Joint Functions Commander's Planning Guidance Coursework

Joint Functions Commander's Planning Guidance - Coursework Example CFLCC units will be prepared for transition to Phase II (Seize the Initiative) operations should sequential FDOs fail to prevent an attack by Ahurastan (AH) into Azerbaijan (AZ). The CFLCC command staff’s problem frame has identified two areas of concern. The first is that the commander has identified the mobility corridor vicinity of GANJA (KIROVABAD) as decisive terrain in CFLCC’s movement from TBILISI to the KURA River basin. This mobility corridor is canalized by urban terrain in the north and mountainous terrain in the south. The CFLCC command believes that failure to control this mobility corridor will significantly impede the success of IAW EUCOM CONPLAN 4567-15. e. The second area of concern is that AH may attack before JTF-CASPIAN has fully deployed. The CFLCC command has analyzed this ECOA, and their worst case assessment is that the ADF brigades deployed along the AZ border may only be able to delay AH ground forces 24-48 hours. Because of the accelerated tim eline, there will be limited JTF-CASPIAN forces available to support this contingency mission. OPERATION’S PURPOSE: Prevent Ahurastan forces from controlling the mobility corridor from the vicinity of GANJA (KIROVABAD) to BAKU utilizing a THREE PHASE OPLAN,. AH Capstone mission is the isolation of BAKU IOT leading to a political settlement that will recognize AH’s oil claims in the region. Phase I –DETER- Pre-conflict preparation and transition to war: M-day to D-day. Provide aggressive reconnaissance and presence within the GANJA (KIROVABAD) to BAKU Area of Operations (AO). Coalesce and integrate combined battle plan and order of engagement with all allied forces AZ. Commence pre-emptive Phase II (Seize) deployment of forces into staging areas. Phase II-SEIZE- Initial transition to war. D-day to OPLAN Day 4. Commence interdiction attacks with long-range fires and attack aviation forward of PL BLACK to disrupt lead tactical

Women as Spies in the Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Women as Spies in the Civil War - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that although the role of espionage has been admitted to be a very important factor through the entire course of the American Civil War in most historical records, it has been denied the deserving respect in terms of detailed narratives elaborating upon the actual significance of the roles played by spies. This holds true even more in case of women who served as undercover agents.   The author has rightly presented that this unavailability of detailed mention in records results primarily from the nature of the job itself. Often, records would be destroyed to protect the identities of the agents by themselves or by other officials. So, the historian addressing this issue would have to seek out often intentionally obscured and carefully camouflaged tracks by the agents themselves, officials of both the governments and last but not the least, time. The paper tells that proper chronicling of Civil War intelligence activities is thus a strenuo us challenge due to the absence of records, the absence of access to records, and also the dubiousness of the available records. The confederacy’s state secretary, Judah P. Benjamin burned all records related to intelligence activities that he could find when the news of the Federal troops entering Richmond came. On the other hand, till 1953, Intelligence records belonging to the Union were kept sealed in the National archives.

