Why I Chose Construction Management

Page paper on why I choose construction manatees Construction has been in my background since 1988, when my father purchased his first piece of property. My brother and I wanted our room designed a certain way so we begged our father to fulfill our wants. In my father words, he said if you and your brother want your room other then the way IM designing it, then you two have to help build it. And that started my life in construction.As I furthered my education ND my experience grew In the construction field I also started to dabble in the business word. At the age of 17, I worked for my first construction company, Cap Stone Constructions. There, I was on the demolition crew Like most people that start off In the construction field. Not only did I demo, but I also learned how to frame, drywall, tape and mud. Not to long after my first Job, my father started his construction company and brought me on to work for him. There I worked various job in the residential sector as well as manage d his crew in his absence.From the outside looking in, it had seemed as though my father was making good money rehabbing buildings, renting them out and collecting money. As time went on, I started to notice that the residential sector was all that we dabbed in and even that sector was being run wrong. Yet, this was his construction company. Then I realized that his company was actually a company of family members, and him doing all the work. He was vary over worked in the construction field, and under educated In the In the business realm.For those reasons my father continued to make the same mistakes, and In turn get the same results. Till eventually, he ran himself Into the ground wondering why he worked so hard with minimal success. I am an entrepreneur by heart, so that means that different types of businesses interest me. I've owned several businesses from furniture stores to catalog distribution companies. I even owned a contracting company where I had contracted independent contractors to drive for a transportation business I ran.In my search for he perfect business to start, I realized that I always reverted back to the construction field and maybe that was where I needed to be focusing my entrepreneurial spirit. So I started kef contracting, and began to make the same mistakes as my dad. I focused on rehab and family members to help with my vision. I knew very little about the other sectors, the 16 divisions of construction, or even how to formulate a contract. All I knew was obtain some property, fix It up with small loans from small lenders, and rent It out.But having an entrepreneurial split, I knew that there was more to owning a construction company, so I returned to school. Taking construction management has taught me a lot about what I didn't know on how to run a successful to put construction and business together, two of my favorite subjects. By the end of this course, I should have the knowledge I need to go along with the experience I have in construction and in business, and put them together the right way to formulate a strong foundation for a successful construction business.

Penny Lab

Penny Lab Experiment By -Objectives To determine how soap affects the surface tension of water. -Hypothesis In this experiment the hypothesis was that soap was going to affect the surface tension by weakening the bonds and allowing less water on the penny. -Materials * Penny * Beaker x2 (One containing soapy water the other containing pure tap) * Paper towels * Lab review sheet * Pencil * Pipette -Procedure First we picked who would drop the water onto the penny. We did this to ensure that the drops were even in size.We then carefully dropped water from the dropper onto the head side of the penny while counting the number of drops. -Data | Trial 1| Trial 2| Trial 3| Average| Tap Water| 37 drops| 32 drops| 44 drops| 37 drops| Soapy Water| 16 drops| 14 drops| 10 drops| 13 drops| -Calculations Tap Water – (37+32+44)/ 3= 37 Soapy Water- (16+14+10)/3=13 -Conclusion In this experiment we confirmed the hypothesis that soap affects water by lowering surface tension thus lowering the a mount that can fit on a penny. -Post Lab 5.Explain what surface tension is/ Surface tension is water’s ability to stick to itself. 6. Why were many trials taken and averaged? / To get better and more accurate responses. 7. In this experiment, what was your control group? / The plain tap water. 8. Identify the independent variable in the experiment. / The soap in the water. 9. Identify the dependent variable in the experiment. / The amount of drops that would fit on the penny. 10. What if the question was how does sugar affect surface tension of water?Using the scientific method answer how you would answer this question. First we would make an observation about how water’s surface tension could be affected. Next we would propose a hypothesis. Like if we add sugar to water the water’s surface tension will be greater. Then we would follow the steps of the experiment performed earlier. We would then be able to prove or disprove the hypothesis we created. Then we wou ld draw conclusions based on our results.

Assess the practical usefulness and the relevance of game theory in Essay

Assess the practical usefulness and the relevance of game theory in light of the demanding assumptions behind the concept of the - Essay Example On e would be able to find out the importance and demerit of using Nash equilibrium in the real world. Introduction Game theory refers to the study of the techniques of decision making. The study gives calculated methods of giving a strategic decision in an economic issue. It puts related disciplines of philosophy, mathematics and psychology in making strategic decision making. Since its invention in 1944 by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern, it has undergone severall improvement and applications. The Nash equilibrium is a concept in game theory that gives solutions to games that involves more than one player. In Nash equilibrium, every player makes the best decision considering that the opponent would make their own best decision too. Jon Nash realized that one has no capabilities to tell and predict others’ decisions by only viewing one case. Isolation prevents proper analysis of decisions. In addition, every player knows that there is nothing to gain by changing their strategy. Therefore, the only option left for a player is to get know what one player would do by considering the others’ decisions in the process. Game theory uses the concepts of Nash equilibrium when making an analysis of strategic interaction that occurs between the decision makers. Throughout history, Nash’s equilibrium concept has been useful with practical application in times of war and arms races. Some of the practical applications of Nash equilibrium include; mitigation of members in conflict by use of repeated interactions, determining the point in which people of different preferences may agree to cooperate, occurrence of currency crises, the flow of traffic on busy roads, setting up regulatory regulations and during soccer when kicking penalties (Myerson 2013, p56). In Nash equilibrium, everybody gets involved in a game the moment their fate is a point where the decision depends on the other person playing the game. The game does not have all the practical conditions that exist in the real world. Some of the unrealistic assumption that the game assumes are as follows; the concepts operate in the assumption that the players possess powerful computing techniques, through which, they analyze every situation giving no chance to any faults. Human beings operate under situations that may involve a lot of unforeseen situations. Thus, humans are prone to making incorrect decisions during the period. In addition, the concepts call for radical decisions that raise a lot of questions (Zhao 2007, p89). Another unrealistic nature is that it gives either the optimum or a value at equilibrium. It does not give a true value. In pratically, the scenarios are true and would require two choices giving true results. That is; the results of the prisoner’s dilemma are not as optimum as the theory tends to show. In some of the cases, the concept could be unreliable and misleading the practical user. However, such cases are limited since the Nash equ ilibrium has registered many instances of positive feedback. Nash equilibrium sets up a base in which other theories and practical scenarios can base their applications for success in the real world (Zhao 2007, p77). Conditions that exist in the real world seem to be more complicated that in examples. For example, if an event that two competing companies set their market price at say, $10, one company would attempt to set a slightly lower price to increase its sales, as long

Personal & Professional Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Personal & Professional Development - Assignment Example Whilst undertaking this course, I undertook numerous exercises in seminars and took part in different activities, which as well has been of great help particularly in developing my personal attributes. The activity involved in was presenting the work to my group. During this activity, one of the most challenging issues that I noted was time management. In fact, for the first time as a postgraduate student, I came to recognize that time management is an important skill for all professionals (Cheng and Li-Fang 2004). Even now, I have been working hard to improve on management of time after going through different activities included in my log. To considerably improve my skills of time management, I have been consulting a number of published materials including books, professional practices as well as activities such as group participation. All these were also achieved with the help of a development plan ( Cho, Roberts and Patten 2010). I must say that, I have used my formulated developmental plan to improve my skills of managing time and this is evident in the way I have been accomplishing my assignments-finishing assignments early instead of waiting for the last day rush. As student in management class, particularly specializing in international business, I have immeasurably learned a number of important aspects, which will help me in making informed decisions particularly in cross cultures in future (Cummings and Worley 2009). Generally, this course has enabled me to learn more about varied practices in international management as well as other aspects linked to cross-culture and which will assist me to become a successful manager in an international context. In fact, having studied with various students who come from diverse ethnicities and cultures, I have, through my course, learned to acclimatize and adapt several things as well as ethics, which have helped me to

Congenital Localized Alopecia Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Congenital Localized Alopecia - Article Example Thos infants that are found should have a focused reassessment, a thorough family history, and continued examination of the hair (Furdon & Clark, 2003). The clinician must also have a good understanding of the embryological development and cycles of hair growth, as well as an understanding of abnormal conditions. This paper will discuss a few of those conditions that might be seen in the newborn and young child. Aplasia Cutis is a rare condition in which there is a congenital absence of the skin, usually presenting on the scalp (Beckman, Griot, Niessen et.al., 2008). It can occur anywhere in the body but most often occurs at or near the scalp vertex and appears to be a single or sometimes multiple non-inflammatory patch of absent skin. It can vary in shape and size and how deep it is (Huang, Llang, Hu,et.al., 2009). In about 20% of reported cases, part of the skull is also missing. The area may be pink or red and oval or round and may have a smooth, atrophic or papyraceus surface (Savoia, Giacomini, Aprile, et.al., 2008). If the child is seen for the first time later, there may be hypertropic scarring where any healing takes place. There are two different clinical presentations of this particular disease. Membranous which is believed to be a mild form of tubal closure defect and non-membranous which is irregular. In both cases this is a sporadic disorder with a rare familial distribution (Huang, et.al., 2008). The average child is Caucasian of Italian origin. Aplasia Cutis may appear isolated or with other anomalies and frequently appears when there is also a nervous system defect. It sometimes appears with epidermolysis bullosa and deformed nails and occasionally with congenital heart lesions. In the case of membranous, there is possibility that it represents a mild neural tube defect. The difference in membranous and non-membranous may be the difference in pathogenic effects in the formation of the scalp. It may appear with Adams-Oliver syndrome in which there is a combination of congenital aplasia cutis and anomalies of the extremities and vessels , especially in the skull (Beckman, et.al., 2008) The severity of the disease when the child is born will determine what needs to be done next. In some cases the lesions will have already scarred over, in others tissue expansion will need to be done. Full thickness skin grafts can be used in those cases where necessary. If the defect is minor, most heal readily. It is recommended that topical antiseptic or topical antibiotics be used however to prevent infection while healing. There may need to be later treatment of hair transplant and there may be a need for some plastic surgery later in life based on the scaring that takes place. When using a non surgical approach there are recommendations for Omniderm with absorbent fine mesh gauze impregnated with 3% bismuth tribromophenateridin for cranial defects and the use of permeable polyurethne film in others. Certainly a full work up and follow up on these children, other than the skin lesions is necessary to assure that there are not other problems to be cared for or stabilized over their lifetime. Those can most often include neurological disorders as well as cardiac disorders. Nevus Sebaceous Nevus Sebaceous is difficult to differentiate from aplasia cutis. Nevus Sebaceous is

