Tom Brennan Character Profile - 875 Words

Characters in ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ and how they deal with aspects of growing up or transitions into new phases of life and a broader world. Character: TOM BRENNAN Experience encountered | Growth, Change or other consequences as a result of the experience | Key quotes | Language identification and analysis | Car accident | Tom wants his old life back prior to the accident and he sees the accident as the end of his life as he knew it. He loses his sense of identity and sense of family in particular.Feels guilty and ashamed about the irrevocable consequences his brother’s irresponsibility had for other people and their familiesRetreats into a depressed state which feels empty and black. | p.5 Thinking about past Australia†¦show more content†¦In many ways, they’d saved my arse.’After seeing Brendan crying over photos of Daniel Tom thinks p.238 ‘†¦but for the first time it helped me look at everything with a bit of distance. ..We were all on our own journey, and some days the traveling was worse than others.’P.165 ‘I took the books out and carefully, page by page, started to remove what I wa nted to copy. With each memory I touched, I felt it gain-that pain, like a sledgehammer slicing through your heart. It hurt so much but it was a good hurt because it wasn’t in vain. This was going to help Daniel. If he had to face a future, then so did I.’p.242 When Tom and Brendan are at the waterhole talking Tom says, ’Gran says we’ve got to leave our ghosts behind.’p.261 Tom describes his relationship with Chrissy, ‘When I was with Chrissy, I was me again. Simple Tom Brennan- no ties, no debt, no guilt, no bad thoughts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I missed me, Tom Brennan, and that’s why now I could smile, ‘cause I could see that he was coming back.’ And when Tom and Chrissy are swimming together he says, p.283 ‘You are everything. Everything!...You helped me find my old self. Believe me, that’s everything.’ |Show MoreRelatedMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagescases, and illustrate that c ertain successful and unsuccessful practices are not unique. Information Boxes and Issue Boxes are included in each chapter to highlight relevant concepts and issues, or related information, and we are even testing Profile Boxes. Learning insights help students see how certain practices—both errors and successes—cross company lines and are prone to be either traps for the unwary or success modes. Discussion Questions and Hands-On Exercises encourage and stimulateRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesAgainst whom are we competing? Identifying and evaluating competitors’ strengths and weaknesses Evaluating competitive relationships and analysing how organizations compete Identifying competitors’ objectives Identifying competitors’ likely response profiles Competitor analysis and the development of strategy The competitive intelligence system The development of a competitive stance: the potential for ethical conflict Summary CONTENTS vii Stage Two: Where do we want to be? Strategic direction

Natureview Farm Case - 2405 Words

TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION 2 1.1 CASE SUMMARY 2 2. OBJECTIVE/MAIN ISSUES 4 3. MARKET TREND ANALYSIS 4 3.1 ORGANIC PRODUCTS 4 3.2 YOGURT PRODUCTS 5 4. SWOT ANALYSIS 5 5. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 6 6. RECOMMANDATION 12 6.1 MARKETING STRATEGIES 12 6.2 PROMOTIONAL SUGGESTION 14 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Case Summary Natureview Farm Inc. is a small yogurt manufacturer that manufactured and marketed refrigerated cup yogurt under the Natureview Farm brand name. It was founded in 1989 in Cabot, Vermont. In 1999, it was reported that the growth of Natureview Farm is $13 million in revenues (see Table 1.1) and by 2000, Natureview Farm has becomes a leading national yogurt brand with 24% of the†¦show more content†¦Natureview Farm want break into the mainstream supermarket channel to meet this goal ($20 million by the end of 2001). 3. MARKET TREND ANALYSIS 3.1 Market Trend for Organic Products The prediction of organic products’ market growth is from $6.5 billion in 1999 to $13.3 billion in 2003. Generally, there are few characteristics of shoppers who purchased organic products regardless of channel which are higher income, more educated person and mostly live in the Northeast and West. 46% of them bought organic products at the supermarket, 25% at a small health foods store and 29% at a natural foods supermarket. Organic dairy products were bought by 74% of heavy organic food buyers and 29% of light organic food buyers. 3.2 Market Trend for Yogurt Products There were top four competitors that were fairly concentrated in the market which are Dannon, Yoplait, Breyers and Columbo. The top two competitors controlling over 50% of market share. There are two dominant distribution channels for yogurt product which are supermarkets and natural foods store. Supermarkets had sold 97% of all yogurt consumed and natural foods store only sold 3%. 4. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) was done to serve as the external and internal environmental analysis behind the background of Natureview Farm current product and market situation. The summary of the SWOT analysis is as below: [pic] Figure 4.1 SWOT Analysis 5. FINDINGS ANDShow MoreRelatedNatureview Farm Case1181 Words   |  5 PagesNatureview Farm Case Natureview Farm is a small yogurt manufacturer with annual revenues of $13 million. It produces three different size cups – 8 oz. cup, 32 oz. and 4 oz. cup multipack. However, Natureview’s goal is to increase its annual revenue to $20 million in two years. With a solid relationship with its current, successful strategy in the natural foods channel it is considering expanding into the supermarket channel. Conversely, it does not want to hurt the company brand it has created asRead MoreNatureview Farms Case Analysis2493 Words   |  10 PagesNATUREVIEW FARM, INC. CASE WRITE-UP I. Address Who You Are and Who You Are Writing To This analysis is provided by the members of the marketing team at Natureview Farm, Inc., on behalf of Christine Walker, Vice President of Marketing.   The purpose of this analysis is to provide a recommended course of action for the company to grow their revenues by 50% by the end of the 2001 through the use of SWOT analysis on the three recommendations proposed by the senior leadership at Natureview FarmsRead MoreNatureview Farms Case Study Essay1638 Words   |  7 PagesNATUREVIEW FARMS Introduction Go big, or go home! This is a saying that is heard in all different fields. Its meaning is far more than the five words it contains. Go big, as in everything you do, do it to the best of your ability. Go home, means that you are throwing in the towel when things get tough, more or less, just giving up. My dad said those words to me when I was too afraid to get on stage at my first ballet recital, and he would say those same words to the management team atRead MoreNatureview Farm Case (Solved)918 Words   |  4 PagesInstituto Tecnolà ³gico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Ciudad de Mà ©xico. Estrategia de Operaciones Benjamà ­n Casar 971389 Angà ©lica Hernà ¡ndez 1490033 Natureview Farm Tabla de Contenido Introduccià ³n †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..2 Modelo de Negocio: 2 Identifica las razones por las que la red de abasto de Tamiflu fue incierta despues de haber cumplido con las backorders. 3 Valore los elementos a considerar en el manejo de reservas para una pandemia globalRead MoreNatureview Farm Case Write Up1686 Words   |  7 Pages1) How has Natureview succeeded in the natural foods channel? What are the two primary types of growth strategies under consideration by Natureview? Product attributes: Natureview, in the following referred to as NV, benefits from the strong attributes the customer connects with the product. Through the special process and ingredients the products can achieve shelf life of 50 days, which is significantly higher than the average 30day shelf life in the industry. In order compete with NV on thisRead MoreThe Natural Foods Channel Of Natureview Farm1677 Words   |  7 Pages1. How has natureview succeeded in the natural foods channel? Natureview Farm was founded in 1989; Natureview Farm was positioned as a natural food brand. Within the period of 10 years and produce and promoted refrigerated cup yogurt with brand name of Natureview Farm. The company has been succeeded in building a quality healthy product that differentiates it from other because of its natural ingredient and long shelf life that gave it its strong brand name.it has a natural distribution within naturalRead MoreNatureview Farm2497 Words   |  10 PagesExecutive summary Natureview Farm was established in 1989 as the brand of refrigerated cup yogurt. After 10 years, it was able to increase its revenue by 129%, which is from $100,000 up to 13 million. However Natureview had difficulty in maintaining its consistent level of profitability which lead firm to financial problem. To solve this problem Natureview needed VC to fund investments. VC would grant the fund only if Natureview could accomplish the goal: growing its revenue to $20 million before

The West free essay sample

Turner proposes that the West was independent from the instruction and influence of the East while Limerick gives many examples of the West’s dependence on the East and how the federal government played a key role in the development of the Western frontier. Limerick gives insights that weaken the â€Å"tradition of independence† (Limerick 575). Her critiquing of Turner alters one’s perspective of how independent the West really was by discussing slavery, economic development, and psychological restraints on rebirth. Limerick points out that the settlers who were establishing the West were originally Easterners (Limerick 573) and continued to desire the benefits of living in an eastern state with a dependable government. These people knew what it was like to be a citizen as opposed to an early settler on the ungoverned frontier. They had known the benefits of having a senator and representatives in Congress, an advantage unknown to the territories out west. This point of view from the new westerners â€Å"did not heighten one’s independence, but lessened it† (Limerick 573). The people from the east begrudged being part of a territory instead of a state (Limerick 573). The governing that the West was receiving was comparable to what the South had been given as a punishment after the Civil War (Limerick 573). These Easterner settlers were the people pushing for territorial statehood, and more importantly, for a connection with the east and the federal government. Turner reasons that American development in the frontier began separate from the East (Turner 531). Limerick contests this due to the theory that the settlers started their â€Å"perennial rebirth† (Turner 531), as Turner would say, with a strong connection to the East. The settlers from the East did not want to forget their past and yearned for the representation in the government and its guidance and protection. Limerick addresses land subsidies and reliance of the federal government by the West as another important factor of the dependence of the frontier. The fact that the government was giving settlers land in itself shows how dependent the West actually was. In Plenty Coup’s narrative piece he describes an incident in which he was forced from his home to meet with the president over the â€Å"future of his people†. The President wanted to take over the Indian land. â€Å"I added that we did not want a railroad built through our country because it was our hunting ground†¦ [he] kept us in Washington for over a month† (Coups 564). From this we see how the distribution of â€Å"free land† as noted by Turner was achieved from the Indians and used to essentially support the creation of the west. â€Å"The government continued to carve up the clan lands† (Yava 565). Where would the land have come from if not from the Indians? Without the land subsidies, frontiersmen would not have a sense of ownership over their land. The government gave financial assistance to the West for various projects, also decreasing its independence. As a result of much of this funding, private enterprise, such as the transportations system, could not thrive (Limerick 575). Money was given to freighting companies and railroads and therefore personal projects were scarce because they could not compete with funded companies. Turner mentioned the improvement of railroads in the west but failed to mention how these modes of transportation came to be. He stated that with construction of the railroads the west â€Å"began to evolve† (Turner 533), not saying that it was only with the West’s dependence on federal funds that the railroads were able to transpire. The West became reliant on the government for a majority of its economic needs. Congress began supporting volunteers in Indian campaigns, post and land office positions, highway development (Limerick 575), forts, and public buildings (578). In addition to the West’s reliance on the government, according to Limerick, settlers could not let go of their pasts and consequently brought the east with them, demonstrating their dependence on their homeland. Limerick exemplifies this point by relating the story of Daniel Boone. Boone escaped to the wilderness of the West only to be followed by other pioneers and thus found himself in the predicament he began with: â€Å"intolerable civilization† (Limerick 580). Although Boone was hoping to leave refined society, by paving the way to the West he brought other settlers with him. Western independence was often described as liberation from the past; instances such as Boone’s show that Western Americans brought their problems with them to the frontier (Limerick 580). Turner asserts that the frontier furnished â€Å"a gate of escape from the bondage of the past† (Turner 550), but keeping Limerick’s theory and the example in mind, one could not believe this statement. Turner also alleges that the advancement of the frontier brought individualism along with it (Turner 548). Individualism was not present if settlers were bringing their eastern pasts with them. These settlers were still connected to the East and were recreating their homeland and therefore they were not individualists. Slavery was another conflicting matter between Limerick and Turner. Turner chose to disregard the subject of slavery in his essay. He determined that it was unimportant to his argument and therefore did not comment on the issue. Limerick’s assertion is that the west brought the struggles of slavery to a â€Å"volatile peak† (Limerick 581). One’s understanding of the West’s effect on slavery is rather pessimistic when Limerick’s view is considered. Limerick’s essay brings forth a line of reasoning that suggests that the â€Å"tradition of independence† (Limerick 575) in the West was a â€Å"fantasy†. Americans were not free from relying on the federal government and the westward movement failed to help one evade the past (Limerick 580). Her arguments drastically alter the perception of the West illustrated by Turner and contrast with many of Turner’s views. Limerick brings forth a new way of interpreting the development of the West, suggesting that it was the dependence on the federal government that helped the West pull ahead.

