Digitally Divided Canada

Presently, the world experiences a major and radical transformation primarily because of information and technological revolution. Almost everyday, history witnesses the birth of highly sophisticated gadgets and equipments that have literally altered the lives of many individuals. Nowadays, the hindrances brought about by geographical, spatial and time constraints, no longer affect mankind. In a blink of an eye, tasks which usually take several days or months to be accomplished can be readily addressed with just a single click.Evidently, Marshall McLuhan’s notion of the global village (Baran & Davis, 2006) is no longer a theoretical argument—the global village has readily developed, thus making each and every individual, regardless of their age, social status, race and ethnicity more connected and interactive than ever. Relatively, the establishment of the information superhighway did not only increase the connectedness of different groups and communities. More than any thing else, such situation is instrumental in opening the doors for various opportunities for growth and development within the national level.Canada for example, experienced a major economic shift with the introduction of Information and Communications Technology, or more popularly known s ICT (â€Å"Canada’s Journey,† 2003). A country which was once heavily dependent on its marine and agricultural resources, is now capitalizing on the benefits and advantages of their so-called â€Å"knowledge economy (â€Å"Canada’s Journey,† 2003). † As a matter of fact, the country is considered as one of the most competitive forces within the information technology industry (â€Å"Canada’s Journey,† 2003).However, while it is true that technology fueled Canada’s economic expansion, one of the pressing issues that the country needs to confront is digital divide. Digital divide is a serious social concern that cannot be simply described as a battle between those who are considered as technologically rich and technologically poor. More than anything else, the implications of digital divide tend to contribute to the worsening of the social, economic and cultural gap. These kinds of division are most especially felt between rural and urban settlers.If technology is said to govern man’s life, clearly, those who cannot fully avail of modern tools and equipment are also denied of exploiting technology’s benefits. Evidently, those that are living in the rural area are placed in very uncompromising situations in as far as being â€Å"digitally-connected† is concerned. Given this situation at hand, one may readily ask, how does digital divide affect the marginalization of rural settlers in Canada? For this particular discussion, the statistics presented in the Canadian Social Trends and The Daily was primarily used.Information in such sites is highly significant since it basically provides a wider view on h ow the whole Canadian populace utilizes the internet. However, the above-mentioned sites do not only dabble with internet usage alone. They also provided substantial discussions regarding the availability of personal computers in both rural and urban Canada. On the other hand, another major source that is used to support the arguments of this report is the E-government studies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).In OECD, however, the facts presented are comparisons of internet usage in the global scale. Such information is therefore necessary to be included in this analysis since it presents an overview on how far Canada has fared when it comes to global connectedness and how its current situation contributes to the digital divide experienced by the country. In understanding digital divide in Canada, it is highly important to first understand how information technology works in the country.It is also impetus to know the percentages of individuals who can readily access to have a substantial articulation of the matter. In addition to that, the inputs from the OECD contribute in a much deeper examination of how digital divide affects not only Canada, but also in other parts of the world. This Mc Laren (2002) discussed that mostly of the individuals who own computers are located in Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) and Census Agglomerations (CA). This is in stark contrast to those who are residing in rural and small towns.More than 50 to 60% of those living in CMAs and CAs have computers at home, whereas, only 40 to 50% of those in the rural areas posses such equipment (please refer to Figure 1 of Appendix). There are two reasons that can possibly explain this particular situation. First, it can be argued in here that urban settings can easily adapt to major technological shifts and transformations. This would not come as much of a surprise since major cities and areas are considered as the center of commerce and trade. In an area l ooming with various business opportunities, the use of an efficient technological platform is a must.Business endeavors that aspire to be globally competitive must take advantage of technology’s positive effects and contributions. Thus, individuals in this area become more aware about the uses and purposes of any technologically-related material. Another reason behind that is the high purchasing power of urban settlers. Suppliers of high-end technological products readily targets consumers in the city since they know that highly urbanized areas can provide them with a solid market base. On the other hand, as for the case of rural residents, digital connectedness seems to fall short.This primarily stems from the existing income discrepancies between the two groups. McLaren (2002) found out that those who earn less than $20,000 in rural areas can hardly afford to have their own computer. Only 20% (please refer to Figure 2 of Appendix) of rural settlers are capable of purchasing personal computers. However, for urban dwellers who also earn less than $20,000, more than 30% (please refer to Figure 2 of Appendix) of the population has their own computers . The same situation is reflected as for the case of those who are earning beyond $20,000.Based from a critical perspective, if Canadians in rural are literally outnumbered when it comes to having access to computers, then it is also relative that is harder for them to acquire internet access as well. While it is true that individuals from both rural and urban areas tend to