Busniss law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Busniss law - Essay Example This accusation is not true and causes Cornell to lose its customers to Stanford. The legal definition of defamation involves false accusation against a person, which has a potential of adversely affecting the victim’s reputation or competitive advantage in trade. In order to establish a case on defamation’s basis, the plaintiff must prove a number of essential elements. First, the plaintiff must have been subjected to a â€Å"defamatory statement† (Beatty and Samuelson, p. 78). The statement must have been false and the defendant must have communicated the statement leading to injury on the plaintiff. Defamation can be either slander or libel (Beatty and Samuelson, p. 78). In the case, Stanford made an advertisement whose claim was defamatory. The claim was false and caused Cornell its customers who went to Stanford’s business, thereby causing financial losses, in revenues and profits, to Cornell. This forms a legal ground for defamation as was held in the case of Bose Corporation v Consumers Union of the United States (Jernings, p. 289). Cornell could therefore sue on grounds of defamation that could be either libel or slander, depending on Sanford’s mode of advertisement. If Stanford used a permanent medium such as an audio recording or a print media, then Cornell could sue for injuries on grounds of libel. An unrecorded oral advertisement could however lead to suit on ground of slander. The case involves Dan, a driver to EZ Delivery Company, who leaves his car in a neutral mode and does not set brakes. The car then rolls while Dan makes delivery and crashes into a petrol station, causing flames of fire. The fire spreads to a close building that collapses, causing injury to Flow. The facts of the case identify negligence that defines a breach of a duty of care by a party to another, leading to injury. This is because a driver owes elements, in his environment, a duty of care and Dan’s

DEVELOPING YOUR PERSONAL MODEL OF LEADERSHIP Term Paper

DEVELOPING YOUR PERSONAL MODEL OF LEADERSHIP - Term Paper Example A leader’s success is measured by how positively or negatively he or she has impacted on the lives of the subjects (Chemers, p. 67). I have admired the leadership styles of many leaders, past and present, but the main leadership influence in my life is George Washington. Though I cannot exactly emulate Washington’s personal and leadership character traits, his type of leadership will be the template upon which my leadership skills and abilities will be honed. In fact, it is these leadership traits that made George Washington the first president of the United States of America. George Washington, was born as the first child, on 22nd February 1732, to Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington. Despite losing his father and many other siblings at an early age, his innate leadership skills were evident when he took over the management of his father’s estates and generally ran his family matters (Cornwell, p. 146). Washington’s leadership prowess was tested several times as he rose through various ranks in the independence wars. He served diligently in the American Revolution (1775-1783). As the commander-in-chief, he strategized the whole war, with the approval of the congress. He was also charged with recruiting, organizing and training the army. In a nutshell; he is credited with the victory of the American Revolution. Even after independence he went ahead to become the first president of the United States of America and undertook a supervisory role in the drafting of its very first constitution and in the laying of the many norms upon which the modern government of the US is based (Cornwell, p. 342). Looking at his life, especially his accomplishments, one cannot miss the personal attributes that a good leader should possess. First among these virtues is courage. Leaders must be courageous in all they do. Second, George Washington displayed humility despite all the power and influence he had. He was also a visionary. In addition t o these, he was hardworking, diligent and focused. Above all, he was a God fearing and prayerful family man. These are the virtues I admire in a leader. These are the values I take from George Washington. Coming from a modest background, my dream in life is to get to a position where I can help the less fortunate in society, a position of leadership where I can positively impact the lives of my countrymen. I yearn to change my country for the better of the future generations. As I pursue this dream, the values I want to hold close to my heart are hard work and humility. I will always work hard and be humble in the process, all the while thanking God for the achievements that come my way. The main assumption if given a leadership position is that all my subordinates will rally behind me in striving to achieve personal and organizational growth and other objectives. I believe leadership is divine, and the people normally place their hopes in the leader that all their problems will be solved. Thus, as a leader, I will always try not to betray the trust of my subordinates for the sake of personal selfish gains. Finally, my expectation of the world is that it becomes a safer home for all humanity with equal rights, opportunities, and freedom for everybody as far as the pursuance of happiness is concerned. These are my aspirations as a leader. Given a chance to serve

Sustainability of autoclaved cellular concrete Essay