The Mind is Separate from the Brain a Descartes Assumptions

Table of Contents Introduction Process of Thought Creation Creating Memories Experienced Stimuli and Imaginary Stimuli Resolving the Issue Conclusion Reference List Introduction The assumption of Descartes that the mind is separate from the brain is indeed a very intriguing concept since to this day the origin of thought, which the mind consists of, has yet to be accurately pinpointed by science (Gamst, 2011). As scientists such as Tsien (2007) point out there have yet to be accurate studies which pinpoint exactly how thoughts manifest within the brain (Tsien, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While it may be true that it is now possible to know which area corresponds to which bodily function or which particular area is responsible for adaptation, pleasure or even general sensations it is still vague as to how neural firings come together to produce a thought (Fox, 2006). For example, an individual can think of either a single word such as â€Å"appetite† or think of doing a particular action such as â€Å"going for a drive† yet such simplistic thoughts cannot be identified as originating from a particular location. In this particular instance philosophers turn towards the universal law of â€Å"something cannot originate from nothing†, taking this into consideration thoughts must then originate from somewhere. It is assumed that the firings of neurons within the brain are responsible for the concept of thought yet when examining the origin of neurons themselves it is strange to think that the concept of complex thought and behaviors originates from electrical synapses which don’t produce thoughts of their own (Koch, 2011). It is based on this that various individuals do in fact agree with the assumption of Descartes that the mind must exist som ewhere outside of the body and that it influences the actions of the body through some here-to-unknown method of control (Pinker, 2007). On the other hand it has been stated by various psychological studies that such an assumption should not be considered 100% accurate. For example, Bensley (2003) states that â€Å"if the mind is separate from the brain then why is it that substances which affect or inebriate the brain causes changes in thought patterns which come from the mind?† (Bensley, 2003). This particular viewpoint is expressed by studies such as those by Astin(2004) which examine the preponderance of drug usage among many artists, musicians, and even scientists to which they attribute a great deal of their moments of sudden clarity and imagination from which they derive their greatest work (Astin, 2004).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If the mind were truly s eparate from the brain then the concept of thought creation should remain constant instead of experiencing sudden shifts through artificial external influences. Process of Thought Creation It is still relatively unknown how thoughts are created yet what is known at the present is the way in which various substances can affect thought processes and how certain mental states can be achieved through the cornucopia of present day drugs or sudden accidents. For example, many people in the U.S. suffer from depression yet are able to overcome this particular mental state through the use of antidepressants. Other examples include individuals that use illegal drugs, alcohol or even people that were involved in car accidents resulting in brain damage. All these individuals, in one way or another, showed evidence of altered mental states which goes completely against the assumption of Descartes. Another way of looking at this particular situation is based on the views of Flanagan (1991) which examine the origin of knowledge and how people learn to think in precise ways (Flanagan, 1991). Flanagan (1991) explains that while various psychologists such as Freud have suggested that mental processes consist of id, ego, and superego most of them present the notion that the mind is located within the body (Flanagan, 1991). In fact various modern day psychologists such as Levine (1997) explain that knowledge of the latest psychoactive drugs is a necessity in the field of psychology due to chemical based treatments showing a great deal of effectiveness in dealing with a large percentage of many of today’s abnormal psychological behaviors (Levine, 1997). It must also be noted that thought should not be separated from behavior since behavior affects the formation of thoughts based on external stimuli which in turn affects the way in which a person perceives a particular situation. Since various psychoactive drugs can help to change the way in which a person behaves this in tu rn affects the way in which thoughts are created. These chemicals work by altering chemical firings within the brain by enabling better connections and lowering or increasing neural firings. This shows that thoughts can in fact be altered based on artificial external stimuli from chemicals that affect the brain.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taking into consideration the fact that the mind is basically made up of a collection of thoughts and memories this shows that the mind is not as separate from the body as Descartes may have us believe. Creating Memories When pursuing arguments in favor of the mind being situated within the brain it is important to explore the concept of memory and how this relates to the creation of thoughts. Memories are basically stored experiences from which thoughts are based upon, as Murchland (2010) explains thoughts are basically the result of accumulated experiences from which memory plays an essential role and as such you cannot separate one from the other. Based on the experiments it was seen that memories are created and formed through the activation of thousands upon thousands of neurons within the brain. In the experiments electrodes were attached directly into the subjects brain after which they were asked to watch a series of short films while the firing of their neurons were recorded. When asked to recall specific parts of a clip neurons that were recorded firing when that specific clip was being shown began to activate after which the patients explained what was in that specific segment. It is based on this experiment that the process of memory creation and recall was shown and as such proves that the concept of â€Å"memory† exists within the brain. Further evidence of this lies in the fact that individuals that have experienced bra in trauma in the past experienced prolonged lapses in memory. Since thoughts are a result of accumulated memories and accumulated thoughts create the concept of the mind it can be stated that the mind is within the brain and not located outside of it. On the other hand some defendants of Descartes state that the brain is merely a node from which the mind channels thoughts and as such problems with the brain would of course affect this process of communication (Alanen, 2004).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This does present a rather intriguing way of looking at the issue since if the brain can be considered nothing more than a transmitter instead of the origin of thoughts then this lends a significant amount of credence to the Descartes’’ assumptions. For example, if the process of the interaction between the mind and the brain can be simplified into two people talking over walkie-talkies within a finite distance then interference in the way of weather phenomena or distance will result in miscommunication. Taking this into consideration drugs, accidents or a variety of other factors that affect the brain can thus be thought of as a form of â€Å"interference† that normally affects the process of communication. It must be questioned though, if the mind is not within the brain then where does the mind exist? It cannot be denied that the concept of â€Å"the mind† does indeed exist since it is an accumulation of thoughts which are undeniably real yet there has yet to be an undeniably proven area where the mind exists outside the body. Experienced Stimuli and Imaginary Stimuli One of the current ongoing justifications behind the separation of the mind from the body is the concept of substance dualism which states that the mind and matter are essentially fundamentally different types of substances that interact in some unknown fashion. This particular assertion is part of Descartes’’ Cartesian dualism in which he suggests that the mental actually does not have an extension in space and material objects cannot essentially â€Å"think†. From a certain perspective this does have basis on a certain degree of truth, the way in which the mind transmits information is basically through a series of chemical and electrical signal within the brain. Neither electricity nor chemicals can actually â€Å"think† and as such it cannot really be said that by combining the two the concept of thought will suddenly emerge. It must also be noted that the human body is essentially made up of water and carbon which on their own don’t have the capacity for thought and even when combined wouldn’t have the capacity to create thought as well. Taking this into consideration it is assumed by the defendant of Descartes’ that the concept of the mind must thus exist in some other plane of existence (similar to the concept of the soul) and it is through the brain that the mind interacts with the body. The inherent problem with this particular observation is the assumption that the concept of thought is actually a substance. For example, experienced stimuli in the form of eating an apple, going on a date or kissing someone you love are recorded and can be brought to the forefront of an individual’s thoughts merely by trying to recall a particular event. Imagined stimuli on the other hand can take the form of day dreaming about kissing the person you love, imagining that you won the lottery or ev en eating something that you have never once eaten before. What must be understood is that while both methods of stimuli exist within the thoughts of the mind they cannot be considered as being equivalent to actual substances. While it may be true that the universal concept of something cannot come from nothing prevails even in the realm of psychology and philosophy what must be understood is that the imagination can be considered a realm that both exists and doesn’t exist in the first place and that it is wholly dependent on experienced stimuli. Everything that a person imagines is based upon some form of experienced stimuli that they encountered in one form or the other. This is the inherent origin of imagined stimuli, furthermore imagined stimuli is considered by researchers such as Condillac Aarsleff ( 2001) as being fleeting and cannot be â€Å"fixed† so to speak (Condillac Aarsleff, 2001). Thus if something is not fixed and cannot be touched, held, smelt or tas ted then such a type of stimuli can be considered as being â€Å"inferior† to experienced stimuli. For example, a person can experience two different ways of eating a chocolate sundae with hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and chocolate sprinkles: they can either experience this within the mind through imagined stimuli or they can actually do so through experience stimuli. Only in experienced stimuli can an individual feel the full gamut of flavors, textures, scent and taste of eating a chocolate ice cream sundae while in the case of imagined stimuli it is limited to a vague visual representation. While this doesn’t prove that the â€Å"space† that Descartes’ refers to doesn’t exist it does show the fundamental difference in experiences between the physical and the imaginary (Devlin, 1996). If the objects in the physical realm cannot â€Å"think† in the words of Descartes then why is it that experiences within the physical realm are more vivid and enticing as compared to the imaginary world? When trying to examine whether the mind is part of the brain it is important to examine the effect of visual and verbal stimuli and how this affects comprehension. Visual stimuli can come in a variety of forms whether it is an image, a video or a piece of scenery (Gollwitzer, 1990). All individuals in one way or another are exposed to various aspects of visual stimuli whether they want to or not which can take the form of sights and scenes that they see on a daily basis (Gollwitzer, 1990). Speaking on the other hand is a less permanent method of stimulation due to its spontaneous nature wherein the act of talking between two or more individuals produces varying views, thoughts and concepts that are produced at a faster rate compared to objects, people and scenes that are aspects of visual stimulation. It is actually due to this that ideas conveyed during the act of speaking are at times forgotten or not conveyed in the way the communi cator intended due to the way in which people interpret information differently through the act of talking. Furthermore, due to the presence of other communicators the result is a less controlled environment for stimulation wherein each individual gives out their own thoughts and ideas without there being a specific order to their introduction in the conversation (Spivey, 2007). What must be understood is that conveying emotion through vocal tones, facial expressions and gestures is one of the most important aspects of speaking due to the fact that these are the methods by which other communicators derive the intent of the speaker. For example, the phrase â€Å"get here now† can be said with little emotion and no facial expression and the communicator would be unable to determine the importance of â€Å"going there now†. On the other hand when phrase â€Å"Get Here Now!† utilizes a strong forceful voice and an angry facial expression the other communicator reali zes the urgency of the situation and â€Å"goes there† immediately. Studies such as those by Fields (2005) show that when it comes to processing particular types of information people are more adept at memorizing and recalling visual stimuli as compared to speech stimuli (Fields, 2005). Fields (2005) explains that this is due to the fact that remembering various aspect of speech stimuli involves not only having to recall specific words and phrases but individual responses as well whereas visual stimulus involves nothing more than what can be seen through the eyes (Fields, 2005). This is particularly important to take note of since when it comes to forming thoughts and imagery in the way that Descartes perceives most do so through imagery rather than through words. Since speech and visual imagery are basically processes of external stimulation why is it that people are more predisposed towards visual imagery when it comes to thought processes rather than speech? The reason beh ind this is actually connected to the study of Yuperlik (2009) which explains that the brain is more adept at processing images than speech and as such there are inherent limitations to what can be memorized and imagined (Yuperlik, 2009). In fact studies such as those by Spivey (2007) explain that humans are more evolutionary adept at visual stimulation than all other senses (Spivey, 2007). Since the brain has an inherent evolutionary predisposition towards a particular way of operating then if the mind were truly separated from the brain then it wouldn’t experience the same limitations as the brain however it does and as such this is indicative of the fact that the mind is within brain. If it weren’t it wouldn’t be subject to the same inherent predisposition towards visual imagery. Resolving the Issue In order to resolve this issue it is best to subject the assumption of the mind being outside of the brain to Occam’s razor in order to determine the overa ll validity of the assumption. The basis of Occam’s razor is â€Å"the simplest explanation for a problem is usually the right one†. This is based off the principle of parsimony which states that â€Å"it is pointless to do more with something when it can be done with less†. Taking this into consideration, it can be stated that since thoughts can be affected by drugs, alcohol and injuries to the brain, and since all of these occurrences are dependent on some external force affecting the brain, this means that thoughts are within the brain and thus the mind exists within the brain and not outside of it. What must be understood is that since there is no current concrete evidence in support of Descartes’ assumptions it cannot be supported under Occam’s razor and thus it should not be considered as something which is 100% valid. It can only be considered as such when there is sufficient corroborating evidence however till such a time occurs it can be c onsidered nothing more than philosophical conjecture without sufficient facts backing it up. Conclusion Based on the findings of this paper it can be stated that the mind is an inherent function of a developed human brain and as such cannot be considered a separate aspect of it placed in some sort of space outside of human understanding. If something affects the brain it affects the mind as well and as such Descartes reasoning is inherently flawed. On the other hand it must be noted that at the time when he created his assumption regarding the separation of the mind from the brain the science of understanding the brain’s neurologic functions was barely in its infancy and as such it can be stated that Descartes may have made such an assumption due to an inherent lack of knowledge. Reference List Alanen, L. (2004). Descarte’s concept of mind. Times Higher Education Supplement, (1624), 11. Astin, J. (2004). Psychosocial Determinants of Health and Illness: Integrating Mind , Body, and Spirit. Advances In Mind-Body Medicine, 20(4), 14. Bensley, D. (2003). Can Minds Leave Bodies?. Skeptical Inquirer, 27(4), 34. Condillac, E., Aarsleff, H. (2001). Essay on the Origin of Human Knowledge. Cambridge University Press. Devlin, K. (1996). Good-bye Descartes?. Mathematics Magazine, 69(5), 344. Fields, R. (2005). Making Memories Stick. Scientific American, 292(2), 74. Flanagan, O. J. (1991). The Science of the Mind. MIT Press. Fox, D. (2006). Through the mind’s eye. New Scientist, 190(2550), 32. Gamst, G. C. (2011). The recursive mind: the origins of human language, thought, and civilization. Choice: Current Reviews For Academic Libraries, 49(2), 400-401. Gollwitzer, P. H. (1990). Deliberative and Implemental Mind-Sets: Cognitive Tuning Toward Congruous Thoughts and Information. Journal Of Personality Social  Psychology, 59(6), 1119. Koch, C. (2011). Probing the Unconscious Mind. Scientific American Mind, 22(5), 22. Levine, G. (1997). Carlyle, Descart es, and Objectivity. Raritan, 17(1), 45. Murchland, B. G. (2010). Mind’s world: imagination and subjectivity from Descartes to Romanticism. Choice: Current Reviews For Academic Libraries, 47(8), 1490. Pinker, S. (2007). The mystery of consciousness. (cover story). Time International  (South Pacific Edition), (3), 54. Spivey, M. J. (2007). Redesigning our theories of human information processing.  Information Design Journal (IDJ), 15(3), 261-26 Yuperlik, A. (2009). Rapid formation and selective stabilization of synapses for enduring motor memories. Nature, 462(7275), 915. Tsien, J. T. (2007). The Memory Code. (cover story). Scientific American, 297(1), 52. This research paper on The Mind is Separate from the Brain: a Descartes’ Assumptions was written and submitted by user Er1ck to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Leap Essays - Point Of View, Style, The Reader, Free Essays

