Effects Of Drug Use On Society And Individuals - 932 Words

Beard 1 Skyler Beard Mrs. Aten English 9 Honors 19 February, 2015 Effects of Drug Use on Society and Individuals â€Å"The human brain is structured to ensure that individuals will repeat behaviors necessary to survival and well-being. To do this, the brain associates such behaviors with a â€Å"reward,† or feeling of pleasure†(Addiction). This natural occurrence in the body, this â€Å"pleasurable feeling†, has led to a plethora of harmful and dangerous substances being grown, manufactured, and sold, whether it be medicinal- for the use of sickness or injury (usually prescribed)- or illegally, which tend to be more harmful and more â€Å"alluring† so to speak, because of its illegality. Either it be legal or illegal, misuse of substances and eventual addiction harms not only the individual, but the community and society. As humans, we tend to think for ourselves, and ourselves alone. We can more often than not be coerced into doing things by our peers (known as â€Å"peer pressure†). Individuals who use and abus e drugs think nothing of the effect they have on others, rarely caring about the effect they have even on themselves. Adolescents usually get addicted, or just â€Å"have fun† and experiment with drugs like marijuana and nicotine. Adults, especially those who have suffered Beard 2 illness or injury. They take drugs like meth, cocaine, and heroine. Adults can also easily become addicted to theirShow MoreRelatedThe Movie The Wolf On Wall Street Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesDaring to Defy Drug Abuse If you have ever seen the movie The Wolf on Wall Street, there is no doubt you have seen the effects drugs can have. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a high-strung stock broker reliant on a multitude of illegal drugs to keep up with his hectic life style. His addiction gets so severe that at one point in the movie, he is lying on the floor, unable to move due to the drugs’ effects on his body. Even though the movie is set in the 90’s, a decade infamous for its use of drugs, today, drugRead MoreEssay Exploring John Mills Harm Principle1580 Words   |  7 Pagesplaces emphasis on the functioning of individual liberty and its co-existence with society. Mills stresses the limits of individual liberty through what is famously known as his Harm Principle: the only purpose for which power may be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant (Cahn). Wi th special consideration placed on drug use and free speech, this paper will delveRead MoreHow The Brain Effects Cocaine Dependent Individuals And Treatment1468 Words   |  6 PagesHow the Brain Effects Cocaine Dependent Individuals and Treatment One of the most addictive substances in the modern society that is increasingly abused is cocaine, which is a drug that generates several problems in the society and today’s health care programs. As a result of the increased use of this drug, users sometime develop cocaine addiction or dependence, which is a condition characterized by an overwhelming psychological desire to use the drug regularly. Despite its associated psychologicalRead More Drugs in Our Society Essay1252 Words   |  6 PagesDrugs in Our Society With the use of drugs being such a controversial issue in today’s society we felt as a group it was important to further explore this issue. As we possess a high interest in how drugs affect a number of social groups. These groups of course range from young teens to high-class older individuals who will have different reasons and different acceptable standards of behaviour.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The question that is being explored in our presentation asks what drugs are doing toRead MoreDrug Use And Its Effects On The Community1474 Words   |  6 PagesDrug use doe not only affect the users but also have a devastating effect on the wider community as a whole. This includes their friends, families, government resources and businesses. Economically, when the effects are quantified an estimated $180.9 billion is lost annually due to drug use as reported by ONDCP in 2002. Drug abusers experience several severe health effects ranging from ill-health, general sickness to death. Different drugs used by an individual has different health effects suchRead MoreAddiction to Heroin704 Words   |  3 Pagessubsequent misuse has been a contentious issue plaguing society for decades. With the advent of the internet, it is becoming more difficult to curtail many of the illegal activities individuals engage in regards to drug use. Heroin in particular is very pervasive in the United States as it is a drug that is highly addictive. In America, drugs are becoming a very serious