Sustainability of autoclaved cellular concrete - Essay Example This building material is suitable for formation of inner leaf of cavity walls, walls, floors by combining with aircrete beams, ceilings due to their excellent thermal insulators. They can easily be shaped into anything the builder’s desire making it favorable. This has given rise to a complete construction system with complementary products all over the World.AAC ensures a comfortable environment with all the satisfactions of the modern building (mhe aac, 2013). Advantages of Engineering and constructing using Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. Engineers and constructors who have been in the game for a long time will weigh many options on what kind of building materials to use for construction. They consider the pros and cons of each building materials they have used to advise a client before settling on one. In this case AAC is the building material of choice. The following are some of the factors of autoclaved aerated concrete which make the choice favorable. 1. Portability. ... 2. Flexibility This is evident in shaping, cutting process as it reduces the chance of wasting so much in terms of building materials. This kind of workability will be of so much good to a client in cutting costs. Since AAC has the ability to offer a combination of structural capability and insulation it makes it suitable for almost everything from walls, roofs and floors. 3. Durability Its ability to resist water, mildew, rotting, rust and insect’s invasion unlike things like timber make it longer lasting. This will ensure a stable construction. 4. Fire Resistance. Autoclaved aerated concrete is known to have a higher thermal mass, provide air tightness making it non combustible. It can resist fire with excellence and will not produce toxic fumes unlike other building materials due to their R-value which is slightly higher than R-1. 5. Air leakage is very low as compared to other building materials due to its production process. Its however not fair to talk of only advantages without mentioning a few drawbacks related to AAC.According to a report written by Stefan Schnitzler AAC has some disadvantages more so in the United States. Stefan states that in the US there are a few manufacturers and the only manufacturer Hebel Operations who was left moved his operations to Mexico making it a bit expensive hence not adopted by many US citizens (Melton, 2012). He also mentions that since the mortar application process has to be precise builders need to learn on curves (Melton, 2012). In the US the material has to come from Mexico meaning that the probability of an increase in mileage will result to a higher cost as well. AAC is only good for residential building rather than for high rising buildings

Managing quality in a childcare setting Essay Example for Free

Managing quality in a childcare setting Essay 1.  Two pieces of legislation that ensure quality provision are The Children’s (Scot) Act 1995 and The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 links parts of child care, family and adoption law, that affect children’s quality of life. The Act puts children first and brings together three key principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; non-discrimination; the child’s welfare is the first thought; and that childrens views should be listened to. It incorporated these principles into Scottish legislation and practice. By following this act, settings can work towards a high quality environment that conforms to standards. The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 is legal framework to give support where needed, for children’s learning, short or long term. The Scottish Government require all children and young people to realise their full potential and get the most from the learning available to them through connecting with a quality setting. The Act looks into supporting needs and co-ordinated support plans. The education authorities are charged with identifying needs, arranging suitable provision, creating co-ordinated support plans and reviewing and monitoring what provision is provided. 2.  Two pieces of non-legislative requirements that support a quality provision are Pre-birth to Three: Positive Outcomes for Scotlands Children and Families (Pre-birth to 3) and Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) Pre-birth to 3 leads on from Birth to Three: supporting our youngest children as it now appreciates the impact of pregnancy on children and learning. It supports the Scottish Government’s ethos to develop a quality workforce that is supported and skilled with shared value base so that they can provide  children and their families with a good quality lasting outcome. It describes 4 key best outcomes – the rights of the child, responsive care, respect and relationships, and aims to encourage good quality practice through spreading knowledge from current research; using 9 key principles; for example the role of the staff, observations and partnership working involving other agencies. Girfec is an approach which allows practitioners to concentrate on what makes a positive difference for all children and young people and their families, and how these improvements can be delivered. It has been developed from a range of policies and strategies such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Early Years Framework and the Curriculum for Excellence. There are ten core parts to it, such as developing a shared understanding of wellbeing; and a set of values and principles, such as promoting respect, patience, honesty and reliability as good qualities that are valued by children, young people, families and practitioners, which enables a quality practice to those agencies working across the range of children’s services. It is gradually being incorporated into all existing practices, policies and legislation that affects children, young people and their families. 3.  