have the same income, the availability of computers in cities is more prevalent compared to small towns. This means that an urban dweller, despite of the fact that he or she earns less than $20,000, can still own a computer primarily because in the city, one can always find cheaper alternatives.Computer providers in such areas are engaged into a stiff competition that compels them to lower their prices so that they can tap their potential markets. On the other hand, the availability of computer suppliers in rural areas is less than those in highly urbanized ones. Competition is hardly felt and therefore, these suppliers can demand their prices. Relatively, computers sold in rural sectors are literally more expensive than those that are found in the city.Given this aspect at hand, if Canadians in rural areas cannot avail of the basic equipment or material used in connecting via the internet, then it would be harder for them to participate into the digital world. It would be more difficult for these individuals to be updated on recent technological trends and developments. In addition to that, the lack of computers also prevents these individuals from making the most of Canada’s robust knowledge economy. Also, it is important to note that computers nowadays cannot only assist Canadians in connecting through the internet.Computers are also instrumental in making work processes and transactions much faster and eas ier as compared to manual work. One must always bear in mind that digital divide does not merely focus on the capacity to connect online; it is also the ability of owning the required technological platforms or materials. In the meantime, in as far as internet access is concerned, thus, it would not come as too much of a surprise of urban households are more connected. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2003), from 1999 to 2001, 33.6% of rural homes in Canada have internet connection, whereas a total of 44. 4% of urban settlers enjoy internet services (please see of Appendix). There is no doubt that the internet is a good source of knowledge and information. Relevant data and statistics found in the World Wide Web contribute to empowering and educating individuals. However, with the current situation of rural Canada, they are evidently left behind. Take for example the case of students which primarily uses the internet for research aid and purpo ses.The ones located in urban areas enjoy the benefits of acquiring significant facts and figures that cannot be ordinarily seen in local libraries and other academic sources. Individuals in the urban areas are also able to exploit government services via the internet. It is also important to note that online business opportunities are easily accessed by urban residents since they have the tool to do so. Apparently, the digital divide tends to exclude individuals from the rural sector from using technology to further empower themselves and seek for other opportunities for growth and development.There is an evident inequality in digital divide that basically originates from the unequal distribution of wealth and power. More than anything else, it should be always remembered that only those who have access to a wide array of providers and are financially adequate to participate into the digital arena, are the ones who are most likely to benefit from them. Relatively, these two conditi ons (access to providers and financial adequacy) are commonly found in metropolitan areas. Income disparity is indeed a key factor in the proliferation of digital divide and marginalization of rural Canada.As a matter of fact, one of the primary reasons that prohibit Canadians in rural areas from utilizing the internet is the â€Å"costs† associated with it (McLaren, 2002). The other reason corresponds to the absence of necessary skills and training (McLaren, 2002). In addition to that the geographical economic conditions of rural sectors in Canada are also important factors in analyzing digital divide and its implications. Transforming small towns into a digitally active community translates to building the necessary infrastructures.Thus, in as far as internet and communication providers are concerned; an area should be highly feasible for business operations and profitability before they finally consider the idea of building internet-related structures (Siegan & Walzer, 200 3). Unfortunately, if the concerned area does not qualify to the business needs of providers, then digital connectedness is less likely to grow and flourish. Not unless the Canadian government creates yet another solid and concrete plan to establish technological infrastructures in rural domains, then people living in these areas would remain digitally left behind.The effects of digital divide in rural Canada however cannot be only felt on the economic disadvantages of rural residents. Aside from the tacit or unconscious information monopoly of those that are technologically rich, there is also an apparent exclusion of the technologically inept from participating in issues that require utmost concerns (Jones, 2003). For how can somebody participate if he or she is not well-informed? Aside from that, rural residents are somehow denied of articulating their interests, views and opinions.It is no secret that the internet provides forums and sites wherein participants can express their sentiments and generate possible solutions. It is through the net that groups with similar orientations converge. However, it is pretty difficult for rural settlers to be involved if in the first place, they are not that digitally connected. Another thing to be considered is that the digital divide tends to delimit rural Canada from availing the services of the government on an easier pace (Marshall, Taylor & Yu, 2003). The government use of internet is indeed commendable.However, this would be still useless if not the majority of the populace can readily utilize it. Digital divide between urban and rural residents require immediate action. The opportunities brought forth by technology should not be limited into very few hands. If there is anyone who must be technologically empowered, it is no other than the ones in rural settings primarily because they are the ones who really need it, not the other way around. In as much as technological infrastructures are progressively establishe d in urban areas, then more efforts should be exerted in the rural sectors.