Banking Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Banking Law - Case Study Example The whole point of the cheque card is to make it wholly different with banks promising to pay irrespective the state of the customer's account. The person who produces a cheque card makes no representation that he is in credit with his bank. All the trader is concerned to ask is whether the customer have a cheque card, whether it matches the cheque, whether the cheque is for not more than the permissible credit limit and whether the signature on the cheque match the signature on the card. In the present case the appellant/ accused opened a bank account with the National Westminister Bank. He was allowed an overdraft of 100 pounds of one month which was latter extended for a month. The conditions were printed on the back of the cheque. The issuing bank undertakes that any cheque not exceeding 30 pounds will be honored subject to the fact that the cheque must be signed in the presence of the payee, the signature on the cheque must correspond with the specimen signature on this card, the cheque must be drawn on a bank cheque form bearing the code number shown on his card, the cheque must be drawn before the expiry date of his card, the card no. ... If these conditions are complied with the recipient need not concern himself about the drawers credit worthiness for he knows the cheque would be honored on presentment.A man who gives a cheque represents that it will be met on presentment. And if a cheque is accepted by the payee it is the belief that it will be met. And when it is supported by the bank's undertaking and all doubts in the mind of the payee as to the cheque being honored will be removed if he sees that the stipulated conditions are complied with. But by issuing a cheque book and a cheque card the bank has not authorized him to bind them by the use of the card to honor every cheque in the cheque book. It was observed that by exhibiting to the payee a cheque card containing the undertaking by the bank to honor cheques drawn in compliance with the conditions endorsed on the back, and drawing the cheque accordingly, the drawer represents to the payee that he has actual authority from the bank to make a contract with the payee on the bank's behalf that it will honor the cheque on presentation for payment. Speaking on ostensible authority on its head it was observed that if the other party has believed the representation and on the faith of that belief has acted upon it and the person represented to be his principal has so conducted him self towards that other party as to be estopped from denying the truth of the representation , then and only then, is he bound by the contract purportedly made on his behalf. The whole foundation of liability under the doctrine of ostensible authority is a representation , believed by the person to whom it is made, that the person claiming to contract as agent for a principal has the

Improvign quality through training and education Essay

Improvign quality through training and education - Essay Example ..6 Establishing a Corporate University†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 The Focus†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 Conducting the Training and Education†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 The Delivery Method†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 Further Plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Appendix A†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 Appendix B†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..14 Abstract The company must realize that another value adding practice is that of developing the human resource. By pursuing higher levels of training and education for its employees the company should put itself in the position of higher quality outputs. By being skilled and equipped to deal with the problems of the company, each employee will be able to share the burden of problem solving and identification that was once wrongly monopolized by the managerial positions. This will result to a swifter and more efficient workforce organization that will benefit the company in more ways than one. Also, by empowering the employees, the company allows them to share their vision and goals and hold them parallel to the mission and vision statements of the company. With everybody on board the plans and the shared vision for the future of the company, the whole organization will be much more unified and effective in matters of communicating and steering in the direction of business success and development. Establishing a corporate university is a way to do this. Although it will be costly on the initial stages, if the profit objectives are still met then such university, in essence, just also paid for itself and will continually have dividends in the longer run and in the future stability of the company. Improving Quality Through Training and Education Introduction Technology and advancements can dictate the pace and performance of a company, but it pales in comparison to the importance of a good manpower sector in an organization. Manpower is essential in all departments, businesses, and organizations for it functions as the brain and driving force of the whole system. Without well and proper-trained individuals to man the company, chances are strong that it will not be navigated in the right direction to achieve profit objectives, stability, and future sustainability. It is also important to empower employees for the betterment of the whole organiza tion internally. What must be understood is that the whole company must function as one in order to optimize its capabilities. By empowering employees, the management allows them to share the company’s vision and goals and also make it as their own. With a unified sight for what needs to be done, the whole organi

Soldiers with Large Weapons in Predator-Abundant Midsummer Research Paper

Soldiers with Large Weapons in Predator-Abundant Midsummer - Research Paper Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that being in a position to comprehend the causal mechanisms and outcomes of trait variation can present imperative insights of how organismal phenotypes are manipulated in the process of evolution and how they influence communal dynamics and the population. Different approaches are used to determine the variation in the trait. One notable approach involves measuring the number of aphids in colonies that belong to each of the three wild populations, and the number of predators of each colony. Three separate colonies, all in Japan were used in the study. One aspect to the colonies that was mutual was that they were all situated at the periphery of deciduous forests, where the S. senanensis host plant was found in abundance. Each colony was surveyed one to three times each month. The survey was conducted in August 2006. In each survey, S. senanensis leaves were picked up, each must have had a colony of aphid so as to collec t both the aphid and the predator. All aphids and predators collected were placed in ethanol and then preserved in plastic bags. Aphid mothers seemingly produce sturdy soldiers as a sole reaction to environmental temperature. This is done just before the coming of the â€Å"dangerous time† as a move that can expound on the mechanism of the spatiotemporal variation in natural populations. These results may actually be the initial indication of the evidence of the actuality of an adaptive strategy in relation to the morphological characteristics of soldiers in aphids. The results do not reveal much about the defensive strategy of the aphids, in particular, the factors influencing the production of soldiers in C. japonica. The correlation between production of soldiers and soldier armature can be approximated by measuring up the number and armature of soldier produced by the aphids that have been nurtured at different environmental temperature.

US Airline Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

US Airline Industry - Essay Example In this paper, the proponent tries to critically evaluate the US Airline Industry using the key frameworks of International business. PESTLE Analysis The US Airline Industry substantially needs a macro-environmental analysis from time to time. The PESTLE analysis could sufficiently provide macro-environmental understanding of the business environment of this industry. As a macro-environmental analysis, the PESTLE analysis is composed of important factors such as politics, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental which have the capacity to affect and alter business at a significant level (Haberberg and Rieple, 2008). Politics The US Airline Industry belongs to a highly political scenario. The very proof was the revolution from regulation to deregulation scenario in the industry. It is highly political in the sense that competitors are trying to influence the government’s decision in order to come up with their competitive advantage in the industry. Competition was a central focus in this case because the industry is substantially composed of varying investors who would want to try to reach specific level of competitive advantage. However, the government’s political power also has important implication on the prevailing US Airline Industry. ... and price-sensitive customers, based on the case, poor economic condition of the country substantially affects the prevailing status of the US Airline Industry. This resulted to poor achievement of profit within the industry. Deregulation resulted to the formation of many airlines which also finally end up with overcapacity and eventually net losses for the industry (Vasigh et al., 2008). However, economic downturns have proven effective contributing factor that substantially affect the profitability of the US Airline Industry. In 1990s the US experienced downturn and this was further aggravated by political uncertainty due to the Gulf War and surging fuel costs (Vasigh et al., 2008). This resulted to poor economic performance within the US Airline Industry. In 2008 to 2009, passenger volumes around the globe dropped as an upshot of the economic crisis associated in these years (Rosenberg, 2010). This substantially proves that the US Airline Industry could be highly affected by the p revailing economic condition of the country and it could be severely hurt at some point for as long as the financial stability of passengers is concerned. Social Another important factor affecting poor profitability within the US Airline Industry is the existence of price-sensitive customers. However, this can only be just among of the major drawbacks of other important factors such as economic in particular. It is also important to understand profitability within the context of social understanding and the prevailing status of the US Airline Industry within individual organization. The US Airline Industry is one of the highly unionized industries in the US with more than 70% eligible employees of major airlines belonging to union (Belobaba et al., 2009). This has substantial implication

Movie Review of The Road by Cormac McCarthy Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Movie Review Example I am Legend is another 2007 post-apocalyptic tale based on the novel of the same name, which tells the story of Dr. Robert Neville, a lone survivor of a lethal disease outbreak, which was initially meant to be a cure for cancer. Neville’s family perished in an accident during the evacuation and ever since then, he only lives to find a cure and other survivors in the area. The Road and I am Legend incorporate similar character arcs and themes, of which the most dominant theme is that of loneliness. Neville has his dog, while the unnamed protagonist in The Road fights for the survival of him and his son, they are completely isolated in their endeavors. They live in constant fear of the antagonists, who are actively chasing and pursuing them, which has destroyed the basic concept of a home and pushed humanity to primitive way of life, where they lived in constant fear of being attacked by other beasts. Both Neville and Cormac’s protagonist were victims of a global unrest, which was out of the locus of their control. However, the antagonists in I am Legend were simply infected and had no control over their actions, but in The Road, the cannibals were conscious individuals, who had resorted to eating people in order to survive. Hence, while I am Legend, establishes the antagonists as mere victims, The Road tries to underline a gruesome aspect of human behavior that stemmed from a primal instinct of ‘survival of the fittest’. The cannibals were conscious individuals who had willingly chosen to eat their peers or be eaten, therefore reinforcing the concept that human beings would go to any extent in order to salvage themselves. Both stories follow a similar progression of events, along with similar character transformation but they were brought about by different catalysts. For instance, Neville is pushed to the edge and comes to terms with his mortality after losing his last remaining family member, his dog. On the other hand, Cormac’s protagonist