issue as immigrants enter into the country illegally carrying the drug with them. Heroin, although mainly created in AfghanistanRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol And Drug Abuse On Criminal Activities1620 Words   |  7 PagesDiscussion: Whilst many theorists have differing views on whether or not alcohol and drug abuse is related to criminal activities, there are however a variety of preventative and intervention methods known commonly as ‘harm reduction’. This theory aims to assist in society’s responses in how we intervene when it comes to drug abusers as well as how the use of drug taking harms society itself. Such designed strategies aim to reduce and eventually stop substance abuse. Harm reduction methods can comeRead MoreAdvocation for Legalizing Recreational Marijuana1332 Words   |  5 Pagescannabis sativa plant. It’s the most widely used illegal drug in the United States, even though studies have shown results that the benefits of using marijuana for medicinal or recreational reasons far outweigh the negative matters that may be associated with its use. While marijuana is still a controlled substance under federal law, thirteen U.S. states currently have compassionate use laws in place, which allow for regulated medical marijuana use. By legalizing marijuana, the government is helpingRead MoreDrug Use And Addiction Among Teenagers Essay1231 Words   |  5 PagesHard drugs have been around for hundreds of years. It is a reoccurring problem in society that is increasing dramatically among adolescence and young adults. The actual drug can change he structure and function of the brain. It can do great harm to the human body psychically, emotionally, and socially. Often times, young adults have a greater risk of addiction when they become older and the addiction can transfer to adulthood. There are many way to prevent drug use and addiction amongst teenagersRead MoreBody. Alcohol Is Surprisingly The Largest Consumed Drug1608 Words   |  7 PagesBody Alcohol is surprisingly the largest consumed drug when it comes to the United States, and with that comes a higher addiction rate than those drugs deemed illegal such as heroin or even marijuana still (Thio, Taylor, Schwartz, 2013). Due to this epidemic that is rarely discussed in the same categorization of illegal substances, there is a bit of a justification seen that alcohol use is not as severe. Yet data shows that is not the case, because alcohol abuse leads in terms of arrests

Analysis Of Candide By William Shakespeare - 1154 Words

Eric Schessler Mrs. Leavitt AP Literature and Composition August 17, 2014 Throughout Candide, there is a constant battle between pessimistic and optimistic viewpoints, both looking to find a navigable path through an uncertain and unforgiving world. In the end, the matter seems to be settled when Candide says, â€Å"I also know...that we must cultivate our garden.† (120) over Candide’s adventures, he has been beaten down, but always gotten back up, and all the while he has been lectured by people standing on either side of the optimism/pessimism divide. The conclusion he draws, and ultimately the philosophy that brings he and his companions to a peaceful existence in the end, seems to be the third way out from this battle. â€Å"We must cultivate our garden,† becomes a compromise of the two viewpoints, and provides a relief from the philosophical bickering. The stories main proponent of optimism is Candide’s philosophy mentor Pangloss, who throughout the tale, constantly espouses the same philosophical sentiment, â€Å"It is d emonstrated that things cannot be otherwise: for, since everything was made for a purpose, everything is necessarily for the best purpose.† (18) Even after being beaten, tortured, and delivered across Europe into Turkey, he is still able to believe that all is for the best, and that had not all of these things happened, neither he, Candide, or the rest of their friends be where they were (120). This philosophy is often challenged throughout the book, however, asShow MoreRelatedLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pages(1554)[19] 17th century[edit] Simplicius Simplicissimus, by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen (1668) The Adventures of Telemachus, by Franà §ois Fà ©nelon (1699) 18th century[edit] The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, by Henry Fielding (1749)[20] Candide, by Voltaire (1759) The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, by Laurence Sterne (1759)[20] Emile, or On Education, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1763) Geschichte des Agathon, by Christoph Martin Wieland (1767)—often considered the first true

Egalitarianism and the Cash Economy among the Central...

