The Merits of Privatization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Merits of Privatization - Research Paper Example tes, transcontinental railroad constructed by public and private partnerships during the nineteenth century is one of the earliest examples of privatization in the US. The transcontinental public private partnership is always cited as an example by the people who support privatization. Privatization not only brings efficiency but it also helps in curtailing costs and reduces bureaucracy. (Loulakis, 2003) The recent financial downturn and government bailouts have severely affected the American economy. With the government deficits and costs of borrowing increasing day by day, many leading economists have advocated privatization of government functions which would bring budgetary discipline and would reduce government’s financial burden. Though the consumers are greatly benefited by the reduction in the costs of goods and services due to privatization, the only point which may negatively affect the citizens is accountability. Citizens do not have any control over private companies and cannot punish them, like they can punish the government by not voting for them in state or central elections. Another point of concern with privatization is that private firms operate with only one motive that is profitability, which is secondary in government owned and operated firms. Though, privatization has greatly improved product quality and cost, there are certain services which should not be privatized. Sectors like defense, law enforcement, education and basic healthcare should always be under State control. The future of the country depends a lot on the above mentioned sectors and therefore, the motive of cost cutting, profitability and competition should not come into consideration. However, certain functions like sourcing of certain products can be outsourced. Another reason why these sectors should be under State control is because in case of any adverse events the government must have the capacity and the control to handle the situation quickly and

The Ethicacy of Providing Health Coverage for Inmates While The Essay

The Ethicacy of Providing Health Coverage for Inmates While The General Populace Is Offered None - Essay Example In making a judgment and ethical decision concerning this issue, two prominent ethical standards can appropriately address them: the utilitarian approach and the rights approach. These two can collectively define and explain ethical elements in the subject and could fill the weaknesses posed by each other. Utilitarian approach is fundamental in expressing the view of the common good and in reaching the best possible compromise so that questions from both sides of the ethics divide can be effectively and justly resolved. Meanwhile, the rights approach is important in arguing for and against healthcare for prisoners because the discussion is, after all, about the satisfaction of human/individual rights. This is significant because acts that respect rights are often universally accepted as ethical. The Ethical Issues The health care within the American prison system is not uniform because each of the federal and state prisons has its own health care delivery system. However, this does n ot dispel the fact that medical and health options are available to all prisoners regardless of the system of the prison health care system they belong. Many people raise the point that healthcare for prisoners is unethical because it is expensive and takes a lot from the taxpayers’ money just so criminals can live a healthy life. To digress a little, this question effectively highlights the stakeholders involved in the debate – the prisoners, the authority, the general populace and the health care practitioner. But the argument is that they do not deserve such a care because they are serving their punishment in the first place. Here, bias is supposedly a given since convicted criminals are being deprived of certain rights as part of their penalty and rehabilitation. This point is, of course, valid. Beginning in the 1980s, the rising population in the prisons has significantly claimed a significant share of many states’ budgets. According to a study by Maddow (2 001), the US health care prison cost have dramatically risen at a faster rate than the rest of the correctional costs and that today prison officials are beset by rising numbers of expensive illnesses such as HIV/AIDS as well as the ever-present threat of Eighth Amendment lawsuits. (p. 191) Two points are being emphasized by critics: one, criminals do not deserve healthcare; and, secondly, they are not paying for the care services. These points sometimes also cloud the health care providers’ judgments. There are instances wherein bias sets in and appropriate and sufficient medical services are withheld. But this is not entirely surprising. One, for instance, can consider the case cited by Gaines and Miller (2010) summarized below: A prisoner, who was convicted for fourteen years because of robbery, has been hospitalized due to his heart ailment. The doctors declared that if the patient did not undergo heart transplant, he would die. Now, the state’s Department of Corre ctions have to deal with not only with spending more than $1 million in order to pay for the medical expenses but that it also had to muscle its way in having the prisoner prioritized from among the 4,100 names that are in the national waiting list for a new heart. (p. 499) The above case underscored the

PESTLE Analysis for Dialog Axiata