A human resource issues that support quality provision are Disclosure Scotland: Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG). Disclosure Scotland is a Scottish Government agency. Its purpose is to protect the safety of vulnerable people in Scottish society through maintaining a list of individuals who are unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable adults. It also creates a document for organisations and potential employers which lists an individual’s criminal history information. This allows them to make knowledgeable decisions when dealing with recruitment. The PVG scheme requires all those who have regular contact with children and protected adults (paid or unpaid) to become members. It permits employers to check that the people they are recruiting do not have a history of harmful behaviour. 4.   The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 was created to give more protection to people who were using care services, by producing a structure for care regulations, raising the quality of provision and by building a competent and confident workforce. It set up two independent organisations: the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (Care Commission) and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). The Care Commission’s responsibility was to regulate and inspect (using the National Care Standards), a range of services providing care to children, adults and older people, and deal with registration, complaints and enforcements. It also promoted dignity and encouraged independence for care users. The previous system was Edinburgh and Lothian’s Registration and Inspection Service (ELRIS) which used both local authority and health boards to register and inspect care services (both private and voluntary). The SSSC’s responsibility was to improve the quality of the services by raising the standards of practice of the social services workforce: through supporting professionalism, standardising and promoting the training of the workforce and creating a code of practice for the staff and employers to follow. The SSSC allows individuals to have a shared value base, with everyone involved behaving and guided by the same values, beliefs, concepts and principles. By raising the practice, a good quality provision can give children the best start in life. Those who register with the SSSC, do so relevant to the role they hold in the work place not what qualifications they have, i.e. for a particular role you can have a range of suitable qualifications. The SSSC standardises the training and education required. It creates an equal footing for all workers doing the same job therefore showing the same level of competence which in turn increases public awareness and confidence in the role of providing a quality setting. It provides assurance that the people registered have integrity and are committed to their role whether they have the qualification or are working towards it. By committing to taking responsibility for their own learning to develop knowledge and values as well as assessing and updating regularly, practitioners are safeguard their continuing suitability for registration.  Registered childminders however are not required to be registered with the SSSC, as they are firstly registered with the Care Inspectorate, but find it is good practice to follow the SSSC code of practice and undertaking training. In 2010 the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act’s objective was to streamline a number of government agencies. The work of the Care Commission and the Social Work Inspection Agency was consolidated into a new body: the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Agency (SCSWIS). The Social Work Inspection Agency had previously regulated local authority social work services. In 2011, SCSWIS had a name change: becoming the Care Inspectorate. The Care Inspectorate ensure quality care is promoted by registering and inspecting, individuals and organisations, such as childminders, voluntary organisations and local authorities as well as promoting improvement in care, social work and child protection services. The Care Inspectorate uses the National Care Standards as guidelines to register and inspect care services against. The National Care Standards: Early Education and Childcare of Children up to the age of 16 was created up by the Scottish Government, as required by the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, and involved consultation with a large group of people such as service users, their families, carers, staff, expert bodies, service providers and professional associations. It represents the rights of the child and young person, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is used by service providers and the Care Inspectorate, to uphold and develop the quality of services and whether the services were conforming to the regulations. There are 14 standards with the main principles being dignity, privacy, choice, equality and diversity, safety and realising potential. The standards promote quality in child care settings by encouraging issues such as: effective communication between staff, parents and carers; sharing information as appropriate with other professionals involved with the child’s development; having staff establish effective working relationships with support agencies and with each other, families and children and providing opportunities for children and their family in the wider  community. References Scottish Social Services Council (2011) Code of Practice [online] available at http://www.sssc.uk.com/Codes-of-Practice/sssc-codes-of-practice-for-social-service-workers-and-employers.html (accessed on 12.01.2014) The Scottish Government (2004) The Children’s (Scot) Act 1995 [online] available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/10/20066/44708 (accessed on 12.01.2014) The Scottish Government (2209) Education (Additional Support for Learning) [online] available at (Scotland) Act 2004 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/welfare/ASL (accessed on 12.01.2014) The Scottish Government. (2010) A guide to Getting it right for every child [online] available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright/background (accessed on 12.01.2014) Disclosure Scotland. (2011) Protecting Vulnerable Groups [online] available at http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/pvg/pvg_index.html (accessed on 12.01.2014) The Scottish Government (2005) A Framework for Supporting Front Line Staff: Summary Version ) [online] available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/05/10101405/14096 (accessed on 12.01.2014) The Scottish government (2002) The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 [online] available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/01/14484/2531 (accessed on

