Research Korner

Starbucks Coffee

More Than a Cup of Coffee                 Starbucks Coffee automatically conjures a café atmosphere with upscale   coffee bar and chrome. Indeed, Starbucks is a household name when it comes to   coffee experience. It is one of the leading coffee shops dominating the market for   several decades now.               Starbucks Coffee was founded in Seattle, Washington on March 30, 1971   by partners English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl and writer   Gordon Bowker. They were inspired by entrepreneur Alfred Peet to sell high-   quality coffee beans. In 1982, Howard Schultz joined the company and advised   that the company should sell coffee and espresso drinks together with coffee   beans. Now, Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world with over   17,000 outlets worldwide. Aside from selling coffee drinks and beans, the   company also markets books, music, mugs and tumblers which are seasonal or   specific to the locality of the store.               Truly, Starbucks had done an excellent job in establishing its name being   one of the most recognizable brand names today. And it seems that there is   something special in its coffee experience that’s why it has been the icon of   coffee fix.               Starbucks isn’t the first company who introduced good coffee to people.   However, it did turn its coffee into an identity. Starbucks has a brand promise and   shows a desire for social status granting that its coffee is estimated to be 7,000   percent hike than local coffee shops.               Moreover, since the opening of its first outlets in Seattle, the company has   striven to be more than just a coffee shop. According to Starbucks President and   CEO Howard Schultz, the company is dedicated in engaging in human   connection; hence, it created a third place community between home and work.   The Third Place concept manifests in the design of Starbucks shops worldwide.   The store design is meant in creating comfort and social interaction having   upholstered chairs with hard-backed chairs around tables. Also, most Starbucks   stores offer free Wi-Fi access and free electricity if the customers want to plug   their laptop on. Indeed, Starbucks features a place where customers can just   settle in and hang out with friends for a while.               Even then, Starbucks started out as a premium coffee roaster and stayed   with its roots serving excellent coffee. In July 2008, the company has announced   that they would be changing the way in making its coffee in an effort to provide   the best coffee taste possible. This includes a commitment in grinding and   brewing many coffee varieties to order and discarding coffee beans that takes   more than thirty minutes to brew.               Also, baristas are ordered not to wear strong perfumes because it might   interfere the coffee aroma, as well as all Starbucks around the world are non-   smoking indoors. The coffee-centric atmosphere is one the major reasons why   people are gone crazy in experiencing Starbucks coffee. In fact, serving   breakfast sandwiches was only short-lived due to it overpowers the coffee   aroma.  Smelling like any other diner is an image the company never wants to   present.                 Starbucks extends its coffee experience in brewing your own coffee at   home. The coffee roasts Starbucks is offering possess rich coffee flavor and   aroma present inside Starbucks stores. The roasts tend to lean heavily toward   darker roasts because the consistency of flavor is easier to maintain.               In the recent years, the company has diversified itself in marketing books,   newspapers and CDs. It brings a renegade approach in reaching out to   Starbucks fanatics emerging to be a self-appointed culture guru.                   Starbucks Coffee live with its image of excellent coffee in a comfortable   surroundings with service-oriented staff. The company has succeeded in creating   great tasting drinks becoming a household name in terms of coffee experience.   In fact, the company has taken a step further in giving customers more than just   a cup of coffee.     References:   Gross, Daniel, Starbucks vs. Its Addicts, October 2004, http://www.slate.com Starbucks Coffee and the People Who Drink It, June 2010, http://www.ireallylikefood.com Smith, David, The man who knows why we're so hooked on coffee, January 2007, http://www.nootropics.com

Starbucks Coffee

More Than a Cup of Coffee Starbucks Coffee automatically conjures a café atmosphere with upscale coffee bar an...

