Ethical And Legal Analysis Of Mckinnon Case

Ethical And Legal Analysis Of Mckinnon Case This assignment I based upon an article published online on the 15th of May 2009 by popular computing Magazine PC Pro (see appendix A). The article discussed Gary McKinnon who has been accused of hacking a number of United States (US) NASA, Army, Navy, Department of Defence, and Air Force systems. His US prosecutors insist he was acting with malicious intent and that he caused damage worth over $700,000. McKinnon denies acting with malicious intent or that he caused that much damage, citing that his motivation was to search for evidence of secret free fuel, anti-gravity and UFO technologies. McKinnon has stated that the network security was weak and he was able to gain access due to network administrators failing to use secure passwords on high level administrative accounts. Once inside, McKinnon used readily available software called RemotelyAnywhere to take control of machines. The case study identifies that his search became an addiction which took over his life. Rationale The Gary McKinnon case sprung to the headlines in 2001, the media frenzy surrounding the case would support the tagline of the biggest military hack of all time. The case has been open for over nine years now and the end is not yet in sight; indicating that the legal issues within the case are both complex and in no way, easy to dissever. The extensive and drawn-out media coverage adds to the complexity of the issues surrounding the case. This case study has been chosen firstly as it covers a very current issue in hacking. It would seem that hacking cases would only increase in the future as more nations cross the digital divide. Electronic crime is difficult to police and further difficulties arise out of international crimes. The nature of electronic communication and the removal of physical boundaries provide complexities in electronic crime and the control of borderless technologies. This case study has been chosen as it is particularly exposed to ethical questioning as law does not adequately resolve this case. This case study has been chosen for ethical and legal analysis not just for its high profile. Numerous actors can be identified in this case to provide a solid base to apply a pragmatic analysis of ethical issues though the direction of ethical frameworks. Primary actors in this case are identified as the Gary McKinnon and the network administrators responsible for security. Secondary actors have been identified as the makers of RemotelyAnywhere, the software which allowed McKinnon to control machines so easily and the US military who were the owners of the networks and data stored there. Similarly, these actors provide a basis to identify legal issues inherent within the case study. There are sufficient suggestions to argue that laws have been broken by both primary actors in this case. Technology strides on through the digital age where the other side of the world is accessible at our fingertips and a mere four billion IP addresses are not fulfilling needs. For this reason, it cannot be helped but to feel that hacking cases will only increase in scale and/or frequency and perhaps the Gary McKinnon case will be surpassed in the future. At first glance this case appears to be a typical hacking case, where the person committing the offence is acting for purely personal reasons to commit fraud or otherwise take something which isnt theirs to take. However this case differs in that there is no reason to believe that McKinnon was acting with the intent to take anything which was not his or to gain any personal advantage from his actions. Actors objecting to McKinnons actions are those who were responsible for the security of the network and those who owned the network. Ethical Frameworks Modern day normative ethical frameworks are broadly divided into two. Deontology, based on moral intention and input, and conversely Teleology which is centred around the output and end result. Teleological Teleology is the philosophical stance that an action may be critiqued based upon its consequences. It is commonly thought of with the view that the end may justify the means (Edgar, 2002; Bynum and Rogerson, 2006; Weckert, 2007), therefore teleological frameworks are concerned with the end result of an action. Utilitarianism is a type of teleological theory, which emphasises that the end result is important rather than the intentions of an individual. Its main principle is specifically to seek to maximise happiness through consequences (Spinello, 1995). It therefore claims that an action may be judged based wholly upon its usefulness in bringing about happiness. Speaking on utilitarianism it was observed by Velasquez (1992) that the principle assumes all benefits and costs of an action can be measured on a common numerical scale of moral calculus (p.61). To what constitutes happiness and its worth would largely depend upon the individual critiquing the action. For example McKinnon may argue that his happiness in doing this for so long was far greater than the unhappiness caused for the US Government who has lots of money and resources, yet the utilitarian frame work aims to maximise the greatest happiness of all those whose interest is in question. (Lyons, 2003 p.27). So everyone affected must come into consideration, this includes: the network administrators, the US government, McKinnon and the makers of RemotelyAnywhere. It can be argued that McKinnon was attempting to maximise happiness by uncovering secret technologies. However a utilitarian framework is only concerned with the happiness actually brought about as a result from an action (Spinello, 1995) rather than intent. Whilst McKinnon is the primary actor and the main benefiter, in the article he is quoted as saying I think I wanted to be caught, because it was ruining me (Turton, 2009). This indicates that McKinnons happiness was short lived and as a result produced unhappiness