Egalitarianism and the Cash Economy among the Central Kalahari San Jiro Tanaka’s research on the Central Kalahari San explored the changes in the San society and determined the overall effects on the culture. Tanaka looked at a group of people who had recently switched from a hunting and gathering existence to a more sedentary way of life. She found that though there were differences in the everyday lives of the San, they were able to preserve their language, cultural identity, and egalitarian ideals. Tanaka attributes the changes in the San society to influences by the government and Christian missionaries in the 1970s. Tanaka’s research, which occurred in the 1980s, found that the San’s views on labor, the way goods were†¦show more content†¦This also meant that goats, horses, foodstuffs, clothes, cooking supplies and other goods took on a new monitory value. It also created economic inequality amongst the group because it was possible for some members to have more money than others. The idea of being paid wages for work also changed the San’s conception of labor. Before the existence of wage labor, work such as hunting and gathering, caring for children, performing household chores, etc. was inseparable from play. However, when wage labor was introduced, it became a separate activity, which separated one person’s skills from another person’s abilities. Many of the features of the modern San society as explored by Tanaka seem to undermine the egalitarian ideals. However, Tanaka found ways in which the San were able to preserve their system of equality. One such example is in the hunting process. The bow-and-arrow method allowed even those who did not kill the animal to share in the hunting by making or receiving the arrow. However, the equestrian system meant that only those who could afford horses could hunt, and it became difficult to distribute meat amongst such large settlements of people. Perhaps in response to this, Tanaka found an increase in popularity of spear hunting with dogs. Though this method was not as efficient as equestrian hunting, it allowed the San to distribute the meat more equally. Tanaka

Financial Analysis Of CFO - 1191 Words

This paper reports on an analysis of a survey of 1,050 CFOs in firms across 39 different countries in December, 2008 with the goal of examining the actions taken by firms that were financially constrained in juxtaposition with those that were not financially constrained. They utilize the distinction between constrained and unconstrained to determine how company plans pertaining to employment, marketing, technology spending, and other facets of their business are impacted. Additionally, they examine company financial policies and corporate spending behavior to shed light on instances when investment strategies may have been impacted by financial constraint. Prior research on the topic primarily used data from publicly available financial†¦show more content†¦In order to distinguish the various confounding factors that may impact the responses from firms that are financially constrained or unconstrained, Campello, Graham, and Harvey use the methods of Abadie and Imbens (2002) and Dehejia and Wahba (2002) and match their firms according to size, industry, ownership structure, credit score, profitability, whether or not they pay a dividend, and prospects for future growth. In this manner, they analyze financially constrained firms (as the treatment group) with the constructed counterfactual firms that were not financially constrained (the control group). Per the survey, firms could categorize themselves as â€Å"not affected,† â€Å"somewhat affected,† or â€Å"very affected† by credit conditions. The authors found that there was little to no relationship between the size and financial constraint as well as between the ownership structure and financial constraint. Most CFOs expected high growth prospects regardless of their declaration regarding the impact of credit markets. They attempted to find the nature of the constraints by asking about credit availability, higher costs of external funds, and ability to access newShow MoreRelate dGrooming CFOs to be CEOs674 Words   |  3 PagesCFO as CEO Introduction Given the increasing complexity of business and the need to financially quantify risk and opportunities so options are clearly understood while also operating in uncertainty, the progression of CFOs to CEOs will continue to accelerate. Reviewing the two articles How a CFO can graduate to CEO (Brewis, 1999) and Do CFOs really make good CEOs (Picker, 1989) illustrate foundational points to support the contention that CFOs will continue to be promoted and excel in their rolesRead MoreThe Ascent of the CFO as CEO: A Critical Analysis873 Words   |  3 PagesThe Ascent of the CFO as CEO: A Critical Analysis Introduction The ongoing turbulence of global economic conditions, combined with the exponential increase in the complexity of business models is in the process of reshaping the role of the CEO. No longer can a CEO be purely a generalist, they need to increasingly have an in-depth perspective of the entire scope of the organization and its many operations and functional areas. The scope and depth of the role of CEO has become more complex dueRead MoreEssay about Who Signs Your Check Group Project 21362 Words   |  6 Pages5 Marc Friedman Jefferson Kinnay Vincent Mayer Tesleem Subair – No posts yet Kent Williams ACCT 635 9040 Accounting Ethics Professor Larry Wolod February 19, 2015 Contents Facts 2 Procedural History 2 Issue 2 Rule 2-3 Application / Analysis 3-4 Conclusion 4 Bibliography 5 Work Accomplished†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Facts Willie Lowman is the internal auditor for Dead Salesman Printing who is currently in the process of auditing the company’s accountRead MoreResponsibilities Of A Cfo Versus A Controller, Accountant Or Bookkeeper Essay1386 Words   |  6 Pagesresponsibilities of a CFO versus a Controller, Accountant or Bookkeeper. Many business owners do not understand the differences between the roles and the value a CFO can bring to the business. Additionally, many business owners do not feel they can afford a CFO, however that is