The Leap Essays - Point Of View, Style, The Reader, Free Essays The Leap In the short stories ?The Leap? by Louise Erdrich, and ?The Mother Who Never Was? by Lisa K. Buchanan, both of the main characters undergo a dynamic change. In one story the mother?s change is that she is regretting giving away her daughter. In the second story the change would be how the mother would save her daughter. In the story ?The Mother Who Never Was? by Buchanan, Anna, the mother, gave her daughter, Kathleen, up for adoption. Anna was about eighteen years of age. In this story the reader could often see in their mind, the pain that Anna is going through. We know that Anna is in pain because she says, ?I should be proud to have provided a childless couple with the gift of a daughter. But I find little in these noble sentiments. There is no resolve to having relinquished my only child. I think I will mourn her forever.? Another reason why the reader feels that Anna is going through pain is because she tells us that she would never be able to have another a child. Anna loves to do gardening work in the spring. The reader feels that maybe she loves gardening so much that it will take her mind off putting her daughter up for adoption. The reader thinks that nothing will ever take her mind off putting her daughter up for adoption because, Anna will never be able to conceive a child again. The cha nge that the reader feels that is going through Anna?s mind is that if she knew that she would not be able to give birth to another child that maybe she would not have put her daughter up for adoption. The dynamics of this story is that if she would have known that she could not conceive another child she might not have put her daughter up for adoption. In ?The Leap?, by Louise Erdrich, the main characters is the narrator and her mother. The narrator in this story is the daughter and she is reminiscing about how her mother saved her life. The narrator, as a young girl, was home when her parents were out and a fire started. When the parents came home the mother saw her daughter up in a window with no way to get out. Since the mother was a trapeze artist she stripped down to nothing on but her underwear, she then climbed up a tree and swung branch to branch in able to get to the window where her daughter was. As a young lady the narrator was very embarrassed that her mother, on live television, would strip down to her underwear and do a trapeze act to save her daughter. The reader might see where the narrator is coming from because we would all be embarrassed, to some extent, if our mothers have ever done that. The reader can see clearly that the mother is very brave, strong willed, and cares deeply about her daughter. We can see tha t the mother is brave because she did a trapeze act blindfolded and she also saved her daughter from a house fire. This is not the first time that the daughter has been saved by her mother. The narrator has been saved by her mother three different times. The reader may not see what the change is in this story; the only thing that the reader may see is at the end when the mother saves her daughter from the fire. After her mother came down to the ground, she held her mother tight to almost say thank you. The narrator at first was very embarrassed that her mother would do such a thing in her underwear, but at the end was very delighted that her mother would do such a thing just to save her. In conclusion, the reader can see the dynamics in these two short stories. In both of these stories they both have a mother daughter relationship. The changes in these stories made the reader think. They think about how much their parents really mean to them.

Beelzebufo Devil Frog Facts and Figures

Beelzebufo Devil Frog Facts and Figures Name: Beelzebufo (Greek for devil frog); pronounced bee-ELL-zeh-BOO-foe Habitat: Woodlands of Madagascar Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (70 million years ago) Size and Weight: About a foot and a half long and 10 pounds Diet: Insects and small animals Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; unusually capacious mouth About Beelzebufo (Devil Frog) Slightly outweighing its contemporary descendant, the seven-pound Goliath Frog of Equatorial Guinea, Beelzebufo was the largest frog that ever lived, weighing about 10 pounds and measuring nearly a foot and a half from head to tail. Unlike contemporary frogs, which are mostly content to snack on insects, Beelzebufo (at least by the evidence of its unusually wide and capacious mouth) must have chowed down on the smaller animals of the late Cretaceous period, perhaps including baby dinosaurs and full-grown dino-birds in its diet. Reprising a common theme, this prehistoric amphibian evolved to its giant size on the relatively isolated Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, where it didnt have to deal with the large, predatory, theropod dinosaurs that ruled the earth elsewhere. Recently, researchers investigating a second fossil specimen of Beelzebufo made an amazing discovery: as big as it was, this frog may also have sported sharp spikes and a semi-hard, turtle-like shell along its head and back (presumably, these adaptations evolved to keep the Devil Frog from being swallowed whole by predators, though they may also have been sexually selected characteristics, the more heavily armored males being more attractive to females during Devil Frog mating season). This same team also determined that Beelzebufo was similar in appearance to, and perhaps related to, horned frogs, genus name Ceratophrys, which today live in South America - which may hint at the exact time of the breakup of the Gondwanan supercontinent toward the end of the Mesozoic Era.

Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency Research Proposal

Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency - Research Proposal Example According to Hepburn and Goodstein (1986), criminal justice reforms are organization initiatives to develop programs that respond and reflect sociological perspectives on the development and prevalence of crime. Though reforms have been initiated mostly through social action, the implementations of reforms entail legislative or judicial action (Lupton, 1999; Lint, 2007). There are also a number of ways and modes for the advancement of reforms programs. In the United States, for example, criminal justice reforms trace its roots in the Pennsylvania Prison Society, considered as the original society-based or lobby group for penal reform in the country (Pillsbury, 1989). While in the case of the United Kingdom, criminal justice reforms were developed in legislative assemblies and were enforced as acts of parliament considered to be more political than social actions (Stenson & Sullivan, 2000; Parks, 2007). In the studies done by Gorton and Boies (1999) and Keith (2002), penal reforms are among the most sensitive to change and have historically been the focus of criminal justice reforms. However, recent trends have shown a greater emphasis on crime prevention, social collaboration in rehabilitation and integration (Squires, 2006). Increasing cost of criminal justice proceedings, penal systems, and rehabilitation programs as well researches emphasizing the rehabilitation of offenders have all contributed to the divergence from punitive regiments (Kemshall & Maguire, 2001). Hughes (1998; 2007) points out that this level of sensitivity and responsiveness is also dependent on changing trends in social perspectives and existing state capacity to implement criminal justice programs. He notes that the changes are not changes in held values but rather changes in the approach of providing a means to pursue offenders and deliver restitution to victims.

Calligraphy Box with Design of Autumn Flowers and Grasses under the Essay

Calligraphy Box with Design of Autumn Flowers and Grasses under the Sun and the Moon by Igarashi Doho from 17th century Japan - Essay Example Such artwork was unique to the dominant class of the Japanese society, although there was a difference in popularity of different art types. Art from the Edo era, as the writing box by Igarashi, comprised of several themes and styles of art, which resulted in the era being categorized as the revival era of Japanese art. Doho’s calligraphy box, as a piece of art, captures three traits of the Japanese society in the periods leading to the 17th century; religion, wealth and power, and education. The calligraphy box is popular for a number of reasons. Considering the age in which the box was crafted, the level of detail and its intricacy is indicative of developed art in the Japanese culture. The detailing on the wood and incorporation of gold and metal facilitates the development of a unique art form that appears modern as well as complex. There is awe in the artisanship employed in the decorations on the box, which suggest considerable time spent on the development of the artifact. The art could only be achievable in the presence of history and a structured discipline in where artistic skill used in the art was taught. Furthermore, the degree of preservation, considering the age of the art, is one of a civilization that incorporated science into its daily norms. Religion has a huge impact in the calligraphy box, as well as the techniques used in the artisanship. The Early Heian art, which was introduced by Buddhist priest Kukai, influenced the development of Japanese art. One of the attributes that was derived from the religion was the use of gold in art. The calligraphy box appears as having a golden cover to the wood, which is characteristic of the Heian period (Brinkley 26). The E-maki (last Heian) period further imposes the impact of religion on art, as the development of picture scrolls was introduced, with emphasis on the liveliness of the colors used as well as the narration incorporated in the art. Following the

Food Is More Than What We Eat Essay Example for Free

Food Is More Than What We Eat Essay The food we consume everyday has more to it than a source of fuel and part of our human essentials. Though we may not realise, food plays a part of many people’s culture, religion and even employment, where food plays a significant role in their everyday lives. Today, food serves a fairly major role in our society. Due to globalisation and other global factors, there has now been a mix and harmonious diversity in cultures around the world and food is one of the main evidence of that. This can just be seen by walking to your local stores where there are at least two or more food stores/ restaurants from different cultures. This is particularly evident in Australia, as immigrants from across the globe bring with them to Australia their cultures, beliefs and lifestyles to their new homes- with food being one of them. Many of these different cultures are now welcomed, accepted and shared, which provides employment for many people. This is not only evident in the Western continents, but many other Asian countries, where you would see many restaurants, snacks stores and street stores. Food is also used to distinguish the ‘classes of certain groups and/or areas. For example, in the city where there are more higher classed people, majority of the restaurants and cuisines tend to be a lot more expensive than those in the outer suburban areas. The functions of food in cultures vary between cultures, but majority of the time plays a significant role. There are different beliefs and morals, religious and food rules/ etiquettes that are associated with food of different cultures. An example of a food belief/moral would be in China noodles represent longevity, therefore it should not to be broken off or bitten off but put all into your mouth to chew to swallow. Food has not only been applied in beliefs and morals, but also religion. This can be seen in the Buddhism, where vegetarian dietary is preferred for serious believers. Sometimes food etiquette is incorporated into the religious side of food. For example in China it is considered extremely rude and impolite to stick your chopsticks upright in your rice as it is how it appears in funerals and is disrespectful to the elderly. The use of food in traditions and celebrations is another way to show how food has a deeper meaning that being sustenance. Traditions vary between cultures, but even families and individuals. Everyone has their own ‘style’ that they live with and pass on to their family who if they decide to continue the tradition passes on to future generations. Some of these traditions in terms of culture can be having rice has your main staple for most Asian cultures, while in Australia they have many different staples ranging from bread to grain foods. Food is also a big role player in celebrations. Many cultures have special foods that are only eaten or mostly eaten on certain days or events. For example in China on Chinese New Year, moon cakes are eaten, while in Australia, citizens have BBQs on Australia Day and eat ANZAC biscuits on ANZAC day. Food has also been a reason for unity of people. People like to eat whether it is at home or in restaurants in groups, where they not only enjoy the food together but can also start up conversations. For some families during dinner time may be the only time where they sit together and talk about their day. On a larger scale, food and global factors has allowed people of different backgrounds and cultures to accept and understand each other’s cultures. As previously mentioned, where we can now have food that are not from your culture. Because of food being eaten by many cultures, there are modifications to some foods so that more people can eat them. For example, there are now many vegetarian foods such as vegetarian pies and noodles for people with vegetarian diets.

Deforestation Essay -- Environment Pollution

Deforestation in China Deforestation has been a big problem in China to this day. Throughout its long history, China has gone through several cycles, from mild recovery to severe deforestation. When the Communists took over China in 1949, they introduced many new policies and programs to bring about economic and political changes; however, shifts in policies have led to program shifts in every field of China’s economy, including deforestation. Deforestation exercises a significant influence on the ecosystem, stimulating natural disasters, introducing negative environmental and climatic changes, and threatening biodiversity. Floods are among the most common consequences of deforestation. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), deforestation caused floods to occur every decade, and once every six years between 1921 and 1949, but once every two years in the 1980s. The situation has dramatically worsened since 1994, with the Yangtze flooding every year. Growing silting of rivers and lakes from the def orested lands in the Yangtze basin and encroachment on river beds by Chinese farmers resulted in record levels of floods in the summer of 1998. The building of The Three Gorges Dam is said to stop flooding greatly. As early as the 1950s deforestation in China attracted attention, but it was not until the 1960s that it assumed alarming proportions. The Land Reform of 1950 authorized state ownership of large forests and other types of land. The Cultural Revolution, which turned China upside down, also unfavorably affected its forests. The Ministry of Forestry, like most Chinese institutions and organizations almost ceased to exist during the Cultural Revolution. Decades of neglect resulted in excessive deforestation, impacti... ...is decreasing. In Tibet is has fallen from 9-5 percent, between the years 1950-1985; Yunnan 55-30 percent, 1950-1975; and in Sichuan, 30-65 percent, 1950-1998. Despite all the afforestation measures, heavy deforestation continues to plague China due to mismanagement, unclear policies, bureaucratic corruption, and ineffectiveness. Although recently, China has afforested a total area of 1.4 million hectares over the past two years, with another 13 million hectares of land reclaimed from desertification. The achievements come from a large afforestation project covering northern, northeastern and northwestern China. The project aims to form a shelter forest covering ten provinces, municipalities and self-governing regions. Finally, China plans to invest another 400 million Yuan, or more than 48 million US dollars in afforestation in these areas this year.