from him quitting his job and splitting up with his girlfriend. The makers of the software RemotelyAnywhere subsequently had much publicity, however this is predominantly negative publicity as their software was used to commit crime. A small benefit may be that those wishing to commit crime, would buy their software more, even if this is not its intended purpose. A large amount of unhappiness would come from the owners of the network, the US government. The break-in has caused a large amount of embarrassment for the government, intensified by the claims that the security was weak. Even if the allegations that McKinnon deliberately caused damage are untrue, the cost of finding, tracking and fixing the break-in may be more co stly than the actual offense (Baase, 2003). This could be gauged both in terms of money and time. Utilitarian ethics assumed happiness can be somehow calculated. An action can be deemed correct if the total good minus the total bad is greater than that of an alternative (Sinnott-Armstrong, 2006). It is emphasised that the happiness is calculated based upon everyone who would be affected by the action. This is opposite to egoism, which is only concerned with the happiness of the individual undertaking the action (Johnson, 2001; Spinello, 1995). Based upon egoism, McKinnons actions are justified as he was acting purely for his own enjoyment with disregard for anyone else. However as he was caught, the sentence he will most likely receive may outweigh his current happiness. In weighing up the good verses the bad consequences of an action, the distinction must be made between act utilitarians and rule utilitarians. Baase (2003) gives the explanation that rule utilitarianism, applies the utility principle not to individual actions but to general ethical rules. (p.406). In evaluating this case study, it would be difficult to agree that computer hacking is always okay, as this is an invasion of privacy therefore creates much unhappiness. However an argument for applying this as a general rule may be given, as hacking large, private and ungoverned organisations such as the army navy or NASA would ultimately lead to them being more truthful and open about matters. Being honest and encouraging others to be truthful is something that a rule utilitarian would certainly agree with. This argument is of course independent of the allegations that McKinnon caused damage in his apparent search for secrets. The long term effects, in rule utillitarians perspective, coul d be that hacking prestigious governmental networks may cause panic amongst other network administrators or individuals which wish to have their data kept secure. It could likely lead those responsible in this case to lose their jobs. Knowing that data is not private and may be scrutinised can lead to individuals acting differently than they would otherwise; perhaps to the extent that inhibits them from doing their job as well as they otherwise would (Johnson, 2001). Allowing hacking to be justified in all cases may even lead to questioning if electronic data can be kept securely at all! Alternatively, had McKinnon uncovered evidence of UFO technology, the happiness generated would perhaps be greater than unhappiness, and may then be justifiable. Rule utilitarianism fails to foresee the inherent difficulties in predicting the consequences of every act of computer hacking, therefore it is difficult to apply from a practical point of view. Although it may be idealist to conclude that this is would only be suitable for a hindsight evaluation, a rule utilitarian would insist all other cases come into consideration. This is unrealistic and inherently flawed. Act utilitarianism is only concerned with the current action under scrutiny. In applying this to the current case study it was believed by McKinnon that the resulting happiness would far outweigh that of unhappiness. However Johnson (2001) highlights that in making decisions on current actions, the norm or general rules may only be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦abandoned in situations where it is clear more happiness will result from breaking them. (p.40). McKinnon acknowledges in the case that he gained little in evidence of UFO activity. It is presented that his motivation was to prove the US was withholding information on technologies including anti-gravity propulsion and free energy (Turton, 2009). However, McKinnon alluded to his friends that he had found little or no evidence. Bynum and Rogerson (2006) agree that in a utilitarian framework The risk and probabilities count alsoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p.72). As McKinnon says that there was little previous evidence of UFO technology then surely accordi ng to a rule utilitarian he should not have ignored the general rule as it was not clear that his actions would result in greater general happiness, consequently it did not. It is identified in the case that McKinnon was only able to access the network due to the action of network administrators in leaving accounts without passwords. The actions of the network administrators would seem unethical under a utilitarian framework when considering the alterative of setting a strong password, which would have had a more desirable effect. Whilst it was not known in this case study if setting passwords would have denied McKinnon unauthorised access, the risk of not setting passwords, as identified by Bynum and Rogerson (2006), would have been extremely high, and the probability that someone would eventually exploit this also high. Whilst it is likely that this error was made due to carelessness rather than a conscious decision, the assumption is made that this was an action that could have been avoided. However this negligence does not automatically justify unauthorised access, under the utilitarian framework the total happiness must be weighed against unhappines s. The happiness generated by this negligent behaviour would