where a part time CFO who participates with the business owner and management is critical. A part time CFO can spend as little as a day or two month with the business and add value to the bottom line. A. CFO Responsibilities:Read MoreEthics And Financial Reporting Decisions948 Words   |  4 PagesAbstract. The article reviewed was The Impact of CFOs’ Incentives and Earnings Management Ethics on their Financial Reporting Decisions: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement. The key of the abstract is demonstrate how CFO’s personal incentives, interests of stakeholders, and regulatory reforms influence on earnings management ethics (p. 505). The authors focus on the role of CFO’s optional accruals through the presence and absence of incentive conflict. Introduction. The authors studied theRead MoreCore Competencies Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pagessomeone to look ahead and accomplish goals or avoid emotional, financial, physical or social hardship (Thibodeaux, 2017). Especially for the leaders, planning skills let them make and implement right decisions. Planning skills relate to seven areas of core competencies. The first is to set goals. To do this, someone must have a concept of what they want to do or a holistic vision. The next areas of competence are organization, analysis and data collection. Other capacities include diagnosing problemsRead MoreCEO and Board of Directors: Annual Business Plans for a Company516 Words   |  3 PagesExecutive Leadership Team as Chief Financial Officer on 18 February 2013 replacing Mr. Miguel Jose. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of ASCIANO LIMITED Company is most important role to run the company he/she work in the company as member of executive team. CFO is a business partner of CEO in the company and CFO has responsibility to provide an accurate report which based on present time and historical financial information of the company. CFO provides the critical financial and operational information toRead MoreThe Molex Inc Case Study1227 Words   |  5 Pagescompany is facing a financial reporting problem in which the financial statements were overstated. Joe King ,the CEO of the company, was appointed in July of 2001, and was responsible for managing and inventory control, among other very important duties. Diane Bullock was hired in 2003, to replace the previous CFO. Both Bullock and King were being accused of what? by the external auditors, Deloitte Touche, for not disclosing an 8 million pre-tax inventory valuation error. Financial reporting Problem Read MoreEssay about Living By number703 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ACC 4291 – Integrated Case Study Case Analysis Report on Living by Numbers – Value Creation or Profit? The summary This case basically explains about the dilemma that faced by Hafiz Hashim who is the CFO of MarineCorp Sdn Bhd (MarineCorp). This company was incorporated in 1992 and was a subsidiary of SURIA. MarineCorp has two wholly subsidiaries which are Green Port Sdn Bhd (GreenPort) and Sungai Emas Port Sdn Bhd. Its main operation was the maritime solutions providers for the SURIA groupRead MoreBrien Dryers Communication Of Corporate Mission And Strategy Essay1592 Words   |  7 Pagestheir potential actions. By neglecting to identify the actions of your competitors, they are leaving themselves extremely vulnerable as they attempt to add value to the firm. 4. Swanson’s group has provided a customer segmentation analysis to help drive the target market decision, but the argument appears to have become stuck. Taking into consideration what Swanson has already evaluated and your opinion of the actual strategic questions to be addressed: a. Identify 4 analytic methods

Language and Culture Free Essays

Language and culture Free Essays Language and culture, these two concepts maybe different from one another but they are related through the social aspect. How one sees a certain language is greatly dependent from what culture it came. And how one thinks a certain culture is deeply influenced by what language a certain person is using. We will write a custom essay sample on Language and culture or any similar topic only for you Order Now We are all not the same. Different regions of the world have their own language and culture that makes them distinct and known from the others. This might be a general view or idea to begin with but let me prove three keypoints regarding this issue. The author (Claire, 1998) of this book defines the term â€Å"language† as the most important way where we perform our actions socially. When language is already used in the various processes of communication, it is already regarded to show an act that is bound by culture. All the words that people utter come from a reality or an experience. It can be an idea learned from others, a fact, an opinion, a reaction, a certain belief or an expression. Whatever it is, it absolutely refers that through the use of language the reality of culture is expressed. This is the first keypoint. Aside from the expression of language, there is also the creation of language or expressed language and this is second keypoint. How is language created and manifested? Examples of this concept are through letter writing, email messaging, text messaging, talking over the telephone or even the personal way. Through this ways of communication, a lot of things are being taken into consideration such as tone of voice, gestures, accent, facial expressions, style of conversing, etc. These things create meaning that describes the kind of group that one person belongs to. This second keypoint is referring that through the use of language the reality of culture is embodied. Lastly, language is a structured concept of signs. Speakers of their own languages are regarded to be the symbols of the culture that they are representing, therefore creating a certain social identity. There are times or encounters where these speakers or being forbidden to express. This means that the culture or the social group that they represent is not being favored by others. This third and last keypoint is referred to as through the use of language, the reality of culture