Green Business - Sony Corp Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Green Business - Sony Corp - Research Paper Example It has a global market in all its six major categories of products audio, video, televisions, information and communications, semiconductors and electronic components. The Sony Group is primarily focused on the Electronics (such as AV/IT products & components), Game (such as PlayStation), Entertainment (such as motion pictures and music), and Financial Services (such as insurance and banking) sectors. Not only does it represent a wide range of businesses, but it remains globally unique. Its aim is to fully leverage this uniqueness in aggressively carrying out their convergence strategy so as to continue to emotionally touch and excite customers. Sony Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electronic equipment, instruments, and devices for consumer, professional, and industrial markets worldwide. The company offers consumer products and devices, including televisions, video cameras, compact digital cameras and digital single-lens reflex cameras, Blu-ray Disc players/re corders, DVD-video players/recorders, home theaters and audio systems, and portable audio and car audio products. It also provides charged coupled devices, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor image sensors, system LSIs, small- and medium-sized TFT LCD panels, and other semiconductors; and components, such as batteries, optical disk drives, chemical products, audio/video/data recording media, storage media, and optical pickups. In addition, the company develops, produces, markets, and distributes games, such as PlayStation3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 2 hardware and related software; and PCs and flash memory digital audio players, as well as manufactures broadcast- and professional-use products, Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and CD discs. Further, it produces and distributes motion pictures and television programs, and home entertainment; creates and distributes digital content; operates a channel network and studio facilities; and develops entertainment products, services, and technologies. Additionally, the company engages in the music publishing business, as well as provision of various financial services, including insurance, savings products, loans, leasing, and credit financing services; and a network service business and an advertising agency business. It also involves in research, development, design, production, marketing, sales, distribution, and servicing mobile phones, accessories, services, and applications. Vision The Sony Group Environmental Vision presents a philosophy and principles for environmental management activities throughout the global Sony Group with the aim of contributing to the realization of a sustainable society. Since enacting the Sony Global Environmental Policy which is a predecessor of the Sony Group Environmental Vision and the Environmental Action Program, in 1993, Sony has pursued a broad range of environmental initiatives. Philosophy Sony recognizes the importance of preserving the natural environment that sustains a ll life on the earth for future generations and thereby ensuring that all humanity can attain a healthy and enriched life. In order to realize such sustainable society,  Sony strives to achieve a zero environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle of its products and business activities. Principles The driving principles of Sony are to â€Å"reduce the environmental footprint and prevent environmental pollution throughout the li

Immigration, Politics and Policy Contribution Assignment

Immigration, Politics and Policy Contribution - Assignment Example This proposal favors the Latino portion of the population who make up the highest number of immigrants from Mexico, but the government should consider many underlying factors, including the reasons for immigration and the effects on the United States’ resources. This paper will state an overview of reasons to consider when formulating an immigration policy; then propose a possible policy change and implementation plan using the fifth and sixth steps Jansson’s policy plan respectively (Jansson, 2010). According to Guyette, Tavalin and Rooker (2012), the United States has historically attempted to control illegal immigration into the country by passing restrictive policies and increasing border security. These approaches have failed if the ongoing debate for and against illegal immigrants is gouged. Data concerning illegal immigration is mostly hypothetical since transactions concerning immigrants are mostly not recorded in any official documents. For instance, Barnes (2010) in his opinion claims that it costs each native household $ 1,117, per annum to support illegal immigrants, totaling to $113 billion a year for the whole nation. The influx of illegal immigration cases can be traced to a myriad of reasons, but the main cause, in my opinion, is the government’s inefficiency in enforcing its policies on immigration. Therefore, the country needs to refrain from a complete overhaul of policies and ensure enforcement of policies to reduce illegal immigration. The country can adopt a stable policy that can be monitored and improved continuously. Any policy proposal change should ensure accounting for all the positive and negative aspects of immigration, by being fair to illegal immigrants if the merits of having them in the country outweigh the disadvantages. An effective policy should contribute positively to various aspects of the  United States society. It should be implemented and assessable.