primarily be for network administrators who would have been able to log on to machines without having to type passwords. Happiness would have been given to potential hackers too who were more easily able to access the network. Even though allowing hackers in may not have been intended, a utilitarian framework is purely concerned with consequences (Baase, 2003; Bynum and Rogerson, 2006; Spafford, 2006; Sinnott-Armstrong, 2006). As all affected individuals are judged equal (Bynum and Rogerson, 2006) the happiness of terrorists or other hackers must count as a positive consequence: Regardless of a persons station in life, each person is counts the same when the benefits and harms are added up (Bynum and Rogerson, p.71). Alternatively the US government may argue that the unhappiness was far greater from McKinnons actions due to the number of people that would have been affected by shutting down a network of computers. To take this stance the long term view must be disregard, that McKinnons action highlighted a serious security flaw that could have been exploited by a far more astute hacker. To delve even deeper into the realm of possibilities, by McKinnon hacking and getting caught on this occasion, he could have removed any chance of someone being able to hack US government computers ever again, perhaps at a time when hacking US computers would allow millions of lives to be saved. A common criticism of the utilitarian framework is the assumption that huge unhappiness could be justified upon one person for the sake of ten others. This argument could be countered by forcing the acknowledgement of long term consequences as well as the short term consequences (Johnson, 2001). For example, the case study (appendix A) must try and foresee the long term effects of the action. The majority of these long term effects are known as the act was committed back in 2001. Nether the less the unknown unknowns severely limit the reasoning behind making a decision on utilitarian principles. Even if it is believed all the alternatives, consequences and all individuals which will be affected by the consequences have been identified, how can these be verified? A posteriori knowledge may be useful in identifying these, that is, a decision that has been arrived at after the event or perhaps by applying what has happened before. A large issue arising from utilitarianism is that withou t the benefit of hindsight, it is difficult to apply practical reasoning to identify the outcome of an action. Deontological Deontology was first coined by C. D. Broad when he used it in a term to contrast that of Teleological theories based on outcome. However, a deontological approach could be best personified by the earlier work of Immanuel Kant (1785) in saying The moral worth of an action does not lie in the effect expected from it (p.13). Deontologists argue the morality of an argument is based entirely on intentions of ones actions. Immanuel Kant is often presented as the prime example of a deontologist (Baase, 2003). Kantian ethics argues that it is not the consequence that makes an action right or wrong; it is the intentions of the individual carrying out the action. Kant (1785) argues that It is not necessary that whilst I live I live happily; but it is necessary that so long as I live I should live honourably. (p.13). This statement suggests that upon making an honourable decision, this will be the correct thing to do and therefore Kant must assume that this will likely have good consequences. Deciding upon what is honourable and therefore what would be the right thing to do, is largely dictated by law. However other influences may come from upbringing, social characteristics or religious beliefs; for example, McKinnon may have been influenced by his own background in belief of UFOs. It would appear that McKinnons belief in UFOs influenced his actions. McKinnon hacked military machines in an effort to discover secret UFO technology, which would appear to be in conflict with a deontological framework as he is using the action as a mere means to an end. However, as Johnson (2001) points out, a deontological framework dictates that a decision is not used as just a means to an end; it may be justified if that end is moral. In applying this to the current case study we can define that the end result was to discover hidden UFO technologies; McKinnons means of doing this was through hacking. Even though McKinnon states he did not intend to cause harm, but merely look. This perhaps is justifiable if the end result was intended to give the world knowledge of these technologies. The stumbling block in this case is that McKinnon did not have authorisation to do this. Alternatively if the US Government had agreed that McKinnon may hack their computer system on the condition of not causing any damage and just to look, this would have been entir ely ethical on accordance to a deontological framework. It is difficulty to define McKinnons intent as he did not appear to find such evidence and secondly because he was caught. Kants specific class of deontology states I should never act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become universal law (p.14). This again is similar to that of a rule utilitarian, in that if an action cannot be justified on every occasion, if is unethical. In leaving admin accounts without passwords, the professionalism of network administrators may certainly be placed into question, yet it is difficult to identify a motive behind doing so. The key issue driving deontological ethics is the notion of motives. There does not appear to be a motive being this action just negligence. Johnson describes negligence as a failure to do something that a reasonable and prudent person would have done (Johnson, 2001 p.184). Johnsons definition quite adequately describes the system administrators who may have been responsible for leaving high level administrative accounts without adequate security. Therefore under a