The Challenge of Having Faith in God Today Essay -- Philosophy Religio

The Challenge of Having Faith in God Today In Elie Wiesel’s book Night, one character professes to have â€Å"more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He’s the only one who’s kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people† (77). After all they have gone through in their rich and lengthy history, Jews have every right to feel angry toward God for not keeping His promises. God told them that they were His chosen people; but who would feel privileged to be a Jew if being â€Å"chosen† meant having to live through Auschwitz? For many Jews who lived through the Holocaust, their faith in God will never be the same. The question that many of them ask is â€Å"Why?† Why the gas chambers? Why the Jews? â€Å"Why has God apparently forsaken us?† Many survivors feel great anger towards the God of their ancestors, and through this anger they try to understand the â€Å"whys.† For many, this is the only way they can live after what they have been through. Throu gh anger, survivors can assert their presence: â€Å"To overwhelming death one must respond with overwhelming life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Greenberg 330). In a post-Holocaust age, a logical and reasonable way for many survivors to relate to God is through anger and controversy rather than through a passive acceptance of God's will. Elie Wiesel is probably the best known Holocaust survivor alive today. He has written several books about his experiences in the concentration camps and his reflections on the Holocaust. Wiesel’s work is known for the hard questions that it poses, and the sensitive issues that it discusses. Wiesel himself is an excellent example of how the Holocaust destroyed or at least significantly altered the faith of many of its victims. Before he was deported, the 15-year-old Wiesel wa... ... Otherwise, how do we know that He is listening to us? Or how do we know that He cares about what happens to us? How do we even know that God did not hang on the gallows of Auschwitz? Works Cited Brown, Robert McAfee. Introduction. The Trial of God. New York: Schocken Books, 1979. vii-xix. Greenberg, Irving. â€Å"Cloud of Smoke, Pillar of Fire.† Holocaust. John K. Roth and Michael Berenbaum, eds. St. Paul, MN: Paragon House, 1989. â€Å"The Book of Job.† The Harper Collins Study Bible. NRSV. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1989. Kushner, Harold S. When Bad Things Happen to Good People. New York: Avon Books, 1981. Mauriac, Francois. Forward. Night. by Elie Wiesel. New York: Bantam Books, 1960. vii-xi. Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Bantam Books, 1960. Wiesel, Elie. The Trial of God. New York: Schocken Books, 1979.

Dealing With Challenging Behaviour Essay

Within a home for adults with learning disabilities, you would use many different policies and procedures to tackle challenging behaviour. The mental capacity act would be used here. ‘The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) is designed to protect and empower individuals who may lack the mental capacity to make their own decisions about their care and treatment’ (NHS Choices. (2015). This legislation applies to anyone over the age of 16. It ensures that anyone who has a serve disability, dementia or any other mental issues. Although an individual may have these mental conditions, they may still be able to make decisions of their own. They would have someone who would give them all of the information and a carer or parent would then help the individual to make the best decision for the benefit of their health. An individual may not be able to make decisions on their finances but they could still have the capacity to make decisions on shopping. The mental capacity act believes that everyone has the right to make their own decisions. This act aims to try and ensure that this does happen. This would be used to help deal with challenging behaviour because it would make the individual feel that they are able to make their own decisions about their care. This would also stop challenging behaviour because they may feel that if they can have some say in their care and treatment then they don’t need  to act out or become behaviourally challenging. It would also be used because it can give the service user more of a choice over their care and this could then help them feel more in control rather than sitting on the side-lines. The mental health act would also be used here. ‘The Mental Health Act 1983 (which was substantially amended in 2007) is the law in England and Wales that allows people with a ‘mental disorder’ to be admitted to hospital, detained and treated without their consent – either for their own health and safety, or for the protection of other people.’ (Mental Health care. (2015). The mental health act allows carers or parents to get the help that the service user may need. You can be detained in two different ways. One way is that a private place or a guardian decides that the individual’s mental health conditions is becoming a harm to the public. The second way is that the police could see the individual in the street and could has a cause for concern on how stable an individual’s mental health is. They would then take you to the nearest hospital or they may take them to a police station. Once an individual has been admitted then the individual will undergo a mental health assessment to see if they are a danger or harm to themselves. In a home for adults with learning disabilities, if an individual at the home is displaying violence and really challenging behaviour then the carers can make the decision if the individual is a danger to themselves or another individual. P3Suggest strategies to minimise effects of challenging behaviour in health and social care settings M2Discuss strategies used to minimise effects of one type of challenging behaviour in health and social care settings Types of strategies Person centred planning: ‘Person centred planning (PCP) provides a way of helping a person plan all aspects of their life, thus ensuring that the individual remains central to the creation of any plan which will affect them.’ (Foundation for people with learning disabilities. (2015). Person centred planning is about putting  the service user at the heart of everything. Effective communication ‘Effective communication helps us better understand a person or situation and enables us to resolve differences, build trust and respect, and create environments where creative ideas, problem solving, affection, and caring can flourish.’ (HelpGuide. (2015). Effective communication is about individual’s verbal skills. This can include choice of words, tone of voice, volume, pace, turn taking and how fast that you talk. This can all effect how effectively you communicate with others. As well as someone’s verbal skills, a service user preferred way of communicating should be taken into account. This could be whether they prefer to talk using sign language or they may like to communicate using pictures. This should all be taken into consideration. Body language ‘Body language refers to the nonverbal signals that we use to communicate.’ (About Psychology. (2015). Body language is used everyday. It can be used to show how an individual is feeling and you can also use it to show how you are feeling. Body language s a significant part of modern communication. Body language is not about how we move to show how we are feeling. It is also about how we position our bodies to show how we are feeling. It is also about how we change our facial expressions and how are eyes move and focus. As well as this it is about our closeness and how this changes and how the gap between us and other people gets smaller or bigger. Promoting self esteem Self esteem is the opinion that an individual has of themselves. ‘When we have healthy self-esteem, we tend to feel positive about ourselves and about life in general.’ (NHS Choices. (2015). Raising low self esteem.). By having a positive self esteem, an individual would be able to deal with the ups and downs in life better. Low self esteem is the opposite to this. People with low self esteem generally have a negative outlook on life. Low self esteem is usually caused from something that happened at a young age. This could be from a parent, teacher, friend or carer. Low self esteem can change how  someone behaviour or acts toward to others. It can also cause them to be a danger to themselves or others. Understanding rules and boundaries: To understand rules and boundaries there are many things that service workers can do. They can use ABC charts which can be used to monitor their behaviour. ABC charts can also be used to see if a service users behaviour is becoming more and more challenging which means the service workers can see if an intervention is needed. You can also use risk assessments. This can also help to monitor behaviour as they could be completed regularly. As well as this service workers would need to make sure that they are up to date with all of their training. This can help them to be able to deal with challenging behaviour because it means that they would know new ways to try to calm a service user or make sure that no harm comes to them or other service users. Other strategies: Other strategies which are in place to help deal with challenging behaviour are making sure there is a pleasant environment. This could help the service user to keep calm and not act out. This could also be used as a calming method when their behaviour is starting to become more challenging. Another strategy is arranging different varieties of activities. This could stop their behaviour becoming challenging because it means that the service workers could say that if they behaved correctly then they would be able to do the activity where as if their behaviour started to become challenging then they would be able to say that they wouldn’t be able to do the activity. References: About Psychology. (2015). Understanding body language. Available: http://psychology.about.com/od/nonverbalcommunication/ss/understanding-body-language.htm. Last accessed 6th March 2015. Foundation for people with learning disabilities. (2015). Person Centred Planning. Available: http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/help-information/learning-disability-a-z/p/person-centred-planning/. Last accessed 5th March 2015. HelpGuide. (2015). Effective Communication. Available: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/effective-communication.htm. Last accessed 6th March 2015. Mental Health care. (2015). Mental health act. Available: http://www.mentalhealthcare.org.uk/mental_health_act. Last accessed 5th March 2015. NHS Choices. (2015). Raising low self esteem. Available: http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth/pages/dealingwithlowself-esteem.aspx. Last accessed 7th March 2015. NHS Choices. (2015). What is the mental capacity act?. Available: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/mental-capacity.aspx. Last accessed 5th March 2015.

Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Food - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 539 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/09/19 Category Biology Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Fermented food, enjoyed across the globe, conveys health benefits through lactic acid fermentation. The fermentation process can transform the flavor of food from the plain and mundane to a mouth-puckering sourness enlivened by colonies of beneficial bacteria and enhanced micronutrients. While fermented food like yogurt, sauerkraut and kefir are well-known many other lesser-known foods also benefit from the lactic acid fermentation process. Indeed, virtually every food with a complex or simple sugar content can be successfully fermented. Born of both necessity and practicality, lactic acid fermentation proved to be not only an efficient method of preserving food for our ancestors, but also a critical one. Indeed, fermented food like sauerkraut, cheese, wine, kvass, soured grain porridge and breads often sustained tribes and villages during harsh winters when fresh food simply wasn’t available let alone plentiful. In many societies including our own where yogurt has been heralded as a health food since the 19th century, fermented food has gained a reputation for its beneficial effects on immunity, intestinal health and general well-being. Modern researchers are just beginning to understand what the sages of old were tuned in to: fermented food conveys clear and calculable health benefits to the human diet. Lactic acid fermentation in and of itself enhances the micronutrient profile of several foods. For example, milk that undergoes lactic acid fermentation either in the wild as in the case of clabbered milk or inoculated by a starter culture as in the case of yogurt, piima, matsoni and other fermented dairy products conveys more vitamins to the eater in comparison to raw milk and, particularly, pasteurized and ultra-high-temperature pasteurized milk. Fermented dairy products consistently reveal an increased level of folic acid which is critical to producing healthy babies as well as pyroxidine, B vitamins, riboflavin and biotin depending on the strains of bacteria present. (Vitamin Profiles of Kefirs Made from Milk of Different Species. International Journal of Food Science Technology. 1991. Kneifel et al) The increases in the micronutrient profiles of fermented food aren’t just limited to yogurt, bonny clabber and kefir. Vegetables, fruits, legumes and grains subjected to lactic acid fermentation also see increases in both their macro- and micronutrient profiles. The bioavailability of amino acids particularly lysine with its antiviral effects and methionine – increases with lactic acid fermentation. (Evaluation of lysine and methionine production in some Lactobacilli and yeasts. International Journal of Food Microbiology. Odunfa et al. ) For grains, sprouting prior to souring can increase the availability of protein even further. Vegetables that have undergone lactic acid fermentation as in the case of sauerkraut and kimchi, often see an increase in the activity of vitamin C and vitamin A. Whi le lactic acid fermentation does not usually increase the level of minerals present in fermented foods unless unusual circumstances are present (as in fermenting food in a metal or earthen container), it does decrease the activity of phytic acid content naturally present in grains. Phytic acid is an antinutrient that binds up minerals preventing full absorption of minerals in the gut. Since souring grains reduces the phytic acid content, the lactic acid fermentation process actually enables your body to absorb more minerals from the grain than you would be able to otherwise absorb (Yang R, Ray B, 1994). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Food" essay for you Create order

Developing Mixed Environments Of 802.1x And Non 802.1x...

More commonly, switches from different manufacturers are inconsistent in the way they must be configured to support 802.1X, particularly in how they handle mixed environments of 802.1X and non-802.1X endpoints. This and other factors make initial configuration and ongoing management of 802.1X in wired LANs very resource intensive — and therefore expensive. Wired LANs also tend to support a greater variety of legacy endpoints, many of which do not support 802.1X supplicant software. The number of non-802.1X endpoints in wired LANs often exceeds 802.1X-capable ones. As mentioned above, it is challenging to configure different switches (particularly in multivendor networks) to handle a mix of both 802.1X and non- 802.1X endpoints. The†¦show more content†¦Examples include devices such as those used for physical security in many facilities, including surveillance cameras, ID card readers, entry keypads and the like. Various industries such as manufacturing, retail, healthcare, energy and many others support unique types of endpoints in their networks for which 802.1X supplicant software is not available. In many environments, non-802.1X endpoints can far outnumber 802.1X-capable ones. As a result, a significant challenge for implementing 802.1X in many networks involves what to do about all the non-802.1X endpoints and how to handle network connectivity for those devices. There are options and workarounds, but each one involves compromise in terms of network security and/or management complexity. [callout box]  » OPTIONS FOR HANDLING NON-802.1X ENDPOINTS †¢ Deny All (not realistic!) †¢ Whitelist All (not secure!) †¢ MAC Authentication Bypass (doable, but manually intensive) [end of callout box] One option (though seldom feasible) is to simply deny network access to all non-802.1X endpoints. For most organizations this is really not an option since many of the non-802.1X endpoints are critical to business operations. Machines on a manufacturing floor, cash registers in a retail store, heart monitors and other patient care devices in a hospital all must be allowed on the network. So denying access

Drug Abuse And The United States - 1549 Words