Individualism in China: TV Case Study

Individualism in China: TV Case Study Individualism Transition in Chinese Cultural Values Through A Case Study of TV Show Super Girl Introduction â€Å"Individualâ€Å", the term by itself means something or someone unique. Thus, â€Å"Individualism† is a revolution which tends to power the rights of an individual. In countries like America, such a practice is followed. The people there wish that there should be enough personal space for every individual without being disturbed by name of any kind of authority or power as well. But the extreme opposite culture or practice prevails in China, which can be shortly called as collectivism. Here, neither the thought of individual nor their wish is given privilege. It is because they believe in group thought and they strive together for group success. If in case any individual in a group is having opinion mismatch with that of the group, then the individual is expected to suppress the thoughts without disturbing the groups activities. (Pratt, D. D.1991) Such a practice could also be viewed as forcing a common thought upon everybody. But this is their culture and they have be en practicing it for quite long years. We have to say that they got used to it. Now, in the recent past a TV show called â€Å"Super girls† has been commenced and succeeded as well. It is a talent reality show which brings out the talents of an individual to the sight of everybody by giving them a suitable platform. Another interesting fact about this show is that, it is the public who judge the show. They vote for their favorite star of the show and thus the winner is selected. But it is been condemned by the commentators that the Super girls show is kindling the individualistic feeling amidst the collectivism practitioners. Many have started protesting against the show fearing that the show may disturb the Chinese culture. But on the other hand the public started enjoying the entertainment. They are glad to vote for their stars. (Ding, Y. 2008) China is a country which always value team success. Simply speaking, they follow collectivism. They give much importance to group thoughts than the individual opinion. This practice is strictly followed by them in the name of culture. Chinese people have not practiced direct election. But recently the situation has changed because of the Super Girl show in China. It is condemned by the analysts that this show has initiated amidst people individualism. Let us discuss whether the show is really spreading individualism among the Chinese youths. The Chinese culture –A History Change – has been the most prominent factor characterizing the world of today. Every second of our life is changed as discoveries and inventions galore the place we live on. This kind of transformation is not new to the least. It has been a constant factor; right from man finding fire to the scientific revolution, travelling from bullock-carts to modern cars, from eating anything to standardizing the meal we take, the world has almost seen everything. Each change in turn was diversified among several groups of people based on their idealistic values, the ethical principles they followed and their welfare corresponding to their geographical region. These diversified changes slowly developed as cultural behavior of that particular group. Then there came a point where all the diversifications attained saturation. In the end, instead of these changes governing the cultural behavior, it turned out the direct opposite way where cultural behavior dominates the changes. (Songhua, F, n. d) For now, the cycle has turned again. Its almost a revolutionizing act if a person does the direct opposite of what their culture intends them to do. Chinese culture gives the Chinese people their basic identity. They have certain core values which are exclusive and consistent, and these are fashioned by a tradition of four thousand years of history and maintained by the same language as well. Considered to be one of the oldest cultures, the Chinese culture has a vast and traditional history. Several groups of people, each having their own unique traits have shaped and nurtured the Chinese traditions and practices. It has evolved through different ages constantly but has always maintained its true identity. ( Destiny: Culture of China,1998) Being the most populous country in the world, and the geographical landscape covering major part of Asia, there were as many as 56 groups of people who followed unique culture in ancient China. (Constitution, 1982) As time passed by, each of the groups lost their identity and their culture got erased with time. Chinese culture is well influenced by â€Å"Confucius†, who is a Chinese philosopher. The teachings of Confucius are called by the name ‘Confucianism, which stress the importance of individuals education based on morals so that the moral virtue of the state will be raised. (Downs, 1971) China-present Scenario In the current scenario, China is considered to be the fastest emerging super power engaging itself to compete at the top most level in almost all fields starting from business to space research. Its economic transition is increasing exponentially when compared to other countries. In such a high paced world, the time spent for conserving the true traits and habitat of Chinese culture is often neglected. Given the exposure to television and internet services, already doubts have risen among several quarters about the sustainability of the age old heritage. The different cultures exposed to people through these commercial mediums have fascinated the current generation of people to explore the then unassailable cultures leaving them unfazed by the deterioration of their own culture. (Child, J., David, K. 2001). Individualism – A theory Oyserman, Coon, et al.s (2002) through their extensive analysis on individualism and collectivism suggest that Individualism can be considered as a stand-alone construct for analyzing cross-cultural comparisons. They suggest that individualism as the core reason for the extensive differences society, emotions and individual behavior. Individualism can be considered to be the most critical factor for modeling a personality of oneself. Mcrae (2001) also suggests that a countrys decision to explore and try out new things depends on their individualistic nature. Since every person contributes to the success of a country, this statement does offer a fruitful thought about individualism and its effects. The thought of exploration and trying new things is termed to be an important characteristic of individualism as it leads individuals to form new relationships based on their needs and tasks. Also, the relationship life is not formed on the basis of solidarity and people often entangle them selves in new relationships, which is completely opposite to Chinese culture. Another important characteristic of individualism is that it plays an integral part in the well being of an individual. The individual may be fully satisfied with the right to choose their own purpose and their own vision in their life. They enjoy complete satisfaction of what they are performing. This is one of the reasons that individualistic countries produce lots of inventions and new kinds of activities every now and then. People are allowed to explore in their own ways. (Lam C 1997) On the other hand, though individualism allows people to have their own relationships, it also lends to an increase in the number of divorces in an individualistic country. But then, by all means, people are satisfied in both ends with their relationships and they enjoy complete freedom. People following individualism provide higher importance to their leisure activities compared to other nations. It has been confirmed through reports that individualistic people tend to make self analyzed decisions based on their own experiences instead of carrying out tasks suggested by others. (Schimmack, Radhakrishnan, et al., 2002) Collectivism versus individualism Basically Chinese people value collectivism rather than individualistic opinion. There is no difference that matter to race, class or community. Their focus is upon the opinion or claim of a group or association. They always demand that a group is more important than an individual. This at times led to suppression of self opinion and interest for the welfare of the group as a whole. Thus collectivists must be able to do sacrifice. But the interesting fact about this is, pure democracy is a form of collectivism. (Jhuener,2006) On the other hand most American countries have developed individualism. They believe, without protecting individuals right, there is no sense in protecting an individual. Thus individualism is described as a revolution which protects an individuals right which in turn protects a man from the other and thus it protects the state as a whole. It opposes collectivism saying that it denies an individual his or her right to life. Moreover they charge against the collectivists that they are poisoning the country. Also they condemn that the ability and efforts of some men are been sacrificed for the sake of others. (Wong, E. Y. 2001) David Brooks, a newspaper editor, has analyzed about the striking behavior of the mentality of the collectivists and that of the individualists. He cites an interesting example. If we show the image of a fish tank to an American, he will focus the biggest fish in the tank and will start explaining about it, whereas if the same image is shown to a Chinese person, he will view the tank as a whole and will start explaining about the contextual behavior of the group of fishes inside. Brooks says (2008) â€Å"An American in general looks into the category but a Chinese will look into the context†. Also Brooks (2008) explains the behavior of people in collectivistic countries and individualistic countries as People in individualistic countries tend to overestimate their skills whereas those in collectivistic societies under estimate their skills. People in countries like China will always tend to contribute more for group efforts. Scientist too has supported his thoughts. They say relationship is the key to happiness. People living in groups tend to flourish whereas those living alone tend to depression and they even commit suicide. Super Girl – the show Any country which gets a feel of something attractive and something they could get attracted too would welcome it with open hearts. Such is a scenario with the television show, â€Å"Super Girl†. It is basically a Chinese version of â€Å"American Idol† TV show. When the show first started in 2005, it attracted as many as 400 million people from China, almost equaling the population of US and UK totaled together. It is a female contested show, where any girl irrespective of our background origin and other details can participate in it and showcase her talent. The show was conducted in a hierarchical round order, where each round filters the number of candidates and only the best of the lot enter the final round. (China Daily, 2005) The 2005 season saw more than a hundred thousand applicants. Everyone was given 30 seconds to perform on stage and in the allotted time they have to impress the judge with their talent. Out of the entire competitors, three were filtered for the final round. They battled it out in one of the most exciting shows that entire China has never experienced. (China Daily, 2005) The exposure was so much that during the final show, almost every Chinese voted for the contestants to show their support. The major feature that attracted people towards the show apart from the glittering display was that the people were in turn played the role of the judges. It involved voting through SMS and other services. This made everyone feel as if they contribute towards the selection of the winner and this in turn motivated each individuals spirits. (Ding, Y. 2008) One of the major factors of individualism that affected the Chinese culture through this show was neither the Government, nor the party had any sort of role to play in its success. Its an ultimately new thing for the people of China. The reason for that is, prior to this show, the only entertainment that was given to people through television was Spring Festival show, conducted by the government itself. And this show was running under strict supervision. Only the party people were allowed to view it, the rest were all watching through television alone. In fact, they were allowed only to watch, not even to participate. Rest of the shows that got aired was all military programs, bashing out all kinds of military anthems and stuffs. And so, in short, with this show, the party and the government were neglected all together. For, the people, any kind of information and policy from the government regarding the show wouldnt have mattered anything. Hence, there was no show as universally accepted as this show was. (Hutong, X. 2005) The country till then had never favored any individual pop star to turn media towards them and gain popularity. So, when the three young lads, in their early 20s, rocked the stage with confidence and superiority, the whole nation appreciated and amazed. It was a freedom of liberty, a freedom of expression to many individuals to show their talent to all in a way they have never done before. (Hutong, X. 2005). This is the most popular as well as the most sensational show as well. But then, it is been condemned by the politicians that this show is offending the traditional custom of China. Inevitably this show has kindled the nationalists to debate upon the democracy in China. Generally the success of TV shows lies upon the comments of certain analysts who could be political commentator. Thus they took in their hands to post-mortem about the sensational show. Yardley, J. (2005). Rise of individualism Since the time when China became as Peoples Republic of China in 1949, ‘Collectivism has been their policy. It still remains the same. It does not have direct elections to select a person to run the country. On this point of view, the â€Å"Super Girl† show has provided the people a new form of election where individual voting matters. It just totally opposes the cultural values of China. (Junbo, J. 2009). It follows the footsteps of ‘individualism which leads to the path of democracy in a non-democratic country. This is the point where the show attracted envys from all corners on a political perspective. As soon as the show gained popularity, the politicians criticized it to be ridiculous and rudimentary, obstructing the growth of Chinese culture and mentioned it as promoting individualism. (Quing, M. 2005). The change in cultural values towards individualism did not stop with entertainment channel alone. The mindset of the people was another major factor that got changed. In China before Super Girl, people were not given an opportunity to vote. This in turn lead people disabled to execute their freedom to pursue their own course of life. In all ways, the government or the path came in their way. After this show, people have an opportunity to exercise their right to participate, execute their will. (Li, B. , 2005). The other change brought about by this show is that the excitement and joy experienced by the people during the show, displayed that people are ready to move away from the idealistic values followed by the communist party. Though this seems to be just a view of people, many critics believe that it has led to a new phenomenon emulating the civil society, where individual people can be given the higher priority rather than the society. Starting from the end of the 20th century, there have been innumerable divisions within the society based on social and cultural values. Zhu Dake (2005) has even mentioned about this, The Super Girls let us see that when the media can grasp public opinion, it can generate a powerful force. I feel that public opinion will be the most productive force in 21st century China. Role of media Coming to the part the media played in this, the â€Å"Super Girls† show has showed that how powerful media can be. It has given a solid strength and evidence to the people that media has the power to change the face of the nation. It has the power to raise the voice of the public, no matter how big the government is. Also, with the advent of internet really making its way into each and everyones lives, the right to express individual view as gathered attention and people are starting to use it. Super Girl-Show for all Before the show was aired, every activity performed in the country was gradually developing a split between the different levels of society. The elite and rich people of China had a better say in each and every activity than the under-privileged. This was turning out to be a major factor cultivating caste and ethnic group differences. The arrival of this show smashed up such theories that were existing and that were been practiced. It cleared the air stating a firm statement that the country and participation is for all. (Lynch, D. 2005) Super Girls – the three finalists and their spirit of individuality Out of the several thousands of people who competed in the Super girl show, three girls were selected in the final. They were Li Yuchun, Zhou Bichang, Zhang Liangying. Out of the three , Li Yuchun emerged as the winner with almost 3.5 million votes. What helped her , irrespective of our weak voice was her personality and undeterred attitude and motivation to succeed. These are the traits of individualism. She had a, very much look of boyish hair style and a smile that could lead 1000 other people smile. Her main characteristic that made her the youth icon of 2005 was her astounding capability to enthrall the public and her fearless competitive nature. She was determined to win the competitions and was ready to show her self-identity. She was an ordinary person with no identity till the show was conducted. Later on, she became the heartthrob of many youths, instilling individualism in many of them. Even after several months of performing, all the three of them continued to improve their singing skill; the way handled the public and popularity was phenomenal. Chinese culture was basically related with human inner feelings and nature. They do not care about the outer looks. But then, through this show, the girls were dressed and prepared like Westerners. The Westerners got this trend only because of individual exploration. They were not afraid of the society for what they were wearing and in-turn led them to different findings. The same principle was followed here by the super girls, leading them to advertise the individualistic love for dresses to general public. They advertised themselves as an example of individualism. The culture of westerners is being imported by the girls but nonetheless, the girls have modified it to their own culture and traditions. (Robertson 1995) An example is the fast food processing identified by U.S but then, the Chinese followed it and created thei r own menus according to their culture. The girls served as the best examples of global advertising and cultural change. Super Girl – reaction from government As a result of the pressure scenarios created by the show, the government, on 2007, banned people from casting their votes through messaging and internet. In addition to this , the government also changed the show timings in such a way that it is not shown in prime time and as a result there wont be as much viewers as there were in 2005. They have also placed rules on who all could participate in the show. ( Kim, N, 2009 ) This is in response to their thought that the contenders are turning out to be bad role models for the current and future generation. They wanted even the dressings and hairstyles of the participants should be strictly in line with the traditional culture of the society. (Bao,. X.J., 2006). Rules were proposed to an extent that they decided to ban the show. But the show went on in 2009 with all these restrictions and is expected to continue. Some critics who are in favor of the show believe the amendments in media rules to be a first step of success against the government. They are also of the opinion that with appropriate and planned teaching, people can be cognizant of the democratic values and can influence democracy to be started in the country. They pose the view that the people of US were not born with the talent of choosing right leaders, it came to them only in practice as part of their lifestyle. They believe that such thing could happen with China if practiced for twenty years. ( Ning, Q., Ning, C.T.K. 2002) Super Girl-benefits in different fields Apart from democracy, this show has been a revelation in providing quality contents to the public, the method of operations being so contemporary, changing the ideal work ethics followed by the orthodox people. In terms of social values and society, the program was able to meet the demands inherent in common people. It helped them satisfy their desire to exercise their rights. In terms of financial changes, this show provided revenue like never before, thus increasing the economical stature of the country from entertainment industry too. (Xinhua., 2006) Super Girl –Negative Remarks As a show, society wise, it didnt cause any problem. But due to its huge popularity, the show gathered crowd wherever it got telecasted. As a result of it, the law men had a tough time to handle the crowd. The crowds near the stadium were relentless to enter and the law men had to use their sources to get rid of them. The whole situation had become unruly. The politicians later on took this as one of the reasons for bashing at the show. The criticism was not a major one and it was forgotten as time passed by. Another issue that occurred was that the selection round was not done properly and there were complaints from some of the participants that though they performed well, they were eliminated and some kind of discrimination is done for selection based on some issue. All this has not been given strong evidence till now and hence the complaints were not taken seriously. These were some of the black marks which happened during its course time. Personal perspective On a personal point of view, life is just a matter of mental perception. One can find a sea of change in life if the view of the same problem is just changed from its current perception. The people who come to participate in the competition are from different traditions and origins. Before they could perform, one could see their culture and tradition being exposed to others, either by themselves, or through their characteristics. Such traditional culture takes a dump when they perform and get publicized after some success. Their individualism takes the front stage leaving out the collectivism and Confucianism. They are prompted to be self-aware, self –conscious, care about themselves and neglect the so called cultural collectivism. This can be seen in two ways. This either affects their own cultural development or in a positive note, helps them liberalize and understand their own self rights. It is obvious that both cannot be achieved simultaneously. (Bodde, D.1957) Apart from the contestant point of view, the other factor that comes in here is the democracy and direct election. In my view, I dont see any kind of relation between the Super Girl show voting system and democracy. Yes, I understand, it is one form exercising ones right to participate. It gives you pleasure that you performed something that could change the fate of other person. But the change doesnt have the magnitude that a democracy election would have over an entire country. (Zhou, R. 2005). This being one view, one other point of view is that this could be seen as a democratic seed sown in a communist land. People tend to exaggerate this simple thing into such a huge issue that it got concerns from the government itself and led to the restriction on the show itself. Here, I have to mention that Chinese people have thrown sand on themselves. They have seen something new, some new change being happening, which they could capitalize on and make it scale greater heights. Instead, they tried to expose the democratic alliance that it minutely had, into a full blown issue and it showed the effects of it. (Jakes S. 2006) It is not possible here to suggest a predicament on whether the democracy interpreted through the show is valuable, deep and thought provoking. There is no compromise on whether it kindled the thought or not. Some people would go for a yes, some would go for a no but there can never be a unanimous decision for this issue. (Time,1954). People all of a sudden forget the mere existence of the central government and without any message or communication from the top level governance; they just started forming groups and started enjoying by their groups. They have merely forgotten the presence of a top level institution in the country. They were living in their reel life rather than their real life. (Ding, Y. 2008). According to D.D Pratt (1991), transformation from collectivistic nature of human being to individualism involves transformation of personality. This in his view is done in terms of perceptual, rational and moral knowledge. On Chinese point of view, it is about perfection and education. Hence their view was fully focused on Confucianism, and their human nature was limited in its view. With the advent of this show, it is shown that the Chinese have found about the innumerable forms that a human nature relationship can take in its entirety. Hofstede, G. (2001). The major highlight of the show that specially characterizes individualism is the way each one is given the freedom to express themselves, how they are given the freedom to express their emotions, there inside thoughts, irrespective of their tradition. The show showed that culture is just nothing but sharing between one another and the resulting boundaries that develop to individual groups. When people from different culture, from different walks of the society are pitted against each other, they make their own assumptions about others only based on their own culture that is their values and principles they follow. These are only reasonable from their point of view, not from others. Hence, these conceptions take a dig when they do something wrong, which in turn, leads them to do self conscious work and that is, individualism. So, self-conscious nature gets into them once they enter the show itself. This in turn affects the already inherent cultural values inside them. (Ding, Y. 2008). The other reasons that I could state for the analysis of individualism in Super Girl show is that it is not only providing the current generation youth, a role model to look for , or a principle to follow for, but the fact is the feel of warmth, a fresh charming wavelength flowing between the contestants and the youth. They give high priority to this warmth, higher than their friends; higher than their colleagues; and most importantly, higher than the model set created on a moral basis by the Chinese government. The other factor is the psychological factor. The youth are able to get psychologically inspired through this show. Psychological inspiration involves , a belief in inside to follow their goal, a head start to achieve their goals and an attitude, that can take success or failure – no matter what comes, taking both in a positive way. So, for all these aspects, the culture of the Super Girls can be used as an instrument in shaping up their career. (Yan, Y 2000) An apt example for this scenario could be, the application of rules and regulations in an apt manner can be followed by other rule making or governing institutions. People who feel are lagging in educational career, can concentrate on their extra-curricular talents with this show as an inspiration. So, this show gives the self confidence to the youth and in the process applies self-realization. Another example that could be provided is how even the under-privileged people can learn from the Super Girls, the ability to persist until the goal is reached. It gives them the confidence not to rest until the limelight is achieved. (Zan, Z.2009). According to Ha Jin, an acclaimed writer, The Chinese youth have changed their own perception. They think about themselves differently. They are self-worthier and they have started to think in terms of earning money for themselves to achieve their purpose. He feels that people are no more thinking that individualism is a bad factor and they are appreciating it Conclusion It is a fact that the â€Å"Super Girls† show has sown the seed of individualism in China. This situation can be compared to a drowning person who gets air mixed with carbon dioxide. It is obvious that the person will try to take as much air as possible without caring the level of carbon dioxide. The same has happened in China. But, this cannot be exaggerated by any means. Though the show is running for a period of 6 years, the amount of individualism impact it had upon the Chinese youth is very minimal. Individualism is a complicated issue and is directly related with the development of the nation. China, being the fastest developer in the world is yet to come in terms with the individualistic nature of U.S on cultural perspective. The national differences are going to continue to be prevalent between these nations. No matter, how many different numbers of shows come, the domination of traditional collectivism in historic China is not going to be replaced by individualism any time soon. References Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures consequences (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. McCrae, R. R. (2001). Trait psychology and culture: Exploring intercultural comparisons. Journal of Personality, 69, 819–846. Oyserman, D., Coon, H. M,. Kemmelmeier,M. (2002). Rethinking individualism and collectivism: Evaluation of theoretical assumptions and meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 3–72. Pratt, D. D.(1991) Conceptions of Self within China and the United States : Contrasting foundations for adult education.international journal of intercultural relations. 15. 285-310. Robertson, Roland (1995), Globalization: Time-Space and Homogeneity- Heterogeneity, in Global Modernities, Mike Featherstone, Scott Lash, and Roland Robertson, eds.. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 45-46. Yan, Y (2000), Of Hamburger and Social Space: Consuming McDonalds in Beijing, in The Consumer Revolution in Urban China, Deborah S. Davis, ed., Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 201-225. Lam C.(1997) A cultural perspective on the Chinese Adolescent Development. Child and adolescent social work journal, 14(2), 95-115. Li, B.(2005). Moral education in transition: The values conflict in China. Studies in Philosophy and Education. 12, doi:10.1007/BF01235475 Ning, Q., Ning, C.T.K.(2002). Chinese Students Encounter America. Honk Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Bodde, D.(1957) Chinas cultural tradition, what and whither? Source problems in world civilization. London: Rinehart. Schimmack, U., Radhakrishnan, P., Oishi, S., Dzokoto, V. Ahadi,S. (2002). Culture, personality, and subjective well-being: Integrating process models of life-satisfaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 1313–1329. Ding, Y. (2008). A critical comparison of American Idol and Super Girl: A cross-cultural communication analysis of American and Chinese cultures. Retrieved from : http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/377/1/Yding_2008-1_BODY.pdf Zan, Z.(2009). Paradise and paradox : on the Super Voice Girls : elementary discussion on popular culture, youth, media and state politics of contemporary China. 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Why Safety Belts? :: Car collisions