deontological framework, the actions of the network administrators was unethical. Apposition to Kantian ethics is largely twofold. Firstly, that Kants philosophy is grounded on a universal duty or maxim that can be accepted across the board, which begs the question of what should be adhered to if an action divides two moral maxims. In hacking military machines, McKinnon can only be acting upon his personal duty to find out the truth about UFO existence, but in doing so, ignored the duty to respect others personal property. This highlights the second major issue with Kants philosophy, which is, which maxim should take priority. The ethical principles outlined by Kant rely upon the basis of moral absolutism. This is contrasted by the views of W.D Ross. Ross defined seven initial or prima facie duties: Duty of beneficence: A duty to help other people (increase pleasure, improve character) Duty of non-maleficence: A duty to avoid harming other people. Duty of justice: A duty to ensure people get what they deserve. Duty of self-improvement: A duty to improve ourselves. Duty of reparation: A duty to recompense someone if you have acted wrongly towards them. Duty of gratitude: A duty to benefit people who have benefited us. Duty of promise-keeping: A duty to act according to explicit and implicit promises, including the implicit promise to tell the truth. (Johnson, 2001) Ross defines these as common duties (but in no way absolute) to be upheld regardless of the situation. For example the duty of promise-keeping may be ignored for the duty of beneficence. In light of Rosss variation of deontological ethics, McKinnons hacking of military machines may only be justified under the reason that he was acting upon his personal duty to find out the truth about UFO existence (the duty of beneficence). But in doing so, ignoring the duty to respect others personal property (the duty of non-maleficence). The predominant issue with applying a deontological framework is identifying the intent of an action, this is also somewhat marred by the fact that McKinnon has not yet been charged. McKinnons truthfulness may be contested because he is bias; he would likely say anything to get out of facing a possible extradition and prison sentence. There are suggestions brought forward from his prosecutors that insist McKinnon caused $700,000 worth of damage. The consequences of his action are disregarded under this framework (Kant, 1785), yet this may suggest that his intentions were not simply to find UFO technology. McKinnons actions would not be justifiable if his intentions were to cause damage. If it can be assumed that McKinnons actions were only to search for evidence then a deontological frame would dictate this is ethically justifiable. However, if Kants view is taken into consideration then is cannot be judged that hacking to search for secret technologies is universally justified. Virtue ethics Virtue ethics dates back to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle believed in excellence in human character though upholding virtues (Tavani, 2007; Bynum and Rogerson, 2006). Virtues promote positive character although the list may be very long, such virtues include: responsibility, reliability, self-discipline, modesty, courage and integrity (Bynum and Rogerson, 2006; Johnson, 2001). Whereas utilitarian and deontological frameworks are centred on rules to apply, virtue ethics is about building moral character. In this case study McKinnon displays dishonesty by hacking the network without permission. As virtue ethics ignores the special roles of consequences, duties and social contracts (Tavani, 2007 p.65) therefore McKinnon and the US government must be seen as equals. This exposes McKinnon for acting without due consideration of his actions, and perhaps even foolhardiness to continue breaking in without authorization. Perhaps McKinnon could be seen as courageous for hacking such a powerful establishment, yet acknowledging the roles of the two actors (ibid) removes any hierarchy between the two. The case study beings to light accusations that McKinnon left threatening messages on desktops such as: I am SOLO. I will continue to disrupt at the highest levels. Threatening behaviour is not considered virtuous in Aristolean ideas. Presumably when McKinnon downloaded RemotelyAnywhere, there would have been an end user licence that he would have to agree to before he could use the software. This agreement dictates that the software be used for its intended purpose. McKinnon has showed dishonesty by disobeying this and using the software for hacking. Respect and quality is a key thought in virtue ethics (Bynum and Rogerson, 2006). The network administrators in this case study would not have acted responsibly or with integrity as it is alleged that they failed to take basic measures to ensure the network stayed secure. The US military who owns the network and data held on it, although not directly responsible, would not display reliability as they have been hacked at a time when they should have been on high alert. Rights-based Johnson (2001) described that in a rights-based framework the categorical imperative requires that each person be treated as an end in himself or herselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p.47). This statement exemplifies the common parallels between deontological and rights-based ethics. Rights are heavily intertwined with law. For example the Data Protection Act gives individuals the right to know what information is being kept on them. Yet regardless of law, some philosophers argued that all humans possess some natural inherent rights. These rights can be seen as universal or human rights such as the right to life; Spinello (1995) gives the example of how these rights are universal in saying everyone equally shares the right to free speech regardless of nationality or status in society (p.31). Natural or universal rights are derived from the nature of humanity (Baase, 