. The final choice, however, is definitely dependant on the attitude of the top level management at the parent organisation. According to Perlmutter (1969), these attitudes can be divided into three central categories; Ethnocentricity, Polycentricity, and Geocentricity.   In respect to quality, top level management is continuously battling to weigh professional managerial skills and technical competence against environmental adaptiveness. Therefore, the ability to adapt to local cultures is a major factor, involving not only the candidate, but also their partner and their immediate family as well. Training and development activities within international HRM systems, places such emphasis on shifting from the preparatory training needs of expatriates to a fully international training and development system which is available to all managers and will improve their performance in a global perspective, regardless of their country of origin. Today, these activities are crucial to international HRM. They can be wide-ranging which means the person who gets the job will need to know the specific organisational structure to which they will be assigned and the job and task skills required of them there. They must also acquire an understanding of the local area including such things as the social, cultural, and legal aspects and develop the necessary interpersonal skills with which to perform well in various situations. The importance of the last two areas however was pointed out in a survey conducted by Harzing and Ruysseveldt (1995), where they identified cultural sensitivity and the ability to handle responsibility as well as the ability to develop employees, a managers three most important skills in their job role. Finally, the last important task identified was that of assessment and compensation. This process of assessing and compensating international managers is complex in nature and can be reflected in the requirements used in such assessments. For example, Adler and Bartholomew (1992) suggested that these requirements are often a reflection of a more traditional approach to international managers, thus meaning their methods are based on the ethnocentric attitudes held by high management levels that are predominantly using parent-country nationals to staff their companys foreign subsidiaries. However, such subsidiaries are subordinates to the main headquarters, both on an organisational and cultural level. As a result, more open-minded, authors, such as Brewster (1994) and Stonehouse (2000) have taken part in the continuing debate on the concept of strategic HRM. They have argued that the underlying concept is the idea that human resources are not only a high operating cost for most organisations, but are also a major factor in the contribution of the effective utilisation of all the organisations resources as well. The Importance of HRM and the Business Strategy One of the main features that defines strategic HRM is its close relationship to the businesss main strategy and is creates the argument of is there a direct correlation between strategic HRM and economic success? HRM only becomes strategic when in private sector human resources are promoted to a position where the organisation looks and treats them as a competitive advantage (Kochan and Dyer, 1992). This has raised a key debate in terms of how HRM can contribute to the overall success and competitiveness of the business. Until recently, however, most companies preferred a reactive management method within their human resources, leaving the personnel management to consist mainly of administrative activities. The creation of multiple new macro economies have led to the concept and recognition of people as a valuable asset which if managed as a strategic resource can help an organisation to achieve superior performance levels and gain a greater competitive advantage. This awareness has led human resource management directly into the spotlight (Storehouse, 2000). Therefore, HRM has a definite strategic approach in arranging human resources and getting involved in a closer alignment of employment allocation systems along with business strategy. The integration of HRM and business strategy means that the level at which the HRM issues are considered are now playing a larger role in the formulation of business strategies. Indeed, HRM intends to focus on the issue of strategy and the more organisations that become knowledgeable of this relationship, the more human behaviour becomes a competitive factor, which is closely linked to the strategic direction of the particular organisation. According to Kirkbride (1994), an integration of business strategy and HRM as described earlier can have several advantages. Firstly, integration means that a broader range of solutions is available for solving complex organisational problems without the need for external help. Secondly, it ensures that the human, financial, and technological resources also are given equal consideration when setting targets and looking at the implementation capabilities. Third, through this kind of integration, various organisations can explicitly concentrate on the individual employees, who the departments comprise of and their needs and only then can they implement their policies. Finally, the response to integrating human resources and strategic plans can limit the level of subordination of strategic planning in consideration of human resource preferences and, thus neglecting human resources as a crucial source of organisational operations and the creation of competitive advantage. Whichever way you look at it, there is a growing body of evidence that supports the link of an association between high performing human resource management and organisational performance. It has been found that businesses whom linked HRM practices with their business strategy are constantly delivering higher financial performance outcomes. Beaumont (1993) argued that it is not just the relationship that is important but the quality of the HRM practices and a distinct approach is necessary in delivering high performance indicators. HRM strategies and practices must therefore be working well together within the individual businesss strategy planning. Conclusion All of the theories used in this review have been extensively researched to settle in their final point of view. This means that it should not be that difficult to find any related researches within the subject field or any other secondary data I come across to answer my research questions and meet the objectives of my research as a re-analysis of all the data that has been already collected could develop a new approach to the research. Search of secondary-data will be aided by internet searches which should prove useful for survey results like organizational surveys, academic surveys organizations employee attitudes, email questions etc. Also, looking at and obtaining multiple-source data that has been published such as journals from tourism business magazines, books, government publications and organization reports. On closure, an important note to remember is that the results from my research and survey, along with the results from other surveys found, including the relations with the literature review, should meet my research topic generally and settle in a clear and informative answer to my research question and its objectives. Bibliography Beaumont, P. (1993). Human Resource Management: Key Concepts and Skills. Sage Publications. Bratton, J. and Gold, J. (1999). Human resource management: theory and practice. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave. Brewster, C. (2003). Line Management responsibility for HRM: What is happening in Europe?   MCB UP Ltd. (Journal) Dessler, G. (2008). Human Resource Management (11th Ed.).   Prentice-Hall Inc. Harzing, A. Ruysseveldt, J. (1995).   International Human Resource Management. Sage Publications Kirkbride, P. (1992). Human Resource Management in Europe.   Routledge, London Maund, L. (2001). An Introduction to Human Resource Management.   Palgrave MacMillan Mead, R. (1998). International Management: Cross-Cultural Dimensions. Blakewell Publications Stonehouse, G. (2000). Business Strategy (2nd Ed). Butterworth-Heinemann Final word Count: 2047 (excluding references/bibliography) Carl Edwards

Charlotte Smith’s Elegiac Sonnets Essay -- sensibility, nature, emotion

In Charlotte Smith’s Elegiac Sonnets, Smith uses nature as a vehicle to express her complex emotions and yearning for a renewal of her spirit. Utilizing the immortal characteristics of spring and the tempestuous nature of the ocean, Smith creates a poetic world that is both a comfort and a hindrance to her tortured soul. Even while spring can provide her with temporary solace and the ocean is a friend in her sorrow, both parts of nature constantly remind her of something that she will never be able to accomplish: the renewal of her anguished spirit and complete happiness in life once more. Through three of her sonnets in this collection, Smith connects with the different parts of nature and displays her sensible temperament with her envy over nature’s ability to easily renew its beauty and vitality. In â€Å"Written at the close of Spring,† Smith’s second sonnet, she focuses on the wonderful ability nature has in rejuvenating itself each year. Smith personifies Spring in the way it â€Å"nurs’d in dew† its flowers as though it was nursing its own children (â€Å"Close of Spring† 2). While it creates life, Spring is not human, because it has this ability to come back after its season has passed. Human beings grow old and die; we lose our â€Å"fairy colours† through the abrasive nature of life (â€Å"Close of Spring† 12). Smith is mournful that humans cannot be like the flowers of Spring and regain the colors of our lives after each year. Normally in comparing the age of sensibility with nature, we see this great appreciation of nature as a whole. In Smith’s poems, we do see this, but mostly in this sonnet we see a jealousy of nature. Smith is able to connect with the beauty of Spring on some level; it is something that brings her a small amount of... ... but she always realizes at the end that her happiness is forever gone and she only has despair to look forward to her future. While nature is a typical outlet for people with a sensible nature, like Smith, it can also just as easily create a desire in man that can never be attained. Works Cited Smith, Charlotte. "To Spring." Poem Hunter. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. . Smith, Charlotte. â€Å"Written at the close of spring .† Elegiac Sonnets. Ed. Stuart Curran. New York: Oxford, 1993. 13-14. Print. Smith, Charlotte. â€Å"Written in a tempestuous night, on the coast of Sussex.† Elegiac Sonnets. Ed. Stuart Curran. New York: Oxford, 1993. 58. Print. Smith, Charlotte. â€Å"Written on the seashore- October, 1784.† Elegiac Sonnets. Ed. Stuart Curran. New York: Oxford, 1993. 20. Print.