The Environement and It’s Problems

Essay The Environment and its problems The environment is the place that surrounds us. It is a gift of nature and it is the natural world of water, land, air and change. The environment is what we call home. Did you know that every day the environment is somehow getting damaged or destroyed? There are many examples of environmental problems that affect our environment. E. g. global warming There are also several ways humans effect our environment. For example the removal of fish from the oceans and timber from tropical forests.There are so many new things to learn about the environment and so many ways to take action for our eco-system by protecting it, why wait? Impressed? Read on to learn about the environment and what you can do to protect it. Let’s get started! There are several environmental problems that we need to take action for. They all affect the world and harm the eco-system. Some of the environmental problems in the world are acid rain, air pollution, energy, glob al warming, hazardous waste, pollution, and smog. Some of these problems are man-made and some of these problems are natural disasters.Environmental pollution is the biggest problem on Earth today. It is true our trees are getting cut down rapidly and the earth is getting warmer but if pollution continues our earth will fell like a boiling desert or covered with seawater. There are three types of pollution which are air pollution, sound pollution and water pollution. Air pollution is when smog is in the air and it’s hard for us to breathe. Sound pollution is when there’s such a big noise by a vehicle that sometimes people lose their hearing. That is why we should walk or ride a bike anywhere close to where you are and a mile distance.Water pollution is when the water gets polluted with waste and chemicals There are also many politicians who have done something to help the environment. For example, Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the Uni ted States of America and was a politician and conservationist. He is known for setting aside land for national forests, establishing wildlife refuges, developing the farmlands of the American West, and advocating protection of natural resources. Theodore Roosevelt is a strong role model for environmentalists of the future.He used his political skills to influence people and to help the cause of conservation, consistently focusing on the state the environment and on its effect on future generations. Creating a future in which the environment is clean is a challenging task. Managing the environment involves support from governments, organizations and your community. It may appear that environmental problems are too hard to take care of but the decisions we make, the actions we take and the words we speak influence the decisions that we make about the environment.There are many ways in which you can adapt your daily life to think more about the future of the environments and wildlife. Saving energy, conserving resources, and recycling are just a few ways you could make a difference. The most important thing to think about is the choices you make related to the environment. One of the things your school can do is become an eco-school! Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental educational program for grades K-12 that helps school communities help kids become environmentally responsible citizens and reduce the ecological footprint of schools.Ontario EcoSchools' resources offer an environmental perspective to the choices we make in operating our schools and in planning classroom programs based on the Ontario curriculum. It consists of four components: ecological literacy| waste minimization| energy conservation| school ground greening| The leaf within each figure symbolizes thinking and acting with the environment in mind. It also visually connects the four areas, a reminder that the environment is very important. Here are some ways you can take care of the environment . 1. Reduce your driving (walk, bike, ride, take public transport, or carpool).Choose a more fuel efficient car. 2. Don't leave your TV, computers, and DVD/VCD players on standby; it uses more electricity than the little red LED light! 3. Choose more energy-efficient appliances, especially major ones like refrigerators, air conditioners and water heaters. 4. Recycle everything you can; newspapers, cans, glass bottles and jars, motor oil, scrap metal, etc. 5. Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand, such as opening cans. 6. Plug off your cell phone charger when charging is completed. 7. Re-use bread bags and the bags you bring your produce home in. . Store food in re-usable containers, instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. 9. Take unwanted, re-usable items to a charitable organization or thrift shop. 10. Don't leave water running needlessly. Save some of your washing machine water. Gargle your mouth with a cup of water instead. 11. Set your air condit ioner temperature to 24-26C instead of below 23C. 12. Turn off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when you are out. 13. Fill a 1. 5/2L drink plastic bottle and leave it inside the Water Closet; this will save you that same amount every time you flush the toilet. 4. Do not use the water heater on a hot afternoon! Use cold water in the washer whenever possible. 15. Print or copy on both sides of the paper. (Plus use the other side of this paper. ) The environment, the Earth, is our home. It is where we live, breathe, and eat. It is very important so I think we should take really good care of it and protect it! Remember, we can all take action for this by even doing little things that will help. E. g. recycling! I enjoyed writing this essay. I learned many new things that I didn’t know before and I hope you have too!Also, remember to keep the Earth clean as much as possible. â€Å"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. † Theodore Roosevelt Bibliog raphy:1. Ontario EcoSchools. (2002). Retrieved from www. ontarioecoschools. org2. Theodore Roosevelt. (1999). Retrieved from www. library. thinkquest. org/26026/People/theodore_roosevelt. html3. Environmental problems. (1999). Retrieved from www. library. thinkquest. org/26026/Environmental_Problems/environmental_problems. html4. Bowden, Rob. Environments. Miami: KidHaven Press, 2004. Print. | |