2003). Under rights-based ethics, legal rights come second to natural rights. The values of rights based ethics are similar to the principle for nonmaleficence. Baase (2003) states that, under rights based ethics an act is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦likely to be ethical if they involve voluntary interactions and freely made exchanges, where parties are not coerced or deceived. (p.407). In the case study there is evidence which suggests that the exchange of data was not done voluntarily. Therefore the action of McKinnon cannot be justified on that principle. Natural or human rights are seen as inherent and must be respected; this implies that an individual has the right not to be interfered with (Johnson, 2001). Therefore the right to privacy is not diminished by the poor security displayed within the case study. Although the network administrators did not set passwords, this does not automatically negate the right not to be interfered with. Similarly if someone forgets to lock their car this does not give someone else the right to take the car. Lax security would not matter if the right to privacy was upheld. The distinction between positive and negative rights must be given in applying a rights-based ethical framework to this case study. A negative right will free an actor from outside intervention, whereas a positive right would give the actor whatever is needed to fulfil an interest (Spinello, 1995). Negative rights are much more common than positive rights as it is difficult to draw the line as to where a positive right is limited. Johnson (2001) highlighted that whereas duty-based ethics is largely seen a deontological framework, it may be derived from a utilitarian principles on occasion. From a utilitarian perspective, in search of the greatest happiness, Mill argued that intellectual happiness was greater than sensual (Spinello, 1995). On the basis of this, it can be argued that McKinnon may have been over exerting his right to further educate himself, but intellectual happiness is greater in Mills brand of teleology, so his actions would be justified. Rights-based ethics derived from intent would argue that McKinnon has gone against the legal right prohibiting him from unauthorised access to the network and that he has also gone against the moral right to respect others privacy. From a rights-based ethical framework, moral rights take prescience over other duties or action people might have (Baase, 2003) therefore McKinnons actiosn cannot be justified. Legal Issues In applying ethical frameworks to any case study, personal morals are heavily intertwined. Law often overrides these morals. For example, ownership of what someone creates may be negated to that of the company which that person works for if that is in their terms of employment. Alternatively something which is viewed as ethically acceptable may also be against the law. At the very least, law influences moral judgement. There is much dispute over which country McKinnon should be tried. In analysing legal issues inherent within the case study it is firstly assumed that only UK laws apply to this case. It is apparent within the case study that Gary McKinnon did not have authorization to access the US networks. Immediately this is in violation of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, which states that an offence is committed if: (a) he causes a computer to perform any function with intent to secure access to any program or data held in any computer [or to enable any such access to be secured] ; (b) the access he intends to secure [or to enable to be secured,] is unauthorised; and (c) he knows at the time when he causes the computer to perform the function that that is the case. (Computer Misuse Act 1990, 1990) Clearly McKinnon was in breach of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. The case study acknowledges that McKinnon does not have authorisation and that he intended to access data regarding the existence of UFO technology. The maximum sentence for unauthorised access without intent to commit further offences is 5 years in prison. A more serious offence is committed when unauthorised access is gained à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, operation of computer, etc (Computer Misuse Act 1990, 1990) this holds a maximum imprisonment of 10 years. It is unknown and very difficult to determine what the intention of Gary McKinnon was; to date there is no evidence to suggest he intended to commit further crimes with the data he accessed. But claimed from his United States prosecutors indicate that he did intent to cause damage as he left a message on machines stating: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I am SOLO. I will continue to disrupt at the highest levels. (Turton, 2009). There are additional legal issues with regards to protecting data held on the network, and the professional requirements expected. It is indicated within the case that no personal information was accessed. This information is given by the US Military, which may be questioned as it would be to their advantage to deny that any personal information was accessed. The Data Protection Act (1998) dictates that the data controller must provide adequate security to protect personal information (Data Protection Act 1998, 1998). Failure to provide adequate security even though an accident is not an excuse as Cambridgeshire County Council most recently found out (du Preez, 2011). A member of staff lost a memory stick by accident; however the memory stick did not have encryption software installed as it should have when it contained sensitive data on it. Similarly the network administrators did not intend for McKinnon to access the network, yet they failed to provide security in the chance of this happening As McKinnon was able to access computer systems easily due to lax security, it is likely that the US and the network administrators would be in breach of this legislation.