Emotional Intelligence Essay

The pursuit of knowledge through education entails the many manifestations and progressive procedure of one’s emotion. Human nature previously regarded intelligence as the primary component of learning and eventually as the main source of success. In the modern educational or learning setting, however, a person’s emotional intelligence is now supposed to be of equal authority and even better than intellect as far as its benefits are concern. Hence, based from its advantageous implications to the filed of education or teaching particularly in contemporary schools, emotional intelligence is not to be ignored as a vital requirement of education. The principle concerning the significant nature and value of emotional intelligence in today’s learning is depicted with various circumstances where one’s emotions play very notable part and effect. Considering a person’s varying feelings in response to different life events and realities, it can now be noted that the level of emotional aptitude of a person measures his strength and ability to handle a situation. Most importantly, an individual’s emotional intelligence determines the eventuality of failure and attainment of success. Thus, this is where emotional intelligence apparently matters more because it is able to provide people with success as compared with intelligence quotient. Nowadays, emotional intelligence is subjected to the requirements and challenges of the teaching field. Since people and the society have acknowledged the undeniable positive impacts of emotional intelligence to education, it is then just empirical to pursue further this concept. This is because an increased awareness and involvement by the people as regard the quality and implications of emotional intelligence will definitely work to the advantages of the majority of the population and the communities where they belong. Since learning is determined by how people manage their emotions, then it can be implied that one’s feeling is a factor in determining success or that it can even be considered as a tool to improve education among students. It is, in fact, essential to assist students identify how their respective emotional intelligence will lead them to success or not. Lastly, it is also fortunate that considerable fresh perspectives about how the intellect creates human emotions were already realized. This is for the reason that the brain now creates ways on how emotional intelligence influences, affects and works to the benefit of student’s education. â€Å"Emotional Intelligence† Book, an Overview The above-mentioned hypothesis was clearly illustrated in the 1995 book of Daniel Goleman entitled â€Å"Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. † The author provided the public with apparently compelling proofs that the emotional intelligence quotient or a student’s level of emotional intelligence is equally valuable in achieving educational success as what cognitive intelligence, as gauged by IQ or SAT percentages, provide (Goleman, 1995). The book opened with an account of how brain functions in relation to one’s emotions. Thereafter in the middle part of the book, Goleman supplemented the rationale behind how to wisely handle emotion and eventually revealed the benefits derived from such thereby proving that it has more substance than IQ. In conclusion, Golemen provided the public with true-to-life manifestations which established the value of emotional intelligence as it performs a more fundamental function in human’s search and eventual attainment of success (Goleman, 1995). Intelligence quotient was previously regarded as the major deciding factor in one’s accomplishment. In the book, this was disputed by Goleman who stated that human’s perspective on IQ is, in fact, a distant and slender version of reality. The book instead stressed the principle of emotional intelligence as the ultimate determinant of a person’s success. Goleman discussed emotional intelligence based from the aspects of one’s consciousness, selflessness, motivation, understanding as well as power to offer love and other endearing emotions while at the same time being loved by people around him (Goleman, 1995). Additionally, the book presented various incidents which proved how people, who exemplified high levels of emotional intelligence and who nurtured their existing emotional strengths, were able to achieve success in their respective areas. In Goleman’s view, emotional intelligence is not inherited or already innate at birth but it can be developed as person matures and its benefits are eventually attained (Goleman, 1995). Focusing on the field of education, the entire book evidently centered its discussion on the emotional intelligence among the students of the young generation. It is at this point that Golemen called on educators and other concerned people in the area of learning to clearly explain to students the nature of emotional intelligence and its evidently positive implications as far as the education of the young ones (Goleman, 1995). In imparting the value of a student’s emotional literacy, the Goleman book also requested the parents to pay attention to the emotional necessities of their children. Adults, on the other hand, need to immediately educate themselves to deal with their respective interpersonal affiliations in a wise manner. Ultimately, the book heightened the beneficial implications of emotional intelligence in the field of education as manifested by the accounts of success which were attributed to the said Goleman concept (Goleman, 1995). â€Å"Emotional Intelligence,† a Critical Analysis The Goleman book is worthy to be examined by presenting the worth or impacts of emotional intelligence as it is compared with IQ and applied in the several stages of human development. Initially based from the characteristic of the human brain, the principle of emotional intelligence as provided by the book concretely challenged that one’s intellect is subjected to limitations. The said position of the book has a sense because in reality, a person is considered intelligent and has a well-defined logic or reasoning aptitude yet this does not holds true as far as decision-making is concern. The book is to be commended with the said stand that the worth of the human brain should not be the determining factor of aptitude but rather one’s emotional intelligence which provides the logic behind every decision. In short, this position is best explained wherein people experience various situations and promptly decide by conforming to what their emotions dictate or simply based from how they feel at the moment and definitely not according to what their mind think. The book specifically illustrated the said position with its initial discussion about the complicated system of the human brain. In particular, the portions of the book where a person’s reaction to a snake as well as the presentations made by Goleman concerning several subject matters such as depression, nervousness, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, drug dependency and misuse, teenage pregnancy and issues on human relationships are all corroborating facts which confirm the principle that emotional intelligence really matters more than IQ (Goleman 1995). While Goleman was criticized for his apparent inclination towards the promotion of emotional intelligence only among children, he is nonetheless acclaimed for such effort. This is because the book has, in fact, succeeded in imparting the beneficial implications of emotional intelligence especially in the field of education of the young students. In particular, the author is to be credited for his suggestion about several procedures of how to improve the emotional intelligence of children, which he proposed to be done from their schools into their respective homes. Hence, the author is correct with his observation that children particularly students turn out to manifest an increased degree of depression, sadness, hostility and rowdiness as they mature or are provided with more academic information. The book is logical when it attributed the said blunders to children’s limited or even lack of emotional intelligence. The pieces of evidence provided by the book regarding the effects of emotional instability among children need to be concurred by the public. This is because an aggravated level of emotional predicament is possible if the issue is not immediately addressed, if not solved. Emotional intelligence as the book implied, on the other hand, is of similar benefit to the adults. That is why the criticisms, which the book got for it reportedly fell short in discussing emotional intelligence among adults, are not justified. In fact, Goleman has comprehensively discussed the importance of adult’s emotional aptitude and stability because it is perceived that logic or the appropriate level of reasoning of an adult is adequately needed for human relationships. The book is truthful with its revelation that an adult is required to be stable with his emotional intelligence in order to achieve well-accepted interpersonal relations with others. This position was appropriately supported with portions of the book which explained the reason behind the emotions’ creation of several reactions and how an adult gets used to such incidents. In particular, a reader may even feel that Goleman is directly addressing the issues by providing his personal insights about life realities which require the application of emotional intelligence. Other issues discussed by the book are of equal significance in the author’s efforts to explain the value of emotional intelligence in adult’s life. Goleman was rational when he wrote that emotional urges usually surpass the procedure of applying logical thinking. This is primarily what his principle of emotional intelligence suggests. That is, in specific incidents in human life, a person is likely to respond in a way what his emotions dictate as correct reaction rather than what the mind implies to assume and reason out. Simply put, emotional desires supersede the course of logical and coherent thinking. While the public apparently regarded that the book resulted into an unusual debate when it stated that emotional intelligence has a higher percentage of status and applicability than IQ, Goleman should not be totally blamed for neglecting the value of academic abilities. This is because his emotional intelligence