Why Safety Belts? To understand the value of safety belt use, it's important to understand some of the dynamics of a crash. Every motor vehicle crash is actually comprised of three collisions. The Car's Collision The first collision is known as the car's collision, which causes the car to buckle and bend as it hits something and comes to an abrupt stop. This occurs in approximately one-tenth of a second. The crushing of the front end absorbs some of the force of the crash and cushions the rest of the car. As a result, the passenger compartment comes to a more gradual stop than the front of the car. The Human Collision The second collision occurs as the car's occupants hit some part of the vehicle. At the moment of impact, unbelted occupants are still travelling at the vehicle's original speed. Just after the vehicle comes to a complete stop, these unbelted occupants will slam into the steering wheel, the windshield, or some other part of the vehicle interior. This is the human collision. Another form of human collision is the person-to-person impact. Many serious injuries are caused by unbelted occupants colliding with each other. In a crash, occupants tend to move toward the point of impact, not away from it. People in the front seat are often struck by unbelted rear-seat passengers who have become high-speed projectiles. The Internal Collision Even after the occupant's body comes to a complete stop, the internal organs are still moving forward. Suddenly, these organs hit other organs or the skeletal system. This third collision is the internal collision and often causes serious or fatal injuries. So, Why Safety Belts? During a crash, properly fastened safety belts distribute the forces of rapid deceleration over larger and stronger parts of the person's body, such as the chest, hips and shoulders.