PESTLE Analysis for Dialog Axiata Dialog Telekom PLC (The Company) operates Sri Lankas largest and fastest growing telecommunication network Dialog GSM. Dialog Telekom is one of the largest companies listed under the Colombo Stock Exchange. It is a subsidiary of the Axiata Group Berhad. Due to Dialog the Sri Lankan mobile industry has achieved new heights and has come at par with the developed world. The telecom company operates 2G, 3G and 3.5G mobile services, supporting the current trends in mobile internet and multimedia services, as well as international roaming. Dialog Telekom accounts for more than 50% of Sri Lankan mobile phone subscribers. Along with the mobile telecommunication business Dialog Telekom operates a wide portfolio of international telecommunication services including retail and wholesale international voice and data services. Dialog Broadband Networks Pvt. Ltd. (DBN) is an owned subsidiary of the Company, and is an important player in Sri Lankas ICT infrastructure sector. DBN was also the first service provider in Sri Lanka to introduce high-speed broadband internet services based on Wi MAX technology. Dialog Television Pvt. Ltd. (Dialog TV) is another subsidiary of Dialog Telekom PLC. It operates Dialog Satellite TV, a Direct-to-Home (DTH) Satellite TV service. Dialog TV supports a wide range of international and local television channels. Regarding the structure of the company, Dialog Telekom Ltd. has got a Hybrid structure which is a combination of Matrix structure as well as Modular structure. As in each Strategic Business Unit (SBU) works independently and every function of each SBU has communication linkages with one another. Top down as well as bottom up communication is available and it uses worldwide resources and technologies. MICRO ANALYSIS THROUGH SWOT Analysis (S)trengths Dialog has the first mover advantage of GSM technology in Sri Lanka. Due to its strong infrastructure it has got one of the best and far reaching mobile telecommunication coverage. Relationship with a telecommunication tycoon in the same region; Telekom Malaysia Group. Extension in collaborations maintaining good relations with other Telecom companies has enabled Dialog to have a global approach with services such as and Satellite Coverage high roaming. Dialog Telekom has got a very aggressive marketing strategy which enables it to have a good and stable Brand Equity. Companys financial analysis proved excellent stability in financial statements regarding investments. Strong Public Relationship that has been built up over the years. Expanded CSR initiatives increased the social value of the firm. High quality technical innovations has made dialog market leader in Sri Lanka. Constant rise in the share prices has gained the confidence of the investors leading to value increment. Strong distribution network spread throughout the entire island.. Well managed customer care support techniques has increase the level of customer satisfaction. Wide variety of products. Management Team is efficient and hard-working. High level of corporate business knowledge retention through low employee turnover (W)eaknesses Though the investment on advertising and value addition through technical innovation is high, there is no clear aim and idea of a broader market Poor performance as on ISP. Compared to its competitors Dialog lags behind in innovations related to pricing strategies. The head office in Colombo is of a distributed nature due to non-expandability of the current location. The level of motivation of internal employees is decreasing. Due to the rapidly growing customer base the trends in Quality of Service are going down by the day. In the front-office employee turn-over is high. (O)pportunities Telecom is one of the fastest growing sectors in Sri Lankas 19.5million people As per estimations 4.5million users would have mobile phones by the end of 2006 The communication industry is growing rapidly. Fixed line penetration is low. The approval and acceptability of the Value Added Services (VAS) by the users has increased the probability and success of any new VAS initiative. The strategic partnership of Dialog Telekom with Vodafone UK. Dialog has got the potential to gain benefits of Value Chain Convergence. Technology advancements especially in mobile multimedia technologies and the advent and use of the next 3G mobile communications. (T)hreats Strongest Competitor of Dialog, the Mobile wing of fixed line telecom giant SLT is focused on cost-cutting strategy through its low cost pre-paid products in the market. Rapid changes in the political, social and economic conditions as well as the laws and regulations. Changes in currency exchange rates and high inflation which is inversely affecting the global business. Rapid change in customer preferences and their growing needs due to high level of customer awareness. Constant changes in technology. Dialog had to switch off all base station in northern-province during the last few months due to military operations by the Sri Lankan Govt. forces. Thus there is an uncertainty due to the growing counter terrorist campaigns. PESTEL Analysis (P)olitical Sri Lanka has very positive foreign investment policies. However though Sri Lanka identified importance of liberalization early as in 1977, due to political interventions bureaucratic attitudes inherited from colonial reign and poor governance, the country as a whole and specifically the industry has not grown as it was foreseen at the time of liberalization. During the past two decades, terrorist activities have remained constant as well. (E)conomical Unstable macro-economic environment and trade policy regime has a negative impact on the industry. The