Is the World Flat?

Globalization is a big issue in our modern day. What is globalization? Has globalization passed its peak? Is the world flat or spiky? There are several very vocal proponents of an argument that the world has become flat in recent years. However, there are some writers have the opposite opinion. This paper introduces both sides of the debate and presents the arguments for and against the idea that the world has become flat in recent years. The term â€Å"globalization† today refers to the shift in the world economy. It is moving towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy (H. C. W, p. 8). Globalization makes people, countries and markets closer. The world is flat; this view is supported by some people, but the most prominent being Thomas L. Friedman. â€Å"It’s a Flat World, After All† is a journal by Friedman which was published in 2005. In this article, Friedman argues the world is â€Å"flat† as a result of globalization; it is also a product of a convergence of personal computer and fiber-optic micro cable and software. Globalization has leveled the playing fields between different countries. This is what he called Globalization 3. 0 (started around 2000) which quite different from the earlier 2. 0 and 1. 0 versions (Thomas L. Friedman, 2005). To support the â€Å"flat world†, Friedman identities ten flattening factors that he sees as leveling the global playing field. Thomas Friedman taught us that the world is flat, but is the world really flat? Richard Florida has scorned his arguments. Florida, says that the world is actually spiky. In â€Å"The World is Spiky†, published in The Atlantic Monthly in 2005, Florida argues that economic power, innovation, and creative talent is actually only clustered in a few cities and regions, so these areas are growing higher while other areas languish (Richard Florida, 2005) Florida uses a series of maps to prove his argument. He shows where the world’s population centres are and where many of the world’s patents are issued and where the most scientists are located. Florida mentions the share of the world’s population living in urban areas is over 50% world wide now compared to just 3% in 1800. Some big cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver, Tokyo, Shanghai, around the globe are towers of patent filings, population, and science, but some cities are not. So the ability to innovate and create is only centred among few places in the world (Richard Florida, 2005). Pankaj Ghemawat, is another writer scorns the argument for the world has become flat. He argued more than ninety percent of the world's phone calls, Web traffic, and investments are still domestic (Ghemawat, 2007). Ghemawat also suggests that Friedman’s assertions are exaggerated visions. He points out that Friedman has grossly exaggerated the significance of the trends he describes: â€Å"Despite talk of a new, wired world where information, ideas, money, and people can move around the planet faster than ever before, just a fraction of what we consider globalization actually exists (Ghemawat, 2007) The issue of if the world has become flat in recent years has divided opinion in two different sides. Proponents of an argument that the world has become flat, like Friedman, believes people are getting closer and all competitors have an equal opportunity. The opposite side, such as Florida and Ghemawat, says otherwise. They think there are peaks and valleys. The peaks are getting stronger and more connected to each other. Word Count: 613 words Bibliography Article Florida, R. 2005, ‘The world is spiky,' Atlantic Monthly (October), pp. 8-51. Friedman, T. L. 2005, ‘It’s a flat world, after all', The New York Times Magazine, April 3, pp. 33-37. Ghemawat, P. 2007, ‘Why the world isn't flat,' Foreign Policy (March-April), pp. 54-60. Hill, C and Cronk, T and Wickramasekera, R. ‘Global Business Today’, pp. 8 Internet ‘The World is Not Flat – It's Spiky’, February 26, 2006, from: http://remoteaccess. typepad. com/remote_access/2006/0 2/the_world_is_no. html ‘Is the World Flat †¦ or Spiky? ’ From: http://insidework. net/resources/articles/is-world-flat-or-spiky

Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Company - Case Study Example The company has been very successful in its operations because it employed the best strategies ever especially merging with Tetra Park, which led it to introduce more products to its normal production. This paper provides a clear picture of how the company was established, how it began operations, how it came to merge with Tetra Park the best strategies it employed in order to become the best in Saudi Arabia and how it is performing so far. The paper also describes the companies SWOT Analysis where it provides the company’s Strengths and Opportunities and Threats and Weakness. The company’s major threats include stiff competition from competitors, instability of economy, importation of similar products, unstable management, and incompetent staff. This paper mentions two main recommendations for these challenges. These are ensuring proper management, which leads to quality production, and proper marketing techniques, which include media advertisement. Therefore, it is ab le to give the viewer a clear depiction of the entire analysis of SADAFCO Company. Company Analysis Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Company Introduction Saudi Dairy and Foodstuff Company (SADAFCO) was developed in 1746, with it’s headquarter centered in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The company’s production began in a year later with main concentration being on dairy products. Several other attainments were put in place in following years. ears. As from 1991, on top of milk-associated products engrossing ice cream, the firm has enlarged the product variety with the introduction of tomato paste, cheese (via the combination venture with Saudi New Zealand Milk Products (SNZMP) Saudi Arabia, snacks and hummus (through the attainment of Sara Snack Foods Factory in 1995). 1SADAFCO Company went public in 2005 and is recorded on the Stock Exchange of Saudi Arabia (Arnold 2009). The company has more than 100, 000 shareholders and is one of the top companies in production of foodstuff and milk products in Saudi Arabia. Despite going through a number of challenges, SADAFCO has never taken the content easy with having conq uered the technical challenges of the dairy industry in the Asian continent. Despite the fact that they have been substantial, they have also long been one of the top thinkers in local marketing firms, because they are familiar with the significance of band building (Al Fawzan & Al Sadhan 19). The ultimate aim of this context is to give a clear outline of SADAFCO Company in Saudi Arabia beginning with its external environment and general environment and winding up with the internal environment as well as issuing recommendations and conclusion. The external environment entails PEST-NED tools which are the functional units of SADAFCO. The internal environment entails vision, mission and objectives of the Company as well as strategies and tactics employed by the company in the market field. It also contains SWOT analysis which summarizes the operation of the company. External Environment General Environment This part discusses the different tools majorly