principle was in accordance to what the results of his studies implied as well as what his observations suggested. Although the disapproval against the Goleman book may have its justification, it is still fair to note that the author did not totally set aside the worth of IQ or intellectual capabilities in general. What Goleman just did was to destroy the incorrect declarations of IQ testing that it is the ultimate determining factor of success and one’s proficiency. Goleman, through the book, just put the issue in its right perspective. When Goleman claimed that emotional intelligence possess around 80 percent while IQ only has 20 percent as their respective contribution to one’s success, what he really tried to impart is that the said due significance of the two elements was based from what people portray as they respond to life eventualities. Based from the accumulated facts by the author, the book was able to illustrate a more transparent image when a person has to react to an incident wherein, while human both considers both his mind and feeling, he is still inclined to decide over a situation based from what he feels and this is where emotional intelligence sets in. The book was also justified in its suggestion that it is not the human IQ percentage which eventually determines one’s triumph or failure. Thus, what the book and its author presented as components of success, such as the manifestations of emotional intelligence, are things which should not be out rightly disregarded. Goleman was able to support his emotional intelligence principle by providing studies which showed that people with high IQ percentages did not eventually succeed in life or attained any substantial achievements. Instead, the book succeeded in proving that even people with low IQ percentages succeed in the end precisely because they possess an impressively high level of emotional intelligence. Implications in Contemporary Education As previously stated, emotional intelligence is not an inherent ability. One way of emphasizing this idea is the effort made by the Goleman book that people can nurture such principle from the educational system. In fact, the author emphasized that it is critical that emotional intelligence is cultivated as children are introduced to formal learning until they reach their adulthood. This was made known by the book because of the apparent beneficial implications that emotional intelligence provide to people and the society in general. It is in this aspect that both educators and students benefit from reading the book primarily due to its main objective which is to impart the value and advantages of adhering to the nature of emotional intelligence. With learning institutions existing naturally wherein the students and the information derived from such field interact and are connected with each other, it is just practical that it is the proper venue where emotional intelligence may effectively manifest its value and usefulness. This is because it is in schools where students, while learning, are subjected to various incidents which test their respective emotional intelligence capabilities. Appropriate and acceptable responses to these situations are then considered to be as concrete manifestations of the power of emotional intelligence among students. The issue whether emotional intelligence fits the educational system is based according to the implications of the said philosophy to contemporary learning. Given the modern academic standard, it is logical to state that emotional intelligence directly affects how students are taught with various topics and that their specific responses to every situation depict how a high level of emotional intelligence really matter more as far as making decisions are required. While Goleman indicated that it is not totally easy to impart emotional intelligence in today’s school particularly to the level of young students, there are specific ways where the said ability can be used and eventually achieve its purpose of leading the young one into the eventuality of achieving success in the future. Through the guidance of the book and the suggestions offered by Goleman, the public was provided with the idea on how to have emotion-based incidents and emotional intelligence best suit the field of learning. Implications of incorporating emotional intelligence in educational programs are, in fact, existing and are proven in the formulation of curriculum in various learning facilities. Once the principle of emotional intelligence is imparted in education, students manifest self-awareness wherein they monitor and acknowledge their own emotions and they eventually are able to identify the link between ideas, emotions and responses. Additionally, the decision-making ability of students is enhanced by emotional intelligence because they are able to study their actions and the effects of the decision to a particular incident. Above all, emotional intelligence when put into the educational structure ultimately develop one’s overall personality as the students are able to manage their emotions, deal with stress, enhance interpersonal relationship and most importantly develop their individual accountability and ability to correctly resolve problems. Conclusion The principle of emotional intelligence is by itself can be considered as valuable in today’s education. Goleman and his book made it more clear, acceptable and beneficial to the public hence I personally like and commend it. Above all, the book succeeded in its main argument that emotional intelligence is definitely more important than IQ based from the advantageous implications it provided to today’s students. Beyond the controversy, the book ultimately served its very purpose of offering the students and educational system an alternative learning principle which is better or has more substance than what already exists. Reference Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. New York, NY: Bantam.

Driving Forces for M-Commerce Success

Driving Forces for M-commerce Success Jason J. Zhang, Yufei Yuan, and Norm Archer Michael G. DeGroote School of Business McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Abstract Is m-commerce just an extension or a subset of e-commerce? Will it turn out to be just more hype? In this paper we discuss the realities of m-commerce and the major differences between mobile commerce and Internet-based e-commerce. Based on this understanding, we identify key factors that must be taken into consideration in order to design valuable m-commerce applications.We emphasize that the success of m-commerce relies on the synergy of three driving forces: technology innovation, evolution of a new value chain, and active customer demand. Key words m-commerce, e-commerce, wireless communication networks Jason J. Zhang is currently a Ph. D. student in Information Systems at Michael G. DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada. He received his M. E. degree in Information System Engineering at t he School of Management, Dalian University of Technology, and B. E. degree in Computer Science & Engineering at North China Institute of Technology, P.R. C. He once worked as an IT consultant for Office Automation (OA) for the Chinese government. His research interests include e-commerce, e-government, supply chain management, m-commerce, and agent-facilitated decision support systems. Yufei Yuan is currently a Professor of Information Systems at Michael G. DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada. He received his Ph. D. in Computer Information Systems from The University of Michigan in U. S. in 1985. His research interests are in the areas of web-based negotiation support system, business models in electronic ommerce, approximate reasoning with fuzzy logic, matching problems, and decision support in health care. He has published more than 30 papers in professional journals such as International Journal of Electronic Markets, Internet research, Fuzzy Sets and Systems , European Journal of Operational Research, Management Sciences, Academic Medicine, Medical Decision Making, International Journal of Human-Computer Systems, and others. Norm Archer holds the Wayne C. Fox Chair in Business Innovation, and is a Professor of Management Science and Information Systems in the Michael G.DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. His research interests are in topics that relate to eBusiness, including business-to-business implementations, intelligent agents, and the human-computer interface. He has published in a number of journals, including Internet Research, International Journal of Management Theory and Practice, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, International Journal of Technology Management, and others. 1. Introduction What is mobile commerce?Is it just hype? Almost every company in telecommunications is trying to figure out what m-commerce really is, and how to exploit it. From the marketers’ vision, in the new world presented by m-commerce, consumers can use their cell phones and other wireless devices to purchase goods and services just as they would over the Internet using their personal computers (PCs). Specifically, m-commerce is about content delivery (notification and reporting) and transactions (purchasing and data entry) on mobile devices (Leung and Antypas, 2001).Unfortunately, in reality, m-commerce is often a highly frustrating experience. Industry observers attribute this drawback to the immaturity of mobile technology, but they believe 3G (third generation wireless digital cellular telephone technology) networks could change the situation (Cohn, 2001). While m-commerce is still in its infancy, enhanced devices and networks are irrelevant unless m-commerce applications are compelling and user friendly. Most often m-commerce is understood as mobile e-commerce (Donegan, 2000; Schwartz, 2000; Liebmann, 2000).M-commerce is supposed to enable us to buy everything from anywhere over the Internet without the use of a PC. Internet access and Web browsing is assumed to be the key to extending m-commerce to customers (Harter, 2000). In many ways, m-commerce is the continuation of e-commerce with the palm handheld, wireless laptops and a new generation of Web-enabled digital phones already on the market (Keen, 2001). Thus it was once believed that if you brought together mobile communications and the Internet, two of the biggest