Management Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Management Information Systems Essay This paper will discuss the local business of Fascinations Beauty Salon, and the internet strategic model to help develop this company. This business will have to have a new strategy that set up for the viable benefits. Fascinations Beauty Salon will need to be equipped in order to benefit from creating a website. This paper will also discuss the functions of the business through the internet website. Management Information Systems Fascinations Beauty Salon has been in business for quite a long time, like fifty years. It is located in the residential area down the street from an Elementary school and a Baptist Church. The owner Mrs. B. has been doing hair for the majority of her life in the same place and she still has plenty of clients. These clients have been her business for quite some time, and she shares her salon with another beautician that only works certain days. Just recently, Mrs. B. had been trying to research into expanding her business services and was asking about having her business on the internet. Mrs. B. had just realized that she wanted to be in the race with her competitors in the Galveston County area. I spoke to Mrs. B. he other day informing her that Fascinations Beauty Salon could expand the products that she sells on a regularly basis and as well as her services. Between the women that work at this place and the students that have been in the business to get a feel, or trained with internships that she should have a website. So that when people want or need some sort of hairstyle or needs a clip or maybe even a product that only she carries that, they could send a quick electronic email out to the business or they could go to her place of business to receive such services and products. I explained to her that E-commerce is a way that patrons and businesses are getting fast admission to the internet global market. E-commerce is spreading like a wildfire, in the areas of exporting and advertising of manufactured goods and benefits by the usage of central processing units and systems. I advised her that she could triple her business and that I would set up her business with an electronic commerce with a certain type of internet industry example like (B2C) industry-to-customer: which means that ustomers can buy immediately with her company instead of trading with any liaisons. Mrs. B. inquired about the ways that a web site could assist her in benefitting, and I informed her that a web site could assist her company receive a viable gain with a planned effect on her business. With the planned effect on her business implemented as having the lowest assembly or in service expenses, offering distinctive commodities, aiming a definite section of the marketplace, increasing new ways of liability dealing, increasing commodities, or benefits, and starting collections that labor jointly. With electronic storefronts, consumers can shop on the virtual web site via electronic files and shopping pushcart replicas. Also by moving your stock franchise business on the internet, it can improve productivity and increase the buyer overhaul. Here the business can develop an electronic exchange with a combination to contenders and dealers with the benefit of supercomputers and Web sites to purchase and vend merchandise, exchange market statistics, and manage the rear organization procedures, such as monitoring the supplies. The Fascinations Beauty Salon serviceable qualifications for the use of the internet and the web could subsidy it with the physical address of business, telephone number, e-mail, hours of functions, beauty salon overhaul proposed, such as (extensive overhaul shop, loveliness merchandise, waxing, alterations, facials / make-up / skin-care, perms, spirals, haircuts). Also shows advertisements, present documentations, brands suggestions, (Rusk, Nexus, CHI, Matrix, Logics, Red- kens), with exclusive overhaul proposals ( appointments, walk-ins welcome, free parking, group bookings, and clientele performances (all ages, children, men, women, wedding parties). The technological specifications for the chosen business consist of the listed hardware as the following: the case to holds the computer, and a CPU or central processing unit, (also known as a tower) along with drives like CD and DVD drives that can transfer information onto the CD’s and the DVD’s. A monitor the shows the information on the screen along with a keyboard that is used to type information into the computer and a mouse device as a pointing cursor that shows on the monitor. A printer used to print the information as displayed on the monitor. The server domain that I suggest for Fascinations Beauty Salon is Go Daddy. Com, it can be very useful with an SSL Certificate, offers many templates for the business, and is user friendly for everything that pertains to this business. As far as the software, I would recommend that this business would try Hair-Max Salon Software that offers many different optional tabs to assist the business and make it more profitable.