fall of the exchange rate over the years happened on a gradual pace. Since the inception of liberalization policy it has undergone massive reforms in this sector. However Sri Lanka lags dynamics incorporated by India to attract foreign direct investments. The attitude towards foreign direct investments needs to be improved. (S)ocio-Cultural Sri Lanka has better social conditions for example literacy rate is high, infant mortality rate is low and life expectancy is long. The country also has an educated and trainable work force. Nevertheless Sri Lankans inherit a bureaucratic attitude from the colonial administration that results in inefficiencies and discrimination. (T)echnological Sri Lanka depends on technology transfers from foreign direct investments. However TRCSL encourages local research and development. The country comparatively has not performed well enough to adapt technological changes on a timely manner. For example the shift from analogue to digital and the adoption of CDMA technology materialized in a slow pace. (E)cological (L)egal TRCSL the regulatory body takes up multidimensional roles. It ensures fair enforcement of Govt. policy, hold operators accountable for performance, address consumer issues, monitor changing industry needs and provide feedback to the policy making units. However TRCSL has been criticized over the years for information asymmetry, inefficiency and discrimination. Porters Five Forces 1. Threat of New Entrants Indias Bharti AIRTEL has got the fifth mobile operator license in Sri Lanka As per TRCSL, no more licenses would be awarded Thus it creates an entry barrier for all others to the market 2. Bargaining Power of Customers Consumer protection groups are almost non-existing As compared to the west, consumers are not that strong in their demands Quality standards and supports are comparatively not major concern if they exist at a basic level Low switching costs Customers are highly cost conscious 3. Threat from Substitutes Almost negligible Alternatives are fixed line and the more recent CDMA connectivity This is a much smaller market as compared to the huge total market 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Local and International suppliers for Dialog Depends on SLT, MTT and a few other VSAT operators to access the national backbone Thus these particular suppliers are extremely powerful Acquisition of MTT and the creation of the new subsidiary known as Dialog Broadband Network 5. Rivalry Among Competing Firms Very high competition with constant pricing wars Dialog certainly has an edge because of their Value Added Services and differentiation strategy and the huge customer base Value Added Services are becoming very popular among the consumers Strategic Groups Adopted by the Company Dialog strategies are visible in the companys corporate, business and functional levels. They have already diversified their business across many areas during the last few years. For instance, by acquiring MTT, Dialog managed to strengthen its transmission backbone. Also recent past it has acquired CBNSAT, a satellite TV transmission company, and DERANA TV Channel with a long term objective of a value chain convergence. In addition to reach the customer, Dialog has created many alliances with other business corporations. Cargills-Dialog alliance to allow Cargills customers to settle Dialog bills is just one such example. The business plan is formulated at the beginning of the year considering main objectives of the company. The progress of each project is monitored in a monthly basis through different strategic committee meetings. On the other hand, Dialog tries to introduce latest technologies into the market considering global mega trends through its comprehensive Research and Development wing. Among them, the Dialogs initiative to setup the Dialog Research Lab at the University of Moratuwa is of importance because it effectively enabled Dialog to provide tailor made solutions to the local market. Nokia phones with Sinhala language support and Tsunami warning system for mobiles are just to name a few such examples. These technology initiatives can be considered as a strategy used to capture the market by effectively staying ahead from the competition in the technology and innovation sphere. Structure The Companys business and operations are managed under the supervision of the Board of Directors comprising of 5 non-executive directors and 1 executive director. The Board has the power to appoint executive directors including the CEO. Divisional structure can be identified in company level but performances of the divisions are measured through different strategic committees. Systems Apart from the technical backbone, Dialog uses several systems to execute their business strategies successfully. For example- SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) This was launched in 2006 January to integrate identified key process in the company. CCBS (Customer Care Billing System) Currently existing billing system is going to be migrated into a new system to provide more customer centric services. HRIS Used for Human Resource Management and all the day to day functions are carried out through this system. Style The management style always depends on targets and objectives. Strict deadlines are imposed while performance and progress are very closely monitored at all levels of the organizational structure. Rewards and benefit schemes are in line for the top performers and better achievements. All the employees will have a number of recreational opportunities such as trips, get-together, sports etc. to take some time off from busy work schedules. Staff The Company currently employs a workforce of 2500 who in turn are considered pivotal to the organizations growth and success. Annual manpower planning and recruitment is carried out in parallel with the business plan preparation. The capabilities required by potential employees are based on the requirements of the business plans applicable to respective departments of the company in any given year. Recruitment to the Company is governed by several policies. The core policy on filling vacancies spells out the Companys intention to attract the best with the aim of exploiting the individuals potential while providing career development opportunities irrespective of communal or gender differences. 