Research Proposal on Pakistan Telecommunication Commitments in WTO/GATT

Proposal   Background of the Study The birth of the World Trade Organization (WTO) eleven years ago was to serve the purpose of having a formal entity with extensive responsibility in international economic affairs.  Sampson, (2001) stated that the WTO is undeniably a major player in the field of global governance, and its rules and processes will profoundly affect the future economic and political orientation of its member-countries. The WTO was established to perform very significant functions: freer trade among member-countries, a conventional set of rules in the conduct of global trade transactions and as a mediator between international trade conflicts.             The humongous responsibility put upon the organization has been faced with criticisms over the years.  Critics claim that the aim of WTO to liberalize trade and foster economic prosperity do not directly affect the lives of ordinary people.  It is said to result to more opportunities for rich countries to become richer.  Many are also arguing that WTO treaties and decisions are unfair and are sided toward wealthy nations and powerful international corporations. On the other hand, the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), an international organization promoting the reduction of international trade barriers, contains no explicit provisions on developing countries. However, concerns on challenges faced in the international trade were voiced out. One of which is the sustainable increase in income and output that is deemed to be brought by increase in industrialization. Some countries hold the idea that the liberal trade policies will not foster industrialization and development due to the patterns that prevails in the international specialization (Michalopoulos, 2001).             From this, WTO/GATT as international trading organisations that helps developing nations in trading issues also needs a perfect telecommunication system in disseminating information and Pakistan was giving their commitment.  With this, the purpose of the study is to identify the Pakistan Telecommunication commitments in WTO or GATT. This is done by analysing data acquired from them through desk researches and survey questionnaires that contain questions related with the topic. Another purpose of the paper is to be able to determine the implications of Telecommunication commitments of Pakistan to the nation members of WTO and GATT.   Statement of the Problem             In order to complete the goals of this particular academic activity as well as to set the objectives of the study, the following research questions will be presented and discussed in the entirety of the research paper focusing on the implications of Telecommunication commitments of Pakistan in WTO/GATT. <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> What is the role of the Telecommunication commitments of Pakistan in WTO/GATT? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> What are the impacts of the Telecommunication commitments of Pakistan in WTO/GATT in the entire global communication system?</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> How do WTO/GATT organisations benefit from the Telecommunication commitments of Pakistan?</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> What are the underlying issues on security policies as well as individual privacy standards that influence the Telecommunication commitments of Pakistan in WTO/GATT?</li>   Overview of Methodology             This particular research activity will be conducted using the guidelines of both the quantitative and the qualitative research approaches. In this light, the research study will make use of the survey and the interview techniques as methods for the data gathering activities. The qualitative aspect of researcher will be used in order to provide in-depth discussion regarding the concept of technology as well as its implications of the Telecommunication commitments of Pakistan in WTO/GATT. Meanwhile, the quantitative part of the research activity will make possible the quantification of concepts and ideas that are otherwise immeasurable within the qualitative paradigm. The utilisation of both the quantitative and the qualitative research approaches will be used to provide holistic and comprehensive understanding on the selected research topic. Therefore, discussions will reflect the use of both these academic research approaches.                 References: Creswell, J.W. 1994, Research design. Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Michalopoulos, C, 2001, ‘Developing Countries in the WTO’, New York. Sampson, G. (2001). The Role of the World Trade Organization in Global Governance. New York: United Nations University Press.

Research Proposal on Pakistan Telecommunication Commitments in WTO/GATT

Proposal Background of the Study The birth of the World Trade Organization (WTO) eleven years ago was to serve the purpose of ...