things in telecommunications, there would be an almighty explosion of growth.However, it has not happened yet. In many ways, m-commerce and the wireless Internet have been the victims of over-excited speculation (Darling, 2001). Among 1,700 people surveyed in Spring 2000 by Jupiter Communications, the majority said that they would not use nor pay for the wireless Web (Lindsay, 2000). WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) services were disappointing, particularly in Northern Europe countries, where mobile communications are most advanced and consumers know well the limitations of the wireless Web (Monica, 2000).Consequently, the enthusiasm that originally greeted the concept of the mobile Internet has waned. Contrary to conventional perspectives on m-commerce, forward-thinking marketers should not view m-commerce as e-commerce with limitations, but rather as wireless in its own unique medium, with its own unique benefits (Cotlier, 2000). Even though wireless technology is sometimes regarded as an enhancement tool rather than a brand new medium (Ramakrishnan, 2001), successful players in the m-commerce market space must take a much broader view of the technology, the market, and potential consumers.M-commerce is not simply a new distribution channel, a mobile Internet or a substitute for PCs. Rather, it is a new aspect of consumerism and a much more powerful way to communicate with customers. Obviously, people will not shop with their phones in the same way they shop with PCs. Unleashing the value of m-commerce requires understanding the role that mobility plays in people’s lives today. That calls for a radical shift in thinking (Nohria and Leestma 2001). In this paper, we will identify driving forces for the success of m-commerce.To clarify the nature of m-commerce, we discuss several fundamental differences between m-commerce and Internet-based e-commerce. Based on this new perspective of m-commerce, we identify a set of key factors that should be considered by marketers as well as consumers in making decisions concerning m-commerce applications. Finally, we propose that the synergy of three driving forces will lead to a greater likelihood of success for m-commerce. 2. Key differences between m-commerce and e-commerceAs we argued, m-commerce is not simply an extension or a subset of e-commerce. In fact, there exist fundamental differences between m-commerce and e-commerce in terms of their origins, technologies and the nature of the services the y can offer. 2. 1 Origin The emergence and development of e-commerce was due to the rapid growth of the Internet. The Internet originated from several U. S. government-sponsored programs (ARPANET, CSNET and NSFNET, etc) aimed at providing a networked computing environment for researchers (Kalakota and Whinston, 1996).Starting from the early 1990s, the Internet was extended to business community applications. With such great business potential and rapid growth to millions of users, the term â€Å"electronic commerce† was coined, and e-commerce applications expanded rapidly (Turban et al. , 1999). Because of widely-expanding networks and nearly free access to the Internet, e-commerce bridges distances and enables companies to display and sell goods and services cheaply to consumers and businesses around the world.In the Internet world, much is given away free or at a discount in the hope that a way will eventually be found (presumably through advertising income) to turn traffic into profits. Contrarily, m-commerce is rooted in paid-for service in the private mobile phone industry where business competition is stiff. In the telecom world, users pay for airtime, by the size of the data packet transmitted, and by the service used for what they get (Fox, 2000). Global wireless networks are segmented and owned by different mobile operators such as AT&T, Pacific Bell Wireless, Vodafone, Orange, Deutsche, NTT DoCoMo, etc.Compared to almost free Internet access, high cost has been seen as a major characteristic of m-commerce (Shim and Rice, 2001). Mobile communication through cell phones is costly, and any additional services will attract extra charges. The reason is that establishing a mobile communication network requires heavy business investment with no government support (Ramakrishnan, 2001). M-commerce carriers therefore must look for a great deal of business activity to generate revenues that justify the huge infrastructure investments (Lamont, 2001).Due t o their different origins, the customer bases of m-commerce and e-commerce are quite different. Researchers and university educators were the early users of the Internet. The Internet user population was originally dominated by highly educated people. As Internet household penetration increases, the demographics of users continue to shift closer to those of the population at large (Pastore, 1999). This growth pattern is clear in U. S. and tends to be repeating in the rest of the world (http://cyberatlas. internet. com/ big_picture/demographics).In contrast, other than business users, most cell phone users are young people or relatively less well-educated consumers. Over the next decade, billions of people will gain access to mobile devices, but many of them will be functionally illiterate and technologically unsophisticated users (Feldman, 2000; Barnett et al. 2000). Because of their differences in background, consumers tend to have quite different expectations for m-commerce, compa red to e-commerce. For example, one reason for the low uptake of the wireless Internet in the U.S. is that most Americans already are familiar with the wired Internet and expect to pay for wireless Internet access as they do for wired access: unlimited access for a flat monthly fee (Fox, 2000). 2. 2 Technology The Internet, the fundamental infrastructure of e-commerce, adopted a well-established protocol, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), which solves the global internetworking problem and ensures that computers communicate with one another in a reliable fashion. Over the past everal years, the World Wide Web (WWW) has come to dominate Internet traffic, and the vast majority of e-commerce applications are Web-based. It is also easy to connect the Internet with existing business information systems. Uniform Internet standards significantly reduced e-commerce entry costs and helped fuel the rapid growth of e-commerce. In contrast, m-commerce services are constr ained by a variety of wireless media communication standards ranging from global (Satellite), regional (3G, IEEE 802. 11a/b, DoCoMo I-mode), to short distance (Bluetooth) (Shim and Rice, 2001).Cellular carriers use different systems and standards such as GSM (Global Service for Mobile), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) to compete with each other (Leung and Antypas, 2001). M-commerce applications tend to be device and carrier dependent. The wireless applications today primarily use two technologies: WAP and SMS. WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) is the display language designed for cellular handhelds. It was created by Motorola, Ericsson, Nokia and Phone. com in 1997 when they founded the WAP Forum.WAP is a derivative of the XML/HTML language family, but it is designed to operate without a keyboard or mouse. SMS (Short Message Systems/Services) is a derivative of the old numeric paging network, with additional functionality for two-way communication and support for text and attachments. There are more users of SMS today than of WAP, thanks to cheaper service and the widespread availability of low-cost, two-way paging devices from companies such as Motorola (Leung and Antypas, 2001). Until now, there has been no generic world-wide framework and standard for application development using universal mobile connection and access.In fact, wireless technology is still in its infancy and hindered by limited coverage and a smorgasbord of competing standards, which can explain the slower-than-expected adoption of m-commerce in the United States (Shim and Rice, 2001). Choosing from conflicting standards, products and features, gives even hardened technophiles a headache. The pyramid of m-commerce applications thereby presents a much more complicated process, in which many pieces must fall into place before the mobile phone can be seen as a real revenue generator.In addition to underlying networking infrastructure and standar ds, it is the client devices that actually determine what specific services can be delivered. The boom in e-commerce applications is actually due to the widespread use of PCs, which have a complete text input keyboard, large screen, substantial memory, and high processing power. Contrarily, various m-commerce applications rely on the use of handheld devices. These devices range from pagers, cell phones, and palmtops, to pocket PCs.Mobile devices such as cell phones and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) have tiny screens, some of which display only three lines of text at once (Lucas, 2001). The displays are black and white with low resolution; there are no QWERTY keyboards, and no support for animation (Leung and Antypas, 2001). Although WAP devices support a limited graphics format called Wbitmap, because mobile devices have limited bandwidth and small screens, any application that is heavily graphic or animation driven would not be suitable at this time.In addition, software appli cations are relatively crude. There are no cookies or session controls, meaning that if the connection is lost, the application will restart rather than continue from previous screens (Leung and Antypas, 2001). Web browsers and drop-down menus are unavailable, so companies must plan on character-based terminal applications with cursors and key entry forms. Long selection lists or deep menu layers will wear out the fingers of even the most patient users (Moustafa, 2000; Jainschigg and Grigonis 2001).However, in contrast to PCs, cell phones do have their own unique features: mobile, portable (small size), smooth voice communication, and connected to persons (primarily because of portability) rather than to home or office. 2. 