Introduction: Drug abuse has always been a very delicate question as it always it deals with the health, well-being and even lives of human beings belonging to any country. The position of the United States of America towards drugs has always been very clear and distinctively negative. Throughout the history of the country there were numerous cases against drug dealers, buyers and many more. These cases did always catch the attention of civil people who by showing interest in such cases revealed their worries about the future of their own children that one-day might face this problem, too. As time goes by it get even more clear that people need to feel protection from the side of law-enforcement establishments such as police. Drugs may destroy the life of a person, therefore while fighting with drug dealers and buyers cooperatives no other interest rather than removing this â€Å"elements† from the society should be taken into account. The case, which is known as â€Å"United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative† did more than just catch the attention of people. Million of people followed the case from its very beginning and did have certain expectations concerning the outcome of the case. The specifics of the case made people have twofold points of view when analyzing the solution that was delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas concerning the case. Nevertheless, to understand the solution it is necessary to examine the case deeper and only then decide whether the Court’sShow MoreRelatedDrug Abuse And The United States1645 Words   |  7 PagesNixon launched the war on drugs stating, â€Å"America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all out offensive† (Sharp, 1994). Since this war was declared 45 years ago the prison population has risen dramatically and has cost tax payers a substantial amount of money, with no en d in sight. Nearly sixty five percent of the 2.3 million U.S. prisoners meet the criteria for substance abuse or addiction, yet only elevenRead MoreDrug Abuse And The United States1374 Words   |  6 PagesDrug abuse is happening in many countries. Millions of dollars are exhausted universally to prevent drug use, to treat addicts, and to fight drug-related misdemeanors. While drugs menace many civilizations, their result can also be combated triumphantly. This essay topic glances at some of the consequences of drug use on the world, and proposes some resolution to the complication. Drug addiction and drug abuse sinfully changes your state of body and mind with chemical substances. (What is the scopeRead MoreDrug Abuse And The United States879 Words   |  4 PagesThe issue of drug abuse and addiction in the United States has become much more relevant in the past few years. Drugs and the drug crisis were for the longest time something which was limited geographically, socially and racially. Which is to say that drugs were only a â€Å"problem† in the inner city. In the 1980s, this was symbolized by the so-called crack epidemic which ravaged the poorer and most fragile communities in the country. The issue of drug abuse in the United States is important becauseRead MoreDrug Abuse On The United States Essay1344 Words   |  6 PagesDrug Abuse on the Rise in the Community â€Å"In 2014, nearly two million Americans either abused or were dependent on prescription opioid pain relievers (â€Å"Injury Prevention and Control: Opioid Overdose,† 2016.)† The CDC is now saying that the United States is in an epidemic. The purpose of this paper is to explore the increasing drug use in the United States over the last decade. The primary focus is on the administration of opioid analgesics and the addicting mechanisms of these medications, and whatRead MoreDrug Abuse And The United States3359 Words   |  14 Pageswith drugs in the United States. Law enforcement has been fighting to decrease this drug abuse for almost centuries. Presidents have personally have been trying to find different methods on how to stop this drug war. Unfortunately law enforcement has not been able to win this battle. You could see how they are losing because there been so many cases that involve drug abusers that had to go to get treatment or some even go to prison. This is causing so many problems especially with the drug tradeRead MoreDrug Abuse in the United States546 Words   |  2 PagesA major social problem that is in the United States is the usage of drugs among students. Drugs have had a very large growth rate within the past years. Drugs are a major issue that is affecting students and going to school and getting an education. There are a numerous number of reasons of why the young are partaking in drugs. Mostly because they don’t have a very stable and healthy home environment meaning their parents don’t really care for them or discipline them by any means. A big transitionRead More Drug Abuse in the United States Essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesDrug Abuse in the United States of America In the United States of America, we, the people value several things, some of which are freedom, expanding and taking care of our families and our financial security. We, the people, take such things for granted. We also discourage some behavior, such as crime, laziness and use of illegal drugs. Drug abuse is one of the most discouraged behaviors in our country. Use of illegal drugs is harmful to the userand all those with whom the userRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Abuse On The United States1717 Words   |  7 Pagesdemonstrate the absurdity of the drug abuse problems in the United States, it should be brought to light that the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use Health estimated that â€Å"27 million people aged 12 or older have used an illicit drug in the past 30 days† (Hedden, Kennet, Lipari, Medley, Tice, 2015). As gun violence has become a popular topic in America over the past few years due to its’ related deaths, many Americans’ fail to realize that more people are dying from drug overdose than by weapon. In today’sRead MoreDrug Abuse And Its Effects On The United States Essay879 Words   |  4 PagesDrug abuse is worldwide problem and one that has plagued the United States for decades. Drug abuse negatively impacts not only the individual user, but also our society