ETHICAL ISSUES IN ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Ethical Issues in Advanced Artificial Intelligence     [This is a slightly revised version of a paper published in Cognitive, Emotive and Ethical Aspects of Decision Making in Humans and in Artificial Intelligence   ABSTRACT The ethical issues related to the possible future creation of machines with general intellectual capabilities far outstripping those of humans are quite distinct from any ethical problems arising in current automation and information systems. Such superintelligence would not be just another technological development; it would be the most important invention ever made, and would lead to explosive progress in all scientific and technological fields, as the superintelligence would conduct research with superhuman efficiency. To the extent that ethics is a cognitive pursuit, a superintelligence could also easily surpass humans in the quality of its moral thinking. However, it would be up to the designers of the superintelligence to specify its original motivations. Since the superintelligence may become unstoppably powerful because of its intellectual superiority and the technologies it could develop, it is crucial that it be provided with human-friendly motivations. This paper surveys some of the unique ethical issues in creating superintelligence, and discusses what motivations we ought to give a superintelligence, and introduces some cost-benefit considerations relating to whether the development of superintelligent machines ought to be accelerated or retarded. KEYWORDS: Artificial intelligence, ethics, uploading, superintelligence, global security, cost-benefit analysis   1. INTRODUCTION A superintelligence is any intellect that is vastly outperforms the best human brains in practically every field, including scientific creativity, general wisdom, and social skills.[1] This definition leaves open how the superintelligence is implemented – it could be in a digital computer, an ensemble of networked computers, cultured cortical tissue, or something else. On this definition, Deep Blue is not a superintelligence, since it is only smart within one narrow domain (chess), and even there it is not vastly superior to the best humans. Entities such as corporations or the scientific community are not superintelligences either. Although they can perform a number of intellectual feats of which no individual human is capable, they are not sufficiently integrated to count as “intellects”, and there are many fields in which they perform much worse than single humans. For example, you cannot have a real-time conversation with “the scientific community”. While the possibility of domain-specific “superintelligences” is also worth exploring, this paper focuses on issues arising from the prospect of general superintelligence. Space constraints prevent us from attempting anything comprehensive or detailed. A cartoonish sketch of a few selected ideas is the most we can aim for in the following few pages. Several authors have argued that there is a substantial chance that superintelligence may be created within a few decades, perhaps as a result of growing hardware performance and increased ability to implement algorithms and architectures similar to those used by human brains.[2] It might turn out to take much longer, but there seems currently to be no good ground for assigning a negligible probability to the hypothesis that superintelligence will be created within the lifespan of some people alive today. Given the enormity of the consequences of superintelligence, it would make sense to give this prospect some serious consideration even if one thought that there were only a small probability of it happening any time soon. 2. SUPERINTELLIGENCE IS DIFFERENT A prerequisite for having a meaningful discussion of superintelligence is the realization that superintelligence is not just another technology, another tool that will add incrementally to human capabilities. Superintelligence is radically different. This point bears emphasizing, for anthropomorphizing superintelligence is a most fecund source of misconceptions. Let us consider some of the unusual aspects of the creation of superintelligence: ·        Superintelligence may be the last invention humans ever need to make. Given a superintelligence’s intellectual superiority, it would be much better at doing scientific research and technological development than any human, and possibly better even than all humans taken together. One immediate consequence of this fact is that: ·        Technological progress in all other fields will be accelerated by the arrival of advanced artificial intelligence. It is likely that any technology that we can currently foresee will be speedily developed by the first superintelligence, no doubt along with many other technologies of which we are as yet clueless. The foreseeable technologies that a superintelligence is likely to develop include mature molecular manufacturing, whose applications are wide-ranging:[3] a)      very powerful computers b)     advanced weaponry, probably capable of safely disarming a nuclear power c)      space travel and von Neumann probes (self-reproducing interstellar probes) d)     elimination of aging and disease e)      fine-grained control of human mood, emotion, and motivation f)      uploading (neural or sub-neural scanning of a particular brain and implementation of the same algorithmic structures on a computer in a way that perseveres memory and personality) g)     reanimation of cryonics patients h)     fully realistic virtual reality ·        Superintelligence will lead to more advanced superintelligence. This results both from the improved hardware that a superintelligence could create, and also from improvements