Swot Analysis of Jollibee Foods Corporation

Introduction Jollibee Foods Corporation Company Background Tony Tan Cacktiong founder of Jollibee Foods Corporation tells a story about the success story of his company. There are many other stories about Tan and Jollibee that many people didn’t know about, and that would have remained unknown, If Tan hadn’t bested successful entrepreneurs from 30 other countries to win the â€Å"World entrepreneur of the year† Award in Montecarlo, Monaco, on May 28, 2004. Tan had always been low-key and media-shy.He was quiet happy to let his lieutenants do the talking for him to the press, actually – but his winning the award from the accounting firm Ernst & Young had forced him to agree to so many newspaper, magazine, and TV interviews later to tell them the story about the Jollibee story. After all it was he who won the award – not any of his lieutenants. Still, if Tan had always been reticent about telling the Jollibee story beyond his immediate circle of frien ds and acquaintances, he had been equally reticent-if not more so-about revealing his personal history to the outside world. This reticence comes from humility.Unlike many corporate leaders who trace their lineage to wealthy Chinese clans, and who had studied in the more prestigious schools, Tan had comparably very humble beginnings, with his family exactly mirroring the stark circumstances in which the early Chinese immigrants found themselves in Manila. His father had been an immigrant cook in Binondo’s Seng Guan Buddhist Temple on Narra Street before he opened a small Chinese restaurant in Davao City, where Tan and his siblings helped clean tables and get water to customers. It was his experience in his father’s restaurant that set Tan and his siblings on the road to entrepreneurship.In 1975, when he was set to graduate as a chemical engineer at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Tan and his family pooled P350, 000 to open 2 Magnolia ice cream parlors: Cubao I ce Cream House near the Coronet Theater, in the middle-class shopping area of Quezon city, and Quiapo Ice Cream House under the Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, Manila. The siblings themselves manned the cash registers and served as waiters. After two years, the siblings began serving chicken and hamburger sandwhiches, and in 1978, when they already had six ice cream parlors, they decided to convert their stores into hamburger restaurants and called the chain Jollibee.By that time McDonald’s entered the market in 1982, Tan was already entertaining dreams of growing the business outside the Philippines, and was neither interested in getting a McDonald’s franchise nor afraid of competing with the U. S. giant. Tan found McDonald’s very good at everything, but he thought it would not find favor with the customers because it served bland food (though McDonald’s has since started serving chicken, spaghetti and other great tasting value meals).McDonalds didn’t kn ow the culture like the Tan’s did, and they used that knowledge to advantage to thrive and eventually become the Philippines’ top fast-food chain. Paulino cheng, a Jollibee franchisee in Greenhills, San Juan, says the fast food chain owes it success to its great tasting food and its advertising campaigns extolling the brand and its mascot as part of the Filipino pop culture. Indeed, with affiliates Chowking, Greenwhich and Delifrance, the Jollibee group now counts over a thousand outlets here and abroad, 50, 000 employees and about P30 billion to 50 billion annual sales.Tan’s success in transforming Jollibee into a Filipino icon has led many entrepreneurs to dream about following in his footsteps, and analysts to heap praise on his entrepreneurial and people skills. Ernst & Young’s chairman, James S. Turley, has called his story â€Å"a truly inspirational one. † Howard Stevenson, professor of entrepreneurship at the Harvard Business School, descri bes Jollibee as a success story â€Å"based on solid foundations, not a meteor that will burn itself out. Says Lance Gokongwei, president of JG Summit Holdings: The success of Jollibee can be attributed to good leadership, vision and corporate culture. Company Logo Company’s Trademark Jollibee is known for its trademark: â€Å"BEEDA AND SARAP! † Proposed Picture Capital According to Mr. Chaze the service manager of Jollibee Foods Corporation at Dasmarinas Central Mall as I’ve made an interview with him, he said that before you enter this kind of business you have to consider so many facts to be able to have a business franchise