is symbolized. Claire (1998) clearly defined culture by contrasting it with â€Å"nature†. We all know that â€Å"nature† is something that is of birth or born. On the other hand, culture is something that is acquired or is already formed through relationships within the community or people’s teachings within the surroundings. Socialization is formed when both language and culture are applied with nature. All the ways that we have acquired from the time we were born, such as the dos and the don’ts of social actions, toilet trainings, table etiquettes, manners, schooling and home practices, they shape us to the cultural identity that we belong to. Even written languages are being shaped and formed through the culture concept. This is shown in several ways such as writing a formal or an informal letter, the kind of person to whom the letter is being intended to, business letters, invitation letters, letters for political use, love letters, chain letters, etc. Their differe nces with regards to intentions reflect the culture of the written languages. This is the method by which culture can be predicted through the language used by various people. Language and culture are very important aspects of human living. Culture, through the use of language, releases people from the unsystematic ways of nature. It organizes our thoughts and actions. It makes every individual find their own social group where they want and feel comfortable to belong to. Belonging to a certain group implies following the norms of the group, the rules and regulations. Members of an institution (family, school, church, community, etc.) have their common ways. If this is not done accordingly, of disobedience happens or deviation occurs, that member or individual is not appropriate to be a part of that group. Therefore, being a part of another group should be considered. The commonality of their thoughts and actions are expressed using language just like deciding on what to do or not to do or what to say or not to say and how they are done or said. Culture, through the use of language, is also reflected with how strong a certain group is. The norms or the rule and regulations to be followed are being implemented by the powerful ones of the group. The powerless members are required and are expected to follow. The powerful ones are those who are intelligent enough to make the culture they belong to, strong enough, distinct and known from the others. They decide the things that are expected and those that are not expected to do by the members. They are the ones who decide what beliefs are worth keeping, what histories are worth remembering and what future are worth looking forward to. A certain social group’ How to cite Language and culture, Essay examples Language and Culture Free Essays

Oracle Supply Chain Software Competitors Customer Empowerment

Questions: Drawing on relevant literature, analyse the claimed benefits of a web-based business strategy; Using relevant strategic choice models, identify and explain the ways in which the company could compete and the key strategic decisions that it will need to make; Identify and critically explain the strategic implementation challenges the company will need to address to turn the e-commerce strategy into a reality. Answers: Introduction: The current assignment has considered the case of Amazon.co.uk, the e-commerce organization. In this regard, the strategic issues will be discussed along with justified recommendations. Furthermore, the critical analysis will be demonstrated for explaining the significance of the integrational thinking for understanding the strategy and its formation in the complex organizations. The assignment will also focus on the development of the ability for the recognition of the strategic issues and designing the appropriate courses of action. The synthesis of knowledge has been gained from different business modules to generate a comprehensive understanding to underpin the competitive advantage. Finally the critical analysis will be provided on the strategic position and the interconnected activities of POM (Production and Operations Management) in the organizations. Task 1: Critical analysis of the case in terms of the strategic issues and justified recommendations: Logistics: The logistics is the crucial element to provide the significant customer service. However, it has become the main challenge for the renowned e-commerce player Amazon, since the UK market is too large and fragmented with the medium logistics infrastructure. This has highly forced this e-commerce organisation to build its own logistics system at time outlay and enormous cost. Considering the view of Alshibly and Chiong (2015), Amazon Logistics was set up around two years ago in the UK. Building such logistic system from the scratch requires the enormous cost and time investment. Furthermore, it has three major implications. The first is the substantial impact of Amazons profit volume, the second is the delivering the crucial competitive advantage against the new global and local entrants. On the other hand, according to Barnes (2007), the third is that it opens the new business opportunity for the e-commerce players by allowing the competitors for using the delivery network for free. A mazon encourages the small business firms to utilise the marketplace or the cloud computing service. For example, more than 50 e-commerce firms in Russia have already introduced the online retailer Ozon.Rus strong courier network. Digital infrastructure: The digital infrastructure also plays the vital role in sustaining and establishing the e-commerce operations of Amazon in emerging UK market (Chaffey, 2011). The challenge is not limited to the physical infrastructure alone. It is also associated with the digital infrastructure. As the internet penetration is rapidly increasing in the UK market, the majority of the UK population also has the internet access. However, Barnes (2007) argued that few countries of the Asian market like Singapore, Malaysia, India has the trend of lower internet penetration. However, the linking of Amazons businesses for creating the centralised systems for the e-commerce is generating its