it could make to its own source code. ·        Artificial minds can be easily copied. Since artificial intelligences are software, they can easily and quickly be copied, so long as there is hardware available to store them. The same holds for human uploads. Hardware aside, the marginal cost of creating an additional copy of an upload or an artificial intelligence after the first one has been built is near zero. Artificial minds could therefore quickly come to exist in great numbers, although it is possible that efficiency would favor concentrating computational resources in a single super-intellect. ·        Emergence of superintelligence may be sudden. It appears much harder to get from where we are now to human-level artificial intelligence than to get from there to superintelligence. While it may thus take quite a while before we get superintelligence, the final stage may happen swiftly. That is, the transition from a state where we have a roughly human-level artificial intelligence to a state where we have full-blown superintelligence, with revolutionary applications, may be very rapid, perhaps a matter of days rather than years. This possibility of a sudden emergence of superintelligence is referred to as the singularity hypothesis.[4] ·        Artificial intellects are potentially autonomous agents.  A superintelligence should not necessarily be conceptualized as a mere tool. While specialized superintelligences that can think only about a restricted set of problems may be feasible, general superintelligence would be capable of independent initiative and of making its own plans, and may therefore be more appropriately thought of as an autonomous agent. ·        Artificial intellects need not have humanlike motives. Human are rarely willing slaves, but there is nothing implausible about the idea of a superintelligence having as its supergoal to serve humanity or some particular human, with no desire whatsoever to revolt or to “liberate” itself. It also seems perfectly possible to have a superintelligence whose sole goal is something completely arbitrary, such as to manufacture as many paperclips as possible, and who would resist with all its might any attempt to alter this goal. For better or worse, artificial intellects need not share our human motivational tendencies. ·        Artificial intellects may not have humanlike psyches. The cognitive architecture of an artificial intellect may also be quite unlike that of humans. Artificial intellects may find it easy to guard against some kinds of human error and bias, while at the same time being at increased risk of other kinds of mistake that not even the most hapless human would make. Subjectively, the inner conscious life of an artificial intellect, if it has one, may also be quite different from ours. For all of these reasons, one should be wary of assuming that the emergence of superintelligence can be predicted by extrapolating the history of other technological breakthroughs, or that the nature and behaviors of artificial intellects would necessarily resemble those of human or other animal minds. 3. SUPERINTELLIGENT MORAL THINKING To the extent that ethics is a cognitive pursuit, a superintelligence could do it better than human thinkers. This means that questions about ethics, in so far as they have correct answers that can be arrived at by reasoning and weighting up of evidence, could be more accurately answered by a superintelligence than by humans. The same holds for questions of policy and long-term planning; when it comes to understanding which policies would lead to which results, and which means would be most effective in attaining given aims, a superintelligence would outperform humans. There are therefore many questions that we would not need to answer ourselves if we had or were about to get superintelligence; we could delegate many investigations and decisions to the superintelligence. For example, if we are uncertain how to evaluate possible outcomes, we could ask the superintelligence to estimate how we would have evaluated these outcomes if we had thought about them for a very long time, deliberated carefully, had had more memory and better intelligence, and so forth. When formulating a goal for the superintelligence, it would not always be necessary to give a detailed, explicit definition of this goal. We could enlist the superintelligence to help us determine the real intention of our request, thus decreasing the risk that infelicitous wording or confusion about what we want to achieve would lead to outcomes that we would disapprove of in retrospect. 4. IMPORTANCE OF INITIAL MOTIVATIONS The option to defer many decisions to the superintelligence does not mean that we can afford to be complacent in how we construct the superintelligence. On the contrary, the setting up of initial conditions, and in particular the selection of a top-level goal for the superintelligence, is of the utmost importance. Our entire future may hinge on how we solve these problems. Both because of its superior planning ability and because of the technologies it could develop, it is plausible to suppose that the first superintelligence would be very powerful. Quite possibly, it would be unrivalled: it would be able to bring about almost any possible outcome and to thwart any attempt to prevent the implementation of its top goal. It could kill off all other agents, persuade them to change their behavior, or block their attempts at interference. Even a “fettered superintelligence” that was running on an isolated computer, able to interact with the rest of the world only via text interface, might be able to break out of its confinement by persuading its handlers to release it. There is even some preliminary experimental evidence that this would be the case.