Terminal and Intrumental Values

You hold the key to your own mind and imagination and it's better for people to understand that so they're able to move on in the future. Inner Harmony, Self-Respect and wisdom are definitely the most important to me because they encourage mental and spiritual growth. Know many people aren't religious but spiritual doesn't always have to be put in that context. Mean it in a more â€Å"One with your mind, one with your body' kind of way. I'm not a person who is god with expressing her feelings through speech, I like to analyze privately and observe things.I am more of a reserved person unless I'm in my comfort zone. Being comfortable with yourself could make you feel comfortable any and everywhere. Values like world peace and equality are definitely important, it's just that to me, they're only possible if EVERYONE in the world IS at peace within themselves, and at the rate we're traveling I'm not sure if we'll get there anytime soon. I don't value social recognition at all; it hinde rs a person to do things only to be noticed. It's okay to want to make a change, but don't seek outside opinions for approval. It isn't that important what others think of you.You should focus on your own peppiness and positive contribution to the world. I usually value qualities I don't yet possess, which explains why I'm mostly talking about the Terminal values. I feel like the instrumental values are pretty much qualities everyone possesses whether they know it or not, so I didn't find the need to elaborate on them. I'm hoping to someday reach peace within myself or inner-harmony because I believe that the key to happiness, self-respect because essential to inner harmony, and wisdom because it's necessary for clear understanding.