own challenges. For example, Cleartrip when first started the online travel services in India, it was not the part of the Global Distribution System (GDS). According to Dietz (2006), the GDS is the computerised reservation network, which acted as the single point of access for the reservation of the airline ticket worldw ide. As a result, the customers could get easier access of the total inventory access for all airlines. Payment: Due to the limited banking and the credit card penetration, the cash-based societies are generated. On the other hand, Ke and Zhang (2009) argued that sometimes, few consumers also have the lack of consumer trust in the online merchants. This has prompted various leading e-commerce firms like Flipkart, Amazon to offer the cash collection on delivery (COD). Considering the opinion of Kauffman (2009), the COD approach imposes the significant financial cost for the e-commerce firms like Amazon in terms of cash handling, labour and the higher return of the purchased items. On the other hand, Diniz, Birochi and Pozzebon (2012) argued that the COD can solve the strategic issue in terms of theft and payment thereby substantially increases the cost. This had resulted new payment gateways, which allow the young customers for buying the prepaid cards at the retail outlets. These cards can be later used for purchasing the online games from Amazon. Amazon has recently launched the installation o f the delivery lockers at the convenient store location for providing the service in the United States. Price Sensitive customers: The per capita income of the majority of the consumers in the UK market is not equal also in the developed countries like UK, Singapore and United States. This mentality has compounded by the Amazons e-commerce offers to the price-sensitive shoppers to compare the price online basis. The online retailers of e-commerce face the extreme price pressure not only for competing in the websites, but also from the offline stores. However, Kim (2006) argued that the offline stores also run in such low cost and highly efficient operations that the powerful organisations also found it challenging issue in the business. The e-commerce firms offer often free shipping for competing with the local merchants (Keskin and Taskin, 2015). These firms also introduce the flexible return policies to make more palatable online services to the specific price sensitive consumers for attracting. To overcome these strategic issues, the e-commerce firm Amazon is required to invest heavily in the logistics and the infrastructure (www.statista.com, 2016). These are helpful to enhance the fixed cost. Building the offline presence can earn the consumer trust for managing the highly price sensitive customers. Despite of the challenges, the promise of potentially large valuations and a rapidly growing market could rise the increased score for the e-commerce player like Amazon. Task 2: Importance of the integrational thinking in understanding the strategy, formation and development in complex organizations: Since the majority of the e-commerce organisations are facing logistics and shipping problem, it has become prime time FOR the marketers integrating e-commerce business with other functionalities to serve customers in a flawless way. In this context, Kauffman (2009) stated that the integrational thinking could help the e-commerce firms making real time integration through a large ERP platform. However, the integration becomes too complex in the bigger organisation, as it comprised of different departments, which starts from payment gateways, shipping, order fulfilment, product inventory and final communication to the customers (Kim, 2006). The integrational thinking could help the firms, managing proper coordination among different departments in the global business context. Payment gateway integration and strategy formulation: The transaction failure in the e-commerce companies such as eBay, Amazon, and Flipkart has created customer issues, due to which the tendency to switch to emerging brands is increasing rapidly. Considering the fact, Dietz (2006) stated that e-commerce payment gateway integration could enable the marketers resolving customer payment issues in a faster way. Eventually, higher brand sustainability can be managed. Real time shipping integration: Amazon can be taken as a good example of this integration, as it is integrated with its own logistics as well as logistics firms such as FedEx, UPS, etc. Once the customer places an order, it could increase the convenience to send instant messages regarding the delivery date. Formulation of the shipping integration has helped Amazon to increase its sales volume up to 25% in the last year (www.amazon.co.uk, 2016). Additionally, the shipping integration has also enabled Flipkart increasing margins on the shipping cost by 12.5%. Eventually, the overall profit margin has been increased accordingly. Order fulfilment integration: Order fulfilment integration reduces the manual labour options from the firm, thereby enhances the operational efficacy (Chaffey, 2011). Statistical data show that Amazon has experienced reduced sales volume in the year 2009, due to the lack of adequate integration between the UPS and FedEx logistics services. Mass customer complaints generated and many customers switched over to the brands like Flipkart, eBay, etc. Hence, integration over the order fulfilment platform needs to be made so that the people and systems associated with shipping can be made fully coordinated, which in turn, could speed up the warehousing communication as well. Product inventory integration: Managing product diversity has become a crucial agenda of the present e-commerce organisations. At the same time, all product information needs to be integrated with the website information, so that customers could choose and place the order as per their requirement. Supporting to this fact, Barnes (2007) stated that Amazon has created a custom selling point option for serving global marketers in the online business process. This strategy has helped the Amazon synchronising product and inventory data to potentially synchronise with the website. The custom point