7% of the total HR cost is devoted to training and development. The training needs for individuals and teams are identified from the competency requirements arising from the Companys business plan and employees annual performance review. Subordinate Goals All individuals with different backgrounds, different ethnics and nations are teamed up and driven towards a common set of goals and objectives at Dialog Telekom. The company has been successful in focusing the entire team towards a single vision by incorporating all individuals goals and personal objective together. Skills Dialog team consists of number of individuals with distinctive capabilities and competencies from top to bottom. Dialog is proud to have a very energetic and talented CEO in the caliber of Dr. Hans Wijesuriya. In addition to that Dialog is served by a team of top class individual in the Sri Lankan industry with lot of talent and exposures. Different Strategies Adopted by Dialog Telekom Corporate Strategy Considering the current performance, the key success factors and the SWOT analysis the directional strategy alternatives would be the following Growth strategy to expand the activities of Dialog Telekom further would be the first alternative. Since the current product lines have real growth potencial concentration of resources on those would be ideal. In concentration Dialog Telekom can follow the vertical growth strategy to take the benefit of the value chain convergence opportunity that is existing in Sri Lankan context. Stability strategy to continue with current activities without any changes to the direction would be the second alternative. Here Dialog Telekom can utilize pause/proceed with caution strategy to have only incremental improvements while the weaknesses stated are overcome. It can use this time to stabilize the organization due to the changes took place due to multiple strategies it adopted earlier such as acquisitions and investing on innovative developments, which will help to get back the loosing internal employee motivation. The first alternative will move Dialog Telekom further away from the competition and create a monopoly temporarily for converged industries of telecommunication, content, media and retail. However unfocused highspeed growth to capture the market without stabilizing the existing acquisitions can disassemble everything. The second alternative will give Dialog Telekom and its employees much needed breathing space. The recommendation would be to implement the second alternative initially to stabilize the organization without any other drastic change in the direction. And after some time they can adopt their long term beneficial value chain convergence option depicted in first alternative. Business Strategy The business strategy alternatives available for Dialog Telekom to improve the competitive position in the industries it operates would be The first alternative for the competitive strategy would be to improve on the current strategy of differentiation. It can improve this by having unique Value Added Services for each of its current strategic business units DBN, CBNSAT and Dialog Telekom itself. This can improve the customer loyalty and thereby can charge a reasonable premium rate than competitors. Second alternative which Dialog Telekom can try to implement is cost leadership to overcome the threat of lower rates provided by competitors, Mobitel. Since the VAS are less in Mobitel the switching from Dialog to Mobitel is not much in urban people who use these VASes. But people who are using purely as a voice/sms only are shifting as most of them are cost conscious and there is not much of a difference in coverage. Hence if Mobitel improves on its VASes it would become a serious threat at a stage at which only the rates would decide the attraction of that segment of the market. Typically the differentiation strategy is more likely to generate higher profits than low cost strategy. However differentiation strategy implementation may involve higher investment than low cost strategy. Competitive scope is an important factor when considering competitive strategies. The recommended alternative depends on the competitive scope in this situation. Considering both alternatives and the pros and cons of each most ideal would be to have culmination of both differing from the segment of the market. Dialog Telekom should have a focused differentiation strategy in the market where people are valuing the VASes and cost focus in the market where usage is purely for voice/SMS. Simultaneously Dialog Telekom should look at strategic alliances as a corporate strategy to gain competitive advantage by working with other organizations. Currently they have stated this with some banks and some supermarket chains as mentioned earlier. However this can be vastly improved to include alliances with insurance companies, stock brokers, popular food chains etc.