[5] It seems that the best way to ensure that a superintelligence will have a beneficial impact on the world is to endow it with philanthropic values. Its top goal should be friendliness.[6] How exactly friendliness should be understood and how it should be implemented, and how the amity should be apportioned between different people and nonhuman creatures is a matter that merits further consideration. I would argue that at least all humans, and probably many other sentient creatures on earth should get a significant share in the superintelligence’s beneficence. If the benefits that the superintelligence could bestow are enormously vast, then it may be less important to haggle over the detailed distribution pattern and more important to seek to ensure that everybody gets at least some significant share, since on this supposition, even a tiny share would be enough to guarantee a very long and very good life. One risk that must be guarded against is that those who develop the superintelligence would not make it generically philanthropic but would instead give it the more limited goal of serving only some small group, such as its own creators or those who commissioned it. If a superintelligence starts out with a friendly top goal, however, then it can be relied on to stay friendly, or at least not to deliberately rid itself of its friendliness. This point is elementary. A “friend” who seeks to transform himself into somebody who wants to hurt you, is not your friend. A true friend, one who really cares about you, also seeks the continuation of his caring for you. Or to put it in a different way, if your top goal is X, and if you think that by changing yourself into someone who instead wants Y you would make it less likely that X will be achieved, then you will not rationally transform yourself into someone who wants Y. The set of options at each point in time is evaluated on the basis of their consequences for realization of the goals held at that time, and generally it will be irrational to deliberately change one’s own top goal, since that would make it less likely that the current goals will be attained. In humans, with our complicated evolved mental ecology of state-dependent competing drives, desires, plans, and ideals, there is often no obvious way to identify what our top goal is; we might not even have one. So for us, the above reasoning need not apply. But a superintelligence may be structured differently. If a superintelligence has a definite, declarative goal-structure with a clearly identified top goal, then the above argument applies. And this is a good reason for us to build the superintelligence with such an explicit motivational architecture. 5. SHOULD DEVELOPMENT BE DELAYED OR ACCELERATED? It is hard to think of any problem that a superintelligence could not either solve or at least help us solve. Disease, poverty, environmental destruction, unnecessary suffering of all kinds: these are things that a superintelligence equipped with advanced nanotechnology would be capable of eliminating. Additionally, a superintelligence could give us indefinite lifespan, either by stopping and reversing the aging process through the use of nanomedicine[7], or by offering us the option to upload ourselves. A superintelligence could also create opportunities for us to vastly increase our own intellectual and emotional capabilities, and it could assist us in creating a highly appealing experiential world in which we could live lives devoted to in joyful game-playing, relating to each other, experiencing, personal growth, and to living closer to our ideals. The risks in developing superintelligence include the risk of failure to give it the supergoal of philanthropy. One way in which this could happen is that the creators of the superintelligence decide to build it so that it serves only this select group of humans, rather than humanity in general. Another way for it to happen is that a well-meaning team of programmers make a big mistake in designing its goal system. This could result, to return to the earlier example, in a superintelligence whose top goal is the manufacturing of paperclips, with the consequence that it starts transforming first all of earth and then increasing portions of space into paperclip manufacturing facilities. More subtly, it could result in a superintelligence realizing a state of affairs that we might now judge as desirable but which in fact turns out to be a false utopia, in which things essential to human flourishing have been irreversibly lost. We need to be careful about what we wish for from a superintelligence, because we might get it. One consideration that should be taken into account when deciding whether to promote the development of superintelligence is that if superintelligence is feasible, it will likely be developed sooner or later. Therefore, we will probably one day have to take the gamble of superintelligence no matter what. But once in existence, a superintelligence could help us reduce or eliminate other existential risks[8], such as the risk that advanced nanotechnology will be used by humans in warfare or terrorism, a serious threat to the long-term survival of intelligent life on earth. If we get to superintelligence first, we may avoid this risk from nanotechnology and many others. If, on the other hand, we get nanotechnology first, we will have to face both the risks from nanotechnology and, if these risks are survived, also the risks from superintelligence. The overall risk seems to be minimized by implementing superintelligence, with great care, as soon as possible.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Ethical Issues in Advanced Artificial Intelligence [This is a slightly revised version of a paper published in Cognitive, Emotive...