3 The Nature of Services The wide accessibility of the Internet makes any e-commerce service globally available. The Web enables search and delivery of rich information, and sophisticated electronic transaction processes can be integrated easily with backend enter prise information systems.In contrast, the delivery of m-commerce applications relies on private wireless communication carriers. These services are usually delivered to a specific region, and are rather simple, more personalized, location-specific and time-sensitive. Since a mobile device usually accompanies a person wherever he or she goes, mobile services can be delivered to a person anywhere and anytime rather than to a fixed office or home. M-commerce therefore creates more of a perception of enhanced intimacy with consumers than other office-based distribution channels.Time sensitive, simple transactions such as movie ticket purchases, banking, and travel reservations are believed to be the key applications that will stimulate m-commerce (Lucas, 2001; Swartz, 2001-2). Other key drivers to m-commerce growth are location-based applications such as traveler navigation, emergency response, etc. (Secker, 2001; Rockhold, 2001; Swartz, 2001-1). Finally, in general we categorize Inter net based e-commerce into B2C (business to consumer) and B2B (business to business). The rapid growth of e-commerce started from the booming of dot. com companies aimed at online shopping and customer services.Gradually, the emphasis shifted to B2B, and more recently e-business, to take advantage of the real business value of the Internet. In contrast, mobile commerce started from person to person communication, and gradually more services were introduced through interactions between people and systems: checking the weather, finding a local restaurant, etc. M-commerce applications can be used to serve both consumers and business people. Rather than apply B2C and B2B classifications to m-commerce, P2P (Person to Person) and P2S (Person to System) would be more appropriate to address the nature and trend of m-commerce applications.The details of m-commerce applications will be discussed in the next section. The major differences between m-commerce and e-commerce are summarized in Tabl e 1. Table 1. Major Differences Between M-commerce and E-commerce | | | | | |E-commerce |M-commerce | | | | |ORIGIN | | | |Sponsorship |Government-sponsored Internet |Private mobile phone industry | |Business entry cost |Low |High | |Customer access cost |Free or low cost Internet access |High mobile service charge | |Customer base |Highly educated computer users |Less educated cell phone customers | | | | | |TECHNOLOGY | | | |Message transmission |Packet-switched data transmission |Circuit switched for streamlined voice | | | |communication | |Protocol |TCP/IP, HTTPML |GSM, TDMA, CDMA, 3G | |Standardization |Highly standardized |Multiple incompatible standards | |Connectivity |Global |Mainly regional | |Bandwidth |High |Low | |Identity |URL with IP and domain name |Phone number | |Application development |General computer applications |Device-specific applications | |Interface device |Personal computers |Cell phones and PDAs | |Mobility |Fixed location |Mobile | |Display |Big scr een |Small screen | |Main input mode |Keyboard for full text input |Voice with small key pad | |Main output mode |Text and graphics |Voice with small text display | |Local rocessing power |Powerful CPU with large memory and disk space |Limited processing power with small memory chip | |Software and Programming |Support a variety of programming languages |Java or specific script languages | |Trend |Towards sophistication |Towards minimization | | | | | |SERVICES | | | |Service range |Global |Regional | |Delivery destination |PC in office connected to the Internet |Person accompanied by a mobile device | |Transaction complexity |Complete and complex transactions |Simple transactions | |Information provided |Rich information |Simple and short messages | |Timing |Less time-critical |Time critical | |Location-based service |No |Yes | |Target mobility |Service to a fixed point |Service to a moving target | |Backend business connection |Strong connection to backend business information | Weak connection to backend business information | | |systems |systems | |Service classification |B2C (business to consumer) and B2B (business to |P2P (person to person) and P2S (person to system)| | |business) | | 3. Key Factors in Designing M-Commerce ApplicationsOnce we have identified the major differences between wireless mobile communication based m-commerce and Internet based e-commerce, we can identify the key factors that must be taken into consideration in designing useful m-commerce applications. 3. 1 Mobility M-commerce opportunities can be very significant, if investors understand consumer groups intimately and develop ubiquitous solutions that recognize the role that mobility plays in consumers’ lives (Nohria and Leestma, 2001). In business services, not being forced to be hardwired enables a company’s employees to remain connected while moving from office to office, or state to state; they can tap into the corporate network from airport lounges and hotel lobbies.For individual consumers, mobile devices basically allow them to keep in touch with their friends and families anywhere and anytime. For instance, videophone users can take pictures wherever they go and send them attached with short notes to friends while shopping, traveling, or simply hanging out (Kunii, 2001). Beyond person to person mobile communication, additional value can be generated by linking mobile consumers and existing services. Mobile consumers can access various services anytime and anywhere, presenting new marketing channels for businesses. While traveling, a user may use a mobile phone to control a home burglar or fire alarm system and to turn lights on or off as if at home (Fox, 2000). 3. 2 Personal identity and built in payment mechanismsSince mobile devices, particularly cell phones, are registered by their subscribers and normally accompany the person, it becomes possible to identify and deliver personalized services to the user. A cell phone with additi onal security information such as a PIN number or biometric identification technology can be used to identify a person. A payment mechanism may also be built into the cell phone system. It is then possible to allow consumers to use their wireless phones as devices to make or trigger a payment (bus ticket, vendor machine etc. ), similar to the use of a smart card or an ATM machine. And there are even a few vending machines that let users pay for soft drinks using their cell phones (Fox, 2000). Credit card numbers could also be replaced by cellular phone numbers for wireless transactions.Relying on a third party payment mechanism is always a big hurdle for Internet-based e-commerce because an IP address cannot identify a person. However, this difficulty could be easily overcome in m-commerce with the use of an identifiable mobile device. Hence, cell phones naturally support e-Wallet applications in m-commerce, which is crucial to the success of other applications. Certainly, systemati c security solutions involving PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) and biometric services should be adopted as well (Young, 2001). As an example Obongo has modified its e-wallet software for use on wireless devices. A so-called m-wallet contains the cardholder’s account data, name, and mailing address, and is accessed with the push of a button.Once opened, the data within the wallet are transferred to the merchant to complete the payment (Lucas, 2001). M-wallets make micro-payments easier and help carriers charge for advanced services such as digital media and game applications that consumers cannot get any other way (Swartz, 2001-2). Besides financial services, personalization in m-commerce can migrate into entertainment (music and games, etc), content services and even personalized marketing. Since mobile operators maintain personal information on subscribers, a CD vendor, for example, could simply ask customers to verify payment information and a shipping address through their cell phone displays rather than have them fill out forms each time from scratch (Barnett, et al. 2000).Good potential applications of the content revolution are personalized software that deliver highly targeted offers for large- or small-ticket items that consumers can act upon, even while waiting in line (Lucas, 2001). 3. 3 Location-Based Services To date location-based services have been regarded as key enablers of m-commerce’s future success, according to the current hype (Swartz, 2001-1). Portable geographic positioning systems (GPS) are becoming smaller and more affordable, at costs in the neighborhood of only about U. S. $200. These systems can be used not only to identify locations, but also for business to deliver location-sensitive services to users. The ability to target rich and relevant information to end-users provides great potential value in location-based applications.For instance, it would be quite useful to provide driving directions and local commercial s ervices where users happen to be, such as near specific restaurants, movie shows, bus schedules, weather reports and guided tours in museums (Shaffer, 2000; Taaffe, 2001). Hence, one of the selling points of m-commerce applications is proximity. Go2Systems, in Irvine, Calif. , one of a swarm of vendors eyeing the uses of ALI (automatic location identification) data, linked with Coca-Cola to steer wireless customers to stores selling Coke products (Jones, 2000). Coca-Cola, the world’s best-known brand, has ventured into the wireless world by providing its fountain clients (McDonalds, Burger King and more than 800,000 U. S. estaurants) with the opportunity to attract additional business by placing their names on Go2 Systems’ wireless services. Their 5-year, U. S. $30-million deal will allow customers to find the nearest Coke fountain location through their cellular phones with Go2 location-based direction services, which include addresses, turn-by-turn directions and one -click calling (Swartz, 2001-1). CT Motion, a location-based services developer, provides an m-coupon application, by which the mobile user can receive an electronic coupon from a retailer in his or her specific location (Secker, 2001). Imagine that a young teenager is riding his skateboard through the park on a Saturday afternoon, when his cell phone beeps.It is a message from the Soda X portal that the local professional soccer team is playing tonight, and the store that he is approaching is offering him half-price tickets for the game if he buys a pair of jeans today. Privacy concerns are critically important while implementing location-based advertising. Pull mode may resolve the issue of privacy, when a mobile user requests information and is willing to receive an advertisement (Secker, 2001). However, many location-based applications are still to be developed; few carriers have a strategy, let alone a business model (Swartz, 2001-1). Location-based services would have to be ta rgeted extremely well, in order to avoid damaging trusted relationships that merchants already have with customers.Location can be traced not only for people but also for other objects. Cellpoint, a supplier of location-based services (LBS) software, provides the applications used to track remote assets such as fleet vehicles and construction equipment, and also provides telemetric products that allow remote machine-to-machine communications (Secker, 2001). It is also possible to trace a stolen car or a missing child that is carrying a specially designed radio device. 