Essay on Non-Statutory National Framework for Re Essay

It was in October 2004 that the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), jointly published the Non-Statutory National Framework for R.E., which only applies to R.E. provision in England. The document was produced on the understanding that it would be used mainly by Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs) and agreed syllabus Conferences (ASCs) within each Local Education Authority (LEA). The document has the remit of providing national guidelines for the teaching of R.E. It was meant to be used by local agreed syllabus conferences for the development of agreed syllabuses for R.E., and by faith communities for the creation of R.E. programmes. Furthermore, the Framework was intended to help schools to make appropriate links between R.E. and other subjects, such as for instance on key concepts like diversity. In this sense the government appeared to be building on their previous efforts to set up a common Framewo rk of curricular aims owing to the fact that the 2000 National Curriculum also contained many aims for education; White (2004). It was hoped that the Framework document would help agreed syllabus conferences and schools to plan more effectively in the provision of R.E. and towards agreed national standards. In the foreword of the Non-Statutory National Framework by the then Secretary of State for Education and Skills; Charles Clarke, the intention of the Framework was made explicit. In the first paragraph of the national Framework Charles Clarke declared ‘This non-statutory national Framework has been produced to support those with responsibility for the provision and quality of religious education in maintained schools. It lies at the heart of our policies to raise standards in the learning and teaching of religious education. It sets attainment targets for learning. The Framework therefore gives local education authorities, Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education, relevant authorities with responsibility for schools with a religious character, teachers, pupils, parents, employers and their wider communities a clear and shared understanding of the knowledge and skills that young people will gain at school. It allows schools to meet the individual learning needs of pupils and develop a distinctive character and ethos, rooted in their local communities. It also provides a Framework within which all partners in education can support young people on the road to further learning’. This statement reflects the commitment of the architects of the Framework to empowering organisations involved in providing R.E. The core agenda is to improve both the pupils learning experience of R.E. and the ability of R.E. teachers to become more adept in their profession. The Framework it is maintained will give clear guidance to pupils and various educational advisory bodies alike on the remit of R.E. in the education of a child. The latter part of the paragraph also implies that the Framework will have the flexibility to give schools the freedom to meet individualised pupil needs and facilitates discretion for schools that want to put together schemes of work that reflect the social characteristics of their locality. The opening declaration of the Non– Statutory National Framework for R.E. does widely define the boundaries and limitations of the publication. At face value one would expect that the national Framework will work as a rough guide for educational authorities rather than as a strict code of practice to be abided by under all circumstances. The agenda of the Framework is clear but how it will actually succeed in compelling educational providers to improve standards in R.E. is vague. Bearing these factors in mind the  expectation is that at Key Stage three the Framework will provide a blueprint for teaching R.E., but whether this blueprint will cover the full scope of R.E. is an issue that needs to be closely scrutinised in this investigation. A critical analysis of the Non- Statutory National Framework is given by (Watson and Thompson, 2004) in which they contend that the Framework puts the importance rather than the purpose of R.E. at the heart of their activity. Their criticism follows that the Framework has when mapping out the aims of R.E. the plan of revealing how R.E. ties in with the wider aims of the curriculum as a whole – as opposed to suggesting any aims for R.E. as a subject by itself. This is a problem as the aims of R.E. should be able to identify what is to be taught to pupils and why this teaching is essential in the curriculum rather than a slightly useful part of a child’s education. This identification of difficulties within the Framework does place doubt on the ability of this publication to be a resource in which R.E. professionals can use as a blueprint to teach R.E. in its entirety. Certainly if the Framework was to provide the full foundations for teaching R.E. at any level it would n eed to help the tutor of R.E in presenting their justification for the presence of the subject by itself in the curriculum. Without an argument that defends a separate place for R.E in a child’s education then educational commentators may ask the question why R.E. is not either combined with other subjects such as Sociology, Citizenship, PHSE or indeed dropped from the curriculum altogether. As R.E. is under pressure from individuals and institutions with a secularist agenda, it is imperative that the R.E. fraternity has a resource from central government that acts as a defence against individuals and organisations, who are unsympathetic for the need for pupils to have an education in World religions. Such critics may want to follow the example of the United States, where R.E. has been abolished from public sector education. From this perspective, therefore, the Non –Statutory National Framework does not provide an adequate blueprint for teaching R.E. An obvious weakness of the Framework is the fact that as its title describes it is a ‘non –statutory Framework’. Inevitably then the legal obligations  for the provision of R.E. is unchanged by this Framework. This factor is a serious drawback. If the Framework does not have the remit to impose a legally binding code of practice on the organisations involved in the development of R.E; namely SACREs, ASCs, the board of governors within faith schools, current policies on funding and R.E. inspections then it is inevitable that the Framework will not reach it’s aim to raise standards in R.E. The Framework potentially will be neglected by R.E. professionals who don’t agree with its terms and the Framework will be an absolute failure. In order to reach its ambitious goal the Framework should have been an obligatory blueprint not a voluntary one. This factor seems to indicate that the architects of the Framework lacked the determination to enforce changes in R.E. provision. Surely a determined approach to a set of aims would entail producing a legal document to be followed by R.E. professionals rather than assuming the cooperation of R.E. providers. Another problem that was associated with the introduction of the Framework was identified by Weston (2005) the Chair of the Professional Council for R.E, in the R.E. Today Magazine. Weston noted that the Framework will potentially fail to meet its aims because of the recruitment crisis in R.E. teaching. Indeed the Framework has no proposals on how to address the shortage of R.E. teachers and significantly the professional associations such as SACREs and ASCs will need guidance from R.E. teachers in the implementation of the Framework. On this issue Weston stated ‘Many of our SACREs and their Agreed Syllabus Conferences will need support and training if they are to make full use of the Framework when developing their new syllabuses. Once an Agreed Syllabus is introduced, training must be provided for teachers to ensure that the important dissemination from syllabus to scheme of work to teaching and learning will meet the needs of all pupils in our religiously diverse society.’ (Weston; 2005) In this statement Weston highlights the fear that the absence of suitably qualified R.E. teachers, will result in a failure to properly educate SACREs and ASCs on the how to effectively produce the new syllabuses, which will be  in line with or influenced by the new Framework. A related concern is once the SACRE and the ASCs have actually put together their new syllabuses there will not be enough teachers to be trained in the syllabuses resulting in the fault that schemes of work in schools and the outcomes of teaching and learning will not meet the varying educational needs in R.E. of all children in the education system. These likely problems prove that the Non- Statutory National Framework was designed without considering many basic issues. The Framework, therefore, with this evidence of a severe shortcoming in its planning of outcomes, will fail to provide adequate standards for R.E. professionals to follow when teaching at all Key Stages in the Curriculum. Further academic criticism of the Framework document was given by Felderhof (2004) in the Journal of Beliefs and Values in which the author complained that the Framework was too obsessed with the study of ‘other people’s religious traditions’. The Framework does indeed place a lot of emphasis on the religious traditions of different communities, which is not a negative feature to most R.E. professionals. However if the Framework is perceived to be biased against Christianity then there is potential for the Framework to be resented and possibly neglected by R.E. professionals who have an agenda to place Christianity at the heart of R.E. provision. In focussing on the impact that the Framework will have on developing a blueprint for teaching R.E. at KS3 specifically and arguing from the perspective of a Beginning Teacher it is clear that the Non- Statutory National Framework for R.E. at KS3 has many strengths. On analysing the statement within the Framework booklet on KS3 R.E. it does have the advantage of being very concise in expressing the expectations of R.E. at this level. The document has three subheadings. These are: Learning about religion, Learning from religion and Breadth of study. The three headings are each accompanied by between 5 to 18 points covering the things that pupils should be taught under each of the subheadings. This level of detail from personal experience does make the Framework at KS3 very comprehensive and easy to understand for the teacher of R.E. This factor is an actual strength of the Framework and it does illustrate how much thought and planning has been dedicated into the production of the Fram ework. From this  perspective the Framework at KS3 does provide adequate guidance for teaching the full content of R.E. at KS3. Furthermore to the Beginning Teacher a genuine strength of the Framework for teaching R.E. at KS3 is the fact that in the Framework handbook on pages 28-29 it does illustrate in the margin how some features of the learning objectives can be connected to another subject in the curriculum. The subjects noted for cross curriculum opportunities are ICT, Art and Design, Geography, History, Science, English and Citizenship. As mentioned earlier has been much debate on how R.E. is relevant to the wider curriculum and to the general education of a child. The Framework handbook does identify how R.E. is part of the wider network of subjects in the curriculum. In this way the Framework at KS3 is helpful to the teacher of R.E. in making links between R.E. and the rest of the curriculum. The fact that this was included in the Framework document does illustrate the fact that a lot of thought and planning has been put into these guidelines so that they would meet the needs of R.E. teachers. The impact of the Non–Statutory National Framework has also provided a blueprint for teaching R.E. through its influence in R.E. textbooks. An example of this influence can be found in the Think R.E. series of textbooks published by Harcourt Education in 2005. On page 4 of the Think R.E.: pupil book 1 the guidance of the Framework on the editing of the text book is clear. Indeed, the textbook states that the Framework has informed the planning for this series of text books; that the four attitudes, which are noted as essential for good learning in R.E. on page 13 of the Framework document (these are 1. self awareness 2. respect for all 3. open-mindedness 4. appreciation and wonder) are all supported by the methods of learning in the text book. In addition the text book points out that the new Framework places much emphasis on allowing pupils to explore secular ideas such as Humanism and Atheism. Furthermore on page 5 the text book maps out its commitment to the twelve principles of the KS3 Framework strategy from providing a focus on setting clear learning objectives to the use of ICT in R.E., with separate statements for each of the twelve principles, which details how the text book will meet these principles in providing lesson  plans for teachers. It is of much credit to the Framework that this code of practice has been recognised by mainstream providers of educational resources. To the teacher of R.E. the success of the Framework in being adopted by external organisations associated with the teaching of R.E. is one of its strengths, as this will mean that even an R.E. professional who has not read the Framework document, will still feel its influence due to the presence of the Framework doctrines in various R.E. publications used in the classroom. On this evidence it is feasible to say that the blueprint for teaching the full scope of R.E. at KS3 is adequate because it does encourage wider perspectives to be studied to the extent that Humanism and secularism are included in schemes of work. The Framework even assists the teacher of R.E. in planning lessons at KS3 in terms of considering the learning objectives, expectations, making concepts explicit, structured learning, promoting higher order questioning, thinking skills, assessment, target setting, differentiation, links with Citizenship education, inclusion and opportunities to use ICT resources. Therefore any teacher of R.E. at KS3 should be perceived as ill-informed if they had not considered referring to the Non- Statutory National Framework for guidance for the effective teaching of R.E. at KS3. In conclusion and after evaluating all of the evidence that has focused on the strengths and the drawbacks of the Non –Statutory Framework for R.E. at KS3, it does appear that the drawbacks of the Framework have been potential shortcomings and the strengths of the Framework are in practice actual strengths. It is logical to imply that many of the criticisms of the Framework have been theoretical rather than ones, which are based on instances of the actual usage of the Framework in promoting effective R.E. teaching. For example in a paper given by Marilyn Mason who is an Educational Officer for the British Humanist Association (BHA), to an Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) seminar on Religious Education and the New National Framework, on 20th January 2004 several doubts were cast on the workability of the new Framework. The document stated ‘My fear is that the National Framework could simply become the 152nd syllabus, yet another one to be adapted or plundered or, worse, ignored. And  I doubt that a National Framework, however good, could justify RE’s peculiar and anomalous place in the school curriculum: Why should it be compulsory right up to the end of school, though not in colleges? Is there enough interesting and relevant content to justify this? Is it really so much more important than literacy, numeracy, or critical thinking? It would be good to see a really dynamic and exciting RE competing on equal terms with the other humanities subjects for students after KS3, though that is beyond the scope of a mere Framework’. Mason M (2004) ‘Religious Education – could do better’? This quotation offers a critical analysis of the Framework, which is not based on how the Framework has worked when it has been implemented. It only discusses a potential drawback. It was assumed that the Framework would be changed or not adopted at all by R.E. professionals from experience and by observing the impact of the Framework on R.E. resources we can safely say that this has not been the case. The statement by the BHA does continue to attack R.E. as a subject in itself and even insinuates that it is given ‘much more importance than literacy, numeracy and critical thinking’. This unfounded outburst of contempt for R.E. in the school curriculum only reinforces the perception of the BHA as an institution, which is on an anti –R.E. crusade. The criticism of the Framework in the passage should therefore be taken with caution as the BHA does not seem interested in how the provision of R.E. in schools can be improved -but rather how the profile of R.E. as a subj ect can be lowered in the curriculum. On the other hand an example of how the Framework has expressed an actual strength is displayed in the 2007 locally agreed Syllabus for R.E in Havering. Not only does this document state in the introduction on Page 5 that the new syllabus was produced with attention being paid to the terms of the Non- Statutory Framework, but in the KS3 section on Pages 27-29 the bread of study at KS3 should entail learning knowledge understanding and skills during the study of a whole World view, which includes lesser known religions and secular ideas, which will take account of the schools religious/ non-religious profile. This framework ties in with the breadth of study declared on page 29 (3 c,d,) of the Non- Statutory National Framework document in which it is stated that during KS3 pupils should be taught the  knowledge, skills and understanding of R.E. by looking at a religious community with a significant presence in the locality and concentrating on the secular view of the World where poss ible. This correlation in the agenda of a locally agreed syllabus and the Framework is irrefutable evidence of the impact that this set of objectives for the improvement of R.E. had on R.E. professionals. The ability of the Framework to be adopted by SACRE’s and ASC’s –all in spite of the guidelines not being compulsory is a real strength of the Framework. Given these actual strengths of the Non-Statutory National Framework in suggesting the scope of study at KS3, it is feasible to say in spite of its critics who may have been dubious about the feasibility of Framework before its introduction that the Framework is an adequate resource for teaching R.E. Bibliography Agreed syllabus for Havering (2007) Pathways London Borough of Havering Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. Draycott P (et al ed) (2005) Think R.E. London: Harcourt Education. Felderhof M.C. (2004) Journal of Beliefs and Values, Volume 25, Number 2, August 2004 , pp. 241-248(8) London: Routledge Mason, Marilyn, 2004. Religious Education –could do better? Available at: (accessed 6th December 2007). QCA, ed, 2004. The Non- Statutory Framework for R.E., London: QCA Available at: (accessed 5th December 2007). Watson B and Thompson P (2007) The effective teaching of Religious Education London: Longman Weston, Deborah, 2004. News from R.E. Today Magazine: PCfRE comment on the launch of the Non-Statutory Framework for RE. Available at: (accessed 7th December 2007). White J. (2004) Rethinking the school curriculum values, aims and purposes Great Britain: Routledge. ———————– PASS / FAIL