Objectives of Wpm

Objectives: According to Gosep, workers’ participation may be viewed as: o An instrument for increasing the efficiency of enterprises and establishing harmonious relations; o A device for developing social education for promoting solidarity among workers and for tapping human talents; o A means for achieving industrial peace and harmony which leads to higher productivity and increased production; o A humanitarian act, elevating the status of a worker in the society; o An ideological way of developing self-management and promoting industrial democracy. Other objectives of WPM can be cited as: To improve the quality of working life (QWL) by allowing the workers greater influence and involvement in work and satisfaction obtained from work; and o To secure the mutual co-operation of employees and employers in achieving industrial peace; greater efficiency and productivity in the interest of the enterprise, the workers, the consumers and the nation. The main implications of workers ’ participation in management as summarized by ILO: o Workers have ideas which can be useful; o Workers may work more intelligently if they are informed about the reasons for and the intention of decisions that are taken in a participative atmosphere.Introduction: Three groups of managerial decisions affect the workers of any industrial establishment and hence the workers must have a say in it. o Economic decisions – methods of manufacturing, automation, shutdown, lay-offs, mergers. o Personnel decisions – recruitment and selection, promotions, demotions, transfers, grievance settlement, work distribution. o Social decisions – hours of work, welfare measures, questions affecting work rules and conduct of individual worker’s safety, health, sanitation and noise control.Participation basically means sharing the decision-making power with the lower ranks of the organization in an appropriate manner. Definitions: The concept of WPM is a broad and compl ex one. Depending on the socio-political environment and cultural conditions, the scope and contents of participation change. International Institute of Labour Studies: WPM is the participation resulting from the practices which increase the scope for employees’ share of influence in decision-making at different tiers of organizational hierarch with concomitant assumption of responsibility.ILO: Workers’ participation, may broadly be taken to cover all terms of association of workers and their representatives with the decision-making process, ranging from exchange of information, consultations, decisions and negotiations, to more institutionalized forms such as the presence of workers’ member on management or supervisory boards or even management by workers themselves as practiced in Yugoslavia. Objectives:According to Gosep, workers’ participation may be viewed as: o An instrument for increasing the efficiency of enterprises and establishing harmonious re lations; o A device for developing social education for promoting solidarity among workers and for tapping human talents; o A means for achieving industrial peace and harmony which leads to higher productivity and increased production; o A humanitarian act, elevating the status of a worker in the society; o An ideological way of developing self-management and promoting industrial democracy. Other objectives of WPM can be cited as: To improve the quality of working life (QWL) by allowing the workers greater influence and involvement in work and satisfaction obtained from work; and o To secure the mutual co-operation of employees and employers in achieving industrial peace; greater efficiency and productivity in the interest of the enterprise, the workers, the consumers and the nation. The main implications of workers’ participation in management as summarized by ILO: o Workers have ideas which can be useful; o Workers may work more intelligently if they are informed about the reasons for and the intention of decisions that are taken in a participative atmosphere.Importance: Unique motivational power and a great psychological value. Peace and harmony between workers and management. Workers get to see how their actions would contribute to the overall growth of the company. They tend to view the decisions as `their own’ and are more enthusiastic in their implementation. Participation makes them more responsible. o They become more willing to take initiative and come out with cost-saving suggestions and growth-oriented ideas. Scope and ways of participation: One view is that workers or the trade unions should, as equal partners, sit with the management and make joint managerial decisions.The other view is that workers should only be given an opportunity, through their representatives, to influence managerial decisions at various levels. In practice, the participation of workers can take place by one or all the methods listed below: o Board level parti cipation o Ownership participation o Complete control o Staff or work councils o Joint councils and committees o Collective Bargaining o Job enlargement and enrichment o Suggestion schemes o Quality circles o Empowered teams o TQM o Financial participation Participation at the Board level: This would be the highest form of industrial democracy.The workers’ representative on the Board can play a useful role in safeguarding the interests of workers. He or she can serve as a guide and a control element. o He or she can prevail upon top management not to take measures that would be unpopular with the employees. o He or she can guide the Board members on matters of investment in employee benefit schemes like housing, and so forth. The Government of India took the initiative and appointed workers’ representatives on the Board of Hindustan Antibiotics (Pune), HMT (Bangalore), and even nationalized banks.The Tatas, DCM, and a few others have adopted this practice. Problems ass ociated with this method: o Focus of workers’ representatives is different from the focus of the remaining members of the Board. o Communication and subsequently relations between the workers’ representative and the workers suffers after the former assumes directorship. He or she tends to become alienated from the workers. o As a result, he or she may be less effective with the other members of the Board in dealing with employee matters. Because of the differences in the cultural and educational backgrounds, and differences in behaviour and manners, such an employees’ representative may feel inferior to the other members, and he or she may feel suffocated. Hence, his or her role as a director may not be satisfying for either the workers or the management. o Such representatives of workers’ on the Board, places them in a minority. And the decisions of the Board are arrived at on the basis of the majority vote. Participation through ownership: This involves making the workers’ shareholders of the company by inducing them to buy equity shares. In many cases, advances and financial assistance in the form of easy repayment options are extended to enable employees to buy equity shares. Examples of this method are available in the manufacturing as well as the service sector. Advantage: o Makes the workers committed to the job and to the organization. Drawback: o Effect on participation is limited because ownership and management are two different things. Participation through complete control: Workers acquire complete control of the management through elected boards. The system of self-management in Yugoslavia is based on this concept.Self-management gives complete control to workers to manage directly all aspects of industries through their representatives. Advantages: o Ensures identification of the workers with their organization. o Industrial disputes disappear when workers develop loyalty to the organization. o Trade unions wel come this type of participation. Conclusion: Complete control by workers is not an answer to the problem of participation because the workers do not evince interest in management decisions. Participation through Staff and Works Councils: Staff councils or works councils are bodies on which the representation is entirely of the employees.There may be one council for the entire organization or a hierarchy of councils. The employees of the respective sections elect the members of the councils. Such councils play a varied role. o Their role ranges from seeking information on the management’s intentions to a full share in decision-making. Such councils have not enjoyed too much of success because trade union leaders fear the erosion of their power and prestige if such workers’ bodies were to prevail. Participation through Joint Councils and Committees: Joint councils are bodies comprising representatives of employers and employees. This method sees a very loose form of part icipation, as these councils are mostly consultative bodies. Work committees are a legal requirement in industrial establishments employing 100 or more workers. o Such committees discuss a wide range of topics connected to labour welfare. o Examples of such committees are welfare committee, safety committee, etc. o Such committees have not proven to be too effective in promoting industrial democracy, increasing productivity and reducing labour unrest. Participation through Collective Bargaining: Through the process of CB, management and workers may reach collective greement regarding rules for the formulation and termination of the contract of employment, as well as conditions of service in an establishment. Even though these agreements are not legally binding, they do have some force. For CB to work, the workers’ and the employers’ representatives need to bargain in the right spirit. But in practice, while bargaining, each party tries to take advantage of the other. T his process of CB cannot be called WPM in its strongest sense as in reality; CB is based on the crude concept of exercising power for the benefit of one party. WPM, on the other hand, brings both the parties together and develops appropriate mutual understanding and brings about a mature responsible relationship. Participation through Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment: Excessive job specialization that is seen as a by-product of mass production in industries, leads to boredom and associated problems in employees. Two methods of job designing – job enlargement and job enrichment– are seen as methods of addressing the problems. o Job enlargement means expanding the job content – adding task elements horizontally. Job enrichment means adding `motivators’ to the job to make it more rewarding. This is WPM in that it offers freedom and scope to the workers to use their judgment. But this form of participation is very basic as it provides only limited freedom t o a worker concerning the method of performing his/her job. The worker has no say in other vital issues of concern to him – issues such as job and income security, welfare schemes and other policy decisions. Participation through Suggestion Schemes: Employees’ views are invited and reward is given for the best suggestion.With this scheme, the employees’ interest in the problems of the organization is aroused and maintained. Progressive managements increasingly use the suggestion schemes. Suggestions can come from various levels. The ideas could range from changes in inspection procedures to design changes, process simplification, paper-work reduction and the like. o Out of various suggestions, those accepted could provide marginal to substantial benefits to the company. The rewards given to the employees are in line with the benefits derived from the suggestions. Participation through Quality Circles:Concept originated in Japan in the early 1960s and has now spr ead all over the world. A QC consists of seven to ten people from the same work area who meet regularly to define, analyze, and solve quality and related problems in their area. Training in problem-solving techniques is provided to the members. QCs are said to provide quick, concrete, and impressive results when correctly implemented. Advantages: o Employees become involved in decision-making, acquire communication and analytical skills and improve efficiency of the work place. o Organization gets to enjoy higher savings-to-cost ratios. Chances of QC members to get promotions are enhanced. The Indian Scenario: o Tried by BHEL, Mahindra and Mahindra, Godrej and Boyce among others. o Experienced mixed results: M&M (jeep division) with 76 QCs has experienced favourable results. †¢ Technical problems got solved. †¢ Workers got to get out of their daily routine and do something challenging. Trade unions look at it as: †¢ A way of overburdening workers, and †¢ An attem pt to undermine their role. These circles require a lot of time and commitment on the part of members for regular meetings, analysis, brainstorming, etc.Most QCs have a definite life cycle – one to three years. o Few circles survive beyond this limit either because they loose steam or they face simple problems. QCs can be an excellent bridge between participative and non-participative approaches. For QCs to succeed in the long run, the management needs to show its commitment by implementing some of the suggestions of the groups and providing feedback on the disposition of all suggestions. Empowered Teams: Empowerment occurs when authority and responsibility are passed on to the employees who then experience a sense of ownership and control over their obs. Employees may feel more responsible, may take initiative in their work, may get more work done, and may enjoy the work more. For empowerment to occur, the following approach needs to be followed as compared to the traditiona l approach: Element Traditional Org. Empowered Teams Organizational structure Layered, individual Flat, team Job design Narrow, single task Whole process, multiple tasks Management role Direct, control Coach, facilitate Leadership Top-down Shared with the team Information flow Controlled, limited Open, sharedRewards Individual, seniority Team-based, skill-based Job process Managers plan, control, improve Teams plan, control, improve Features of empowered or self-directed teams: o Empowered to share various management and leadership functions. o Plan, control and improve their work. o Often create their schedules and review their performance as a group. o May prepare their own budgets and co-ordinate their work with other departments. o Usually order materials, keep inventories and deal with suppliers. o Frequently responsible for acquiring any new training they might need. May hire their own replacement to assume responsibility for the quality of their products or services. Titan, R eliance, ABB, GE Plastics (India), Wipro Corporation and Wipro InfoTech are empowering employees – both frontline as well as production staff, and are enjoying positive results. Total Quality Management: TQM refers to the deep commitment, almost obsession, of an organization to quality. Every step in company’s processes is subjected to intense and regular scrutiny for ways to improve it. Some traditional beliefs are discarded. o High quality costs more. Quality can be improved by inspection. o Defects cannot be completely eliminated. o Quality in the job of the QC personnel. New principles of TQM are: o Meet the customer’s requirement on time, the first time, and 100% of the time. o Strive to do error-free work. o Manage by prevention, not correction. o Measure the cost of quality. TQM is called participative because it is a formal programme involving every employee in the organization; making each one responsible for improving quality everyday. Financial Partic ipation: This method involves less consultations or even joint decisions.Performance of the organization is linked to the performance of the employee. The logic behind this is that if an employee has a financial stake in the organization, he/she is likely to be more positively motivated and involved. Some schemes of financial participation: o Profit-linked pay o Profit sharing and Employees’ Stock Option schemes. o Pension-fund participation. Pre-requisites for successful participation: Management and operatives/employees should not work at cross-purposes i. e. they must have clearly defined and complementary objectives.Free flow of communication and information. Participation of outside trade union leaders to be avoided. Strong and effective trade unionism. Workers’ education and training. Trade unions and government needs to work in this area. Trust between both the parties. Workers should be associated at all levels of decision-making. Employees cannot spend all the ir time in participation to the exclusion of all other work. Limitations of participation: Technology and organizations today are so complex that specialized work-roles are required. o This means employees will not be able to articipate effectively in matters beyond their particular environment. Everybody need not want participation. The role of trade unions in promoting participative management has been far from satisfactory. Employers are unwilling to share power with the workers’ representatives. Managers consider participative management a fraud. Evolution of participative management in India: The beginning towards WPM was made with the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which made Works Committees mandatory in industrial establishments employing 100 or more workers.The Industrial Policy Resolution adopted by the government in 1956 stated that there should be some joint consultation to ensure industrial peace, and improve employer-employee relations. The functions of both the se joint bodies were to be consultative and were not binding on the management. The response to these schemes was encouraging to begin with, but gradually waned. o A study team was appointed in 1962 to report on the working of joint councils and committees. The team identified some reasons for their failure.No concrete steps were taken to remove the difficulties, or change the pattern of participative management. During the emergency of 1975-77, the interest in these schemes was revived by the then Prime Minister by including Workers’ Participation in industry in the government’s 20-point programme. o The government started persuading large enterprises to set up joint consultative committees and councils at different levels. The Janata Government who came to power in 1977 carried on this initiative. In was again emphasized by the Congress government who came back n 1979.This continued in a â€Å"non-statutory vein† till the late 1980s, and the response from the employers and employees stayed luke-warm. o Then, the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution was made. Now, Article 43-A reads: The State shall take steps, by suitable legislation, or in any other way, to secure the participation of workers in the management of undertakings, establishments or other organizations engaged in any industry. Thus, participative management is a constitutional commitment in India. o And then, on May 30,1990; the government introduced the Participation of Workers in Management Bill in the Rajya Sabha.The bill requires every industrial enterprise to constitute one or more `Shop-Floor Councils’ at the shop floor level, and`Establishment Council’ at the establishment level. These councils will have equal representation of employers and employees. Shop-Floor councils enjoy powers over a wide range of functions from production, wastage control to safety hazards. The Establishment Council enjoys similar powers. The bill provides for the constitution of a Board of Management of every corporate body owning an industrial establishment.The bill also provides for penalties on individuals who contravene any provision of the bill. In spite of all these efforts, only the government and the academicians have been interested in participative management. But participative management is staging a comeback. o The compulsions of emerging competitive environment have made employee involvement more relevant than ever before. o Managers and the managed are forced to forget their known stands, break barriers, and work in unison. Managers and workers are partners in the progress of business.