Towards Self Reliance In Defence Research Economics Essay

Towards Self Reliance In Defence Research Economics Essay The idea of self-reliance is important even today. However, self-reliance does not imply pursuing a policy of autarky. It does not mean cutting ourselves away from the world. Self-reliance in the modern world implies the ability to pursue ones interests with self-confidence and faith in ones own capabilities. We do not have to pursue self-reliance by doing everything ourselves. We can, indeed, pursue greater self-reliance by creating inter-relationships of inter-dependence that enhance our bargaining power. Greater interaction with the world can in fact enhance a nations self-reliance by creating a web of mutually beneficial inter-relationships.  [1]   Dr Manmohan Singh Buy Indian and Make Indian is going to be the major component of our procurement policy. That will help us to have a strong defence industrial base in India.  [2]   -A.K. Antony, Defence Minister Introduction 1. The blossoming Indian economy is fast pacing into the 21st century with the potential of being an economic superpower. Spurred by economic reforms and the impact of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, India, is truly on the verge of carving its own niche in the world. 2. An economic superpower must also be a military super power, in terms of Military capability and strength. There should also be a dependable and reliable indigenous defence industrial base. A country which is self reliant and independent in its military requirements, and thus, also has access to technologically advanced capability can truly be termed as military superpower. The establishment of a well developed defence industrial base is of primary importance to any emerging super power. Focus should be on capability development followed by numeral growth, not the other way round. A clear understanding and identification of the requirements and needs of the armed forces and ensuring that the requirements are met within the stipulated time, in a cost effective manner, should be the primary goal of any defence industrial base and the determinant of its success. Indias Defence Industrial Base. A Historical perspective 3. Pre Independence. The pre-independence defence-industrial infrastructure in India consisted of 18 Ordnance Factories (OFs)  [3]  , generally catering to repair and overhaul as well as to supplement weapons and equipment produced in Britain. During this period India was never allowed to develop core competencies in industrial production. 4. Post Independence. Since independence the Indian leadership aimed at attaining self-sufficiency in entire domain of defence production and to achieve this Indias industrial policies  [4]  emphasized core industries (including defence sector) to be taken care of by the central government and others by the states. As a result eight Defence Public Sector Units (DPSUs) under exclusive control of the government were devoted to production of different military systems and components. Defence Science Organisation (DSO) was established at that time to take up challenges of undertaking RD activities. DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning developmental establishments with the DSO. DRDO then comprised of 10 establishments or laboratories which has now grown into a network of over 50 laboratories throughout India  [5]  . 5. Post 1962 war License production, direct purchase and acquisitions remained the predominant form of supply for the Indian defence forces. This resulted in a gap of nearly three decades in Indias effort toward indigenous production which was especially evident in the fields of design and development, which constitutes the upper spectrum of self reliance. A fighter aircraft between Marut and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), a basic trainer aircraft between HT-2 and HPT- 32, an intermediate trainer between Kiran and an yet-to-be fully developed Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) are some of the examples that typify both the technology and production gaps  [6]  . 6. Trends in 1980s and 1990s. This was the period when Cold War came to an end and Global defence expenditure rose to an all time high in 1987 and then fell sharply during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Also, there was a rise in low intensity conflicts lawlessness, crimes and terrorism was spreading manifold. This was also the time countries were opening up their economies and the globalization era commenced. This period was the starting point of major defence acquisitions from abroad coupled with major initiatives in indigenous defence production, including RD activities. The license production of Jaguars and MiG- 27M was undertaken by HAL  [7]  . Also indigenous development of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Main Battle Tank(MBT) Arjun were speeded up by DRDO. Production of missiles developed under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), through Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) commenced. Hence, during this period India had been a ble to initiate a number of projects for indigenous development. However, fructification of these projects was accompanied by inordinate delays and technological gaps. 7. The mainstay of armed forces was met through substantial arms acquisition from abroad primarily due to slow progress in our indigenous design and development activities as also the inability to keep pace with the global state-of-art technologies in the defence industry. With the change in environment after nuclear explosions by India and Pakistan and the Kargil conflict, the country had to give a re-look to its defence strategy including its objective of achieving self-reliance in defence industry. 8. Defence Industry in 21st Century Soon after the liberalization of the economy, the defence industry started realizing the importance of civil military interaction in the industrial sector to attain near self-reliance. Coupled with changes at institutional and organizational levels as recommended by the Group of Ministers Committee Report on Reforming the National Security System, is the most important policy shift in the defence-industrial sector allowing 100% private sector participation and 26% by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)  [8]  . Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has been instrumental in influencing such a marked change in policy. While these far-reaching institutional and policy-oriented changes have been underway for quite some time, the demand for private participation has assumed significance in recent years. Trends in Global Defence Industry 9. The global defence industry has undergone profound changes in recent years. The massive military build up by many countries during the Cold War era fuelled greater demand for military weapons and systems. However, immediate post Cold War period witnessed the reverse trend in demand for military weapons and systems resulting in reduction in budgetary allocation in the defence sector. This resulted in many smaller companies either to merge with big ones or to shift their priorities towards civilian production, thus leaving the defence sector. Mergers and acquisitions during this period resulted in creation of a few giant companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, British Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, EADS and others. The military expenditure again witnessed upward trend since 1999 and this is likely to continue in future  [9]  . As procurement budgets have started to swell again and are likely to stay that way, new opportunities are expected for the defence industry. In the changing conflict scenario, there has been an upward trend in the LIC, insurgency, terrorism, OOAC etc as a result of which the global defence industry after a period of significant downsizing and rationalization has entered into a phase of renewed attention. Indias Defence Industry. 10. Post Cold War era, the changing trends in the global defence industry had affected Indian defence industry in many ways. The era of economic liberalization since 1991 has resulted in indigenous build-up of technological base in the IT, communication, electronics, automobile sectors etc. Since, all acquisitions in the past and till upto mid 90s were either outright purchase or linked with license production, what best the DPSUs or the OFs could gain was expertise in production which was entirely dependent on the assemblies and Semi knock Down Kits (SKD) or sub assemblies imported from the Original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The real technology transfer aimed at enhancing the indigenous development was missing in all the deals covered under License Production and Transfer of Technology (TOT). However, the most far reaching change that has impacted the Indias defence industrial sector is the opening up of this sector for private participation. The objectives are manifold viz., re duction of defence imports from current levels of 70 percent, increase in defence exports, enhance the indigenous RD skill level and infrastructure to produce technologically advanced state of the art equipment within the time frames specified. Coupled with the economic liberalization and opening up of the defence sector to private companies was linked the problem of licensing and requirement of foreign direct investment in the defence sector. In January 2001, the GOI initiated a series of major initiatives that included Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to about 26 percent and full private participation in certain sectors in the defence industry. Shift from Self Sufficiency to Self-Reliance 11. Since independence the Indias industrial policies outlined in Industry Policy Resolution of 1948 and 1951 was aimed at achieving self sufficiency in defence production. Towards this the government invested heavily in scientific and technological institutions both educational-such as the IITs, and research and development institutes such as the CSIR, ICAR, DAE, DoS, ICMR, DRDO so as to develop a strong technological base. However, the countrys defence was neglected, as was evident in 1962 war. With a weak Defence-Industrial Base (DIB), the policies to maximize production in order to attain self-sufficiency in the defence sector although were considered farsighted, did not match expectations, thus leading to shift of focus from self-sufficiency model to self reliance model post 1962 war. 12. Self-reliance in its true sense does not preclude accessing external sources for technology and systems, or external help in any stage of the production cycle. Hence, self-reliance as far as India was concerned, meant apart from Indias own production base for support a degree of dependence on reliable foreign sources for access to technologies, supply of components and complete systems was desirable. These were materialized by meeting urgent and immediate demands through imports form abroad while simultaneously striving for indigenous capabilities in defence production. Although Indias main focus on imports was from western countries like UK, France, Sweden these countries were reluctant in supplying defence equipment to India post 1962 war with China. Indias quest for self reliance got a major boost when Russia (erstwhile USSR) agreed to Licence production by India for various defence equipment acquired by India form Russia. These Licence production of aircraft, battle tank, a rms and ammunition were undertaken by various DPSUs as well as OFs. However, the only thing that lost its focus in the bargain was the transfer of technology aimed at enhancing indigenous production and RD activities. The outcome of this is obvious, as witnessed in the LCA program, MBT Arjun, aero engine Kaveri to name a few. In spite of having produced aircraft, tanks and aero engines under license production the organizations involved in the production could hardly assimilate and nurture the technology needed to supplement our own indigenous efforts. Probably the focus of these organizations was more towards production rather than indigenization. Defence Industrial Policy 13. The defence industrial policy was aimed at establishing a strong and self sufficient defence industrial base (DIB). The objective was to have thrust in indigenous production and exploring possibilities of exports to other developing nations that may look forward to supplies from India. 14. In spite of being more focused to numeral growth or production than on the capability development (RD), India has made rapid strides in defence technology in recent past and reached a stage of some level of self-reliance. The existing potential of the country in defence production, in the form of resource capability, know-how and technical expertise, could not be exploited to its full due to lack of clear cut defence policy. However, since liberalization of the economy in 1991 there has been increased civil military interaction. The changes in the defence production policy indicates the intention to involve the private sector in defence RD and production through licensing and indirect opening of the defence industrial sector to foreign companies through FDI and the offset arrangement. Our defence industrial policy  [10]  since independence broadly consists of the following:- Maximization of indigenous production. Licence production of those equipments which are available and can be obtained from abroad. Direct procurement of those equipments not covered above, but considered essential for ensuring the security. Indigeneous Production 15. To promote indigenous production 8 DPSUs and 40 OFs were established. Also DRDO comprising of a network of 50 labs was formed to undertake RD in the field of defence weapons, systems and equipment. Ordnance factories. At the end of the WW2 Indias defence industrial capacity amounted to 18 ordnance factories, a clothing establishment, and an aircraft production plant; and the new government subsequently inherited this capability. Post independence this continued till 1958 after which the ordnance factories were steadily expanded. The war against China in 1962 prompted a further expansion in Indias ordnance capability and today the country has 39 ordnance factories. They were built to meet the growing needs of Indias armed forces over the past 60 years.The Indian Ordnance Factories Organisation (OFO) is currently the largest departmentally run industrial undertaking in the country. The 39 OFs are government units producing armaments under five categories  [11]  : Ammunition and explosives Weapons Vehicles and equipment Armoured vehicles and Ordnance equipment (other military supplies, including general stores). Defence Public Sector Undertakings. The eight defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) are public-sector corporations managed by the Indian government. The defence PSUs produces a range of defence equipment. They also provide overhaul and maintenance facilities. They are: Bharat Dynamics Ltd. BDL  was established in the year 1970 to be a manufacturing base for guided weapon systems  [12]  .  Ã‚   Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. BEML is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of earthmoving, construction and mining equipment in Asia  [13]  .   Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) was established in 1954 to meet the specialised electronic needs of the Indian defence services  [14]  . Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. HAL is a major player in the global aviation arena. It has built up comprehensive skills in design, manufacture and overhaul of fighters, trainers, helicopters, transport aircraft, engines, avionics and system equipment  [15]  .   Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) is one of  Indias leading  shipyards that builds and repairs a wide range of vessels from  warships  for the  Indian Navy  to  merchant shipping  vessels  [16]  . Goa Shipyard Ltd. GSL is a shipyard that is one of the most sophisticated ship builders in the Country. For over four decades, GSL has designed, built and commissioned a wide range of sophisticated vessels for varied applications in the defence and commercial sectors with special expertise in building modern patrol vessels of Steel and Aluminium hull structure  [17]  . Mazagon Dock Ltd. Mazagon Dock Limited is the Indias premier shipyard constructing warships as well as offshore platforms. It undertakes ship building, ship repairs and fabrication of offshore structures with facilities situated at Mumbai and Nhava  [18]  . Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd. MIDHANI caters to domestic and international customers with modern metallurgical facilities and high degree of technical competence for manufacturing its diverse product mix of superalloys, titanium alloys, special purpose steels, electrical resistance softmagnetic alloys, molybedenum and other alloys meeting the stringent requirements of the strategic sectors like defence, aerospace, power and general engineering etc  [19]  .   Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). India also has a defence research and development (RD) capability. Called DRDO. DRDO draws on the work of 51 laboratories/establishments across the country, and (in theory at least) has close links with the eight PSUs. It also co-operates with 70 academic research institutions, 50 national science and technology centres, and some companies in the private sector. License Production 16. Post independence Indias quest for self-reliance got a major boost through license production arrangement with USSR. This immensely benefited defence industry as it improved many notable weapon systems from this experience. Indias self-reliance model in defence production was thought to have given a life lease by the Soviets. The normal assumption is that production under license would enable the country not only to acquire the capability to produce a particular equipment or product but also help it gain the technical know-how for subsequent upgradation and further technological innovations. For the last fifty-odd years, India has been producing a number of defence equipment under license. Good examples in this regard are the Vijayanta tank and the MIG series of fighter aircraft  [20]  . But this does not seem to have helped in the development of the Arjun Main Battle Tank and the Light Combat Aircraft. Moreover, India has not even been able to upgrade  certain fighter airc raft held and operated for a long time by its armed forces. Direct procurement 17. To meet the immediate requirement of the armed forces, outright purchase of the systems/ equipment is resorted to. This may be from abroad or for indigenous companies. The objective of the defence policy aims at maximizing indigenous production; what could not be produced indigenously should be produced under license arrangement; and those that could not be obtained through these two routes should be acquired by direct purchase. Emerging Defence Production Policies in 21st Centruy Transparency in Defence Procurement 18. Since independence and almost till late 90s only a select few companies got the Request for Proposals (RFPs) with secrecy being maintained in the procurement process. With the introduction of Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) the government has strengthened its commitment to transparency in the procurement process and to removing the veil of secrecy surrounding it. The case in point is the procurement of MMRCA. The deals of recent times are open deals with no more veil of secrecy in the RFP. The details of the RFP are made available to all industry representatives by placing the tenders on the net, except in the most sensitive cases, which may be minuscule in number. Ensuring transparency in the procurement process has also resulted in widening the vendor base. Defence Procurement Procedure 19. Defence Procurement Procedure 2008 is presently being followed. This was issued after DP-2006 was revised along with the Fast Track Procedure 2001 and the Procedure for Indigenous Warship Building. In addition, most importantly, a procedure for the development of systems based on indigenous research and design, categorized as MAKE, has now been formulated. This bridges a critical gap that existed hitherto, and would provide the requisite framework for increased participation of Indian industry in the defence sector.  Some of the important features of Defence Procurement Procedure includes: Reducing the timeframe for acquisitions. Enhanced transparency by placing the generic requirements of the Services on MOD website and generating vendor registration through Internet. Increased transparency in the conduct of field trials. Integrity Pact made compulsory for all contracts above Rs. 100 crores. An Offset obligation of 30% for all contracts above Rs. 300 crores. However, there have been indications of companies trying to dilute this clause. FDI in Defence Production 20. To boost up the indigenous production in the defence sector, the government in 2001 had opened up the defence sector by permitting 100 percent private participation in defence production and also 26 percent Foreign Direct Investment of the host companys equity. However, the only glitch in the whole process was the requirement of obtaining a license from the defence ministry by the private firms to produce military hardware. However, there is a need to increase FDI limit from the current 26 per cent which would facilitate access to desired niche technology and processes. De licensing of Defence Production 21. DPP-2008 did away with the license requirement for industries for manufacturing military hardware, thereby creating a level playing field with the defence public sector undertakings. Considered to be a revolutionary DPP, the de licensing will enable the private industries to skillfully employ the available expertise to take up production of military hardware. This will definitely boost up the efforts of indigenization in defence technology. Raksha Udyog Ratnas 22. Effective participation by the Industry, both public and private, at various points of interaction and subsequent long-term association in product development and productionisation, can be only done through those firms of proven excellence and which are capable of contributing, depending on their technical, managerial and financial strength. These firms called as Raksha Udyog Ratnas (RUR) would be the key drivers towards raising indigenous defence technological base and world-class manufacturing capabilities in India. R D in Military Aviation Sector 23. Aviation is one of the most significant technological influences of our time and empowers the nation with strength. It is a major tool for economic development and has a significant role in National security and  international  relations. 24. Various military, DPSUs and private companies have been associated in the R D activities, software and systems development and systems integration on civil, fighter aircraft and helicopters. These are Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Aircraft Upgrade Research and Development Centre (AURDC), HAL, Mission Computing System Research and Development Centre (MCSRDC) HAL, and Software Development Institute (SDI). DARE played a pivotal role in evolving the avionics architecture of Mig 27 upgrade, developed the Core Avionics Computer (CAC), mission computer software for CAC, display suite software of SU 30 MKI and the hardware and operating system of Radar Computer of SU 30 MKI. SDI based at Bangalore has been actively involved in the indigenous upgrades of SU 30 MKI as well as development of various mission planning systems and weapon algorithms employed in Mig 27 upgrade. AURDC has been involved in the Bison upgrade, Mig 27 upgrade and various indigenous upgrades of SU 30 MKI aircraft. MCSRDC has played a vital role in the software development and integration of avionics systems in the Jaguar (Darin II) aircraft. It is also involved in the upgrade of Jaguar to Darin III standards. Joint Ventures 25. India has an inherent edge over several other nations because of higher skills and lower costs of production. This makes India an ideal contender for joint ventures. HAL has entered into joint ventures with many overseas aviation system companies to undertake design and development of new systems in India. Some of these are the BaeHAL, HAL Edgewood, HELBIT etc. Many other software and hardware giants involved in the aviation hardware and software development especially in the embedded and real time system domain have also established their facilities in Bangalore. Some of these are GE Intelligent Systems, Honeywell, etc. 26. Given their rapid growth over the last decade, it is perhaps no surprise that Indian software companies such as HCL, Infosys, Infotech, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro have been active in the aerospace industry for several years. Increasingly, they are benefiting from the engineering services outsourcing programmes. This will help India evolve from IT and low-end business process outsourcing work to high-end design services. Overseas companies view the Indian companies as long-term partners and not as mere suppliers/vendors. Private Participation 27. EADSs helicopter subsidiary Eurocopter has had one of the longest partnerships with Indian industry. Since 1962, it has worked with HAL in India to manufacture more than 600 Alouette 3 and Lama (known as Cheetah and Chetak locally) helicopters. HAL also produces airframes for the Ecureuil/Fennec family of rotorcraft. The European firm also plans to set up pilot training facilities in India for the civil and military segments and plans to invest à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7-8 billion ($9.5-11 billion) over the next 10 years. Tata has entered into JV with AgustaWestland to assemble the AW119 in India. 28. Honeywell Aerospace, which provides integrated avionics, engines, systems and service products for the aerospace industry, is one example. The US company has a design and development centre in India that it hopes to expand in the coming years. Airbus has set up the Airbus Engineering Centre India in Bangalore where local engineers help develop capabilities in modelling and simulation, covering areas such as flight management systems and aerodynamics, to help in the design and production of aircraft such as the A380 and the A350. It is also working with Indian IT firms such as CADES, HCL, Infosys, Quest and Satyam to offer support across various aircraft programmes. Conclusion 29. Indias defence-industrial strategy is directed primarily toward achieving self-reliance. Presently, there is a clear imbalance in requirements by the armed forces. While roughly 70 percent of requirements are met through arms imports, the domestic sources supply the rest. The current strategy is geared to reverse this trend with the primary aim of supplying three-fourth of the requirements through domestic sources. Indias decision to allow private participation in the defence-industrial sector is seen as a dual aim, namely to achieve much-needed capital and production enhancement and, secondly, to open up to the external market through their presence. There is also an effort to adopt suitable strategies to make select sectors like aerospace and electronics globally competitive. DPSUs like HAL and BEL are now much in demand and are trying to become viable global giants. 30. The overall strategy is to make the defence-industrial sector act as a locomotive for economic development. In this regard, an emphasis on dual-use technologies and production is contemplated which could benefit both the defence and civilian sector. The current strategy also looks into various options toward minimising the state investments in the defence sector while encouraging private and foreign portfolio investment in existing Indian defence companies. If recent changes in various policies related to the defence industry are supposed to have any meaning, then, despite all problems, there is something to be optimistic about in the Indian defence industry.