of sale (POS) or the ERP system integration saves time and money by reducing the administration time employed by the workers. The database synchronisation helps to fetch data as and when required and ensures data accuracy as well. Malaga (2011) also indicated that expectation of the customers can also set in accordance with the price and product availability as well. Hence, the overall integration process could improve the efficacy of the e-commerce business, thereby improving the long term sustainability as well. Customer information and communication integration: The customer information and communication process improves the overall functionality for B2B e-commerce systems, by employing ERP framework. The custom requirement for B2B e-commerce employs ERP in all modules, which pushes the customers to visit the website frequently. This type of data consists of company name, specific account number, and email id for customers, zip code, contacts, pricing discounts and shipping address. Considering the fact, Mamaghani (2013) stated that Flipkart and Amazon has employed ERP modules, which has enabled the firm addressing all customer requirements within a lesser time span and the order fulfilment process has also become typically flexible as well. The customers accessibility in the login page through email address and outing items in the cart has increased the customer freedom within the website of Amazon. Only, the billing information needs to be provided by the customers. The ERP integration has made the order fulfilment process so flexible that all booking details are automatically updated and sends to the packaging and shipping department (www.wiley.com, 2016). Finally, the customers can look into the order placing details and the tentative delivery date by viewing the website of the e-commerce firm as well. All in all, it has been identified that the integrational thinking is of sophisticated level, which enhances operational flexibility for the company. Thus, the strategy formulation and development might become easier for the operating firm. Task 3: Evaluation and development of the ability for identifying the strategic issues and designing the appropriate course of action: The e-commerce activities by Amazon till date have been really experimental. However, several crucial issues have been emerged which can be recognised for the purpose of the promotion for future analysis. These strategic issues actually vary depending on the type of product and services, the e-commerce organisations sell online. According to Malaga (2011), the online selling pattern, approach to online selling, resource expansion and the online customer base are also the crucial parameters for the development of the strategic issues. The emerging issue in this regard is the pattern of the sales. The total sales level to date varies between Amazon and other e-commerce firms. The majority of the e-commerce partners experience the erratic sales pattern like extremely high in one month and drop in the next month. Such erratic sales pattern might attribute two factors. The major issue of this activity is not creating the revenue. However, Mallor et al. (2009) argued that the primary focus of the private-sector online selling organisations is to make profit. In this regard, the e-commerce firms put more stress on marketing the products for gaining competitive advantage in the marketplace. However, the major issue is that the e-commerce firms like Amazon might not be able to put enough capital for marketing the products in the marketplace. Without implementing the strategic marketing technique, the potential customers may not be able to know the products existence (Yang, 2011). So the customers will not buy the products online. Hence, the sales pattern of e-commerce firms depends on the customers online ad-hoc purchasing pattern. Thus the e-commerce firms are required to take the appropriate course of action for identifying the purchasing pattern of the online customers. On the other hand, the adequate resources can be put in developing the most effective marketing techniques and strategies for the product being offered. The way for gaining synthesis of knowledge from different business for underpinning competitive advantage: The impact of the internet on the marketing mix elements and the competitive forces are the crucial ways to gain the synthesis of knowledge to achieve the competitive advantage in the e-business strategies. The customers can easily collect the information through the internet regarding the products and services (Miller and Cross, 2012). As a consequence, the consumers rely on the product retailers and the suppliers for aiding in the search. As a result, the suppliers and retailers take total advantage of this situation and charges higher prices (Noyes and MacInnes, 2006). The consumers end up with paying more and also often dont receive the desired product. In case of the e-commerce market, the consumers can do the complete search regarding the product offerings. This is possible at no cost as made virtually. The e-commerce firms are forced to reduce the prices, as the customers can compare the prices easily and find the close substitutes e-commerce companies. Thus , the companies in the e-commerce can achieve the competitive advantage than the physical market. The innovation in the product lines and introducing the niche markets can generate the competitive advantage in the e-commerce players (www.marketwatch.com, 2016). By using the internet, the e-commerce companies can directly access the consumers preferences, needs and trust regarding the product and services. Considering the view of Stuart, Sarow and Stuart (2007), the e-commerce companies can also collect the information regarding the new innovative products through the small segments from the market. However, Park et al. (2011) argued that the customer-centric strategy can act best with the innovation or niche products. Through the creation of the products which meets the requirements of the consumers in the niche market, the e-commerce companies can easily command over the higher prices. Thus the product-centric strategy pushes the products directly to the