as a whole. The fight to prevent the manufacturing and trafficking of illegal drugs into the country h as made very little impact on its accessibility to those that wish to partake. According to the National Drug Control Budget Report for 2015, the President of the United States request $25.4 Billion in Fiscal Year 2015 in orderRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Abuse On The United States947 Words   |  4 PagesNgoc Do Drug Abuse Drug abuse is a problem that has been increasing immensely in the United States. The amount of people using drugs is increasing drastically with people starting or trying illegal substances as a younger age. Drug abuse is the over use of legal and illegal substances. The abuse of drugs is the number one health related problem. Types of drugs commonly abused include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, painkillers, depressants, cocaine, stimulants, hallucinogens, heroin, and methamphetamine

Achieving Knowledge Through Higher Education Free Essays

Newman presents an argument in which he states that a universitys purpose is to train good members of society. A university educates students to perform well and better succeed in life. Knowledge plays a key part in the advancement of the student. We will write a custom essay sample on Achieving Knowledge Through Higher Education or any similar topic only for you Order Now The more knowledge a student has, the more well-rounded they are, the better they will succeed in life according to Newman. The way a student achieves this knowledge is through higher education, which is basically achieved through a university. Higher education is the center and key element of all civilization advancements. That is one of the primary definitions that comes to mind when asked about higher education at a university. Another definition about higher learning at a university is for oneself to learn who he or she really is in life. That person is also responsible for forming some kind of lifestyle according to what he or she has grasped onto from the university way of living. Many people also consider as true that a university is a place to receive a proof that he or she is qualified to work in a particular field of study as a professional. Each person should have the right to attend an educational institution seeking their own interpretation of higher learning. There are some people that have the resources, whether it be wealth or academically, to access higher learning at a university, but for those who do not, they have to be content with what they have learned through earlier years of school to succeed in life. A better understanding of each facet of education comes from understanding the dependence of each subject upon one another. Each subject is a branch of education and every branch stems from the same tree. Some branches diverge and have twigs and branches of their own, but everything is joined at the root. Education is very similar because each branch of knowledge relies on the other in order to advance. For example, science relies on language to document and publish experimental results. If these findings are published inaccurately, other scientists who use these publications in their own research will be misinformed. Each subject relies on another in some way. It is easier to understand each branch of the tree better if you can see how it is involved universally: where it stemmed from, and how it is dependent upon other branches; what branches stemmed from it, and how they are dependent upon it. Newman says,  ¡Ã‚ °true enlargement of mind  ¡ is the power of viewing many things at once as one whole, of referring them severally to their true place in the universal system, of understanding their respective values, and determining their mutual dependence. Newman is saying quite directly that in order to understand something, it must be looked at as one component of a universal picture. He is saying that when something is closely examined, there are no guidelines or basis for comparison, but when it is looked at universally, it is easier to see relationships and similarities making innovations more attainable. For example, the mathematical operations of algebra fulfill many practical needs in science. The ability to find values for unknown variables within sets of equations is a tool that science heavily relies on. The reason algebra is so conveniently practical in relation to science is because it was developed as a tool for science. The tools of algebra would not be present if Diophantus, the developer of algebra, had not been aware of the overall conditions his mathematical system needed to fulfill. Algebra serves society through science and its accomplishments. From building a nuclear reactor to altering chromosomes in a person’s genetic makeup, every scientific field originates back to the basic rules of algebra. All of the groundbreaking advancements in society through science are functions of this mathematical tool developed to aid and expand science. Newman says that the purpose of the university is to develop your brain for the future. It broadens your mind and basically trains you for what is to come. It gives an individual a clear conscious to form their own opinions and judgments, a truth in developing them, an eloquence in expressing them, and a force in urging them(73). I agree with what he says throughout this passage. A university doesnt necessarily produce individuals that professionalize in one particular area. It helps the minds of the students develop and turn into mature beings. Higher education exists in many forms of definitions in life, but it is a decision that every person that enters a university must make of which interpretation pertains to his or herself. Everyone will approach it in their own way, but it remains to been seen who will flourish into the world as a well-rounded person on their conclusion. The decisions that we make as individuals dictate the lives that we lead in society. How to cite Achieving Knowledge Through Higher Education, Papers

Research in Social Sciences and Humanities