Brick And Mortar Travel Agency Supply Chain Information Technology Essay

Brick And Mortar Travel Agency Supply Chain Information Technology Essay Introduction At the dawn of the internet evolution in the 1990s, myriads of businesses began realizing the huge opportunities that the internet presented to them. They knew the internet could help them re-engineer processes, lower costs, increase profits, up efficiency and effectiveness simultaneously, and raise the bar of customer service, all at the same time. One industry that was quick to ride on the internet bandwagon was travel and tourism, where airline companies had been relying heavily on a network of travel agents to act as a conduit between them and the travelers. With the internet, businesses engaged in travel and tourism began to directly touch base with their clients at real-time, low costs, and with much personal touch. Thus, it can be said that these businesses transitioned from a business-to-business (B2B) brick-and-mortar model to consumers-to-business (C2B) e-commerce model. Many travel agents had to level up their operations in order to survive the shift towards C2B and away f rom B2B. Years after these brick-and-mortar travel agencies caught on the e-commerce bandwagon, however, critical issues about their optimum performance remain. This paper will therefore discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that travel agents possess in a C2B environment. It will explore which strengths must be maintained in order to survive succeeding waves of changes and remain at the crest, which weaknesses must be dealt with to stem decline, which opportunities must be tapped to grow their businesses sustainably, and which threats must be confronted to avoid being sank by competition. This paper will conclude with a set of recommendations on what can be done to leverage the internet as a powerful medium for travel and tourism businesses. Brick and Mortar Travel Agency Supply Chain Online information site wisegeek.com defined brick-and-mortar companies as those that operate out of a physical building, where owners must invest to rent an office space, purchase supplies and fixtures, and pay for expenses needed to keep the business operational (What is Bricks and Mortar?, 2010). The site said that brick-and-mortar are traditional companies that have faced fierce competition since the 1990s, when the internet started to boom, from online companies that are based on the internet and which run businesses for a fraction of the traditional costs (What is Bricks and Mortar?, 2010). The site contrasted brick-and-mortar companies with those online to illustrate the pros and cons of the two business models. Below is a tabular summary of the comparison: Comparison of Brick-and-Mortar and Online Companies Brick-and-Mortar Companies Online Companies Customer Trust Has an advantage of visibility. Clients may think that a business with investments in buildings, employees, and goods are less likely to be fly-by-night. Can face questions about integrity. Clients may think that these companies are transitory and can simply turn their backs on them by refusing to answer phone calls, e-mails, and other media for channeling complaints. Owner Risk Poses significant risk for the owners as businesses require planning, tri-media marketing, and cash-flow to pay for everyday expenses as well as capital outlay. Poses minimal risk for the owners as much of the traditional costs of running a business are not accrued. Competition High start-up costs and high turnover rates as companies struggle to stay afloat amid the competition from online as well as other brick-and-mortar companies. Low start-up costs but high turnover rates if companies cannot find their niche. To describe the processes of a brick-and-mortar company, it is necessary to look at its supply chain. Mamaghani (2009) in Impact of E-commerce on Travel and Tourism: a Historical Analysis described the roles of travel agents, clients, and airlines before the move towards the new medium of the internet. The author said that during the pre-computerized period, travel agents advised clients on travel destinations, provided marketing materials, and acted as an intermediary in the complicated process of arranging travel bookings. Because they were the proverbial middlemen, travel agents were complacent and not keen on leveling up their services to cater to all clients (Mamaghani, 2009). According to Mamaghani (2009): The travel market became segmented as travel agents increasingly targeted corporate customers. Travel agents were able to provide value-added services like negotiation of bulk fares and arranging complex itinerariesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ There were two waves of information technology that have had a major impact on the industry. The first of these is the development of the direct reservation systems, such as the American Airlines SABRE system. The second is the development of online sales channels via the Internet. Travelers Online Marketing In the article Will the Web Replace Your Travel Agent? published in the Medical Economics, author Murray (1996) said that the internet has increasingly become the better alternative to a travel agent for several reasons: web can alert people about travel and destinations that might have escaped agents radar either because they are obscure or do not offer commissions, many travel websites offer extras you