like this.First you should have the enough capital of franchising this company raging from 30 million to 50 million pesos. Second fact is that, the company will take a look at your proposed location or best to say that they will make an ocular inspection on where you plan to put up the business to check out if it will have a great amount of customer, and the last one and the most important fact to consider is that the company will take a look at your income or budget and to your other properties to see if it will fit or will be able to raise or support the franchise when crisis came.The 4 P’s of the Business Product As history tells about Jollibee, It was once an ice cream parlor before, until the time that Tan and his family came to see the opportunity to come up with new products to serve. On 1977, they began selling chicken and hamburger sandwiches, and in 1978 the family of Tan decided to convert their 6 ice cream parlors into hamburger restaurants. As time came by, after all the successful years of Jollibee, In this new generation, they were widely known for their best selling products the â€Å"chicken joy†, and the Jollibee’s hamburger which is also known as the â€Å"Yumburger†.Tony Tan Cacktiong used his knowledge of Filipino taste and culture to turn Jollibee into a true Filipi no icon. Place One of the important factors to consider before you can have this kind of business is the place or location, before you can say that this spot is best for the location of your franchise you should ask these question, â€Å"who are the target customers in this site? †, â€Å"what are the possible threats in this location? †, â€Å"Who are the competitors in this area? †, â€Å"Is the place suitable for the kind of business I will establish?Or vice versa†, If you are able to answer all of these presiding questions then you are now on your road to survival in establishing a business. Of course in minding your four P’s, the place is the most critical among the four. You have to consider everything. According to Mr. Chaze, you have to make sure that the place where your business franchise will be built should be in a very crowdy place. Given the examples are near the schools, malls, market place, subdivisions and etc. Price Franchisees ar e given the right to use the franchiser’s trademark in franchising.Then franchisers are providing full support to franchisees in terms of staff training, research and development, advertising and promotion. However, franchisees follow strict standards and run their outlets by the book. So in terms of pricing, franchisees needs to abide the rules and regulations in price setting according to the book of rules of the company. If the company changes their price on the products, so will the franchisees be. Overall, the prices in all Jollibee stores are based on the main office of the company. PromotionIn terms of promotion, the Jollibee foods corporation promotes their products through advertising in TV commercials and radio stations, Sponsorship, tarpaulins, and promo’s like tipid cards. If they have new offers in purchasing their product, they made it through personal or suggestive selling. Like their latest offer now the â€Å"happy plus card†, this card is a rel oadable card wherein you can buy their product without paying cash. You can also earn points for rewards. The bigger points you have, the bigger reward you may get. SWOT Strengths of the company 7-Eleven convenience storeCompany History The 7-eleven chain of stores started when an ice dock operator in Dallas, Texas began selling bread, milk and eggs to customers on Sundays and evenings-when grocery stores were closed- apart from the ice blocks they bought to keep in their boxes at home. The idea for the convenience store chain began in 1927 at the Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas. 7-elevens first outlet was known as tote’m stores because the customers â€Å"toted† away their purchases (some even lugged Alaskan totem poles in front The name 7-eleven originated in 1946; when the stores were open from 7a. . to 11 p. m. It wasn’t long before 7-eleven stores were open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Company logo Company Trademark 7-eleven is known for it†™s gulp and Slurpee products. It is open 24/7. Capital In getting a franchise of a 7-eleven store, you should have at least a starting capital of 5 million to 10 million, this is only for the name of the company. For the stocks, you should have an another million for sustaining the needs of your store in order to meet also the needs of the customers.