Question: Discuss about the Research in Social Sciences and Humanities. Answer: Introduction: As a German e-commerce company, Lazada has attained much recognition in South East Asia since its inception in the year of 2011 (Wang et al. 2016). The organization has managed to emerge as the number one online shopping as well as selling destination in the South East Asia countries, namely Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. One of the major reasons why the company has been able to attain such unprecedented success within a short period of time, is that the company has been known for offering effortless shopping experience to its consumers via multiple channels as well as by multiple payment methods. Apart from the factor of innovation leading to the organizational success of the company, the companys focus on providing high quality consumer service has also helped it achieve business growth in the last years. Hence, considering the future prospects, the company is considering to expand in new markets, and the country India has been chosen for market expansion. However, before expanding in other markets, it would be important to comprehend the prospects of the market, analyze the competitive rivalry that the company can encounter there, as well as evaluate the strength of the company. Value Chain Analysis: Value chain of a firm consists of the two activities of the company i.e. the primary activities and the support activities. The primary activities consists of inventory holding, purchasing, materials holding, manufacturing, marketing and sales, outbound logistics, customer service and dealer support. On the other hand, support activities consist of research development, human resource management, design, infrastructure of the companys website as well as the company operations, etc. Value chain analysis of Lazada is important in order to expand its business in difderent parts of the world. Since it is an e-commerce business, the business operations are little bit different from that of brick and mortar stores (Hua, Morosan and DeFranco 2015). The website of the company is the platform of doing business in the market. Lazada is responsible for maintaining a value chain analysis of the website so that they can provide customer satisfaction along with value to the needs of the customers. The support activities of Lazada are the improved infrastructure activities that help in delivery of the products. The research and development department of the company always focus on continuous development of the website so that they can educate the viewers of the website. The human resource department of the company is focused on providing training to the employees so that they can focus on the innovation and excellent customer service to the customers (Lucia-Palacios et al. 2014). The primary activities of the Lazada website are sellers, platform, warehouse, delivery and finally to the consumer. After the product reaches to the consumer, another aspect that can be added is the excellent customer service. The sellers of the company include individually owned companies and 3rd party vendors. The platforms of the products of Lazada consist of business to consumer platform. It includes hybrid market, marketplace and store (Picoto, Blanger and Palma-dos-Reis 2014). The drivers of the company are inventory management, pricing strategies, currency, payment options, pricing, merchant tools, customer support, language, CMS, etc. The warehouse of Lazada can be of third party or sometimes owned by the company itself. It is essential as a cost driver. The hub n spoke model is used for the company. The delivery system of the products of Lazada is local model such as self-pick up, courier, etc. The reverse logistics of the company are driven by size, dependence and payment method. The consumers of the company not only belong to the local consumers but also it delivers products globally in many countries of the world (Cavusgil et al. 2014). Key Competencies of Lazada and the Ways in Which the Company Gains Competitive Advantage in Singapore: It is important to mention here that approximately 99% of the people living in South East Asia prefer to shop offline, and despite the fact, the unprecedented success of Lazada as an online site bears testimony to its excellent set of key competencies that help Lazada distinguish itself in the South East Asian market (Wee 2015). While speaking of Lazada, it should be remembered that Lazada has managed to emerge as a leading e-commerce business solution in Singapore and other South East Asian countries, by adopting effective strategies that can help in enhancing consumer convenience. In order to ensure that it can take maximum advantage of its growing consumer base, the company has modeled itself after the recognized dot.com giants like Alibaba and Amazon that in turn has helped it minimize its processing time, while maximizing consumer convenience. In order to attract as well as retain its customers it offers as many as 80,000 products, and at the same time, in order to handle the co nsumers queries, it has set up a 24/7 shopping arcade (Nguyen et al. 2016). The company has formulated as well as implemented effective strategies so as to improve its consumer satisfaction, and thus accordingly it has even formed alliance with many logistic providers as well, so that it can improve the processing time from 2 months to 2 days. Further, in order to attract the attention of the consumers, the company has tied up with some of the biggest retail giants of the world, such as Microsoft, Timex, Nestle, Unilever and P G, and thus it has surpassed every other shopping site, as the favorite shopping destination of every shopper. Another very important competency that the company possesses that helps the company increase its revenue over the years, is the diverse range of products that it offers to its customers. The online shopping site not only offers approximately 20,000 products, but it also offers the products under 12 different categories (Wee 2016). As a result, it is able to draw the attention of a young student looking for books and music, as well as his parents trying to get their home furnished. The product diversity largely helps the company achieve remarkable growth in its annual revenue. Lazada has emerged