wont discover elsewhere, and that the web is increasingly replacing trip marketing materials that can be updated real-time on the internet (Murray, 1996). Because of the many advantages that being online bring to a C2B company, Fred Mawer (2005) said that the people who rely on travel agents alone will soon be a minority. He said that there are specific advantages to booking travels online: financial the internet reduces overheads for companies and many charge less for online bookings, availability ability to find thousands of choices in a minute, and details good websites provide more detailed and clearer information than any other source (Mawer, 2005). Author Carl Gibeily (2002) wrote online traveling has been the only way to fly not just in the United States but also in the Middle East and other parts of the globe. Expensive Advertisement for Brick-and-Mortar Companies One of the traditional costs that brick-and-mortar companies incur is advertising. According to traveladvertising.com, an online community for travel agents, there are three categories of advertising that agents must use to reach out to their clients or potential clients. These forms of advertising include print advertising for magazines, newspapers, leaflets, poster campaigns advertising; media advertising for TV and radio; and new media advertising for the internet (traveladvertising.com, n.d.). Brick-and-mortar companies, because they do not have online presence, concentrate their resources on funding print and media advertising, thus, depriving them of the immense benefits of new media advertising. Descriptions of each category by traveladvertsiing.com are contained in a tabular summary below: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Advertising for Travel Agents Print Media New Media Targeted towards a specific readership Limited shelf life Limited exposure Costly especially when placed in premium publications that target a specific audience Targeted at a large population and wide geography Target population cannot be narrowed down as ad will be exposed to diverse people with varied income levels Costly and cannot be afforded by small-scale agents with no national or international presence Targeted at a very large population across countries Target population can be narrowed down by providing contents that are relevant to the audience Relatively inexpensive as costs include ad design, website development, and system maintenance Pros and Cons of C2B According to William Sieglein (2000), C2B businesses that allow people to shop online provides flexibility, better prices and more selections for consumers but presents a great concern for security. He said that the exchange of personal information such as credit card number, home address and phone numbers pose threats in purchasing products off the World Wide Web. As information travels through the internet, it may be intercepted, stolen and used for identity theft. To provide a secured business environment online, C2B companies must ensure that that sensitive information that consumers provide online will be powerfully protected from unauthorized parties. Companies selling products online must assure consumers that the information is stored on their secure, well-configured safe zone of their network. These zones, most often referred to as demilitarized zone, should have secured firewall configurations. Strong access controls should also be in place, and this includes user identification and authentication. Server hardening, data storage encryption, and intrusion detections must likewise be practiced persistently. What can be the repercussions of not protecting your C2B business environments? A handful of adverse effects that can impinge on the growth of a company both on the short and long term. First, reputation of the company would be dragged into the mud. Reputation is a valuable resource of online companies. If a company is deemed to be engaging in deceitful transactions or is unable to block possible deceitful transactions in its website, then consumers can easily and rather swiftly stay clear of the website. Consumers can rapidly spread news about their bad experiences with the company to thousands of other consumers and potential consumers online via social networking sites and consumer feedback mechanisms. These happenings will subsequently result in lessened patronage for the site. Second, the company can be embroiled in a lengthy dispute settlement or costly legal battle whenever complaints about the security features of its site pop up. Dispute settlement and court cases will of course drain the company of precious resources. It can also tarnish the companys name in case that the proceedings conclude that the companys systems were not fail-safe. Third, leaks in the security features of a C2B can channel confidential information to competitors, allowing them an inside look into the companys processes and giving them the chance to spoil operations to their advantage. As a consequence, companies will have to shed money to shed money to contain the damage, investigate the incident, fortify security measures, and pursue legal actions against parties found to have breached the companys protection measures. Because the internet is a public place that is easily accessible by many people, C2B companies must provide their consumers several options to protect their identity and other personal information while transacting in the companys website. According to Dholakia, Dholakia, and Mundorf (2002), consumers may control the amount of information they make public on the internet by using four strategies: identifiability, confidentiality, anonymity/pseudonimity, and secrecy. The strategies are described in detail below: 4 Consumer Strategies for Protecting Their Identities Online Accuracy of Personal Information Externalized Amount of Personal Information Externalized High Low High Identifiability Consumer is willing to disclose all