A study on Fraud prevention and Detection

A study on Fraud prevention and Detection The aim of this writing is to present how fraud is defined today, why fraud prevention and detection is global concern and introduce main means of detecting and preventing fraud. It can be seen that fraud can range from small employee theft, fruitless behaviour, embezzlement of company`s assets and fraudulent financial reporting. This kind of actions can have strong adverse effect on company`s market value, reputation and it reduces company`s power to achieve its strategic objectives, etc. Lately, numerous cases that found themselves in limelight of public attention, such as Enron and WorldCom, sensitized everyones awareness about the effect of fraudulent and deceptive reporting. Therefore, large number of companies started to be more proactive in taking serious measures to prevent and detect its occurrence. The jeopardy of fraud can be minimized through effective combination of prevention, deterrence and detection measures. As it will be described in more detail in the rest of this paper, fraud can be very hard to detect. As means of detection are becoming more sophisticated, so do the ways of committing fraud. For this very reason every company should strongly emphasise fraud prevention, which can definitely reduce chances for fraud to take place, and fraud detection, which can create atmosphere at work that fraud will be detected and committers will be punished. Moreover, costs for fraud prevention are less expensive than the time and money needed for fraud detection and investigation. Definition Defining fraud can be harder than it seems. It is a term that can be heard very often in everyday life. Though, what is meant by fraud in business world can be somewhat different. Finding consistent meaning and precise definition of fraud is crucial for understanding it. For this reason a few legal definitions of what is considered by fraud will be presented. In UK fraud is defined in Fraud Act form 2006. In explanatory notes to Fraud Act 2006, Chapter 35 it can be seen that there are several ways fraud can be committed, such as: by false representation (person must make dishonest and false representation with clear intention to gain or cause loss to other party), by failing to disclose information (failing to disclose an important information to another person to which you have legal duty to disclose it, is considered as fraud), by abuse of position (abusing privileged position, where by virtue of this position a person is expected to protect another`s financial interest and do not act against those intersperses), by gaining or losing property dishonestly (whether material or intellectual), possession of items for use in fraud, making or supplying articles for use in fraud (for example manufacturing machines for false money making), by participating in fraudulent business carried out on by sole trader (fraudulent trading for under the companies legislation), by taking part in fraudulent business carried on by a company, obtaining service dishonestly (for example by avoiding payment) and liability of company officers for offences by company (if a person has specific corporate role for which is responsible, it usually applies to directors, managers, etc). In USA there are numerous state and federal laws which are regulating fraud in number of areas, such as consumer fraud, insurance fraud, corporate fraud, etc. Summary of what is generally perceived as fraud leads one to conclude that there are some similarities with fraud definition in UK by Fraud Act 2006. In both cases there must be purposive misinterpretation of facts made by one, fully aware party in order to cause injury or damage (material, intellectual, etc.) to other party. Fraud of failing to disclose information in U.S. is interpreted as omission or `purposive failure to state material facts, which nondisclosure makes other statement misleading` (www.uslegal.com) Moreover, in Canada fraud is classified as criminal offence. In Canada`s Criminal Code, Article 380 (1) and 380 (2) it is stated clearly that fraud is considered to be any fraudulent behaviour designed to manipulate other party, so as this party will give something of value to him/her by means of lying purposively misleading the second party although fully aware of falseness of that act hiding a fact from the other part which may have prevented the party to suffer any kind of loss or damage. Additionally, `every one who, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means, whether or not it is a false pretence within the meaning of this Act, defrauds the public or any person, whether ascertained or not, of any property, money or valuable security or any service (or) with intent to defraud, affects the public market price of stocks, shares, merchandise or anything that is offered for sale to the public` Canada`s Criminal Code, Article 380 (1). Contemporary researchers (Weirich and Reinstein, 2000; Albrecht et al., 1994, 1995) define fraud as intentional deception, stealing and cheating investors, creditors, public, government bodies, etc. Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 82 identifies two separate fraud types: Fraudulent financial reporting or management fraud (managers try to report inflated profit, overstates assets and revenues or understate expenses and liabilities with intention to modify financial statements) and Misappropriation of assets or employee fraud (employees steal money or other companies belongings). This statement also points out different fraud schemes such as employee embezzlement, management fraud, investment scams, vendor fraud, customer fraud, and miscellaneous fraud. However, it can be concluded that though these countries have similar definitions of what fraudulent activities are considered to be, there are substantial differences. Businesses operating in different countries, especially multinational companies, must be aware of these differences, acts and statements as they are the one in greatest danger suffering from not thoroughly knowing them. Causes associated with individuals committing fraud Fraud Triangle Before explaining main methods and bodies within company responsible for prevention and detection of fraud, psychological factors that might influence the behaviour of fraud committers must be mentioned. It is suggested (Moyes and Hasan, 1996; Hernan, 2008) that the best way of fraud prevention is understanding what main drivers of fraud are. The three following drivers are most commonly known as fraud triangle. Need there are numerous types of financial pressure, gambling habits or maybe unreasonably high expectations of high returns that create enough pressure for management to commit financial statement fraud. Some warning signs of pressure in organization and among employees could be discovered by internal control questionnaires, interview with managers, surveys or communication with employees. Opportunity people often see opportunity to commit fraud when internal control system in organization is weak. Internal auditors and managers should from time to time test the effectiveness of various types of control in order to reduce opportunities for fraud. Justification the third component of fraud triangle is rationalization for fraudulent activity. There are a lot of different explanations and justifications of fraudulent activity. Some fraudsters concludes that they did not get a deserved promotion and want to make things right on their own. Others did not get deserved bonuses at the yearend or they rationalize their act as just borrowing from the company. The risk is higher in companies with poor management structure and unclear bonus system. Hernan (2008) suggests evaluation of management competences, objectivity and transparency in order to identify and spot on time fraud risks. If management, internal control or any other entity in a company, which duty is fraud prevention and detection, is aware of these factors, then that entity will certainly be more effective in developing mechanisms of fraud detection and punishment The Cost of Fraud Before any prevention and detection method or entity within a company is discussed the cost of fraud must be explained as only then when we realise how big damage fraud can cause, we are able to truly understand significance of internal controls, audit committee, management, internal auditors, independent auditors and certified fraud examiners. Fraud is a global problem affecting organizations of all types and sizes. According to the Association of Certified fraud examiners (ACFE) estimates that US companies loose approximately 5% of their annual revenues to fraud. Majority of frauds are detected by tips or accidently. The most frequently type of fraud are: asset misappropriation (91,5% of reported frauds), corruption accounts for 30,8% and financial statements fraud accounts for 10,6% ,with median loss estimated at 2 million dollars. Most recent large fraudulent schemes were Enron (63 billion dollars in assets) and WorldCom (107 billion dollars in assets) were investors lose billions of dollars. According to Adams et al. (2006), the greatest financial impact of fraud is in small firms and businesses. The loss of 7% of revenues (estimated by ACFE) is also significant for large companies but small companies will probably be out of business because of it. On the other hand, when fraud occurs companies could suffer from damage of brand and reputation. Stakeholders could see that as an early warning sign. Big bills caused by fraud are almost never paid by committers, but unfortunately, by innocent parties such as consumers, insurance companies etc. This just amplifies opening statement how important job of bodies in charge of fraud detection and prevention is. Fraud prevention and detection Many authors (Mclnnes and Stevenson 1997, Adams et al 2006, Hernan 2008, Grambling et al 2009) suggests that prevention of fraud is the most cost-effective way to deal with possible financial and reputation loss. For all of the reasons mentioned in previous sections of this work it is crucial for every company to develop mechanism for effective detection and prevention of fraud. Statement on Auditing Standards No. 99 by AICPA (2002) suggest that there should be a body within a company with appropriate overight function. Oversight function can take many forms such as audit committee, board of directors etc. Measures this entities can implement are divided into three categories: create atmosphere of honesty and high ethics; evaluate the risks of fraud and implement adequate processes, procedures, and controls necessary to reduce the risks and the opportunities for fraud develop an appropriate oversight process The pivotal role in the process has the companies CEO. Although the management is responsible for implementing these activities, without CEOs support, this process is likely to be successful. In the oversight process specific companys entity has specific role in preventing and detecting fraud. The most important entities will now be discussed and their role will be explained. Culture of honesty and high ethics Every organization should posses a set of core values and nurture culture of honesty and high ethics. This set of values is often involved in companys code of conduct which has aim to guide employees in everyday activities (often include topics like ethics, confidentiality, conflicts of interests etc.). Management must show to employees through their actions that dishonest or unethical behaviour will not be tolerated. It is also important for management to create: a positive workplace environment. For example, if employees work in bad work environment, the chances of committing fraud against a company are greater To hire and promote appropriate employees Provide training to new employees and introduce them with code of conduct Require from employees to annually sign code of conduct and to write about possible breaking of code of conduct If fraud occurs in organization, the appropriate steps should be taken to examine all aspects of fraud and to improve existing internal controls Implement and Monitor Appropriate Internal Controls As mentioned before in work, people often see opportunity to commit fraud when internal control system in organization is weak. That is the main reason why organization should be put more effort to minimize fraud opportunities. According to AICPA (2002) some risks are inherent within the environment of the company, but large number of them can be most can be discovered with a proper internal control system. One process for assessment of fraud risk takes place; the company can recognize controls, processes and other procedures that are crucial for reducing identified risks. Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) report of the Treadway Commission states that effective internal control should include: a well-developed control environment an effective and secure information system, appropriate control and monitoring activities. Information technology plays pivotal role in operations and transactions over information generated by computers. For this reason management need to implement and sustain proper controls (automated or manual). Especially, management is obliged to assess whether internal controls have been implemented in those areas where high risk of fraud exists and in entities where financial reports are processed. Reporting of fraudulent activities can be going on temporary basis, hence management should evaluate internal controls responsible for short term financial reporting. The institute for fraud prevention in 2007 mentioned that upper level management is usually involved in fraudulent financial reporting by overriding internal controls involved in controlling the process that fraudulent financial reporting by upper-level management typically involves override of internal controls within the financial reporting process. Because management has the ability to override controls the need for a strong value system and a culture of ethical financial reporting becomes more important. This helps create an environment in which other employees will decline to participate in committing a fraud and will use established communication procedures to report any requests to commit wrongdoing. The potential for management override also increases the need for appropriate oversight measures by the board of directors or audit committee which will be discussed in the following section. Fraudulent financial reporting by lower levels of management and employees may be detected by appropriate monitoring controls, such as having higher-level managers review and evaluate the financial results reported by individual operating units or subsidiaries. Unusual fluctuations in results or the lack of expected fluctuations may indicate potential manipulation by some department managers or employees. DEVELOP AN APPROPRIATE OVERSIGHT PROCESS After implementation of code of conduct, core values and internal control process into organization, management should also develop an appropriate oversight process to overlook internal controls and reduce as much as possible risk of fraud. The oversight process contains management, internal auditors, audit committee, independent auditors and certified fraud examiners. Audit Committee or Board of Directors Gramling et al. (2009) in his work argue that audit committee is critical element of internal controls and have important stewardship responsibility to shareholders. Also he cited former SEC chairman Arthur Levitt who described audit committee as one of the most reliable guardians of the public interest ( Gramling et al.,2009,p.24). According to research taken by Cohen et al.