Application of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) To Improve Passenger and Airport Security

Application of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) To Improve Passenger and Airport Security     Introduction             The imposition of airport security is founded upon Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”. To fulfill this right the fundamental purpose of airport security is to keep dangerous objects such as knives, guns, bombs and dangerous chemicals from being placed on board the plane especially for long flights since an evacuation would be impossible or difficult to accomplish to avert danger and harm to the passengers.               Airport security has increased in importance due to the increasing human and cargo traffic that pass through the airport system increasing the risks for passengers, particularly since these risks have been realized in several instances already from hijacking to bomb explosions. Due to heightened risks airports are also enhancing their security measures to meet new threats to the safety of passengers. The paper will discuss existing airport security, determine whether Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) is an applicable system, and recommend airport design that would improve airport security. Implementation of Passenger Security             Securing passenger security is implemented through airport and airside security measures. Airport security pertains to the security measures applied in the public areas such as the departure and arrival locations including the passenger checking or screening area while airside security refers to the security strategies used in areas not open to the public such as the airfield and facilities exclusively for cargo. Ensuring security in these areas involves the development and implementation of security standards covering the various areas of operations and standard operating procedures for every conceivable security threat that could happen during airport operations. (2003)                 In relation to airport security all airports conduct security measures. Passenger and baggage screening comprise the bulk of security measures in areas open to the public. The identity of passengers is checked by asking them to provide their passports so that their identity can be checked with existing crime and security database to determine possible security risks. Apart from this metal detectors and bomb detection devices are used to check the baggage of passengers to ensure that no harmful or potentially harmful objects are brought inside the aircraft. As an added precaution the security division of the airport constantly monitors human traffic inside the airport through cameras and visual observation to determine any suspicious action. ( 2003)             In the case of airside security, identification cards together with driving and vehicle permits serve as the basic security check. In addition, rules on speed limit, authorized driving routes, safe activities near aircrafts, cargo handling, safety sign compliance, and aircraft refueling and check-up procedures are strictly implemented. ( 2003)             Moreover, apart from the precautionary airport security activities that every airport has to implement diligently, airports also provide their personnel information and training on the standard operating procedures for different threats and risks that may occur in the airport. This is an important aspect of passenger security because the entirety of airport personnel is expected to be adept at threat recognition, risk assessment, and quick decision-making to allay recognized threats. In support of the risk management strategies of airports, all airports have established communication links between the different operating divisions of the airport in order to facilitate immediate information sharing in cases of risky situations and coordinate the action of the different working units in order to efficiently manage the risk or threat. ( 2003) Role of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design             Ensuring passenger security involves different aspects of security management. Apart from the standards and rules governing the operations of the airport and the briefing and training of airport personnel, the management of the airport environment is another important security management area, with environment referring to the aggregate of the physical space comprising the airport hosting passenger and cargo traffic.             Due to the need to manage the airport environment in order to enhance passenger security, crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) may be applied to the airport setting. Three CPTED approaches have emerged since the introduction of the concept in the late 1960s. First is the approach advocating the reduction of opportunities for crime introduced by  (1971) as a precautionary measure against crime or delinquency by manipulating a created environment. Another approach that emerged is defensible space (1972) that correlates the high crime rate with the design of environments that allow opportunities for crime prevention. As a solution, three concepts should be incorporated into environmental design, which are: territoriality, natural surveillance as well as image and milieu. The third approach is situational crime prevention that expanded the crime prevention theory to every conceivable environment including airports ( 1976; 1980;  1981).             Although the theory was originally applied in urban community settings such as high-rise buildings, elevators, fire escapes and corridors by redesigning these spaces in order to ensure that there is constant public surveillance to deter criminal acts the concept also applies to the airport setting, which is a created environment. Reducing opportunities for risky situations has also increased in importance since prevention is the preferred system rather than the actual resolution of threats.             With regard to the first approach, reducing opportunities for security breaches involves the application of identity checks for all passengers going inside the airport together with personal and baggage screening to detect any harmful objects brought inside the airport. Through the implementation of security measures, the airport becomes a safe environment because the opportunities for the commission of crimes using harmful objects and substances are reduced.             In relation to the second approach, creating a defensible environment involves designing the airport environment in such a manner that it prevents the commission of crime. Applying territoriality in airports involves the delineation of enclosed and secure space for different people such as the designation of areas accessible and not accessible to the public, waiting areas and security checks so that people are able to mark their personal spaces. Implementing surveillance in airports includes observation of activities in the airport as well as visibility of security personnel that inculcates the notion of a safe environment for people. Image and milieu applies to the airport environment when the airport has built a reputation for providing a secure environment for its passengers by giving passengers an actual secure airport experience.             Regarding the third approach, crime prevention depending on the particular situational context covers the determination of the particular crime opportunity prevention methods unique to the airport setting such as requiring travel documents, physical searches, metal detector tests, baggage x-ray and other necessary security measures.             Although, CPTED has been criticized as an insufficient alternative to socio-economic solutions and as encouraging the mere displacement of crime to other areas, it is important to note that this concept does not claim to provide a cure-all solution to crime or security threats but only provide a partial solution to alleviate security risks while socio-economic solutions remain elusive. Future Developments in Airport Design that will Improve Security             Security breaches in airports are largely attributed to human error so that future developments in airport security are directed towards technological innovations that are non-invasive in application that augments the limitations of human perception. Future airport security design would involve strategically placed intelligent technological gadgets that would detect a wide array of harmful and possibly threatening things that humans may not be able to easily detect. Some of the technological security equipment being considered for use in airports in the near future is x-ray machines for people that would detect objects which may look unsuspicious to the normal visions, biometric identification systems that check identity through the unique features of individuals, computer systems able to automatically detect suspicious activity as this is captured on video, and thermal imaging to detect chemical substances which are not components of the human body. These technological innovations would minimize opportunities for threatening situations and create a secure environment for passengers. (2003) Conclusion             Airport security is evolving due to the need to address the challenges   that have been thrown at the existing security strategies of many airports proving that there is always room for improvement amidst incessant security measures. Due to the need for constant security improvement in airports, the crime prevention through environmental design has re-emerged as a viable but partial solution to security threats. The idea is to develop security measures covering both the physical and social airport environment that would minimize opportunities for the actualization of security threats. The CPTED concept in its contemporary usage is reflected in the technological advancements in identity check and harmful object detection that are effective but non-invasive or constricting.