Attentional Capture Essays - Cognitive Science, Neuroscience

Attentional Capture Essays - Cognitive Science, Neuroscience Attentional Capture ABSTRACT: How likely are subjects to notice something salient and potentially relevant that they do not expect? Recently, several new paradigms exploring this question have found that, quite often, unexpected objects fail to capture attention. This, phenomenon known as 'inattentional blindness' has been brought forth by Simon (2000) who raised the intriguing possibility that salient stimuli, including the appearance of new objects, might not always capture attention in the real world. For example, a driver may fail to notice another car when trying to turn. With regards to this, in the context of driver attention, this (draft) proposal predicts that intattentional blindness may be the cause of the majority of automobile accidents, and that attentional capture may be improved by expanding the attentional set of the driver through training in virtual driving settings. This review first considers evidence for the effects of irrelevant features both on performance, by implicit attentional capture and on awareness, by explicit attentional capture. Together studies of implicit attentional capture and recent studies of inattentional blindness can provide a fuller understanding of the varieties of attentional capture, and has important implications for real world driving situations. Two general definitions have been used in the study of attentional capture. Explicit attentional capture occurs when a salient and unattended stimulus draws attention, leading to awareness of its presence. Implicit attentional capture is revealed when a salient and irrelevant stimulus affects performance on another task, regardless of whether or not subjects are aware of the stimulus (Simon, 2000). Explicit attentional capture for example, occurs when someone across a room says our name or waves vigorously, and that stimulus signal sets itself apart from the background and w e become aware of its source (Simon, 2000). Typically, studies determine whether capture has occurred by asking subjects whether they noticed the critical stimulus. Several recent studies of explicit attentional capture have found that when observers are focused on some other object or event, they often fail to notice salient and distinctive objects, a phenomenon that is termed inattentional blindness (IB). Although the use of explicit reports was one of the first approaches used to study attentional capture , most studies have focused on implicit attentional capture. These studies make the critical stimulus irrelevant to the primary task and infer capture of attention based on different patterns of response times or eye movements. (Simon, 2000). Four distinct paradigms have been used to explore implicit attentional capture by measuring the effects of an irrelevant stimulus on performance of a primary task visual search task. These have already been commonly discussed directly or indirectly before by researchers (eg. In PSY 375 lectures) so they will be briefly presented in a tabular form (See Appendix 1). The primary debate in the literature on implicit attentional capture focuses on which features might automatically draw attention regardless of the expectations and attentional set of the observer. Evidence from the Pre-cueing paradigm suggests that attentional capture does not occur in the absence of the appropriate attentional set. Findings from each of the other paradigms suggest that stimulus-driven capture can occur, particularly by the abrupt onset of a new object. All of these studies explore the degree to which subjects can ignore something they know to be irrelevant. During performance of these tasks, observers often do not even notice the irrelevant feature despite its effects on their search performance (Yantis, 1993). In fact, even distinctive features that are presented below a subjective threshold for awareness can implicitly capture attention and affect performance (McCormick, 1997) . Evidence for implicit attentional capture is critical to understanding the mechanisms underlying visual search and for determining whether a perceptual event can automatically influence performance. Furthermore, such implicit effects can have a dramatic influence on our execution of real-world tasks and goals. For example, much of our driving performance probably reflects implicit detection of salient events (such as cars turning or slowing down) leading to corresponding adjustments to our behavior. A good proportion of perception occurs without awareness, and we need to be able to adjust our behavior without necessarily becoming aware of the cause or even the need for adjustment (Simon, 2000). Do we automatically really become aware of salient events in our visual environment, particularly events

Plant Source Company Alternative Fuel Sources

Plant Source Company Alternative Fuel Sources Introduction Due to the finite nature of fossil fuels (limited supply), companies around the world especially car manufacturers and energy producers are attempting to find alternative means of fuel for their products and services.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Plant Source Company: Alternative Fuel Sources specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One such alternative comes in the form of biofuels which are derived from processing agricultural products such as corn, leftover biological matter from farming or jatropha (a type of plant that can has a higher biofuel yield as compared to other species). The end result is the creation of a substance which can accomplish the same purpose as normal fossil fuels however is nonpolluting due to its unique chemical composition. While such a technology has yet to reach mainstream adaptability due to issues regarding production, shipping, engine compatibility as well as accepta nce by the general public, the fact remains that as fossil fuel resources continue to shrink it becomes increasingly necessary to utilize alternative fuel sources and as such biofuels may well become the fuel of choice in the future. Plant Source is one of the many companies that are attempting to usher in mainstream acceptance of biofuels yet finds itself in a conundrum regarding conflicting data involving potential regions for market expansion. As the company has discovered, one of the main issues it encounters on an almost daily basis is being able to find sufficient supplies from which biofuel can be derived from. While there are currently numerous processes which can be utilized to change certain plant species into viable fuel sources the fact remains that in order for such a process to enter into mass production a sufficient level of agricultural planting is necessary in order to accomplish such a task. The company is all too willing to pay farmers for particular crops however there are issues regarding local acceptance regarding crop changes which cannot be sold to other buyers due to their unique nature as primarily being a biofuel crop. Another factor to consider is that even if sufficient supplies can be created there is still the issue of exporting the synthesized biofuel across regions, borders and countries and penetrating markets where such fuels can make a profit for the company.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is based on these factors that the following will be a comprehensive guide in creating, operating, and evaluating a project team whose specific purpose is to create sufficient supply lines across different regions for the biofuel crop, manage methods of production and establish sufficient methods of sale and distribution across state and national borders. The expected end result of this guide is for readers t o be able to sufficiently understand the methods, processes and guidelines necessary to create a project for a technology intensive company such as Plant Source in order to create an effective and efficient means of production and distribution for the company. Creating an Effective Project Team Framing the Project One of the first steps necessary in creating a project team for this particular undertaking is to frame the project in terms of its goal, what resources are available, what is the timeline for each step in the process and how will responsibility be delegated to individual team members (Howes, 2001). For this particular project the following can be considered an outline of how the project should look like from inception to outcome: Creation of effective suppliers and supply lines to facilitate the supply of raw materials for the biofuel conversion process. Determining where the conversion factory should be located in order to facilitate effective biomaterial conversion. Or ganizing appropriate employee systems to facilitate the process of supply and conversion. Examining potential markets where the converted biofuel will most likely have the highest demand. Establishing proper client relations. Exporting the biofuel to clients through regional distribution centers. Team Composition Since the basic project outline has now been established, it now becomes necessary to determine the overall composition of the team and how it should be organized. One method of organization that could be potentially utilized is the vertical approach, more commonly know as the top down approach, wherein a strict hierarchy is established with orders coming from the team leader getting passed to the appropriate team member resulting in that individual accomplishing the task given to them (Blackstone, Cox and Schleier, 2009). Blackstone, Cox and Schleier (2009) indicates that while such an approach in managing a technology intensive company allows greater control over the pro cess of task delegation and compliance to an established plan they state that it limits the ability of a project to effectively respond to changing market forces and actually limits the ability of the project team to effectively respond to changes within a business environment (Blackstone, Cox and Schleier, 2009). What must be understood is that technology oriented businesses do not operate within a vacuum, rather they operate within a constantly changing and shifting environment where new innovations technologies effectively necessitate the need to change project strategies on an almost yearly basis (Thamhain, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Plant Source Company: Alternative Fuel Sources specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taking this into consideration, a more effective approach to be utilized is the horizontal one wherein each member is given the freedom to contribute ideas, process and implement the ir own unique methods in getting a specific task accomplished (Howes, 2001). It is due to this that in the case of Plant Source the recommended project team composition should utilize the horizontal approach in order to help facilitate a more effective sharing of idea and the utilization of innovate processes in order to get the job done. Operation of Project Team Client Relations As mentioned earlier creating effective client relations is an important aspect of Plant Source since the company needs a buyer for its products. What must be understood is that at the present biofuel gets blended into with other fuel sources in order to create what is currently in most gas pumps in gas stations around the world. While utilizing biofuel directly into current engines is possible the fact remains that Plant Source lacks the distribution networks necessary to distribute biofuels to individual consumers. As such it becomes necessary to utilize business to business sales with corporations such as Shell, Exxon Mobile and Petron in order to for the company to actually get its products out there. It is due to this that one division of the project team for this particular venture needs to deal with establishing business agreements with other corporations in order to facilitate the sale of companys biofuel product. In fact this particular aspect of operations can be considered the most important since without it the project wont become viable at all (ALTINKEMER, OZCELIK OZDEMIR, 2011) Liaison Group One aspect of the project team must deal with developing proper agreements with local farmers in regions identified as viable locations for growing crops specifically for biofuel usage. The reason why a liaison group is necessary is due to the fact that proper agreements need to be created with local farmers in which they agree to change their current method of farming and production to one that is more inclined towards the needs of the company.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since this at times puts farmers at risk this necessitates the need for constant reassurances, proper guidance as well as local site teams that will initially assist farmers in developing the necessary systems for crop production. Other aspects that the liaison team will have to deal with involves having to create an appropriate technological system where farming limitations, crop production, transportation systems as well as seed supplies need to be systematized, catalogued and distributed depending on the inherent need per farm. Furthermore the liaison team will be responsible in determining how much biomaterial crop can be created within a given area and determine how this will impact company production. This can either involve them scaling backing or increasing production within particular regional areas. Product Development One of the necessary aspects of proper project management is to ensure that there is an adequate level of product development within the project team (Lenfl e Loch, 2010). This particular aspect of operations involves the team setting up the necessary refineries and factories where the biomaterial from farms is processed into biofuel however it must also e noted that this aspect of the project team doesnt just involve setting up the technology and supervising product quality but it also involves having to examine the current technological environment to see if there are any emerging technologies that can be utilized in the production process. Product development also involves taking the initial product and seeing if it can be improved beyond its original capacities through the use of new technologies (Killough and Sheely, 2011). This can mean utilized new processing methods to gain more biofuel yields from biomaterial or processing biofuels even more in order to have them attain the capacity to replace petroleum based products all together. The possible applications are potentially limitless and as such are limited by the will and the imagination to put them into effect. Evaluation As noted by Thamhain (2005) business environments can change depending on several factors with one of the most obvious being the subsequent creation of new technologies as well as the changing need of consumers (Thamhaim, 2005). In this particular case it can be seen that the new technology that has been created is the conversion process for plant biomaterial into biofuels while the changed need in the case of consumers is the necessity for alternative fuels sources. Thamhain (2005) indicates there are numerous forces that drive technology companies today and as seen in the case of Plant Source the driving force in this case is the need to combine the innovative creation of a new product with sufficient supply and consumer consumption. Taking such factors into consideration this section details the various means of evaluation in which a project team for Plant Source will be evaluated based on their fulfillment of the goals and requirem ents of this type of project. Response to Changing Technological Environment One of the measures of a successful project by a technology intensive company is how the project reacts to sudden changes in the global market (Thamhain, 2005). What must be understood is that a project timeline can last from weeks, to months and even up to several years. Within this span of time numerous changes can and will occur which may affect the viability of a particular project. One example of this can be seen in the case of the Playstation 3 produced by Sony and the Wii created by Nintendo. While both units were released at roughly the same span of time; sales of the Nintendo Wii eclipsed that of the Playstation 3 due to the innovative concept of a motion controller and the greater degree of person-to-console interactivity that the Wii was able to provide to gamers (Altinkemer, Ozcelik and Ozdemir, 2011). Sony on the other hand had banked on the performance and graphics that the Playstation 3 could provide however as seen by the initial sales results of the company the unit was considered far too expensive with fewer game titles available as compared to the Wii which was much cheaper and had a plethora of titles to choose from (Altinkemer, Ozcelik and Ozdemir, 2011). It was only when Sony dropped the price of the Playstation 3 by several hundred dollars a year later that the company was able to gain sufficient traction within the gaming community. Based on this case alone it can be seen that companies need to be able to respond to changing technologies which may affect their market shares (Baydoun, 2010). Some possible technological developments that may arise which could cause problems for the company in the form of cheaper biofuel processing technologies developed by rival corporations, changing consumer preferences from biofuels to hydrogen power cells or even the current development of electrical cars. The response of the project team to sudden changes in the technologica l environment that it finds itself in is a measure of how well the current project they are undertaking will succeed (Altinkemer, Ozcelik and Ozdemir, 2011). A slow response as seen in the case of Sony can result in rivals capturing a greater market share or even completely capturing the market as seen in the case of the Microsoft Zoon and the iPhone. Thus, when evaluating the project team their response to technological innovations will come in the form of determining how fast they were able to respond to the change, how did they change their business strategy, what processes did they implement to minimize the negative effects on the project and to what extent did they facilitate their own responses to the changes that occurred (Killough Sheely, 2011). Project Life Cycle Achievement All projects are subject to a certain lifecycle as indicated by the inherent limitations of the project itself and as such it becomes important to determine whether the team either contributed towards meeting deadline objectives, going over the deadline or even completing the project earlier than expected (Howes, 2001). As examined by Thamhain (2005), technology based projects need to conform to set resource and time limits from creation to completion (Thamlain, 2005). Project teams that expend more resources and time than what is legitimately necessary can thus be categorized as inefficient and negligent since it is their responsibility to ensure that projects are able to stay within set limits. Thus, in evaluating a project team on the basis of life cycle achievement it is important to determine whether they sufficiently utilized project management tools as indicated by Thamlain (2005) which are necessary aspects in ensuring proper project completion. This can come in the form of financial planning tools, time sheets, completed project milestones, daily reports and logistics software which combines all this data in order to determine the current rate of project completion versu s the rate in which the project team should have been working at. By examining the data from such tools it will be easy to evaluate whether the team was able to properly meet and accomplish specific project milestones within a given time frame and if it was able to meet the project deadline that was created at during the project planning stage Reference List Altinkemer K., Ozcelik, Y., Ozdemir Z. D. (2011). Productivity and performance effects of Business process reengineering: A firm-level analysis.  Journal Of Management Information Systems, 27(4), 129-162. Blackstone, J. H., Cox, J. F., Schleier, J. G. (2009). A tutorial on project management from a theory of constraints perspective. International Journal Of Production  Research, 47(24), 7029-7046. Baydoun, M. (2010). Risk management of large-scale development projects in developing countries: Cases from MDIs projects. International Journal Of  Technology Management Sustainable Development, 9(3), 237-249. Howes, N. R. (2 001). Modern project management: Successfully integrating project  management knowledge areas and processes. AMACOM Books. Killough, C., Sheely, K. B. (2011). Efficient management: From global threats to small projects. Public Manager, 40(3), 45-49. Lenfle, S., Loch, C. (2010). Lost roots: How project management came to emphasize control over flexibility and novelty. California Management Review, 53(1), 32-55. Thamhain, H. (2005). Management of technology in technology intensive organizations. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Page