to be the reigning e-commerce operator in Singapore, and it is important to assess the factors that enable the company capitalize its strength in the Singaporean market. First of all, Lazada offers a high quality customer service to its consumers that are almost unrivalled in this industry of Singapore. The consumer service is open 24*7, and the consumers can get their queries resolved by reaching out the customer support team via phone or even live chat facilities. Further, the company also offers the easy return facility to its consumers, and consumers now can get their products delivered within a short period. According to the CEO of Lazada Singapore, Alexis Lanternier, the companys ties with some of the most recognized e-commerce giants like Alibaba allows the company gain competitive advantage over the rival companies (Shahnaz and Wahyono 2017). The company is least concerned about the competition, and more focused on retaining consumers, as e-commerce busines s can make or mar an organization based on how it is being executed. Since the Singapore e-commerce industry was still untapped and new, it has been easier for the company to acquire mass recognition without facing cut-throat competition. Hence, the company took the most advantage of the situation, and offered free shipping, product return facilities as well as better service delivery to its customers, that has helped it attract and retain its consumers. Macro-Environmental Analysis of the Market of India for Expansion of Lazada: Although Lazada is considering the idea of expanding in India, before the actual expansion, it would be important to evaluate the market of India. Hence, the macro environment of India will be analyzed, with the help of the PESTEL Analysis Tool and Porters Five Forces Tool: PESTEL Analysis: Political Factors Due to the existence of various political parties, the company can witness excessive political intervention while conducting its business Lack of political stability is a disadvantage Excessive corruption and red tape are also major problems to be considered (Kohli 2014) Economic Factors The economy of the country has been very stable since the Industrial Reform Policy of 1991 (Cassen 2016) The country has witnessed an economic growth of 6% in the recent times, and it is expected to boost over the years (Breman 2013) The government has also set up the Foreign Investment Promotion Board that is meant for facilitating foreign companies conduct trade in the country Social Factors India is a highly populated nation, with as many as 1,2 billion people residing in it Around 63 % of the people belong to the age category of 14 to 64 years, and a large number of people are employed, unable to find time to shop offline (Lambert 2017). Rise in education has resulted in the higher rate of employment of the Indians, improving the standard of life Cheap availability of skilled labor (Lambert 2017) Technological Factors India has witnessed a remarkable growth in technological infrastructure over the last years Most of the people are tech savvy, having internet connection Research and Developmental opportunity is limited Environmental Factors Strong regulations on waste disposal, however are not applicable for e-commerce business Use of eco-friendly packages will be recommended (Gupta 2015) Legal Factors The government imposes taxes among other regulatory measures to promote economic growth Labor laws such as Labor Compensation laws or Child Labor Laws are almost irrelevant. Porters Five Forces Analysis: Threat of New Entrant This is moderate as FDI is allowed to invest 51% in multi brand retail market, so that new companies can get lots of funding options (Mohapatra 2013). Threat of Substitutes Moderately high as many traditional stores are available both online and offline in India. Bargaining Power of Suppliers It is very low as there is a high competition Bargaining Power of Buyers High as a large number of e-commerce sites are operating in India. Competitive Rivalry High as the company faces cut-throat competition from Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal (Shetty 2017). Strength of Top 3 e-commerce Companies of India and Ways in which Lazada can compete with them: Lazada is the privately owned German ecommerce website which has soared in the Southeast Asian market. The company was founded in 2011 and within just the period of 3 years, the website became tremendously popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore, monopolizing the online shopping market in South-Eastern Asia. This tremendous success of the website has encouraged the owners to expand in other potential markets like that of India (Jain and Kulhar 2015). However in order to attain a successful expansion it is very important for an online retail chain to generate a reliable market value in the expansion target market. However, in case of India, there already are a number of ecommerce websites that have established a stable footing in the Indian market (Bhattacharya and Mishra 2015). As mentioned above, Indian market is no stranger to the advantages of online shopping, with its growing economy there already are three websites sharing monopoly over Indian market. These websites are popular and have gained the trust of the Indian customers; and will be a great threat to the smooth reception of Lazada in India. The first online shopping website, operating in India that deserves the spotlight of attention is the Amazon, the franchise of amazon.com in India. Amazon.com is considered to be the online marketing giants originated in America is arguably on o the most trusted ecommerce website in all over the world (Amazon.in. 2017). The journey of Amazon started in 2013 in India and has grown significantly ever since. Amazon.in, the Indian operation has already generated a formidable presence in the Indian market. Market analysts have opined that the huge success behind Amazon in India has been the enormous product variety that it offered the Indian market and the massive discounts it comes coupled with (Bhattacharya and Mishra 2015). Having amazon.om as the ally, Amazon.in could offer the Indian market the global markets that they previously had to access