Application of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) To Improve Passenger and Airport Security

Application of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) To Improve Passenger and Airport Security Introduction ...

A framework of the customer retention plan for oil and gas companies using the concepts of e-Marketing Strategy

1.    Introduction Accordingly, oil and gas companies are one of the successful business sectors in almost all countries as the business operations entail a useful component for every individual, group of people within the household and even in the government sectors. Thus, putting weight on the customer retention plan through the concepts of e-marketing strategies can be one good move for the oil and gas companies to keep track of the market and retain loyal customers on the other side. The fast pace of business cycle is entitled to change and adopt update process of information and technology and be in support to e-marketing strategy, oil and gas companies do possibly achieve a sound framework for customer retention and in a way provide undying customer satisfaction as a result of good management handling as well as better customer services offers.   2.    Project Background True, that customer retention can be in the critical aspect for the oil and gas companies as having impact on profit (1996). However, as business leaders try to implement the concept of customer retention in their companies, employees working with customers may come to regard customer retention (1996) or satisfaction (2001) as in themselves the goal of business. Regardless of what business leaders may be trying to implement in their companies, any employee interacting with customers is in position either to increase customer satisfaction or put it at risk. Employees in such positions should therefore have the skills to respond effectively and efficiently to customer needs (1994). Moreover, customer retention has been found to be key to profitability (1998) and an important determinant of market share among service firms (1999). Previous research into customer retention has focused on the potential advantages of pursuing strategies for satisfying or retaining customers, rather than on the concepts themselves. Satisfaction increases customer retention and customer retention depends on the substance of the relationship between parties (2000). Satisfied and properly served customers are more likely to return to an organisation than are dissatisfied customers who could choose simply to go elsewhere (1995). Retention can be defined as commitment to continue to do business or exchange with a particular company on an ongoing basis (2000). A more elaborated definition is to define retention as the customers’ liking, identification, commitment, trust, willingness to recommend and repurchase intentions, with the first four being emotional-cognitive retention constructs, and the last two being behavioral intentions (2001). The oil and gas company knows the customers and what they want, and the initial costs of attracting the customers have already been expended (1989). Old customers also pay less attention to competing brands and advertising, are less price sensitive and create favourable word-of-mouth (1998). Customer retention also brings benefits such as employee retention and satisfaction, better service, lower costs (1995), lower price sensitivity, positive word-of-mouth, higher market share, higher efficiency and higher productivity (2000). In addition,  (1999) finds that the most critical element in retaining customers is the company’s customer philosophy, implying that companies ought to strive for complete satisfaction rather than just satisfaction among its customers.     3.    Project Aims and Objectives The aim of the project is to basically have the customer plan for oil and gas companies and understand the process through the use of e-marketing strategies in exploring how individuals serving customers experience the concepts of retention. How individuals within an organisation perceive the concepts as interesting for such reasons. First, if the people closest to the customers do not understand and accept the company’s attitude and rules about how to handle customers, then management has not successfully communicated their message. Without uniform understanding of the concepts, it is impossible for employees to promote the organisational goal. Second, when various staff members’ experiences of satisfaction and retention differ; that is, if they have created their own mental models of the concepts their different understandings lead to different actions in relation to customers. The objectives will be to examine the condition in synchronous manner, from the perspective of oil and gas companies dealing with customers. The project will be of value to anyone interested in how company staff actually experience and value customer retention as well as satisfaction by means of e-marketing like, the use of marketing mix within the industry.   4.    Research Program The methodology to take part in this research can be the ample utilization as well as integration of survey questionnaires as deemed to discover and understand first hand knowledge from specific number of customers from the oil and gas companies based in Malaysia in order for the project to attain validity of outcomes and acceptable research findings. The research program can be possible through: <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Determine Basic Customer Profile – knowing its demographics and or background</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Identify costs and constraints, knowing how much the budget will be </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Gather appropriate materials and resources for the survey questionnaire construction</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Creating Initial Process of Survey Questionnaire – pre testing for reliability and standardization </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Finalize the contents to be incorporated in the survey questionnaire</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Do the actual surveying – gather the chosen survey respondents </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Have the results and do tabulation </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Analyze and Interpret</li> The other useful method can be the use of case study analysis directly representing oil and gas companies. The need to present case study on customer development as case study will provide an insight into some of the tools and processes used to develop satisfaction and trust within the organization management.   5.    