Decide If Private School is Worth the Money

Decide If Private School is Worth the Money When assessing if private school is worth the money, its important to consider all the factors look at many students’ experiences at private school from a cost-benefit perspective and many come up with the conclusion that attending a private school does not in any way guarantee access to an Ivy League or equivalently competitive college.  There is no clear answer to the cost-benefit analysis of whether private school is â€Å"worth it,† but here are some ways to think about the equation. Examine Your Criteria Most articles that seek to answer the question about whether private school is worth the cost look at one factor; college admission. Particularly, many choose to look at admission  to a very selective bunch of schools, namely the Ivy League and other similar colleges and universities. However, these elite colleges and universities may not be the goal of all or even most private school parents and students. In fact, many private school graduates are fortunate to have the added bonus of working with highly qualified college counselors whose jobs are to help graduates find the best fit higher education institutions, and not the most prestigious. What good is an ivy league degree if youre not getting the support you need to succeed and do well? Yes, its true that  some private schools thrive on advertising the admission of their recent graduates into Ivy League and equivalent schools, but college admissions results can never sum up the true value of private school education. Does an ivy league education guarantee  success and fulfillment? Not always. But that isnt necessarily the one deciding factor to consider. Instead, parents and students who want to understand what a private school education offers them need to look at the process of the education and what it has provided students in order to prepare them for life after high school. Improved time management skills, increased independence, introduction to a diverse community and rigorous academics; these are just a few of the skills that private school students gain from their experiences that cant necessarily be captured by their college admission lists. Understand the True Value of Private School The benefits of a private school education may not always be summarized in the list of where recent graduates attended college. For example, one study found that the benefits of a boarding school education extended well beyond students’ senior year of high school and the college admissions process. The graduates of private boarding and day schools felt much better prepared for college than did public school students in the survey, and graduates of boarding schools achieved advanced degrees and career success to a greater extent than did the graduates of private day or public schools. Parents and students can often understand what private schools offer when they look at the complete trajectory of graduates’ education and careers. Want to learn more about life at an all-girls boarding school? Find the Best Fit for Your Child In addition, statistics and summaries of vast numbers of students do not always help you understand what type of education is best for your child. The best school for any child is the one that fits his or her needs. For example, if your child loves horseback riding or surfing or English poetry or another academic or extra-curricular interest, a certain school may provide him or her with the best environment for advancing his or her interests and development. It is by no means true that a private school is always better than a public school, and it is true that public schools can often be more diverse than many private schools. However, the cost-benefit analysis of any particular school must be carried out with a particular student in mind. The true value of a school is what it offers to that student, not just what it offers in terms of college admissions. The true value lies in what the school offers with regard to a student’s life-long learning. Applying to private school, despite the hefty price tag, might be the best thing youve done yet.