Islam Worldview Analysis Essay

INTRODUCTION The topic of Islam never fails to deliver passion from those who attack it, as well as fierce support from those which practice Islam. This passion results in dogmatism within the Muslim community and fear from those that do not understand its teachings. Unfortunately most Americans and Christians only associate beheadings and burka clad women with Islam. This paper will go beyond these stereo types and provide an objective summary of this worldview, review the flaws inherent in its practice and how to most effectively share the gospel with a Muslim. BASIC SUMMARY While the religion of Islam is a direct result of Abraham’s lack of faith by conceiving Ishmael through Hagar, after Jehovah had promised a son to he and Sarah, the history of Islam is not nearly as old as the Abrahamic covenant. Ron Carlson writes in Fast Facts on False Teachings that, â€Å"According to Muslim tradition, the angel Gabriel came to Muhammad. And they take this as a sign that Muhammad was a prophet to the Arabs.† Muhammad lived in the 6th century and most people, Muslims included, are unaware that according to Carlson, Muhammad was a camel driver until he was 25 years old and that he was illiterate. The significance of this lies in the fact that he was not educated yet the founder of a worldview religion. Information like this does not put a good light on the final prophet, according to Islam, and tends to be lost in obscurity. Islam’s influence on the world, goes beyond religion and can be seen on the news daily. John Ankerberg identifies that it is important to follow because of its nearly one billion followers comprised of two schools, Sunni and Shi’ite. The world economy, along with the financial influence, outside of countries considered to be Muslim, are two other reasons Ankerberg believes Islam deserves to be watched closely. The belief still exists, in spite of the facts above, that Islam poses no threat to Western countries. This is dangerous and all would be wise to consider what Muslims are on record as stating. In January of 2010, the Hizb ut Tahrir, an Islamic apologetic periodical, stated that Muslims have enjoyed financial blessings from oil in the Middle East as a result of Allah providing these resources. It also pushed the belief that the influence it provides would be used by the Khilafah, heads of Islamic states, to begin the transformation of a brave and creative people into a leading world power. This thirst for power is veiled in a passionate practice of religion . Ergun Caner identifies that Islam is based on five pillars; the creed, prayers, alms, fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca. In the creed the new convert confesses that there is no God but Allah. The prayers are to be made five times daily while facing Mecca. The alms amounted to one fourtieth of the believer’s income. Fasting is accomplished throughout the year some lasting as long as 30 days. The pilgrimage to Mecca, termed hajj, has resulted in military service members calling Muslim members of the opposing force â€Å"hajis†. This pilgrimage is only required once in the believers lifetime and are described as follows. â€Å"As traveling four camels abreast, which are all tied one after the other, like as in teams. The whole body is called a caravan, which is divided into several cottors, or companies, each of which has its name, and consists, it may be, of several thousand camels; and they move, one cottor after another, like distinct troops.† Manners & Customs of the Bible These five pillars seem harmless enough on the surface, but a closer look into Islamic teaches reveals a flaw the Christian cannot afford to ignore. THE MAJOR ISLAMIC FLAW Working the pillars in reverse reveals that the pilgrimage to Mecca is harmless in and of itself. The fasting taught in Islam is a physical demonstration of an inward belief practiced by many religions. The alms collected are used to help many people in need and are a worthwhile religious practice and the prayers are to be commended and the practice is common in many religions. What makes Islam dangerous is found in their creed. Richard Jansen does a great job of identifying the similarity yet distinction when he wrote, â€Å"Muhammed claimed to be the latest and indeed the last, prophet of the covenant God made with Abraham and, in addition, claimed that Abraham was Muslim as indeed were all the Jewish patriarchs and Jesus as well. Muhammed gave the name Allah to God and claimed that Allah was the Muslim God before he was the Jewish and Christian God because, in Islamic belief, the Koran existed since the beginning of the world, i.e. predated the Bible. † G Richard Jansen It is an error with eternal consequences to try and align the god Muslims pray to, Allah, with the God of Christianity Jehovah. In an effort to be accepted it is not uncommon for an apologist to yield this ground ignorantly. After speaking with a Muslim, a Christian apologist may be led to believe that Muslims are praying to the same God of Christianity. This is an error on the part of the Islamic believer and unrecognized due to ignorance on the Christian’s part. SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH THE ISLAMIST When evangelizing a Muslim the Christian must be careful. Religious discussions are acceptable on both parties accounts and discussing the similarities between the two are a great starting point. It is critical that the apologist understands that Ergun Caner got it right when he stated that â€Å"Islam didn’t get it partially right but completely wrong† The terminology between Christianity and Islam can be eerily similar when using English as the common language. If God is discussed, the Muslim will be in agreement, all the while understanding god to be Allah. The division between the two apologists always occurs when Jesus is brought up. Muslim’s concede that Jesus was a prophet but refuse to acknowledge Him as God incarnate as well as part of the Trinity. Jesus Christ as the Messiah is the mountain that needs to be scaled to evangelize a Muslim. Most Muslims are ignorant of their own faith, but are unwilling to hear this criticism. Instead of pointing out the failure of Islam the Christian should approach the Muslim in such a manner that they are accepted personally in order for them to be open to reading the Christian’s Bible. After all, relying on Scripture is the best weapon to accomplish salvation for anyone. CONCLUSION Using a non-traditional approach, this paper identified Islam in its most basic form as a religion practiced by many and abused by some in a quest for power. Without over simplifying Islam in its summation it also identified the major flaw found, specifically that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Recognizing the principle that Jesus is the narrow gate, this paper advocated exposing the Islamic believer to scripture and relying on the Power of the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus Christ as He truly is. The author successfully implemented this strategy in leading his personal translator to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The reader would do well going forward to interact and have religious discussions with those of the Islamic faith, using this exposure as a personal laboratory to understand that they are people and without Jesus will spend an eternity in Hell. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ankerberg, John, and John Weldon. Fast Facts on Islam. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2001. 1-3. Print. Carlson, Ron, and Ed Decker. Fast Facts on False Teaching. [S.l.]: Harvest House Pub, 2003. 93. Print. Freeman, James M. ; Chadwick, Harold J.: Manners & Customs of the Bible. Rev. . North Brunswick, NJ : Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998, S. 72 Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House, 2008. 277-81. Print. Jansen, G. Richard. â€Å"Abraham, Jesus, Muhammed.† Lamar.ColoState.EDU. 1 Aug. 2006. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. . Unknown. â€Å"If It Is Not Now Time for Khilafah, Then When?† Hizb Ut Tahrir. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. . ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Carlson, Ron , and Decker, Ed. Fast Facts on False Teachings. [S.1>]: Harvest House Pub, 2003. 93. Print [ 2 ]. Ibid, 94 [ 3 ]. Ankerberg, John, and John Weldon. Fast Facts on Islam. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2001. 1-3. Print. [ 4 ]. Unknown. â€Å"If It Is Not Now Time for Khilafah, Then When?† Hizb Ut Tahrir. Web. 21 Apr. 2011. . [ 5 ]. Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House, 2008. 277-81. Print. [ 6 ]. Freeman, James M. ; Chadwick, Harold J.: Manners & Customs of the Bible. Rev. ed.]. North Brunswick, NJ : Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998, S. 72 [ 7 ]. Jansen, G. Richard. â€Å"Abraham, Jesus, Muhammed.† Lamar.ColoState.EDU. 1 Aug. 2006. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. . [ 8 ]. Caner, The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, 280

Skyscraper essays

Skyscraper essays When we look outside, we see the world as a very visual place, with many aspects that change what we see. In our cities, the skylines are transformed by towering building touching the sky. The places we live are transformed into works of art, trying to appeal to anybody who sets their eyes upon it, while maintaining a purpose. The world we live in was transformed around the turn of the 20th century. Architect Louis Sullivan, through intuition and innovation, and his prominence in his field, has become the keystone in shaping modern architecture. To achieve what Sullivan did, he had to have the successful early career he had. His background in architecture runs rather shallow, only completing one year of architecture studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then another year at the prestigious art school Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. What accelerated Sullivan was his incorporation with natural plant life and modern theory towards buildings. He partnered with Dankmar Adler to create Sullivan Chicago was the epicenter to a change that is felt today. The Auditorium was one of Sullivans greatest and earliest works, but it was just a beginning. The facade was heavily decorated, as was the interior, yet, Sullivan still established an outstanding purposeful building, achieving design with function. The influence spread, as later architect William Van Alen used decorative intuition with efficient use with the design of the Chrysler Building in New York City. As Sullivans work spread to other cities, the effect was just as great. The Wainwright Building in St. Louis set the norm for taller buildings of present day. The bottom two stories were left relatively undecorated, and set apart from the rest o the building. It was the space for retail outlets of all kinds. The upper seven stories were office floors, while the exterior was heavily decorated with intricate designs and patterns. It...