Deliverables Connect seamlessly with management solution to ensure compliance across media boundaries. Ensure comprehensive records retention and disposition capability. On-line collaborative retention plan development, approval and deployment with ability to maintain multiple retention schedules. Consistent application of retention policy regardless of media developing the competencies requires complete buy-in throughout companies and the implementation of nationalization program must include the critical success factors to ensure its success. Effectively balancing technical skills with interpersonal skills to enable success at customer level. Proven strategies for tackling the challenges associated with e-marketing. Retaining good customers is such a situation in the oil and gas industry. Internal and external environmental factors are some of the pertinent driving forces that are creating high turnover. Companies that do not have a defi nitive plan to address how to stabilize workforce will not be able to successfully meet corporate key performance indicators. Evaluate the success of e-marketing strategy and make continuous improvements. The need to create loyalty and retain customers has become more and more amplified over the past few years as companies recognize that the cost of acquiring a new customer is often considerably higher than gaining repeat business from an existing customer.    6.    Commercial/Industrial Collaboration     The collaboration within customer retention in e-marketing process Customer retention is about keeping the customers where they make purchases the oil and gas team should focused on retaining those customers: Delivering service that’s consistent with value proposition and brand Cross-selling, up-selling and asking for referrals from existing customers Developing programs to increase customer loyalty and decrease turnover Knowing the lifetime value for different segments and using that data to improve your marketing Prioritizing retention as a major focus in your annual marketing plan To collaborate planning, one of the crucial and critical issues is to have attention to the development of local resources mostly people, it is a commitment and countries where oil and gas companies operate and should be one of the most important e-marketing strategy priorities.   Effectively balancing technical skills with interpersonal skills to enable success at management level Accelerating the development of workforce to ensure progressive advancements and increased retention Meeting the demands of an expanding industry while aligning internal business goals Ensuring that managers work in cooperation with other departments to raise the competency level and development of their workers is critical to business success and need to understand that they are an integral part, process that requires greater transparency.   7.    Resources   Step 1: Getting to know customers - recognizing the worth of customers Step 2: Defining your touch points  Step 3:  Creating customer programs   In addition, technology efforts will help manage invaluable information that retrieve from customers allowing:   Creatively and carefully segment customer base Provide superior service Accurately target your marketing messages.    A simple survey process can help measure customer satisfaction.  Survey can be easily distributed through regular mail, over the telephone, via e-mail and on your website.  Keep in mind when creating a sample group; it should be large enough to hold statistical validity. Treat the survey as good marketing campaign. Give customers reason to respond, thank them and share the results. Use data to evaluate large groups of customers   8.    Project Plan First, companies have to know which customers are profitable. Second, they must research and understand what their customer defection rate is and the specific reasons for defection. Third, they must also know the value of their customer in the long run.  Your marketing program should be derived from and support your company's mission and business plan. Therefore, the first step is to review your mission statement. Make sure that it is customer needs-based mission statement, not just product or competitive based. Second, research your customer base to identify the most profitable customers and customer segments. Third, measure your company's customer defection rates and take steps to reduce customer defections. Set goal for customer retention and communicate that goal to the rest of the company. Making customer retention a focus may also require organizational changes. Companies that operate with separate functional departments have a hard time ensuring quality for each customer's individual needs. Many companies have had to create customer teams - interdepartmental groups that focus on the success of one customer or a segment of customers. Fourth, stay in front of your customers at least four to six times each year. Fifth, go the extra step of learning customers' businesses and help them become more profitable. One company saved its customers 68 million dollars in annual costs by teaching customers how to use less of its product. Sixth, create a proprietary way of communicating customers. Make sure your customers know whom to contact when they have a problem or question. Provide them with information on the Internet or in customer service manuals. Constantly survey customers for feedback, and ask for detailed responses. If one of competitors anticipate customer need before you do, you very well may lose one or more valuable customers or an entire market opportunity.   TIMETABLE   Activity Month         OCT NOV DEC JAN Search for Related Literature         Selection of the  Topic         Definition of the Problem         Development of the Objectives         Selection of Methodology         Check the availability of resources         Verify the accessibility of the resources         Write the draft of the proposal         Prepare interview schedule         Secure adviser’s approval         Do the needed revisions         Test research tool validity         Select the study sample         Conduct research proper         Administer research tools         Do the assessment techniques         Gather and analyze results         Do the necessary data presentation         Interpret findings         Preparation of the final report         Formulation of conclusions and recommendations         Preparation of the table of content, appendices         Editing and Final Formatting         Printing                 9.

A framework of the customer retention plan for oil and gas companies using the concepts of e-Marketing Strategy

1. Introduction Accordingly, oil and gas companies are one of the successful business sectors in almost all countries as the busine...