personal information with accuracy. Businesses can acquire high degree identity knowledge on the consumer Anonymity/Pseudonimity Consumers disclose and fabricate all kinds of information that are supposedly about themselves on the internet Consumers are avoiding identifiability and trust is not given to the C2B website Website should not trust the information provided for by the consumer Low Confidentiality Consumer gives little personal information with high accuracy The sites brand equity, reputations of the marketer, favorable endorsements and other elements may lead the consumer to trust the website Secrecy Consumers may share very little and potentially inaccurate personal information The level of accuracy and willingness to share information online clearly pose some serious problems for C2B companies. For instance, consumers may use information of another person in entering into transactions. In this case, it is very important that C2B travel companies state in its sales terms of conditions what types of responsibilities, if any, it will own up to. C2B Case Analysis: Priceline.com Priceline.com Incorporated is a multinational company listed in NASDAQ that provides online travel services across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Africa (priceline.com, n.d.). Its main purpose is to allow clients to save on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises than any other Internet travel service (priceline.com, n.d.). According to Chan, Lee, Dillon Chang (2001, p.10), Priceline.com introduced to the world a novel online application called the demand collection system, which allows consumers to bid for the prices of unsold airline tickets by naming the price for which they want to buy the tickets. By pioneering this consumer-oriented, dynamic, and customized pricing system, Priceline.com reinvented traditional commerce that often imposed fixed prices on consumers. The authors categorized the company as C2B in which consumer specifies the requirements to a business, which provides a product that meets these requirements. These requirements could be as simple as an acceptable price, or could involve considerable customization of an existing standard product, or creation of a new product (p. 8). The business model of Priceline.com is different from others that are into consumer-to-consumer, business-to-business, and business-to-consumer. The following is a tabular summary of various online business models (Chan, Lee, Dillon Chang, 2001, pp. 6-8). Online Business Model Matrix Business Consumer Business B2B: TPN Buyer and seller are business organizations. Can be buyer-oriented, seller-oriented or a virtual marketplace. B2C: Amazon Seller is a business organization while the buyer is a consumer. Emulates physical retailing and is often called electronic retailing. Consumer C2B: Priceline Consumer is a seller while buyer is a business organization. Consumers set out requirements to businesses, which then attempt to satisfy the requirements. C2C: eBay Seller and buyer are consumers. Virtual communities are formed where members host auctions or bid for products. Many things can be inferred from the business model of Priceline.com. First, the online travel service company performs the traditional roles of a travel agent. The huge difference between traditional travel agents and Priceline.com however is that the latter harnesses the huge potentials of the internet. Priceline.com uses the new media to deliver services in a much more efficient manner than a traditional travel agent and on a wider scale. Note that traditional agents are mere intermediaries who act as go-between, taking orders from consumers, presenting the orders to businesses, helping consumers decide on what to buy according to their budget and tastes by presenting varied options. Priceline.com does just that, yet in a much quicker manner. Second, Priceline.com empowers the consumers and allows businesses to stay in touch with consumers desires. Traditional travel agents may opt to cater to only a few groups like corporate clients that are sure to give them a steady flow of huge income. They may choose to disregard small-time infrequent travelers. With Priceline.com, however, all kinds of consumers are entertained. By specifying travel requirements and details, consumers will get a response from various travel companies that can meet the requirements and details they specified. Consumers are also empowered because they can sway businesses to provide products and services according to specifications and demands. Businesses also become in tuned with consumers demands in this type of business model. Because they learn of consumers demand real-time, they can rapidly customize products and services to respond to their markets. Third, Priceline.com presents enormous challenges in terms of technology. The company relies heavily on the internet in terms of providing services. Thus, it is imperative that it protects its systems against attacks, frauds, and phishing activities to safeguard the integrity of its operations as well as gain and keep the trust of its partners. Disruptions and downtimes caused by any technological problems will also cost Priceline.com. It should therefore continuously perform and maintain risk management programs. Review of Literature Internet The advent of online business was made possible by one medium, the internet. The development of the internet started in the 1950s when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, was asked by the Department of Defense to develop a system to allow the United States to mount a counter attack in the event of a Soviet Union nuclear first strike (Boudreaux Sloboda, 1999). By 1965, DARPA sponsored A Cooperative Net-work of Time Sharing Computers that became the predecessor of the internet. Over the years, scientists, researchers and hobbyists contributed their talents to the development of the internet to become the