Elimination of Corruption in the WA (Western Australia) Police Force E

WA (Western Australia) Police Force began their chapter in history of Australian Policing in 1829 when few constables were appointed to patrol Perth and Fremantle. The first woman police officer was appointed in 1917 for some specialised services until they were fully incorporated in 1970s (WA Police, 2011). Today WA Police mans 2.5 million square kilometres which is the largest single jurisdiction (WA Police, 2011). Currently WA Police force is under a lot of scrutiny due to numerous corruption charges against the police officers. The public has a negative perception of police force and they no longer feel secure, neither do they trust the police force to keep them safe. Issue – Corruption Probable Causes of Corruption – Different things motivate different people. Some can motivate people to perform beyond expectations and some can lead astray from moral and ethical values. When dealing with corruption, first question to ask or to clarify is what corruption is. NSW Research (2002) describes corruption anything from gaining materialistically by virtue of position (for eg. getting a special discount at stores) to engaging in ‘direct criminal activities’ (eg. selling drugs). Newburn (1999) believes that there is a thin line between the definition of ‘corrupt’ and ‘non-corrupt’ activities as at the end, it is an ethical problem. For common people, however, bribery generalises corruption. Different researches and enquiry commissions have come up with different reasons as to why corruption prevails in the police force. We will look at some of the most probable causes which apply to WA Police. Decision Making – Police officers have considerable decision making powers at their own discretion. This is true for low ranki... ...at WA Police will try to achieve. Consolidate Improvements – After a while it may seem that the change is successful, but it doesn’t takes long for the old methods to creep in. Therefore, although we should celebrate success, there cannot be slackness in the change process. New ways of evaluation and monitoring should be carried out to check the credibility of the success. Every effort should be made to find any chink in the new armour of cultural change and to repair it. Institutionalize Change in Organisational Culture – One important question is when does the process end. The successful culmination of change process is when the objectives of that process become a part of the daily organisational culture. When the next generation of management takes over, the objectives should be a part of the whole organisation and not just a single process or department. Elimination of Corruption in the WA (Western Australia) Police Force E WA (Western Australia) Police Force began their chapter in history of Australian Policing in 1829 when few constables were appointed to patrol Perth and Fremantle. The first woman police officer was appointed in 1917 for some specialised services until they were fully incorporated in 1970s (WA Police, 2011). Today WA Police mans 2.5 million square kilometres which is the largest single jurisdiction (WA Police, 2011). Currently WA Police force is under a lot of scrutiny due to numerous corruption charges against the police officers. The public has a negative perception of police force and they no longer feel secure, neither do they trust the police force to keep them safe. Issue – Corruption Probable Causes of Corruption – Different things motivate different people. Some can motivate people to perform beyond expectations and some can lead astray from moral and ethical values. When dealing with corruption, first question to ask or to clarify is what corruption is. NSW Research (2002) describes corruption anything from gaining materialistically by virtue of position (for eg. getting a special discount at stores) to engaging in ‘direct criminal activities’ (eg. selling drugs). Newburn (1999) believes that there is a thin line between the definition of ‘corrupt’ and ‘non-corrupt’ activities as at the end, it is an ethical problem. For common people, however, bribery generalises corruption. Different researches and enquiry commissions have come up with different reasons as to why corruption prevails in the police force. We will look at some of the most probable causes which apply to WA Police. Decision Making – Police officers have considerable decision making powers at their own discretion. This is true for low ranki... ...at WA Police will try to achieve. Consolidate Improvements – After a while it may seem that the change is successful, but it doesn’t takes long for the old methods to creep in. Therefore, although we should celebrate success, there cannot be slackness in the change process. New ways of evaluation and monitoring should be carried out to check the credibility of the success. Every effort should be made to find any chink in the new armour of cultural change and to repair it. Institutionalize Change in Organisational Culture – One important question is when does the process end. The successful culmination of change process is when the objectives of that process become a part of the daily organisational culture. When the next generation of management takes over, the objectives should be a part of the whole organisation and not just a single process or department.