Encountering The Old Testament Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Encountering The Old Testament - Term Paper Example The response of God to the injustice of humans is justice, implying that humans would always get whatever they wanted. It is evidenced that the evil are punished by God and the righteous are blessed by God. The redemption and mercy, which is developed in the stories of the Bible appear to be a contrast of the standard retribution. In different books, redemption is seen in two categories. In other situations, one individual forgives another through ignoring the offence of the other or by just forgetting the offence. Jacob goes back to his homeland immediately after cheating his own brother. In this case, we expect vengeance and hatred from Esau. However, Jacob is welcomed by Esau with an embrace, changing the expectations of Jacob despite the fact that Jacob had changed Esau’s fate. Apart from this, King David is seen to treat all his enemies with mercy and kindness, an act that appears as short-sighted in terms of dismissal of justice that is traditional. Another type of redem ption is used in the third party intervention as a sacrifice mediator to reduce the anger of God with wrongdoers. The frantic prayer of Moses in Mount Sinai made God to alter his mind and shift from having the Israelites destroyed.  In this case, the promise of God is a mirror of the acts of humans in the law of religion to forgive the sins of humans according to the offerings and sacrifices. The covenant of God with the humans includes all His promises to provide Abraham together with his descendants the religious laws and the Promised Land that is provided to the Israelites. On the other hand, the covenant takes after the ancient treaties and legal codes whereby a landowner identifies the vassal condition so as to protect the return on vassal. The covenant in the Bible does not represent a mere agreement but a relationship that is passionate

How Sports Run the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How Sports Run the World - Essay Example As the research stresses modern sports provide a common cultural and social currency between people of different backgrounds. Sporting events promote social integration and foster a sense of unity. Across the globe, the ball games and athletic competition activate a collective spirit that tends to enhance participation of different social groups. According to the report findings people take part in the sports as players, athletics, sponsors, media personalities, politicians, business people, and spectators. The participation of persons of varied backgrounds in the sporting events helps in bridging the cultural, as well as, ethnic divides. Similarly, sports promote cultural tolerance, non-discrimination, and social integration. In cases where politics, culture, national passions, and culture often divide people, sports facilitate the achievement of unity at local and international levels. The sporting events have the potential of fighting discrimination and raising the awareness about the rights of women and marginalized societies. Sporting events offer a platform that assists different fans to bond in pursuit of collective action to achieve strong sporting communities. Local, as well as, the international fans display strong allegiances to the sport teams and athletes. Such base of fans tends to provide a focus for intergener ational discussions and development of solidarity at the community, national, and international levels. Apart from the solidarity, sport is an indispensable tool for social mobilization targeting to empower different groups of people.

Do you consider that the 13th Company Law Directive is the right Essay

Do you consider that the 13th Company Law Directive is the right instrument to achieve an effective pan-European market for corporate control and to facilitate cross-border takeovers - Essay Example The Commission perceived that the Directive on takeovers was necessary for pan-European corporate control via the reconstruction of common rules and procedures applicable to the single market and minority shareholder protection in takeovers.4 It has been a long standing goal of the EC to harmonize company laws among the Member States, an area of EC law plagued by diversity.5 The question for consideration, is whether or not the 13th Company Law Directive is able to contribute to achieving this goal and thereby serve as the right instrument for pan-European market for corporate control and at the same time facilitate cross-border takeovers. It will be argued that the 13th Company Law Directive does not live up to its mandate since it fails to provide for harmonization of anti-takeover defenses by allowing Member States to opt out.6 Other residual threats to harmonization and by extension, threats to a pan-European market for corporate control, and the facilitation of cross-border takeovers will be explored. Article 8 of EC Directive 2004/24/EC presents an obvious problem for pan-European corporate control and the facilitation of takeovers. Article 8 provides that Member States are required to regulate that the targeted company’s board: â€Å"†¦at the latest after receiving the information (on an unsolicited bid) and until the bid is made public or the bid lapses, †¦should abstain from completing any action other than seeking alternative bids which may result in the frustration of the offer, and notably from issuing any shares which may result in a lasting impediment to the offer or to obtain control over the offeree company, unless it has the prior authorization of the general meeting of shareholders given for this purpose, during the period of acceptance of the bid.†7 It is important to note that from a transborder perspective, Article 8 is fraught with difficulties since it

Second Language Acquisition Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Second Language Acquisition - Article Example It focuses on psycholinguistic approach instead of the more commonly employed traditional linguistic forms. Inevitably, it utilizes a number of strategies to seize the students’ attention and post-lesson activities for the purpose of measurement for the mentioned study conducted. The researcher manages to keep his role as it was not indicated that he directly participated in the research as to affect the outcome of the study in direct favor of his hypothesis and how he wants the direction of the study to go. The research was composed of 88 students subjected to 71/2 hours or 3 weeks of Spanish formal exposure. A questionnaire was dispensed after the experiment and following the final posttest to ensure that they were indeed second language learners without prior experience from formal exposure to avoid any significant amount of any deviating independent variables. First-year Spanish program students enrolled in the eight sections were then subdivided into groups. Randomly assigned are two of the sections delegated under four conditions of interchanged ‘amount of exposure’ and ‘type of exposure.’ The first group was under single, teacher-centered (TC). The second was, learner-centered (LC). The third was with multiple, teacher-centered (TC) exposure. And the fourth was multiple, learner-centered. The research was conducted in the span of one semester. Obviously, the research would have experimental exposure-based activities for the LC groups. Activities such as crossword puzzles were employed as it pertains to critical thinking and for evaluation means primarily. Post-exposure assessment tools are the backbone of this study as it measures the effectiveness or lack thereof of the controlling variables. The independent variables are the types and amount of exposure.

The Role of Competitive Intelligence on Google Essay

The Role of Competitive Intelligence on Google - Essay Example nce at Google Advantages of Competitive Intelligence The main objective of competitive intelligence is to identify new opportunities and potential threats that lie ahead. It tries to detect and counter the threat from competition. Competitive intelligence aims to remove or reduce the surprises and therefore tries to develop and enhance the competitive advantage. Globalization along with access to the huge databases and the realization of the new type of competitor and business opportunities has also led to the advancement in the competitive intelligence. Therefore, competitive intelligence keeps the companies ahead of their competitors and therefore opens new horizon for them (All Hands Business Solutions, 2009). The figure below explains the competitive intelligence cycle which begins with planning and ends at diffusion of the information at the organisation. Source: (Quoniam, n.d.). When the data is gathered from numerous sources, it is evaluated in order to identify the competitor ’s strategies as well as future directions. The main objective of the CI is to make informed marketing as well as strategic decisions through which gaining strategic advantage and reduction of the risk is possible (College of Business and Public Policy, 2011). It is worth mentioning that when a company has detailed information and knowledge regarding the product/ services of its competitors, the company is likely to gain advantage that will assist it in planning the best strategies and therefore enhance the overall profitability and market share (The University of New York, 2011). The main result obtained from the competitive intelligence is its capability to prepare forward-looking decisions. Hence, it can be stated that it is through competitive intelligence that the companies are...When the data is gathered from numerous sources, it is evaluated in order to identify the competitor’s strategies as well as future directions. The main objective of the CI is to make inf ormed marketing as well as strategic decisions through which gaining strategic advantage and reduction of the risk is possible (College of Business and Public Policy, 2011). It is worth mentioning that when a company has detailed information and knowledge regarding the product/ services of its competitors, the company is likely to gain advantage that will assist it in planning the best strategies and therefore enhance the overall profitability and market share (The University of New York, 2011). The main result obtained from the competitive intelligence is its capability to prepare forward-looking decisions. Hence, it can be stated that it is through competitive intelligence that the companies are capable of making strategic decision making as well as that of market leadership. Disadvantage or Potential Pitfalls of Competitive Intelligence As per the views of Malhotra (1996), its main goal is to collect pertinent information which is valid and accurate. Inaccurate information may endanger organisation’s competitive intelligence efforts. The other significant drawbacks of competitive intelligence are that there may be illustrations of fake confirmation where a significant source of data may tend to confirm the records received from other sources.

Jeri Caldwell at Moex, INC Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jeri Caldwell at Moex, INC - Assignment Example rt from that, others like Jeff Fairbanks, Bonita Harriman and Rafford Marshall feel being subjected to colorblind referring to conforming to the mainstream or dominant group way and feel pressured to give up their unique way of speaking, dressing, religion or relating to one another by the minority group (Robins, Judge and Vohra, 56). The minority group at MOEX is also experiencing exclusion discrimination as they feel they are treated like outsiders in the company. The problems are coming from the past behavior that is unfair discrimination practices of the company, insufficient affirmative action to correct the past discrimination and ineffective diversity management. Also the conservative culture of MOEX, in comparison with other high-tech firms, low representation of minorities in the workforce due to company’s inability to attract and retain diverse people and its reputation in color communities of being unsupportive and sometimes hostile attitude towards colored people are leading to the problems of discrimination and colorblindness. Apart from that, the discriminatory behavior of dominant group that is stereotyping the color people, ethnocentrism and non-inclusion of minorities are also contributing to the problem of discrimination. To tackle the problem of unfair discrimination the simplest method is using legislation and affirmative action. However legal approaches are effective only after the event of discrimination as they do not exactly specify how discrimination can be prevented (Crane and Matten, 275). It is also clear from the case that MOEX has taken steps towards changing its past behavior with respect to discrimination by recruiting diverse employees. However its strategy was not effective and it also failed to retain diverse employees. It is in the hands of the management and its policies can avoid the occurrence of discrimination, colorblind and exclusion. MOEX by implementing the following diversity management strategies can effectively