vast network that we have today (Boudreaux Sloboda, 1999). E-Commerce The internet has created for businesses a level-playing field where the midgets can compete with the titans, where the start-ups can flourish for a fraction of a cost to challenge the old-timers. Indeed, the internet is a grand stage for entrepreneurs to showcase their bright ideas to the business world. Joshi and Yermish (2000) mentioned five occurrences that have been shaping the Internet as a business world. These occurrences are facilitating the transition towards the new media in terms of offering and availing of products and services. The authors identified these occurrences as (1) the separation of the information about products and services from the physical products and services themselves, (2) products and services are becoming information-based, (3) internet bridges distance between consumers and business organizations, (4) internet is a medium for rapidly responding to consumers and markets, and (5) internet allows consumers to become agents of marketing (Joshi Yermish, 2000). The following is a tabular summary of descriptions for each occurrence: Occurrences that Have Made the Internet a Business World Increased Separation of the Flow of Information Information about products and services is distinct from actual products and services. Moreover, information travels to consumers and buyers faster than the provision of the physical orders themselves. Increased Focus on Information Flows Products and services are technologically intensive and may not be necessarily material objects. They may be delivered solely on the internet, from the internet or to the internet. Reduced Distance The third aspect to the new economy is the shrinking physical distances. In the new economy, proximity requirements have been almost totally removed as (in theory at least) everyone is connected with everyone else. Rapid Response Businesses are provided with real-time feedback from consumers while consumers get swift response from businesses. Rapid response allows businesses to be consumer-focused, service-oriented, and flexible as they are fed information about their performance and the competitions operations in a fast manner. Using the Customer as a Marketing Agent Because internet is a medium where consumers can provide feedback and get response real-time, consumers may act as a marketing agent for a company. They can easily talk about favorable services and positive experiences they have had with a company and then go on sharing these experiences or talking about these services online, where thousands of people may be able to chance upon their insights. Matthewson (2002, pp.45-46) sets out the steps in achieving best practices in online buying process where consumers go to the companies to buy goods and services: customer acquisition, segmentation and targeting, promotions, online ordering, order fulfillment and after-sales support, and up-sell and cross-sell. Although the internet is a powerful medium, harnessing it does not guarantee success. Brynjolfsson Urban (2001, pp. 121-122) outlined practices that can make companies lead or lag in the industry. Some of the leading practices include focusing on matching appropriate technology to business strategy and customer requirements; ensuring that appropriate technology capability and capacity were internally in place or available through partnering; building technology platforms to support Internet, intranet, and extranet applications, with a view to reinforcing, improving, or changing the value propositions of their core business; early adoption of Web technologies to achieve a comp etitive advantage; and learning the technology in the context of developing an information or marketing strategy (Brynjolfsson Urban, 2001, pp.121-122). Lagging IT practices include having the IT department responsible for e-business developments; having underfunded and undervalued IT and e-business developments; treating IT and Web-based technologies as a cost center rather than a profit center; and positioning the CIO as a specialist functional manager (pp. 121-122). Travel Agent SWOT Analysis in C2B Model In a C2B business environment, travel agents with online presence clearly possess a great deal of strengths. However, with competition from small-time and big-ticket players ever-present, travel agents must constantly be on the lookout. This is because on the online environment, other travel agents can easily duplicate their strengths, bank on their weaknesses, seize opportunities faster, and thwart threats more formidably, all in swift turn-around time. Below is a tabular analysis of the SWOT of travel agents operating in an online business environment. SWOT Analysis Internal External Maximize Strengths The strengths of a travel agent in an online C2B model include abilities to rapidly communicate with consumers, get their travel requirements, deliver these requirements to businesses, receive feedback from consumers for services and products delivered, and create possibilities for future collaborations. Opportunities The opportunities would include the chance to cater to untapped segments of both the local and global marketplace. Minimize Weaknesses The weaknesses would include the need to respond to consumers and businesses 24 hours a day and seven days a week at quick turn-around time. Threats The threats would of course include security concerns and competition from other C2B that continuously enter the industry. Conclusion Internet is a potent tool for surviving and competing in the travel industry. However, companies and agents must know how to use this medium to their advantage as the internet has its kinks that can spell big troubles. To stay afloat in the travel industry, agents and companies must bank on the strengths of the internet and develop strategic plans that would help them sustain operations both in the short and long term (Chopra. Van Mieghem, 2000).