(2009), audit committee effectiveness has been improved since Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002. From auditors perspective, audit committee has enough expertise to identify main risks and oversee internal controls. It is crucial that audit committee members be independent of management to provide oversight and comply with regulations. This could be a problem especially in smaller companies. Also smaller companies facing with another problem- How to find and recruit quality and qualified members for audit committee. AICPA(2005) suggested to audit committee to consider periodical meetings with representatives from each of the above mentioned groups (internal auditors,external auditors etc.) to discuss any matter could affect the financial reporting process and increase the risk of fraud. The main duties of audit committee should be to: evaluate managements identification of fraud risks and implementation of antifraud measures. Audit committee can by active oversight support management in implementation of appropriate fraud prevention measures. The final aim is better protection of all stakeholders. The Report of the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission on the Audit Committee (2000) emphasized the importance of role which audit committee plays in helping the board of directors in oversight duties, with regard to companys financial reporting processes and internal control systems. When taking the oversight responsibility, the audit committee must take care not to override managements control responsibilities. Therefore, they should have a good communication with internal and external auditors and may consider to review from time to time firm`s reported information with forecasted ones and industry averages as well. In addition to this SAS 60 in AICPA (2002) argues that communication with external auditors could improve strength of the firms internal control and give higher potential to deal with fraudulent financial reporting 10 See Statement on Auditing Standards No. 60, Communication of Internal Control Related Matters Noted in an Audit (AICPA, Professional Standards, vol. 1, AU sec. 325), and SAS No. 61, Communications With Audit Committees (AICPA, Professional Standards, vol. 1, AU sec. 380), as amended. Audit committee, as part of their oversight duties, should try to motivate management to encourage all employees to report everything that looks like unethical behaviour, fraud, or any violations of the code of conduct. The committee should then receive periodic reports from management and employees, describing the nature of any possible unethical behaviour. Report of the NACD Best Practices Council (1998) suggests that if senior management is involved in fraud (according to Deloitte survey 2008, which is the case in 68 per cent of all financial statement fraud), next management level is very likely to be cognizant of it. Hence, it would be recommended that audit committee has an open communication with one or two levels of management under senior executives. In this way they could take part in fraud identification at the top positions of the organization. Usually, the audit committee has the power to investigate all suspicious activities that catch their attention and within the realm of their responsibilities. They could also benefit from assistance of accounting and professional advisors. All committee members must be educated about finances and have at least one expert in that field. Management Mclnnes and Stevenson (1997) argue that according to statements in SAS 110 management is responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud. Also Cadbury committee (1992) requires from directors to report on effectiveness of a companys internal control system. On the other hand, Kranacher and Stern- Cpa journal argue that despite the responsibility for preventing fraud lies on management of company, auditors should be also prepared to detect fraud. Authors underpin their statement with presentation of SAS 99-Consideration of fraud in financial statements, which set new fraud standards for auditors. It requires from auditors to discuss with management about possible frauds in organization and to be aware of risk that fraud may occur and be material for financial statements. The main concerns about fraud prevention could be data presented from The institute for fraud prevention in 2007 that executive directors (CEO and CFO) could deceive auditors and audit committee by providing false information. Their analysis further indicates that in 21% of the financial statements fraud cases, external auditors were named as participants. Also in 40% of companies where fraud took place, board members were participants. This can be significant obstacle in effective fraud detection. Similar evidences could be seen from Deloittes survey taken in 2008 about financial statement fraud. CEO, CFO and controller of the company were involved in 68% of individuals who committed financial statement fraud. Other members of management were involved in 24% of all financial statement fraud. That survey can give us a lot of interesting data about financial statement fraud. For example, most common fraud schemes are revenue recognition (38%, especially recording of fictitious revenue), manipulation of expenses (12%) , improper disclosures (12%) and manipulation of liabilities and assets etc. The financial fraud schemes are most common in industries like telecommunications, technology, media and entertainment. The average duration of fraud schemes has been seven years in 2008 and has increasing trend. Responsibility of management is to supervise the employees` activities. They typically do that by implementing and montiroing all control means previously mentioned. Management is also able to commence, take part in, or direct means against fraudulent acts. Audit committee is responsible (if there is no audit committee the board of directors is in charge) to supervise activities of senior managers and think about risks that fraudulent financial reporting brings. Mclnnes and Stevenson (1997) in their work conclude that although general public perceive external auditors as strongest defensive against corporate fraud that is not their primary objective. Board of directors have a duty to safeguard the assets of their companies and to report on the effectiveness of their companies internal control system (section 404 of SOX). The most effective way of implementation of measure for reducing wrongdoing is to establish them on a range of core values that could be embraced by the company. These values consist of important key principles that have the potential to guide all employees` actions. Then this values could be taken a step further and a platform for detailed code of conduct could be forms. Companys code should entail specific descriptions about what is permitted and what is prohibited. At the end management must be clear in stating that all employee`s will be hold accountable in the company`s code of conduct. Also Mclnnes and Stevenson (1997) argue that board of directors are responsible for prevention and detection of fraudulent activities by others in the company, but on the other hand it is not clear who has a legal responsibility for preventing and detecting fraudulent activities by directors. Internal Auditors Organized audit team can very effectively be involved in many aspects of oversight control. Their familiarity with how entity operates can help them identify indicators of fraud. The Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (IIA Standards), issued by the Institute of Internal Auditors, state The internal auditor should have sufficient knowledge to identify the indicators of fraud but is not expected to have the expertise of a person whose primary responsibility is detecting and investigating fraud. Internal auditors are in position to asses fraud risks and control, and suggest actions for risk minimization and control improvement. Some standards, such as IIA Standards, even require from internal auditors to perform assessment of possible company`s risk. These assessments of risk then provide starting point for audit plans and internal control tests are based on them. Additionally, the same standard demands that all audit plans are presented and permitted by the audit company (where audit committee does not exist this should be presented to board of directors). Furthermore, audit plans provide guarantee for affirmation of management`s control. Internal audit can have two roles detection and deterrence. Internal auditors are included in fraud deterrence by analysing and evaluating the appropriateness and efficiency of internal control systems, though Hillison et al (1999) states that it is responsibility of management. In executing this responsibility, internal auditors should: evaluate the control environment identify control weaknesses have strong communication with management Hillison et al (1999) argue that internal auditors should pay attention on cash transactions as well as on other non-balance sheet assets. The following steps should be taken: increased use of analytical review (because ratio analysis and trend analysis sometimes could show us unusual relations with other accounts, especially when we have several years data to analyse and compare Cohen et al.(2009) stated that reliance on internal auditors has increased in the post-SOX period, mainly because of section 404. Internal auditors could use a lot of techniques (analythical or other procedures) to prevent and detect fraudulent behaviour in organization. They could search for particular types of fraud or they could check high-risk accounts for frauds. Every suspicion of fraud or management involment should be directly reported to the audit committee. Independent Auditors and existing audit approach to prevent fraud External auditors have a significant role in oversight process. They should provide information to management and audit committee about possible risks. In order to have full benefit from external auditors, management should have open communication with them. Glover and Aono (1995) in their work presented basic audit-risk model which consists of three elements: inherent risk, control risk and detection risk. They stressed that auditors should understand clients internal control system because they should determine how much they can rely on accounting information generated from clients financial reporting system. On the other hand, McKee and Norway (2006) argue that auditors become too predictable in their audits and that fraudsters could anticipate their actions. Moreover, the public and stakeholders expects from auditors to do better job at fraud prevention (that is the main reason of existence of audit expectation gap). Audit plans should incorporate an element of unpredictability according to SAS 99 and ISA 240 in order to decrease fraud risk. The main benefits of unpredictable auditors approach according to authors would be increasing chances of fraud discovery (more effective audit), deterrence of fraud will be also increased (because of reduced opportunity to commit fraud) and audit will become more enjoyable. On the other hand, this will have impact on costs associated with unpredictable audit approach: extra planning time, extra time to perform necessary procedures and additional training time. Also, authors suggested a following procedures for unpredictable audit approach: random sampling, unannounced inventory observation, changing techniques from prior years, test some small and low risk accounts etc. Certified Fraud Examiners Certified fraud examiners as professionals could have the important role in oversight process. They have a lot of knowledge and experience in fraud detection and prevention and could use their knowledge to assist the audit committee and internal auditors. As professionals from outside the company they can give more objective opinion about internal control system. Also, they can evaluate possible risks of fraud ( especially fraud committed by top management) and implement appropriate measures in order to minimize it. fraud.5 5 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 2006 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse (Austin, TX: ACFE, 2004), p. 18 Ernst Young International Fraud Group, Fraud: the Unmanaged Risk: An International Survey of the Effects of Fraud on Business (London, UK: Ernst Young, 1998), p. 2. To conclude, despite management have responsibility to conduct adequate fraud risk assessment, audit committee should overlook quality of the financial reporting process. According to Silver et al. (2008), audit committee should not only apply traditional fraud risk assessment (like segregation of duties), but to consider and incorporate proactive approach. In order to be good in their stewardship role they should improve their accounting and fraud knowledge , search for collusive fraud and obtain feedback. Conclusion Some organizations have significantly lower levels of misappropriation of assets and are less susceptible to fraudulent financial reporting than other organizations because these organizations take proactive steps to prevent or deter fraud. It is only those organizations that seriously consider fraud risks and take proactive steps to create the right kind of climate to reduce its occurrence that have success in preventing fraud. It was also found that organisations with strong internal controls, internal auditors and audit committees were better equipped to deal with fraud in any form according to Alleyne and Howard(2005)