Business communication Essay

SNC-Lavalin is one of the largest engineering companies in Canada, and one of the largest all around the world, however, failed to effectually communicate and face communication problem. This analysis report contains communication problems and influences on company. Additional information related to causes and symptoms of communication problem. Likewise, communicate with stakeholder groups result in concerns, and SNC-Lavalin use different communication model to deal with each group. The main communication problem is bypassing and different frames of reference. In communication process, bypassing can result in miscommunication, because the CEO and employee do not have the same symbolic meanings and bring own biases in any communication. Due to the longer lines of communication between CEO and employee, the message could be distorted. This problem impact on company fund missing and mystery payment, also, SNC-Lavalin’s stock decline a lot. The reason of problem happens because la ck trust, lack communication skills competition for status and rewards. It is easy to cause communication problem if no trust between communicationï ¼Å'through the long over time, the mistakes will become seriously and many mistakes are due to lack communication skills. Meanwhile, personal status and rewards will cause bypassing, lack organization concept, to the extent that different people pay more attention on their own profit rather than the common goal. SNC-Lavalin shows several symptoms due to communication problem. First, agents help company win a contract by paid bribes, but can’t follow the appropriate routines. Second, after $56 million dollars missing, Gwyn Morgan, the company chairman, denied that there is no responsibility for  superior officers, and resign suddenly after stated. Third, Cynthia Vanier help Muammar Gaddafi’s son smuggle and do illegal trading, as well as denied the charge. Employees and shareholders are the key stakeholder groups, however, different group has different concern. To specific, employees concern about their job and incomeï ¼Å'because it is close related to employees’ life quality. Meanwhile, shareholders concern about their profit, because it means stock rights will be influenced, in other word, shareholders profit could losing. SNC-Lavalin follows the communication models with each stakeholder group. As for communicate with employees; the first step is having idea. After organize idea, use encode like transfer language and write down or typewriting. After that, delivered by announcement or email. In order to overcome misunderstanding, improve the flow of message in company. Sign on the paper one by one after employees receive, if have problem mark it clearly. SNC-Lavalin have to give an effectively communication to shareholders. When idea formation by SNC-Lavalin, convert an idea into words that include meaning. It is necessary for general meeting of shareholders every year, in the meeting; shareholders understand the meaning stand for decodes the message successfully. Finally, ask question come up with feedback, and descriptive is the best choice. In conclusion, it is important for SNC-Lavalin communication effectively. This case analysis points out the main communication problem refer to SNC-Lavalin, at the same time, detail analysis about influence on company, moreover, discuss reason and manifestation about communication problem. After that, analyze the two key stakeholder groups, and each of them has different concern. Last but not least, SNC-Lavalin use communication model to deal the relationship with each stakeholder group.

College Recommendation Letter Dos and Donts

Recommendation letters  provide college  admission committees  with information that may or may not be found in your application, including academic and  work achievements,  character references, and personal details that set you apart from other applicants. Essentially, a recommendation letter is a  personal reference  that explains why the school should recognize you, your achievements, and your character. Good vs. Bad Recommendation Letters A good recommendation letter is a must for any school application. During admissions, most colleges and universities—whether theyre reviewing the applications of undergraduate or graduate students—expect to see at least one, and often two or three, recommendation letters for each applicant. Just as a  good recommendation letter  can be an asset, a  bad recommendation letter  can be a hindrance. Bad letters dont do anything to supplement your application, and they may even make the difference between a well-rounded application and one that doesnt quite stand out among the droves of people who are applying to the same school. Recommendation Letter Dos Here are some dos to keep in mind when securing your recommendation letters: Do choose someone who likes you and knows you well enough to write you a strong recommendation.Do get recommendations from employers, professors, school administrators, and anyone else who is familiar with your work ethic.Do ask for the recommendation in person rather than sending an email (unless this is not possible).Do tell the letter writer why you need the recommendation letter. You dont want to end up with a work reference rather than an academic reference.Do mention specific things that you would like to see included. If you want the letter to focus on your extensive leadership experience, you should say so.Do proofread the letter; you dont want to submit a reference that is riddled with spelling or punctuation errors.  Do send a thank you note afterward. This is a nice, thoughtful, and classy touch and will be remembered by your recommender.Do keep multiple copies of the letter. You may need to use it again in the future, and you dont want to rely on your recommender to kee p a copy. Recommendation Letter Donts There are also some big mistakes you should try to avoid when securing your recommendation letters: Dont wait until the last minute. It takes time for a recommender to craft a strong letter.  Secure letters of recommendation as soon as possible.Dont ask someone to lie; you should aim for a truthful reference.Dont ever forge signatures. Your recommendation letter must be genuine.Dont choose someone only because of their title. Its more important to pick a recommender who knows you and your work well.Dont choose someone who is a poor writer. Letter writing is a lost art; not everyone is good at expressing themselves in the written word.Dont hesitate to get as many recommendation letters as possible. Choose the ones that show you in the best light.Dont be surprised if the person you are asking for a recommendation letter asks you to write a letter that they will later modify and sign. This is a common practice.Dont forget to say please and thank you. No one is entitled to a letter of recommendation; if you receive one, you should be grateful.