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Human Resource Management - Essay Example With modernization, organizations grew larger and the demand for human resource management kept increasing. With fordism in place human resource management emerged. Skills became fragmented and specialized as positions were highly differentiated. Organizations, therefore, updated service delivery to answer to the demands of the customers. Fordism highly supported division of labor mass production is widespread and most production companies still implement fordism principles in their administration of human resource management. Long hours and labor that is cheap are factors that are still profitable to the small manufacturing companies. However, the fordism principles cannot be as successful as before but they have highly helped in shaping the future of human resource management in most industries. There is so much improvement in technology, complexity of social environment and so many other changes. The human resource management being applied today has some traces of fordism but ford sim alone cannot be successful (Petit 220). The concept of institutional economics is a foundation of human resource management. The neoclassical and neo-institutional schools of economics argue that the economic theories are a foundation and great implications of the human resource management theory. The macro-prudential policies provide policy makers with a set of policy instruments to complement changes. The instruments implicate the policy makers to make fine judgment on risks to financial stability and traditional concerns on monetary policy. Caution when making judgments is highly encourages by the monetary policies. The macro-prudential policies are the main components of human resource management. People are highly affected by the changing customs and changing institutions and the institutional economics are pecuniary and emphasize on collective action of

Managing Information in Toyota Motor Corporation Research Paper

Managing Information in Toyota Motor Corporation - Research Paper Example The objective here is to achieve optimum cost control so that it will reflect positively on the bottom - the line of the company’s profits and give maximum returns to the stakeholders of the company. Efforts at cost control, without compromising on quality, are an everyday effort within the company Cost control can be defined as â€Å"Application of (1) investigative procedures to detect variance of actual costs from budgeted costs, (2) diagnostic procedures to ascertain the cause(s) of variance, and (3) corrective procedures to effect realignment between actual and budgeted costs.† The type of information that is required to achieve cost control is wide-ranging and has to be acquired from a variety of sources. The types of cost that are incurred in a typical manufacturing concern include direct costs, indirect costs, hidden costs, future liability costs, intangible costs, external costs etc.a. Direct costs: Direct cost is costs that can be readily identified as those d irectly incurred in them the manufacturing process. It includes raw materials, wages depreciation etc.  b. Indirect costs: Costs, which cannot be attributed directly to production, are termed as indirect costs. These include salaries, rent, marketing expenses etc.  c.   An example would be where customers are not satisfied with the product which results in a fall in sales. â€Å"Some examples of hidden quality costs are customer dissatisfaction with a product or defects in a product that causes a loss of sales.

The teaching and learning of writing in primary KS1 and 2 Essay

The teaching and learning of writing in primary KS1 and 2 - Essay Example The first step to start off with is to let the child spot the alphabet that he/she remembers. During childhood, the child enjoys making marks on the papers. Move your hand along with theirs to start writing alphabets and let them pronounce those alphabets with you as they write them. Provide them with a plenty amount of writing supplies, mainly pencils and colors. Get a white board with different color markers and make sure to keep it in a place at your kid’s eye level so that he will be promoted to write. Encourage them to write their own stories to express their imaginations as well as their expressions about their writing. Tell them to choose a picture of one person and try to write a narrative imagining that they are that person. They have to concentrate on details like job, hobbies, whether single or married, children, and facts that they think are interesting. (http://www.babybirdproductions.com/bbpadultcreativitytips.html) To proceed further, get beautiful diaries and let them keep those diaries as well as journals to create interest in writing and tell them to spend at least 15 to 30 minutes daily and write about the interesting things that they did or are planning to do during the day for example, making new friends, going on a field trip etc. Try to get them involve in first asking about their favorite things that they would like to eat and then let them make a grocery list and note down their favorite things in the list of grocery items. Once you get them, let them write short thank you notes with creativity to express their joy and appreciate their talent that they have used in their work. To develop further interest, play games with them which would include communication through writing. Give preference to play acting and let them choose any character that they like the most and let them write that character’s part from the play. Make up a situation and let them find a solution of it thro ugh their writing ideas. Make them use the best