Tamarisk - the Noxious Western Tree

Tamarisk - the Noxious Western Tree Saltcedar is one of several common names for an invasive non-native tree that is spreading rapidly through the intermountain region of the western United States, through the Colorado River Canyons, the Great Basin, California, and Texas. Other common names include tamarisk and salt cedar. The tamarisk is degrading the rarest of habitats in the desert southwest - the wetlands. Salt cedar invades springs, ditches, and streambanks. The tree has taken over more than 1 million acres of the precious Western riparian resource. Rapid Growth Rate Under good conditions, the opportunistic tamarisk can grow 9 to 12 feet in a single season. Under drought conditions, saltcedar survives by dropping its leaves. This ability to survive under harsh desert conditions has given the tree an edge over more desirable native species and causing a sharp decline in cottonwood populations. Regenerative Ability Mature plants can survive flooding for up to 70 days and can quickly colonize moist areas due to the constant availability of seeds. The plants ability to exploit suitable germinating conditions over a long time period gives saltcedar a considerable advantage over native riparian species. Habitat Mature tamarisk can also resprout vegetatively after fire, flood, or treatment with herbicides and can adapt to wide variations in soil condition. Saltcedar will grow at elevations up to 5,400 feet and prefers saline soils. They typically occupy sites with intermediate moisture, high water tables, and minimal erosion. Adverse Impacts The serious direct impacts of saltcedar are numerous. This invasive tree is now taking over and displacing native plants, specifically cottonwood, using its aggressive growth advantage in areas where natural native communities have been damaged by fire, flood or some other disturbance. Native plants have proven to be more valuable in retaining moisture on wetlands than tamarisk. The loss of these native species to tamarisk eventually leads to a net loss of water. A Water Hog The tamarisk has an extremely rapid evapotranspiration rate. There is a fear that this rapid loss of moisture could possibly cause serious depletion of groundwater. There is also an increased deposition of sediments in tamarisk-infested streams which causes a blockage. These sediment deposits encourage dense clumps of saltcedar growth which then promotes flooding during periods of heavy rain. Controls There are essentially 4 methods to control tamarisk - mechanical, biological, competition, and chemical. The complete success of any management program depends on the integration of all methods. Mechanical control, including hand-pulling, digging, use of weed eaters, axes, machetes, bulldozers, and fire, may not be the most efficient method for removal of saltcedar. Hand labor is not always available and is costly unless it is volunteered. When heavy equipment is used, the soil is often disturbed with consequences that may be worse than having the plant. In many situations, control with herbicides is the most efficient and effective method of control for removal of tamarisk. The chemical method allows regeneration and/or re-population of natives or re-vegetation with native species. The use of herbicides can be specific, selective and fast. Insects are being investigated as potential biological control agents for saltcedar. Two of these, a mealybug (Trabutina mannipara) and a leaf beetle (Diorhabda elongata), have preliminary approval for release. There is some concern over the possibility that, due to the environmental damage caused by tamarisk, native plant species may not be able to replace it if the biological control agents succeed in eliminating it.

A macroeconomic Theory of the Open Economy, Supply and demand for Essay

A macroeconomic Theory of the Open Economy, Supply and demand for Loanable Funds and for Foreign-Currency Exchange - Essay Example To balance the condition and allow the exchange, there is demand for the funds by the borrowers when they sell the bond that they have to the savers. An exchange in any market can only occur if there are demanders and suppliers. The funds consist of the loans from the banks and savings saved by the consumers foregoing consumption. Therefore to save involves a sacrifice and the savers in exchange demand for compensation for the best alternative foregone had they consumed the funds instead of saving them. The concept of compensation and incurring a cost is, therefore, is very important for the sustainability of the funds market (McConnell, Campbell, Brue and Stanley 92). The loanable funds are usually used for investment in new capital goods bringing about the concept of the supply and demand for the funds. The lenders bring about the supply curve that is upward sloping from left to right while the borrowers bring about the demand curve that is downward sloping from the left to the right. The curves are guided by the principle of demand and supply which states that, supply increases with the increase in the price while demand increases with a decrease in price. The conflicting ideologies calls for an equilibrium where the two intersect and those to make a decision agree. The interest rate is the sacrifice or cost of borrowing the loanable funds from the suppliers and it is the value of money that a person pays for using the dollar for one year. It is also the benefit or compensation to the person or entity supplying the funds. The rate of interest is usually expressed as a percentage of annual funds spend or borrowed. When dealing with the loanable funds one considers the interest rate which is adjusted for inflation to take care of the price changes. It is essential to ponder on the rate of interest that is real than a nominal one that has

How Political Issues Affect Youth, and How Youth Can Affect Political Essay

How Political Issues Affect Youth, and How Youth Can Affect Political Issues - Essay Example As mentioned in the book by Lerner and Steinberg, â€Å"identity is considered a definitive task of the adolescent and young adult years. As young people reflect to who they are, the future to which they aspire, they will also take stock of their societies. Political views are taking shape as part of this process, although youth may not refer to them as such if politics connotes only conventional activity to them. But politics reflecting an individual worldview, politics as a language for explaining social problems is forming in these years, although it is probably well into the third decade of their life before these views crystallize†. The above statement completely explains how the youth form their political images and views. While these reformative years make for the way that the youth attune themselves to problem solving and issues as such, the policies made by the policy makers affect the youth more than anyone or anything else. It is the policies made during these reformative years of the life of the youths that ultimately result in their future preferences and the way they look upon the policy making. The recent president elect Barrack Obama has launched a reformative economic project, aiming at bringing about a u-turn in the degenerative American economy of the present. Take this as an example of how this is going to affect the American youth. American youth has been crying hoarse what with the economic showdown, Iraq war, rising inflation etc under the bush administrations.

Food safety Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Food safety - Research Paper Example The report of Potter and Hotchkiss stated that, â€Å"food preservation is an action or method designed to maintain foods at a desired level of quality. A number of new preservation techniques are being developed to satisfy current demands of economic preservation and consumer satisfaction in safety, nutritional and sensory aspects† (McElhatton & Marshall,3). Since food is perishable in nature, there is a necessity to preserve the food that we eat through food preservation techniques. The importance of food safety has become the main concern of the consumers worldwide because health issues and several food-related diseases that can go with it. The first thing to consider before dining-out or buying take-away food is to make sure that the food that you are paying for is nutritious and safe. Nowadays, people prefer to dine-out than cook their own meals at home because of their busy lifestyle. Eating out or buying food to take home from food establishments actually saves time and effort of its consumers. In fact, there are several fancy and affordable fast food restaurants which offer great-tasting meals. Consumers patronize them especially if they are busy with work and just buy take-away food for their families. Thus, most of the big or small food corporations alike should practice sanitation and cleanliness in preparing food because this concerns the health of the general public which is of utmost concern. Food corporations must be transparent to their consumers on the ways and methods used in preparation of the meals they serve to the general public. Thesis: The proper preparation of food by maintaining cleanliness and good sanitation by the food-producing corporations shall ensure food safety and protect the health of its consumers. II. Ethical Issue and Debates The study of Sherrow and Marzili reported that â€Å"widespread outbreaks of illnesses cause by the food we eat have grabbed headlines, but news reports have been left unanswered. In the US, e verything from snack food made with spice imported from China to spinach grown organically in California has been implicated. Critics of the food industry and the government agencies that regulate it such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), argue that the government is subservient to powerful industry interests which result to unsafe food supply† (9). Thus, many Americans suffer from foodborne illnesses due to the passive and unreceptive response of the government agencies to combat this growing problem. Included are the big corporations, engaged in food industry who fail to monitor the safety of the food supply, and sometimes poor hygiene implemented in their food premises. Government agencies such as FDA and USDA must be able to carry-out the objectives of their offices to protect the general public. Food is a basic necessity and human beings are dependent on food for survival. However, the government should regulate the food ma nufacturers, food operators and restaurant owners, by enforcing stricter laws to safeguard the safety of the consumers. III. Corporate Social Responsibility It is the responsibility of food corporations to be transparent when it comes to serving the food that they serve to their consumers. It is