Cyber Bullying Essay -- Technology, Real Perpetrators, Cyberbullying

Going to a new school in Massachusetts, all the way from Ireland, Phoebe Prince is ready to start a new life and make new friends. Not everything always workes out in her favor, though. As soon as Prince starts dating the star football player, the threats start flowing in. The constant torments at school leave her lonely and depressed, and when she got home, it never stopped. She was getting never ending text messages and the torments didn’t stop there. Phoebe was constantly getting harassed through social networking sites, such as Facebook. High school is supposed to be the time of her life, but she is only able to live one year of it because she takes her own life relentlessly. Cyber bullying is a problem that affects almost half of American teens (NCPC 1). Adult authorities should enact strict rules to protect vulnerable children from suffering the effects of the modern threat of cyber bullying. Although technology makes it difficult to identify the real perpetrator, the expansion of technology throughout the years has recently made cyber bullying a more prominent factor. From Myspace to Facebook to Formspring to Twitter, cyber bullying makes its way over the entire internet, and will not stop for anything. The rise of networking sites, personal Web pages and blogs brimming with the minutiae of teens antics and angst has helped to create a rich climate for cyber mayhem: Locker-room photos snapped with cell phones and broadcast on the Internet, fake profiles created on social-networking sites, salacious rumors spread in chat rooms, threats zapped across town in instant messages (Billitteri 4). They warn that young people on these sites are more likely to be the victims of cyber bullying and that they are also vulnerable to pr... ...y, has a very strict Internet usage policy with certain sites, like Myspace, blocked so students cannot access them (Cyber Bullying 3). Cyber bullying causes destruction to not only the victim’s life, but the loved ones of the victim as well. With the modern day technology that increases every day, cyber bullying will keep growing without the strict anti-bullying laws that need to be enforced not only in select states, but in all. Schools need to be more open-eyed to what children are doing during school hours and being strict that their acts don’t follow them home. Parents need to teach their children better habits and respectful manners so that when they are confronted with others, it is less likely they will be a bully to them. With all these minor improvements that can be made, cyber bullying can be diminished very easily if everyone helps out every day.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Biblical Allusions in The Shipmans Tale E

The Canterbury Tales, - Biblical Allusions in The Shipman’s Tale There is no doubting Chaucer’s mastery at paroemia; that his adaptations of his many and varied sources transcended their roots is attested by the fact that, unlike many of his contemporaries or authorities, his works have not â€Å"passen as dooth a shadwe upon the wal†[1]. Yet while his skill as a medieval author is undisputed, the extent of his subtlety is not always fully appreciated. In The Canterbury Tales, for instance, while some tales were rapid in drawing academic interest and scholarly interpretations, others were quickly dismissed as ribald tales, as simple fabliaux hardly worthy of more than a cursory examination. The Shipman’s Tale was one of these. That â€Å"[It] may be Chaucer’s earliest fabliau† and â€Å"relatively simple in design and execution†[2] seemed, for a period of time, to be the general consensus on this piece; the primary concern of scholars was in unearthing its sources (which proved to be uncharacteristically problematic), not in analysing its structural complexities or for insights into medieval society and life. Yet recent research[3] has renewed interest in this first tale from The Canterbury Tales’ Fragment VII, and it can now be seen as a fabliaux, yes, but as one that is as rich a tapestry – woven of biblical allusions, literary techniques, intertextuality, and social commentary – as any of the other tales. By pulling out and examining the care and skill with which Chaucer inserted just one of these multiple threads – in this case, the biblical allusions within The Shipman’s Tale – it can be shown that this is as significant a tale as any other. There are a limited number of methods by which Chaucer can integrate a biblical all... ...timis finibus pretium eius.† ; â€Å"Who shall find a valiant woman? far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.† (Douay Translation). [13]Theresa Coletti, in â€Å"The Meeting at the Gate: Comic Hagiography and Symbol in The Shipman’s Tale†, associates the meeting of the merchant and his wife at the household gate (after his successful business venture) with the meeting of Joachim and Anne at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem. Assuming that the apocryphal tale was well known, Chaucer’s audience would have recognized the iconographic significance of a meeting by a gate. Gail McMurray Gibson, in â€Å"Resurrection as Dramatic Icon in the Shipman’s Tale† in Signs and Symbols in Chaucer’s Poetry, suggests that the tale alludes to the Resurrection, especially via Christ’s meeting with Mary Magdalene. Unfortunately, I was unable to secure a copy of that work for this essay.

Comparing the Love of Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night and the Bible Ess

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No emotion has such universal meaning as love. It is an integral part of the human condition. Love is the basis for by which all other emotions can be gauged. Friendship and even grief are steeped in love. Love is so central to our lives that it is fitting and proper that it should be the topic of so much discussion. Every culture and every writer has some commentary or evaluation of love. The New Testament has its share of love commentary. The entire basis of the Christian tradition is God's love for humanity. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." (John 3:6) Jesus preached a great deal about love of neighbor, love of God and even love of enemies. (Matt 5:44) Shakespeare's Biblical knowledge is well known and he was certainly familiar with these concepts as he wrote his plays on the subject of love. By looking closely at his works, we can analyze the nature of true love. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare gives an example of true love overcome by tragic fate. His "star-crossed lovers" are so madly in love with each other that they cannot live without being together. (RJ Prologue, 6) By contrast, in Twelfth Night the characters are so fickle that they switch love interests in the span of a few lines. By comparing the true love of Romeo and Juliet with the shallow love of Twelfth Night, it becomes clear that Shakespeare agrees with the Biblical assessment of love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is necessary, of course, to begin by explaining what the Biblical evaluation of love is. Of all the references to love in the Bible, and there are many, three sources apply best to this discussion. In the Old Testament, Song of Songs, a descriptive love poem between a woman and her true love, has many parallels to love in Romeo an... ...nd Juliet, Critical Essays. Garland Publishing, New York: (c)1993 Palmer, D.J. "'Twelfth Night' and the myth of Echo and Narcissus.'" in Shakespeare Survey 32. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: (c)1979 Parker, Barbara. A Precious Seeing, Love and Reason in Shakeswpeare's Plays. New York University Press, New York: (c)1987 Shaheen, Naseeb. "Shakespeare's Knowledge of the Bible -- How Aquired" in Shakespeare Studies XX. Burt Franklin & Co., New York: (c)1988 Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Cliff's Notes, Lincoln: (c)1965 Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. Cliff's Notes, Lincoln: (c)1965 Summers, Joseph H. "The Masks of Twelfth Night" in Twentieth Century Interpretations of Twelfth Night. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs: (c)1968 Vyvyan, John. Shakespeare and the Rose of Love. Chatto & Windus, London: (c)1960   