Environmental sciences

The aims of prolonging yourself and their environment are about a dubious ground. Sustainability involves stagnation which refers to the rate of growing for human existences, workss and animate beings stay stable. This is far off from the instance, as our population rises with an unequal distribution, works and carnal resources are turning down at alone ratios. In developing states where industries are turning, urban conurbation threatens ecosystems and H2O resources. Promoting urban planning, preservation, and clean energy seems like it would be easier than traveling back subsequently and seeking to undo harm inflicted by unsustainable patterns. To command the population, this is basically to prolong the population. It is much more important that beginnings are apportioned every bit, and utilised conventionally. As our state, the United States of America is one of the topmost consumers of renewable and non-renewable resources. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in order to accomplish sustainability in the United States, is concentrating on advancing green concern patterns, using more governmental ordinances and policies, and working on progresss in scientific discipline and engineering. In order to prolong ourselves, we have to derive cognition of what is needed, non what is wanted or desired. Harmonizing to The World Business Council for Sustainable Development ( WBCSD ) 2008, the measure of energy and material resources supplied required for industrial growing, the ingestion of natural resource is increases up to 170 % of the Earth ‘s bio-capacity by 2040. Sustainability is the footing for non merely by modifying our ingestion wonts, but besides by protecting and cognizing that natural ecosystems required being continued. If these systems do non hold clip to replenish, and if they do non maintain on cleansing of toxins and other pollutants, than the natural resources will complete. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development ( WBCSD ) 2008 considers that 60 % of the Earth ‘s ecosystem services have been humiliated in the initial 50 old ages. This debasement must be closed down, and citizens must give accent and act on environmental stewardsh ip. Sustainability is a idea that is hopeful and positive but non groundless. With the aid of planetary support and educational plans, continuing our environment is possible. We can merely wish to better our environment, so that population matters become the past experiences. Sustainability can non merely concentrates on population or even how clients in developed states are doing usage of merchandises. This requires being more holistic and taken into history environmental felicity and safety in add-on to societal and economic wellbeing.Mentions:The World Business Council for Sustainable Development. ( 2008 ) . Sustainable Facts and

Women Combat Roles

WI agree with the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s allowance of women to be in combat position. I find it a little sexist that women were denied the chance to not have combat roles. In the article, â€Å"Pentagon Removes Ban on Women in Combat† by Ernesto Londono of The Washington Post, it says, â€Å"Panetta announced a lifting of the ban on female service members in combat roles, a watershed policy change that was informed by women’s valor in Iraq and Afghanistan and that removes the remaining barrier to a fully inclusive military. † I think that women are just as capable as men.Even if their bodies aren’t built as strong and men, they have determination and can do so many things, even better than some men. The army currently excludes women from about 25 percent of active-duty roles. The article says that, â€Å"The decision comes after a decade of counterinsurgency missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, where women demonstrated heroism on battlefields with no front lines. † To me this is proving the point that women are just as capable with men. Women are just as much as heroes as men are and just as inspiring, if not more.The Army and the marines are going to present their plans to open most jobs to women by May 15. I really think that this is an excellent idea. As the article says, it’s â€Å"monumental. † I absolutely agree. â€Å"Every time equality is recognized and meritocracy is enforced, it helps everyone, and it will help professionalize the force. † I agree that the force will be more professional with women in combat roles and not just men. Of course this announcement has created a lot of critics and lots of skeptics.The article says, â€Å"Critics of opening combat positions to women have argued for years that integration during deployments could create a distracting, sexually charged atmosphere in the force that women are unable to perform some of the more physically demanding jobs. † I say that is sexist. Women are emotionally and physically strong. They may not be able to bench press the amount that men can but they can do a whole lot and the combat roles would be very lucky to have them. If they want to dedicate their time/life to the military then let them.In the article it says, â€Å"Lifting the ban will go a long way toward changing the culture of a male dominated institution in which women have long complained about discrimination and a high incidence of sexual assault. † I think throughout history, women’s rights have been a serious issue. If they let women fight on combat roles, it would do wonders that would go down in history. Another thing the article says is, â€Å"’I’ve served with women at all levels, and based on my experience, women have done a phenomenal job,’ said the officer. Women are phenomenal, I agree. They can do amazing things, just as much as men. It’s important that the military doesn’t low er their standards of what’s acceptable and not and they address this in the article when they say, â€Å"It is critical that we maintain the same high standards that have made the American military the most feared and admired fighting force in the world. † I think that women can reach these high standards and perform them just as well. I agree with the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s position to allow women in have a role in combat positions.