consumers. Thus, the customer-centric strategy helps to pull the information from the customers for improving and customising the products. This approach is highly beneficial for the e-commerce organisation to build the competitive business advantage. Critical analysis of the strategic position and the interrelated functions of Production and Operation Management (POM) in the organizations: Strategic positioning of Amazon: The inventory turnover of Amazon has been sequentially increased to 9.15% in the year 2013, which has been identified remarkable strategic brand positioning in the global e-commerce business market. As per the financial data published by CSI Market, the inventory growth has been accounted for 11.23%, while the cost of sales growth has been identified 14.55% in the year 2015, 30th September (www.amazon.co.uk, 2016). However, the average inventory processing period has been found 40, which needs to be revised by Amazon. Analysing all the perspectives, it has been identified that Amazon has lost its strategic positioning, although in terms of inventory turnover ratio Amazon has been ranked number 1. Radford (2014) also indicated that the sector wise ranking has been acquired by Amazon is 8. On the other hand, the sales volume of the Amazon has been increased by 35% in the year 2014, which is also remarkable value in the e-commerce business portfolio. The recent mobile application of the Amazon has also increased customer purchase frequency by 48%, due to which the past losses met by Amazon has been replenished by the current revenues. Moreover, if Amazon could put inventory turnover ratio up to 51.16%, the firm can be termed as highest strategic positioning achiever in the global e-commerce market. Interrelated functions of production and operation management: The production management functions consist of selection of product design, production process, right production capacity and adequate production planning as well. Yang (2011) also indicated that the e-commerce chain has a significant relationship with the production management, as the right production planning helps to manage production control. It is a proven fact that Amazon has increased its quality and cost control by 31%, employing right inventory control and its optimum maintenance as well (csimarket.com/stocks, 2016). Out of all these elements, the most vital part is the production planning, as it helps to manage adequate routing, scheduling of the product to the global consumers. Depending on the planning, e-commerce firms such as Amazon, Flipkart, update the website information related to the availability of the product. On the other hand, the operation management functions are termed as ethically responsible management of an operating system, which helps firm to meet its strategic objectives. The inputs, processing and the outputs streamline the business competitiveness with the operational system. The strategic initiatives such as managing facility design, potential layout, sufficient material management, moreover the new logistic system unit operated by Amazon has increased the operational flexibility across all global regions. Additionally, Alshibly and Chiong (2015) mentioned that technological the operational management of Amazon has employed equal responsibility to all departmental managers following transformational process, so that modification of the services could satisfy all types of consumer needs. However, apart from the B2C system, the functionality of the operation management impacts on the B2B scenario also (allsupplychain.com, 2016). The operational functionality of the product manu facturers could improve the transaction frequency and the warehouse of the e-commerce firms could also be full of up to date products. Thus, the customer searching can also be fruitful due to the full packaging of differentiated products and the brand loyalty might get influenced. Hence, it can be found that production and operation management is interlinked with each other and one units performance improvement influences anothers efficiency also. Thus, the strategic brand positioning of the Amazon can be improved by employing all interrelated functions of the production and operation management system in the e-commerce industry. Impact of group work on individual: From the group work on the e-commerce business of Amazon, my knowledge has been enriched regarding the benefits of the web-based business strategy. The web-based business is more efficient and easy to generate revenue within little time. However, few strategic issues like logistics, digital infrastructure, payment gateway and the price sensitive customers are the factors which can create severe challenges for the e-commerce business. From the group assignment, I have gained knowledge about the relevant strategic models like Porters five force, SWOT analysis. Through these models the e-commerce companies can compete and take the crucial strategic decisions for sustaining in the business environment. From the group work, the strategic implementation challenges have also been recognised for the e-commerce strategy. The added cost of the retailers, the engrossing delivery cost are the major issues during applying the membership strategy in Amazon. As Amazon is not associated with the bog capital, hence Amazon Prime has also faced the free shipping delivery issue. Another challenge is the supplier or the manufacturers of amazon are capable enough to open own online business with own capacity. Hence, it is considered as the major challenge for the eimplementation of e-commerce strategy for this company. Conclusion: The overall study indicates that logistics issue, digital infrastructure and higher pricing are the basic strategic issues of Amazon. As the market competitiveness has increased rapidly, lack of convenience factors has reduced the sales growth of Amazon in a significant way. Hence, managing payment gateway integration and strategy formulation, the real time shipping integration, order fulfilment integration, etc. have been found as the core catalyst for improving the operational flexibility of Amazons operation. 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