Emi Group Plc In The Music Publishing And Recording Industry Essay

Music and recording industry present interesting development due to the introduction of new artists and the development of new music genre, to name a few. In addition, the industry also experiences significant challenge due to the advancement in digital technology that drives the industry to find appropriate ways in winning the competition. The challenge occurs since there is a difference circumstances in the competition of media industry where previously the existence of new media does not eliminate the old media. The existence of commercial radio, for example, does not kill the print media like magazines and newspaper. Similarly, the existence of television broadcasting also does not eliminate the existence of radio and newspaper. In many cases, the television broadcaster also owns radio and newspapers companies to complement their media business. However, the situation may be completely different in the digital age where the existence of internet and the development of digital technology like file compression (MP3, mpeg, and file-sharing technologies etc) could completely kill the old model of music distribution such as compact disc. The so-called MP3, often refers to MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, is an audio encoding format that reduce the file size from tens of megabyte (when using WAV or compact disc format) into less than 5 Megabyte (MB) in MP3 format for one same song. Audio Galaxy and Napster are two companies that employ file-sharing technology that enables their members/customers to exchange their music or video with others members/customers (Karp, 2007). Immediately, the invention of new audio encoding format increases the sales of portable digital music players like iPod. Coupled with the increased international internet bandwidth, the exchange of MP3 files rises significantly. A number of websites that enable users or music lovers to download the desired songs in MP3 format also rises. Despite the attractiveness of MP3 technology for audio, MP4, and MPEG for video, the technologies causes severe violation of copyright as downloading music and video without paying royalties to the owners/singers of the music is considered as piracy in digital world/domains. Concerning the challenges in the music and recording industry, this paper will discuss about Emi Group plc, a giant in music and recording industry. In particular, there are several issues including the identification of strategic choices that EMI performs, EMI and its critical success factors in competing in the industry within the last five years, and the use of appropriate management concepts in evaluating the suitability of EMI’s current strategies to deal with future competition. 2. Aim and Objectives The objectives of this paper are to analyze current and future positions of EMI Group plc in the music publishing and recording industry. Systematically, we can derive the objectives into four points. First is to analyze the strategy of EMI Groups plc that positions the company in the music and recording industry. Second is to use the appropriate research methodology, this paper is to assess EMI Group plc and its critical success factor in the last five years. Third is to use the relationship of research approach, deductive, quantitative to explore key resources and capabilities of EMI in the next five years and assess whether they can create sustainable competitive advantage. And fourth is to use the non-participant observation method, collecting data and analyzing qualitative information from journal, books, magazine and online materials, this paper is to adopt the management concepts to evaluate the appropriateness of EMI’s current strategies for the future. 3. Porter’s Five Forces This section will discuss Porter’s five forces on EMI Group the recording industry which details the threat of new entrants, power of buyers, power of suppliers, rivalry among existing competitors, and the threat of substitute products for market place organizer or transaction service provider industry satisfy following diagram: Figure 1 Diagram of Porter’s Five Forces Source: Porter, 1998 3. 1 Rivalry In music publishing and recording industry, competitive advantage plays a significant role in winning a competition. This is because it represents not only the greater benefits in terms of products but also in other Ps of marketing mix (place, promotion, and price). The possession of specific competitive advantages increasingly important since nowadays, customers use emotional side than rational side when decide which products or services they want to use (Manjoo, 2003). The rivalry in recording industry is quite intense since EMI Group does not only compete with similar company like Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, and Warner Music Group but also illegal distribution both in traditional and web-based distributors through several kinds of file-sharing program like Napster. Napster becomes the catalysts of online music service (Rupley, 2003). In order to prevent the distribution of illegal copy of music, Hodges Shaw and Brian B Shaw (2003) says that government has persuaded users regarding importance of not using file sharing for copyrighted materials over the Internet by considering it as illegal actions. 3. 2 Barriers to Entry One of common barriers to enter a new market is brand loyalty or in terms of multinational business, the main barrier could be the nationalism. In music industry, one significant challenge that continues gains popularity is iTunes, a legal web-based music distribution from Apple Company. In music industry, especially regarding the competition between EMI Music and p2p companies and iTunes, the brand loyalty is obvious since the fever for iPod products has driven the use of iTunes to download legal music (Manjoo, 2003). The entry to some markets like educations gets fiercer as Jason E. Lane and Margaret A Healy (2005) revealed in their article File Sharing, Napster, and Institutional Responses: Educative, Developmental, or Responsive Policy that file sharing (including music, video, and file sharing) has been parts of students activities. They usually use the internet to share their favorite music and movies illegally. In addition, Scott (2001) and Dong et. al (2002) reveals that file sharing remains a popular services due to their offering free downloading music and video. 3. 3 Products Substitution Impact of product substitution is possibly the most overlooked factor although its impact is damaging. Therefore, it is imperative that business must not only look at what the company’s direct competitors are doing, but what other types of products people could buy instead. The products substitution for EMI Group is the introduction of various digital formats like MP3 and MP4 that easily downloadable that enables customers to convert the CD format to MP3 and distribute it by e-mail. This is because EMI Group mostly still relies on the distribution of music in CD format that they believe is still better than others do. Figure 2 Music Format Source: RIAA, 2006 3. 4 Buyer Power In music distribution and recording industry, there are some factors that influence buyer power including size of buyer (larger buyers will have more power over suppliers), number of buyers (when there are a small number of buyers, they will tend to have more power over suppliers), and purchase quantity. 3. 5 Supplier Power Concerning the supplier power in recording industry, we find that digital format developer that invent MP3 and p2p technology continue gain popularity that further drive the customers to increasingly avoid the use of products distributed by recording companies (Manjoo, 2003). 4. EMI Groups plc Strategic Position in Music Publishing and Recording Industry Realizing the fierce competition that occurs in the music and recording industry, EMI Group develops several strategies such as the selection of new talents that will hit the market and develop sustainable distribution strategy to speed up the existence in new market. Among the distributions system, EMI Group appropriately conduct joint venture with foreign companies in order to smooth their distribution. One of them is with EMI Televisa joint venture that helps EMI Group to distribute Celestial and other English language album (EMI Group, 2006). The decision to conduct joint venture is a good strategy to be implemented for EMI Group since it is a model in business that composes of two or more enterprises that join hand-in-hand to increase their competitive advantages. In this scheme, joint venture is somewhat similar to partnership but joint venture is derived from one business transaction. Joint venture is preferred because it can help companies to divide potencies, reduce threats, and raise competitive advantages in the market. Joint ventures can be formed as separate business units or cooperation between businesses (â€Å"Corporate Venture Strategies†, 2001). Developing a joint venture properly can obtain many benefits and advantages, such as dividing expenses and risks, enhancing right of entry to monetary resources, admission to innovative knowledge and consumers, and admission to new decision-making performs. Moreover, companies are able to have some bearing on structural development of the business. Conduction of knowledge and skills are also accomplished easily (â€Å"Corporate Venture Strategies†, 2001). 5. EMI Strategic Choice EMI Group plc is a well-known company in music and recording industry. The company is currently perceived as the fourth largest recording company in the world behind Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, and Warner Music Group. The company main business is the distribution of compact discs, videos, and other formats under the auspices of their subsidiaries and partners including EMI Records, Capitol, and Virgin (Yahoo Inc, 2008). The label company is behind the success of many famous artists such as Norah Jones, Lenny Kravitz, and The Beastie Boys. Currently, the company also handles more than one million songs. The strategic position of the company has attracted many larger companies such as Warner Music Group (WMG) to takeover EMI Group plc. Although many acquisition attempts, the company finally bought by Terra Firma, a private equity firm, for $4. 9 billion in 2007 (Yahoo Inc, 2008). 6. EMI and Its Critical Success Factor The winning strategy of EMI Group exists since the company is suitably conducting several strategies that benefit the company in the long term. One of popular strategy is the decision to outsource their CD manufacturing in Australia. This decision occurred in 2004 where EMI Music and Warner Music conduct agreement with Summit Technology Australia Pty Ltd to own CD Manufacturing business together (EMI Group, 2006). This strategy provides great benefits for EMI Group since the company significantly obtains costs reduction and helps the company to insulate the business from the effects of changing volumes. Figure 3 Reasons of Outsourcing Source: Outsourcing World Summit This is in line with the general benefits of outsourcing where costs reduction becomes the main issues that companies perceive. When discussing the outsourcing business model, the images refer to advantages that organizations obtain, especially refers to costs reduction. However, the benefits of outsourcing do not merely the cost reduction. Figure 3 shows six main reasons of carrying out outsourcing in an organization like EMI Group according to Outsourcing World Summit. Similarly, to costs reduction, outsourcing also provides benefits of helping the company to focus on core competencies. In theory, outsourcing is only used for delegation of non-core activities concerning the mission statement of the company. Nevertheless, many corporations outsource some of their core functions to gain more value in competitive advantage. Furthermore, many if an organization is able to develop a good relationship with its outsourcing partner, the long-term effect would be a sustainable competitive advantage. Another critical success factor is the decision of EMI Group to take benefits of digital technology. Previously, the company relies on tradition supply chain as shown in the Figure 4 below. In traditional supply chain (figure 4), we witness that recording companies make huge revenue and thus the profits from the two elements (in blue boxes). However, this model soon changes considering technology advancement in music like MP3 that immediately spawned illegal peer-to-peer music download over the Internet. Concerning the issue, coupled with wide coverage of high-speed Internet access, recording labels realize that they should change their supply chain to adopt the advancement in information technology as described in the following section. However due to the benefit that digital distribution provides, the company also offers the digital option for the supply chain (Figure 5). By developing the digital distribution, the company starts receiving significant growth on digital revenues. In 2006, digital revenue contributed about 8. 5% of total Group revenues. In addition, digital revenues also experienced significant growth by 78. 2% in 2006, providing more opportunity to receive more revenue from this technology (EMI Group, 2006). In this web-based supply chain model, we witness that recording labels are massively legalize licensing strategy that significantly fire up a legal digital music subscription (in contrast to Napster that was illegal). 7. Key resources and capabilities of EMI in the last Five Years and Suitability, Feasibility, and Acceptability Concepts There are several key advantages and resources the company possessed within the past five years. First is EMI Music keep finding new talents that bear success in UK and North America, in particular, and in the world, in general including Letoya, 30 Seconds to Mars. This strategy represents the feasibility of strategy taken by EMI Group since competitions between recording industries is mainly regarding the artists that the company manages their music creation. Second is the success of current managed artists including popular artist such as All Saints, Keith Urban, Norah Jones, Robbie Williams, and Depeche Mode. This artist management represents the suitability to manage the popular artists and release the unpopular one. Meanwhile, EMI Music Publishing successfully finds songwriting talent that result in the attractive performance revenues that represents the acceptability (EMI Group, 2006) 8. Conclusion In the basic marketing management study, four factors characterize the successful marketing; they are product, place, promotion, and price. In the recording industry while product represented by the artists, distribution or place factor also provides significant contribution to the company. This is in line with O’Brien and Springman (2004) suggestion that say companies should balance supply and demand since focusing entirely on the supply side may result in unnecessary capital expenditures, inventory investments or suboptimal solutions. Concerning the challenges in the music and recording industry, this paper has discussed about Emi Group plc, a giant in music and recording industry. 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