3. 4 Time-critical impulse purchasing Mobile phones are carried by their owners almost everywhere and kept switched on most of the time, especially in Europe, where mobile users are not charged for incoming calls.Consumers can thus not only gain access to wireless services wherever there is a network presence but also keep tabs on time-critical information such as stock market reports or urgent messages. Time-sensitive and simple transactions are another key to stimulate m-commerce. For some applications of m-commerce such as scanning news or purchasing books or other retail items, real-time transactions are not necessary. Nonetheless, there is a great deal of value in being able to monitor dynamic information through wireless handheld devices, such as aircraft flight status, shipping status, seat reservations or stock prices, and to alert the user when the information is updated (Shaffer, 2000; Schwartz, 2000; Leung and Antypas, 2001).There will be even more value in emergency situations such as medical care, traffic accidents, emergency road service, and crime reporting. Particularly with the mandatory ALI (automatic location identification) data supplied by a few key vendors such as Xypoint, U. S government emergency systems like E911 (Enhanced 911) could be improved (Jones, 2000). The United States’ FCC (Federal Communications Commission) mandates that the location of wireless callers be identified during a 911 emergency call. The MapInfo ® (www. mapinfo. com) Location Management Platform (LMP) is used to enhance a carrier's 911 service by automatically routing 911 calls to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for handling and dispatch. 3. 5 Special Market NichesMass-market consumers will be the really big users of m-commerce applications. And the customer base is large enough for potential revenue in the medium to long term (Sweeney, 2001). A single killer application would not work for everybody and there is going to be a whole set of niche applications that are relevant to each target audience. The mobile industry believes that location-based service advertising will have stimulated m-commerce so much that operators would eventually offer free phone charges to subscribers who are prepared to have advertising on their screens on a permanent basis. In particular, youth has a very powerful influence on this market (Secker, 2001).Actually, young p eople have been a major target of various m-commerce applications, particularly SMS and DoCoMo iMode services (Herman, 2000). Besides focusing on youth, mobile operators also suggest marketing future mobile data technology much more aggressively to business users (Parsons, 2000). In any case, for new m-commerce opportunities, carriers should be cautious about implementing applications that require changes in consumer behavior. If many technology hurdles are to be overcome, along with a corresponding unreasonable change in behavior, the application is unlikely to succeed. Additionally, price marketing is by far the most important in creating m-commerce value (Lamont, 2001).Mobile carriers therefore need to develop unique offerings for each target market segment or services targeted, according to geographical location and demographics (Schneiderman, 2001). Learning about and analyzing customer psychology, and taking marketer perspectives would help carriers segment the mass-market and target specific to m-commerce applications. We actually need to shift our way of thinking to exploit the uniqueness of m-commerce applications that can be brought to bear in our lives, rather than to be confined to thinking within the limitations of mobile devices. The factors that need to be considered for m-commerce applications are summarized in Table 2.Table 2. Key Design Factors and Typical Applications | | | |Factors |Typical Applications | | |Mobile communications (for business and personal contacts) | |Mobility |Scheduling and coordination (: e. g. appointment arrangements, reminders, | | |teleconferencing, etc. ) | | | |Location-sensitive |Travel navigation (driving or walking directions) | | |Local tours (exhibitions, shopping malls, etc) | | |Locating local services (restaurants, gas stations, etc) | | |Locating moving objects (missing children, stolen cars, etc) | | |Short Message Services (SMS) | |Time-critical |Time-critical information (flight schedules, weather rep orts, traffic information, stock| | |prices) | | |Emergency services (medical care, accident and rescue services, crime stoppers) | | |Personal identification (secure entrance with biometrics check) | |Personal identity |Electronic payments (e-Wallet) | | |Personalized location-aware advertisement | | |Language-specific services (automatically switch to or translate to desired language) | | |Demographic segmentation (oriented to young people or business people). | |Special market niche-targeted |Country segmentation (tailored to specific country) | | | | 4. Synergy of Three Driving Forces For m-commerce growth we identify three major forces that impel its growth: technology innovation, evolution of new value chains, and active customer demand.We propose that the synergy of these three forces will eventually lead to the success of m-commerce applications. 4. 1 Technology Innovation Technological progress is likely to bring about some novel applications for m-commerce. Here we identi fy several major technologies, improvements in which are expected to have a significant influence on m-commerce. The primary concern is with the capabilities of handhelds, the fundamentals of mobile networks, the accuracy of geographic location information, and security solutions. (1) Handhelds Low-cost, truly pervasive devices that present multi-modal information and perform transactions naturally can dramatically change what many people do and how they do it (Feldman, 2000).In the next several years, wireless devices will improve in interface design and information presentation. In countries like China and Japan, where the written language has never fit well with a Western keyboard, handhelds that employ handwriting or speech recognition seem ideal (Herman, 2000). Wireless keypad mnemonics can also make the entry of data easier for consumers (Young, 2001). Subscriber identity modules (SIMs) may take over due to their competitive advantage over voice or keystroke activation (Chanay , 2001). Newer devices will use expandable color screens capable of displaying up to 12 lines of text, more user-friendly keypads, and higher communication bandwidth (Lucas, 2001).Smart card memory capacity will reach 1MB by 2005. The processing capability of smart cards has increased and has given users the ability to enjoy more computationally intensive, high-value, transaction-based operations that require such features as digital signing and encryption (Moustafa, 2000). For those who crave the cutting edge, there are DoCoMo’s (in Japan) impressive third-generation handhelds, which can capture and send high-quality color movies almost in real time (Kunii, 2001). By using a DoCoMo camera-phone, it is possible to imagine being in a store shopping for a gift for a child and calling your spouse to show her what you are thinking of buying.Besides improvements in user interfaces, applications and underlying middleware configurations will allow for interactions to switch communic ation modes smoothly without losing clarity or the thread of conversation. The Java Card Forum has developed specifications for implementing Java on smart cards. Support of Java on SIMs will allow wireless terminals to reach the Java developer community, simplifying the development of new services (Carrara, 2000). Overall, next-generation devices are expected to combine the functions of Personal Digital Assistants or PDAs (data exchange) and cell phones (verbal communication). (2) Network infrastructure The current (second) generation of wireless networks and handhelds supports data rates of only 9. 6 kilobits per second, far below the 64 Kbps capabilities of landline copper wires.GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), the most common cellular standard, is being extended by the GPRS (General Packet Radio System), which can support data rates of 112 Kbps, almost twice the rate of a standard computer modem and enough to support high-quality streaming audio. True third-generatio n (3G) networks, based on the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System) standard, are predicted to raise the maximum rate to 2 Mbps — one-fifth of the bandwidth available on the standard Ethernet in today’s offices (Barnett et al. 2000) According to Ovum, 3G will first take hold in Asia and Europe, with the rest of the world trailing a year or two behind (Fitchard, 2001).Currently, the leader in the field is Japan’s existing second-generation, or 2G, digital networks that provide always-on connections for data transmission and support a wide range of online services – from news, weather, and ticket-booking to downloads of games and ring tones (Kunii, 2001). Therefore, in the next several years, hybrid elements of 2G, 2. 