and the discounts added an extra feather as well. Indian customers are accustomed to finding all they could want at an affordable rate in thei r Amazon app sticking true to their claim of providing anything and everything to your doorstep (Amazon.in. 2017). The second mention needs to be the Snapdeal app without any doubt; the website launched in the Indian market in 2010 and has integrated itself in the lives of the Indian customers. The ecommerce website has a market value of 6.5 billion dollars and the growth has not attained stagnancy yet (Snapdeal.com. 2017). With brand promotion done by Aamir khan, a well known and loved face in India, has helped Snapdeal to attain a remarkable presence in the Indian market and will be an exceptional competition for Lazada in India (Snapdeal.com. 2017). Saving the best for the last, discussion on Indian online shopping market cannot be complete without discussing the market giant of India, Flipkart (Jain and Kulhar 2015). Flipkart started out its journey in India in 2007 and have dominated the Indian market ever since. According recent market research the website is worth more than 11 billion dollar and the figures continues to rise (Flipkart.com. 2017). Mainly operated on the smartphones the app for Flipkart is ranked 4.2 out of 5 on basis of maximum downloads. Studies suggest that the tremendous success behind Flipkart has been the element of surprise (Sequeira 2015). The website was launched in 2007 when India was a complete stranger to online shopping, the website dominated the market for three long years without any competition in sight, and these three years have been more than enough to generate a wide customer base by providing a gazillion products and brands at attractive discounts delivered to your doorstep. Flipkart has a cquired all the known names in Indian fashion and retail market, namely Myntra, Jabong and ebay.in, and undoubtedly poses the biggest threat to Lazada with its complete dominance over Indian market (Kalelkar et al. 2014). Different Modes of Entry into foreign market: Invasion into a foreign market comes coupled with risks at all times, and if not addressed these risks can manifest into challenges which will make establishing a stable presence in the foreign market extremely difficult for a business operation (Brouthers 2013). As discussed above in the assignment Lazada is the biggest ecommerce website in the south eastern Asia which now plans to expand into the rapidly growing economy of India. However India already has its online shopping market dominated by various other ecommerce websites, three substantial of those have been discussed above (Jain and Kulhar 2015). In order to combat the threat these websites that already have a stable customer base and a reputation in Indian market, the website needs to decide on a mode of entry (Martin 2013). There are various modes by which a business venture can choose to enter the foreign market, be it direct and indirect exporting, franchising, strategic alliance and merger acquisition. All of the different modes of entries have their own sets of benefits and pitfalls. For instance, franchising allows the expanding business venture to generate a franchisor to sell its products for a prefixed fee (Martin 2013). Get Strategic alliance is where the invading business operation will forge an alliance with a known face in the target market to achieve larger goals. Merger acquisition is a mode of strategic alliance that allows the invading business operation to merge with a business operation that has been already established in the market and has a considerable hold on the target market (Shi, Sun and Prescott 2012). In the case scenario opted for this assignment, franchising in to direct or indirect exporting would not yield favourable results it has to be understood that Lazada needs to develop a recognition in the Indian market, build trust in the Indian customers in order to establish a stable footing in the market (Kalelkar et al. 2014). Indian customer base is completely stranger to the website and its reputation and franchising or exporting an array of products will not be enough for the customers to be trust the website or the product it sells. In order to overcome the challenges of invading into a foreign market and combat the threats of competition by the well known Indian ecommerce websites is to merge with a well known website (Brouthers 2013). Considering the market value and reputation of Flipkart, merging with it will be the best decision for Lazada. The customer base of Flipkart in Indian market is already astounding and with the trust that the website has constructed, introducing foreign brands will increase their market craze in the Indian market and will offer Lazada enough time and market exposure to establish a brand reputation in the market (Kalelkar et al. 2014). Flipkart undoubtedly presents a humongous threat to Lazada if it wants a share of the monopoly of Indian market as well (Chauhan 2015). Keeping the enemy closer, or in this merging with them will be the win-win situation for both parties until Lazada generates enough recognition in the Indian market to branch out on its own. Conclusion: As it is evident from the above discussion, India is a favorable place to expand. Considering the growth in technological infrastructure, and improvement in the standard of living of the people, the company can attain huge growth here. The population is very huge implying larger customer base while the availability of skilled labor would help the company ensure higher profitability. Although initially, the company may encounter trouble in gaining sufficient recognition in the new market, considering the strong presence of e-commerce giants like Amazon and Snapdeal, the company can nevertheless attain sufficient growth with the help of its consumer friendly services. The company has a strong presence in South East Asia, and consequently provided it introduces aggressive marketing strategies, it will be able to gain much recognition in another Asian country, India. It is recommended that the company enters the Indian market by merging with Flipkart. 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