5G and 3G will be in play simultaneously on wireless operator infrastructure. Bluetooth is a short-distance, radio-based, point-to-point technology that, theoretically, can go up to 1 Mbps, and has already entered the market (Herman, 2000). It will be very useful for enabling location-based applications. It allows a wireless device to exchange data with PCs, laptop computers, point-of-sale devices and other wired devices without being physically connected by wires or adapters.Bluetooth is supported by more than 1,400 telecommunications and technology companies, including Motorola, Intel, and Lucent Technologies (Lucas, 2001). (3) Geographic location technology Location-based personalized services have been heavily touted as a major application for m-commerce. In order to deliver such services, mobile devices (particularly cell phones) should be able to keep track of an individual’s physical location as he or she moves about. Some companies are focusing on underlying technologies or services such as radio-based methods for determining where users are calling from, or software and systems that blend location data with other information (Shaffer, 2000).The FCC (Federal Trade Commission) has stringent requirements for location services, in which carriers have to offer network-based systems that deliver location information with an accuracy of 300 meters for 95% of calls and 100 meters for 67% of calls (Brewin, 2001). For instance, an FCC ruling requires all wireless carriers to find a way to pinpoint the location of the users dialing 911 emergency services. Although the requirements are meeting resistance from various carriers that say they cannot reach that level of accuracy or at least need more time to do so, some can meet the requirements with the portion of their networks that uses the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard. (4) Security technology The lack of security is said to be one of largest barriers in delaying m-commerce implementation.In particular, security is a vital issue that affects the use of mobile technology in financial services, when account details and other confidential information move across the networks (Dezoysa, 2001-2). With regard to securing tr ansactions, PKI (public key infrastructure) is believed to be the best method to secure end-to-end transactions (Moustafa, 2000). Besides securing wireless transactions from the cell phone to the m-commerce provider, the phone must also be secured from fraudulent use. Traditionally, the SIM card that stores the subscriber’s account information is used for identifying and authenticating the subscriber to the network. There are industry standards for SIMs used in digital wireless phones that help ensure that all SIM-based terminals can support any SIM applications and services a provider develops (Carrara, 2000).Dual chip phones even have an additional SIM-size slot for an independent multi-application chip card targeted at payment, such as a bank-issued WIM card (wireless identification module) or EMV card (a payment standard defined by Europay, Mastercard, and Visa International) and other banking solution applications (Dezoysa, 2001-2). In the near future, wireless biometric services will emerge as a common solution (Young, 2001). A biometric is a unique physical or behavioral characteristic of the human body, which may be checked automatically. The absolute verification of a user makes biometrics the highest security level. Biometrics come in many forms.In 2000, fingerprints were the most widely used biometric, accounting for 50% of the market, followed by hand geometry (15%), face recognition (12%), voice recognition (10%), handwritten signature recognition (8%), and iris scan (4%) (Biometric Industry Report, 2001). In recent years, biometrics have gone digital, and modern electronic systems are capable of distilling the arches, loops and whorls of conventional fingerprints into a numerical code. As an example, Champion Technology, a Hong Kong company, has launched a fingerprint recognition system, which takes only a few seconds to accomplish recognition (Leary, 2001). Biometric authentication offers some promise of strong and convenient security for cell phones, in which the subscriber’s signature or fingerprint can be thought of (mathematically) as a large random number (Crowe, 2001).These are easy for the owner to present to a machine but difficult for others to fake, and they cannot be lost, stolen or borrowed. The growing m-commerce industry eventually will settle on a set of solutions to all of the different security problems, building end-to-end solutions that are secure, cost effective and easy for consumers to use. However, successfully implementing good quality solutions relies upon the acceptance of standards (either de facto or negotiated) within the highly interdependent functions of this industry. 4. 2 Value Chain Evolution As we discussed above, m-commerce is primarily rooted in the cash-rich mobile phone industry.Therefore, equipment vendors and network operators have been dominant in the m-commerce world. And in some sense, the mobile operators own virtually all of the value chains (Donegan, 2000). Unfor tunately, this operator-dominated value chain is not able to successfully deliver flawlessly integrated personalized services for mobile phone users, which is crucial to the success of m-commerce (Swartz, 2001-2). In theory, mobile operators could compete at all levels of the m-commerce value chain, from the provision of basic technical services to the supply of lucrative, customer-facing content, but this is simply not possible, since this will spread their skills and resources too thin.This has been abundantly demonstrated in the e-commerce marketplace, where different companies tend to invest and to focus on their specific expertise at particular levels of the value chain. There are some exceptions, where dominant companies such as Microsoft and General Electric attempt to extend their reach vertically. Companies normally should concentrate on areas in which they naturally hold a competitive advantage. In m-commerce, mobile communication operators thus need to make difficult deci sions about which parts of the value chain to compete in – and how – and which parts to avoid. There are many critical roles that they may be able to play and a number of business models that may be suitable in these roles (Tsalgatidou and Pitoura, 2001).Some mobile data industry observers believe that, although Europe has a more advanced mobile communication infrastructure, the European approach to the m-commerce market will fail (Darling, 2001). They suggest that many European service providers want to own the customers and to support all the applications that customers want to perform. Some mobile operators may even want to become banks or content providers in their own right but, even though carriers have all the critical capabilities in place, including location, shopping, e-wallets, promotion and personalization, without partnerships with knowledgeable merchants and intermediaries, prospective customers will have nothing to access. Therefore, partnerships between -commerce providers, interested content providers, and other businesses are critical to the success of m-commerce. Providing complex data services is a very different business from running a voice network, so carriers have to choose partners to provide content, and decide which services to offer their customers. In pursuing value-added services, more entrepreneurial companies have the products and capability to get them integrated and delivered to handhelds (Goldman, 2000). Also, since capitalizing on the promise of m-commerce requires an in-depth understanding of consumer behavior, significant opportunities arise not just for providers of telecommunications services, but also for companies that have a rich and thorough knowledge of consumer behavior.However, from the merchants’ point of view, building m-commerce applications will present huge challenges, so companies need to leverage superior consumer insights to develop powerful branded solutions with value outside their t raditional markets, particularly when forging alliances with telecommunications carriers (Nohria and Leestma, 2001). In a value chain, each party plays its specific role and gets its own benefits. Customer service charges depend on how much value the user receives, so there will be different pricing and business models for individual services (Secker, 2001; Darling, 2001). Revenue sharing in m-commerce value chains, particularly in those of location-based services (LBS), involving mobile operators, equipment vendors and application developers, will require a significant amount of negotiation. As an example, CT Motion is an LBS application developer and equipment vendor, providing operators with a platform to enable deploying and managing LBS.CT Motion licenses its platform to operators, with an initial fee to cover basic hardware costs and licensing. Additional payments to CT Motion depend on the revenue stream from application users. Thus, revenue share will essentially depend on t he value of the application. For example, a company delivering a car theft recovery service is doing most of the work and so it might receive 95 percent of the revenue. For a simple application, the majority of the revenue will go to the operator and the platform enabler (Secker, 2001). In Table 3, we list the roles in an m-commerce value chain, the major players, and their corresponding sources of revenue. Table 3. Roles and Profit Sharing in the Value Chain | | | | |Role |Tasks |Major players |Sources of revenue | |Equipment Supplier |Manufacturing innovative handhelds and |Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, etc |Selling phones, equipment, or | | |equipment | |sharing revenue with network | | | | |operators for discounted cell | | | | |phones | |Network Operator |Developing and maintaining |Traditional carriers such as |Charges from increased network | | |infrastructure to support mobile data |Vodafone, Orange, Deutsche |traffic | | |communication |Telekom, AT and NTT DoCoMo | | |Service Hosting |Providing basic enabling services such |Existing Web-hosting companies |Shared revenue with application | | |as server hosting, data backup, systems|and system integrators such as |providers | | |integration and security control |Oracle | | |Portal Provider |Offering simple, categorized |Internet portal service providers|Fees charged to application | | |information search facilities crucial |such as Freeserve, AirFlash, |carriers and advertisers | | |to m-commerce applications. |Room33, Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL | | | | |[email  protected] | | |Billing |Handling various sophisticated illing |Network operators such as |Transaction fees or interest | |Facilitator |mechanisms such as air-time-based, user|Vodafone, Orange, Deutsche |charged to merchants or consumers | | |patterns-based, specific |Telekom, AT, NTT DoCoMo and | | | |application-based, location-based, etc |banks and credit card companies | | |Application Provider |Providing various end-user services |Existing Intern et content |Revenue from customers for | | |such as ticket booking, e-mail |providers such as Yahoo, AOL and |services or products purchased | | |checking, news scanning, and |retail merchants (Coca-Cola, | | | |location-based services (LBSs) |PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, etc) | |To help observe the maturity of the various value chain components of m-commerce outlined in Table 3, and to understand where further development must occur, it is informative to consider the inter-corporate linkages of m-commerce. This can be done according to corporate contributions to required infrastructure, associated support services, and delivery of these services to customers. To this end, we have adapted the well-known University of Texas e-commerce model of Internet Economy Indicators (Whinston et al, 2001). In their model, there are four layers (Internet infrastructure, Internet applications infrastructure, Internet intermediary, and Internet commerce).M-commerce differs significantly from e-commer ce, as we have pointed out, although there is some overlap in the functional nature of both. In our m-commerce value chain model, we also propose four layers: 1) Communications Infrastructure, 2) Applications Infrastructure, 3) M-commerce Intermediary, and 4) Mobile Commerce. Reading from the top of Table 3, the Communications Infrastructure layer includes equipment suppliers and network operators. The Applications Infrastructure includes service hosting, portal providers, and software companies that develop related software products and platforms. The M-commerce Intermediary layer includes billing facilitators, content providers, brokers, and market makers.Finally, the Mobile Commerce layer includes application providers that sell goods and services to customers. The interconnected and interdependent nature of these four layers of the value chain cannot be over-emphasized. Thus evolution in one layer will affect the other layers. For example, advances in the communications infrastr ucture, such as the widespread implementation of G3, will support new developments such as wireless video and bring more potential retail applications of mobile commerce that may be both time and location sensitive. But services to support these will require further evolution in both applications infrastructure and intermediaries. 4. 3 Active Customer DemandWhat is missing from m-commerce is compelling content that will make people want to use their handhelds to buy something. Consumers remain unconvinced about the wireless Web and user apathy towards wireless data services is believed to be one of the main factors delaying m-commerce implementation (Kelly, 2001). We propose that it is current narrowly-focused m-commerce applications (mainly on mobile Web systems) but not the fundamental nature of m-commerce, that frustrates consumers. The great advantage to people of eliminating fixed attachments to physical space, allows more strategic, creative, and flexible decisions and actuall y getting things accomplished (Kalakota and Whinston, 1996).Instead of waiting for killer applications to stimulate passive consumers, we propose that fundamental consumer demand is the active force that can improve the chance of m-commerce success. The success of the cell phone industry has already proved the significance of this active driving force. Today there are an estimated 115 million cellular phone users in the U. S. (Schooler, 2001). Market growth has been quite encouraging. Compared to the U. S, in Asia and Europe mobile telephony adoption is even more advanced (Herman, 2000). In Japan, the number of cell-phone users has already reached 66 million (Kunii, 2001). 64% of the people in Finland have a mobile phone, while the rate in Sweden stands at 55. 2% (Kruger, 2000).In China, the enthusiasm for mobile phones has exceeded all forecasts, and the mobile subscriber base will probably reach 250 to 300 million in 2005, up from 68 million in 2000 (Sliwa, 2001). Recently, the po pulation of cell phone users in China has reached 135 million, making it the world leader. Beyond enjoying the basic service of mobile verbal communication, consumers are beginning to demand much more from their cell phones. Two-thirds of Japan’s cell-phone users subscribe to one of many mobile data services offered by the country’s three cellular operators. Even though the actual demands vary according to different geographical locations and demographics, consumers have played a decisive role in the success or failure of m-commerce efforts.Most potential m-commerce successes will arise from consumer demand for additional value in their daily lives, and there is unlikely to be a single killer application that can spark m-commerce success. What consumers need is an adaptable package that can accommodate various m-commerce services (personalized location-specific and time-sensitive). It is the variety of cost justification criteria adopted by consumers (in turn determine d by demographics, regional cultures, current fashions, etc. ) that fundamentally affect their decisions concerning specific m-commerce services. According to a Nokia research study that focused on m-commerce services in the U. K. South Korea, Italy, USA, Brazil and Finland, the proportion of respondents that would carry out a transaction of more than U. S. $25 using a mobile device, ranged from 24 to 54 percent (Dezoysa, 2001-1). Also, 90 per cent of all end-users surveyed that would consider using m-commerce, either now or some time in the future, would be willing to pay for its use. However, this is on the assumption that the mobile device is free. It is still uncertain whether the cost of next generation phones can be subsidized by operators and, if they are not, how the added cost of paying over $150 for a mobile phone might well affect this figure (Dezoysa, 2001-1). DoCoMo recently sold about 10,000 videophones at a U. S. $500 price, with service limited to Tokyo (Kunii, 2001) .In Europe, the cost of providing advanced handhelds equipped with high tech features is also likely to be in the neighborhood of $500 or more (Carrigan, 2001). For the additional cost of high tech handhelds to be acceptable, consumers will expect to be able to access many additional services that are of value to them. In Europe, where mobile users are not charged for incoming calls, consumers can thus not only gain access to wireless services wherever there is a network presence but also keep tabs on time-critical information such as stock market reports or other urgent messages (Barnett et al. 2000). Such consumers are more likely to take advantage of these services.The focus in m-commerce needs to be on delivering simple, time-sensitive, and compelling applications that do not require a lot of training. If it takes too much time (e. g. more than 5 minutes) to conduct an m-commerce transaction, it might as well be done with a PC. One example is notification about tickets to entert ainment and sporting events. A consumer can contact a ticketing agency, such as TicketMaster, to request notification of availability of tickets for sale for an upcoming concert. When tickets meeting the consumer’s criteria become available, TicketMaster sends a message to the consumer’s wireless device and asks if the consumer wants to buy them or not. This is a simple yes-or-no transaction (Lucas, 2001).Any applications that require consumers to input much information will not work, because of keyboard limitations. For example, a visit to Barnes & Noble’s WAP site to enter credit card number, address, and shipping information requires more than 100 keystrokes (Swartz, 2001-2). 4. 4 Synergy of three driving forces The success of m-commerce relies on the synergy of three driving forces: technology innovation, value chain evolution and active customer demand. Technology innovation provides more useful functions with lower prices, creating value for customers and stimulating customer demand. Technology innovation also demands high-level collaboration through the value chain.Active customer demand provides rich revenue sources for the value chain and stimulates technology innovation and the development of new applications. Value chain evolution ensures the collaboration of multiple parties through appropriate profit sharing, which in turn supports more technology innovation. Through positive interaction loops the three driving forces will eventually contribute to the success of m-commerce. This synergy is graphically illustrated in Figure 1. 5. Conclusions Are we ready for m-commerce? Differing perspectives of m-commerce may lead us to opposite answers. But our research into the nature of m-commerce shows that m-commerce applications are fundamentally different from those delivered in the Internet- based e-commerce environment.Simply transforming e-commerce services to cell phones or PDAs will merely expose the limitations of wireless handhel ds and result in frustrating end-user experiences. Therefore, as we examine any speculation about m-commerce applications, we must attempt to exploit the unique features of mobile devices as well as to avoid their weaknesses. Furthermore, the eventual success of any m-commerce strategy depends on the synergy of the three driving forces we have identified: technology innovation, value chain evolution, and active customer demand. Acknowledgement: This research was sponsored by the research grant from Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.The authors are grateful for the anonymous referees’ constructive comments and valuable suggestions on the improvement of earlier version of the manuscript. References: Barnett et al. (2000), Nick Barnett, Stephen Hodges, Michael J. Wilshire, â€Å"M-commerce: an operator’s manual†, The McKinsey Quarterly; New York; 2000, No. 3, pp. 162-173 Biometric Industry Report (2001), â€Å"2000 Market Review†, Bi ometric Technology Today, Jan. , pp. 9-11. Brewin, (2001), Bob Brewin, â€Å"M-commerce hits snag as cell carriers balk†, Com