E Business Analysis In Retail Industry

E Business Analysis In Retail Industry E-Business has brought revolution in the traditional value chain structure of the firms. Intermediaries are changing, not disappearing. Companies are found reluctant to bypass their traditional intermediaries. Instead, companies are searching for new ways of working with the middleman. For example, some companies are attempting to turn their retailers into customer-service agents. For online distribution, companies are developing a portfolio of options rather than drive customers to a single sales channel. The main obstacles to e-business are internal. The greatest barriers to e-business lie within the corporation: a need to re-engineer business processes, a lack of e-business skills and a lack of integration between front- and back-end systems (KPMG, 2005). Companies are using e-business to expand products and services to meet escalating customer demands and to keep products and services from becoming commodities. Companies are using the Internet to provide value-added products and services. The Internet is turning out to be an effective way of reaching new customers beyond geographic boundaries. E-BUSINESS IN RETAIL SECTOR Retail industry, on a global scenario, has become highly competitive due to increasing consumer preferences and the growing need of differentiation in terms of product with respect to the diverse markets across the globe. Introduction of E-business in retail sector has helped in creating new activities and features for retailing. It includes shopping 247, seven days a week, from the comfort of your home; gathering information to be a more informed consumer; creating the appearance of a relationship with the customer; and stream lining business to business ordering to reduce prices for the consumer. This focus on cost reduction throughout the value chain has become the prime element for gaining competitive advantage in this business landscape. This is due to accelerating pace with which new products have been introduced in the market day after day, which put tremendous pressure on firms to optimise their value chains. In the retail sector, companies use Information and Communications Technology to facilitate e-business processes for a broad range of applications along the value chain including procurement, warehouse management and logistics, and for marketing, sales and customer services activities. The basic goals of e-business identified are highly relevant in this sector: reducing costs by increasing the efficiency of processes, optimally serving customer by innovative means of information provision and communication and enabling growth by increasing market reach. As competition in the retail industry is strong and barriers to entry are low, ebusiness can take important roles in this industry. Retail firms trade goods and service and retail customers are end-consumers of the goods and services. Hence, while the retail industry is not a goods-producing industry, opportunities for improving business processes through e-business are numerous (Empirica GmbH, 04/2008). In retail sector, Focus on companies supply chain management is of imminent importance to realize above mentioned e-business goals. Following are some of the vital elements of supply chain: E-procurement: It improves performance of routine tasks like transaction processing, monitoring and enforcement of regulatory compliance. It increases transparency, eliminates middlemen overhead cost, improves competition amongst suppliers and eases management reporting (Vivekanand B Khanapuri et al., March 2011). With the implementation of e-procurement solutions, automation of buying and selling over the internet has been accomplished There are many types of e-procurement: Web-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning): In this type they can generate recommended purchasing schedules in order to achieve an ideal just in time production cycle. E-MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operating Supplies) E-sourcing: This is used to identify new suppliers for a specific category of purchasing requirements using Internet technology E-informing: this is used to gather and exchange purchasing information between buyer and seller (BPC, Article and glossary; 2012) E-procurement also has some disadvantages. There are financial costs, from computers to extra phone lines to learning the technology. Privacy of the information is one critical issue. Another disadvantage is that e-procurement is often conducted using credit card facilities for payments, so as a result very small and very large transactions tend not to be conducted online. If e-procurement system is implemented appropriately, it will benefit both buyer and seller. The in-house supply chain: As retailers do not transform goods, operation is not concerned with organising a production process but with arranging the in-house processes of receiving, distributing, and selling goods. Computerised systems that mainly serve processes inside a company are considered as internal electronic operations. These are valuable for making internal business processes more effective. (Abend, J. Penny, G, 2000) An e-business allows manufacturers and other members of the supply chain that do not have direct contact with customers in traditional channels to enhance revenues by bypassing intermediaries and selling directly to customers. SCM systems: These are the software systems specifically developed for supply chain management. SCM systems provide an overview of the flows of products/materials, information and finances (Claudia-Maria Wagner et al, 2010). In the most advanced form, they cover the whole process and value chain from suppliers/manufacturers to wholesalers, retailers and to consumer. In an effective e-business, the following SCM independent processes must be highly integrated. Demand management: These are shared functions including demand planning, supply planning, manufacturing planning, and sales and operations planning. Supply management: These include products and services for customer order fulfilment. Inbound/outbound logistics: These include transportation management, distribution management and warehouse management Success of the firm highly depends upon to what extent it has successfully integrated above processes using SCM systems. ERP (Enterprise resource planning: It helps to integrate and cover all major business activities within a company, including product planning, parts purchasing, inventory management, order tracking, human resources and finance.(Simchi-Levi,et al. 2003). The ability to access information from various parts of the organization has helped  ¬Ã‚ rms to streamline their business processes and reduce in ef ¬Ã‚ ciencies. Although ERP systems were implemented before the boom in e-business, their potential could not be explored and expanded due to lack of common standards and cost of access. The growth of e-business allows and requires that the information made available from the ERP systems be shared with other  ¬Ã‚ rms in the extended supply chain through the Internet. Advantages of such real time information sharing system are as follows: Inventory requirements for buffer stocks are likely to be lower, because the uncertainty in forecasts and demand can be reduced across the supply chain. As more supply chain execution information becomes available, firms can plan for future operations using advanced planning and optimization tools. The ability to share information creates an opportunity for firms to have collaborative planning and design, which removes the inefficiencies in these processes. CRM (Customer relationship management): It is a concept that enables an organization to tailor specific products or services to each individual customer. In the most advanced scenario, CRM may be used to create a personalized, one-to-one experience that will give the individual customer a sense of being cared for, thus opening up new marketing opportunities based on the preferences and history of the customer (Wilson et al., 2002). It seeks to maximise competitiveness, revenues, and customer satisfaction. These are the very same areas on which most e-business firms concentrate heavily (Tim Coltman et al., 2010). Reasons for CRM e-Business growing to such enormous heights are many. Some of the important points are: Traditional business methods have proved tiresome, costly and very time consuming due to lack of integration across supply chain elements. CRM e-Business increases the chances of building sales and increasing the sales revenue by increasing the area of operation, reducing operating costs, increasing productivity and thereby improving the efficiency of the supply chain. CRM solutions give companies a well-planned and easily integrated e-Business strategy that caters to both the customer needs as well as the corporate needs. Both these need to be appropriately catered to in order that company objectives be fulfilled. E-selling and e-marketing: Sales side business activities consist of three aspects. The first focus is on actual sales, i.e. transactions, and on related customer support activities, a second one on marketing activities. The diffusion of internet technologies among consumers enables retailers to sell their products via the internet to consumers. Online sales are normally done through an own company or through a portal hosted by a different company (Empirica GmbH, 04/2008). Also, e-selling enables retailers to go beyond geographic boundaries as far as customer base is concerned. it appears that online sales helps to extend the geographic focus slightly from regional to national sales while the international focus remains on the same low level. Because of the low barriers to entry of competitors, the perceived first mover advantage and the feeling that any competitor was only a click away from your customers, the internet generated an intense need for marketing and brand awareness. Internet changes the way of mixing 4Ps of Marketing- Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Requisite actions for e-business firm include creating awareness of their website, engaging customers through the same and effectively closing the sale by consistent follow up with the customer. Viral Marketing is one of the powerful forces extensively used by e-business. The product is spread by word of mouth or by passing on a copy or a URL to friends and colleagues. Success in e-business depends upon first mover advantage, obtaining customer lock-in, and network externalities. Barriers to entry by competitors are low. Brand recognition is important. These have combined to create a sense of desperation for new dot-com companies as they enter markets crowde d with competitors. This has also generated a surge in print, billboard, and media advertising to establish brand awareness (Empirica GmbH, 04/2008). E-support for Logistics and Distribution: logistics are a core issue for mail order retailers and for retailers selling goods online that need to be shipped to customers. Efficient customer-facing logistics are crucially important to lower the costs of goods sold in the internet and to satisfy customers who want to receive their orders swiftly, safely and at low shipping costs (Virpi Kristiina et al., 2005).Logistics management in e-business is mostly driven by e-logistics. E-logistics is the mechanism of automating logistics processes and providing an integrated, end-to-end fulfilment and supply chain management services to the players of logistics processes. Those logistics processes that are automated by e-logistics provide supply chain visibility. A particular challenge in logistics is to manage fluctuations in demand which may be considerable. Further challenges are reverse logistics. Current Scenario: Some Transport service providers give retailers the opportunity to check the current status of shipping on the internet. Online shops themselves may offer their customers the opportunity to check the delivery status online. Another trend is an increase in outsourcing of services to specialised logistics providers to benefit from their specialised services. CASE: AMAZON.COM; THE PIONEER OF E-BUSINESS IN RETAIL (Pankaj Ghemawat, 1998) Amazon.com is an American multinational electronic commerce company. It is worlds largest online retailer. Jeff Bezos incorporated the company (as Cadabra) in July 1994, and the site went online as amazon.com in 1995.Amazon began by selling books online through a bulletin board service in 1992 and now offers a huge variety of books and other merchandise through their own website, mostly to members. Following is the analysis of its value chain on the basis of three aspects: Procurement and Logistics: While Amazon offers more than million titles to its customers, it carries only fraction of it t its own warehouse. Amazon depended more on wholesalers than publishers, to stock its books. This helps Amazon to ship the book within 4 to 7 business days resulting in faster deliveries and cost reductions. Advantages: multiplied inventory turns and reduced working capital requirements and risk of obsolescence. Store Operations: Amazon.coms business model revolved around virtual storefront. But Amazon had its office located in Seattle, Washington. Choosing this location had four advantages: Close to the largest book distribution warehouse in the world, owned by Ingram Large pool of high tech talent Relatively relaxed tax system, allowing Amazon to provide customers from other states, tax free purchase of books. West Coast location permitted more (in-stock) books to be shipped the same day to the East Coast than would have been possible the other way around (Bacheldor, Beth; 2004). Amazon had a cost reduction approach while setting up its offices. Half of the manpower was involved in packing, shipping, customer service and other half in computer programming, marketing, accounting, and management. Top managers background was mostly computer related. Amazons investment in computer technology was focused on software rather than hardware. Marketing: By 1995, for Amazon, repeat customers accounted for more than 50% of orders. Amazon was the largest discounter in the world market. Some of the features of Amazon: Customers were able to shop at Amazon any time of the day, any day of the week Catalogue, with wide range of variety of items Easy process for membership and secure payment transfers Customers were instantly informed of the prices and inventory status of the items they had ordered. Customers were informed in timely manner, when their order was shipped from Amazons warehouse. Range of value added customer services like- Interviews with book authors Book reviews and recommendations by other customers and media Links to other sites, new release data Two personalized services, Eyes and Editors, which helped build traffic by emailing customers when books by selected authors, on selected subjects in selected categories became available. INDIAN E-RETAIL SCENARIO Indian online retail market, also known as e-tail market, is one of the fastest growing in the world. according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAIMA), the Indian online retail market has grown from US$250 million in 2008 to US$300 million in 2009, US$400 million in 2010 and US$600 million in 2011. In 2012 it is expected to more than double to US$1.3 billion and by 2015 to US$6.7 billion (Have Global E-tailers Missed the Bus in India?, 2012). Some of the prominent players in Indian market right now are Flipkart.com and Infibeam.com. Several new players with ambitious growth targets Firstandsecond, Librarywala and Tradusbooks, to name a few are also hoping to gain a foothold in the market. Growing evidence suggests that book e-tailing will eventually surpass retailing. The many advantages are seen: Potentially infinite shelf space: can post number of listings online for sale No real estate costs: firm need not invest in physical shop. As for the stocking inventory, maximum inventory can be managed at vendors location itself minimising the cost incurred in warehousing locations. An absence of the personnel and infrastructure expenses involved with running a physical store Lower prices and no inter-state taxes Global players entering Indian market: Many e-tail global players are gearing up to enter this growing market with future profit prospects. Some have already started making their moves despite the restrictions. Amazon, the worlds largest online retailer, entered the India market through Junglee.com which is a comparison site it bought more than a decade ago. eBay also entered India in a small way in 2004 with the acquisition of Baazee.com. eBay does not stock the products, but provides a platform for third-party merchants to sell to registered users. The firm recently also launched its own shipping service, PowerShip, which enables sellers to deliver their products to the buyers. Another foreign firm that has entered India is LuxeYard from the U.S. known for flash sale i.e. heavy discounts on items that are available for limited periods (Have Global E-tailers Missed the Bus in India?, 2012). LuxeYard has partnered with serial entrepreneur Sashi Chimala, who will launch a local venture that LuxeYard plans to buy after two years. ISSUES FACED AND CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR INDIAN E-RETAIL LANDSCAPE: Low levels of Internet penetration: According to an I-Cube (Internet in India) study conducted annually by IMRB International and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), India had 52 million active internet users as of September 2009. But only 10% of those users indulge in e-commerce (Indias Online Booksellers Try to Write a New Chapter, 2010). But recently the government has shown keen interest in developing an IT mandate for India, the reflections of which we find in the actions of regulators and policy making bodies. Examples: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ TRAI Recommendations on a National Broadband Plan-December, 2010 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Budget 2011-12, Ministry of Finance Delivery Delays: Locally available books take three to five days to arrive, and those that have to be ordered from international suppliers can take anywhere from two to six weeks (Indias Online Booksellers Try to Write a New Chapter, 2010). Factors causing this are mostly beyond companies control, since they deal with poor technological infrastructure at airports, inefficient transport connectivity.Global players typically use third-party logistics. But in India, this sector is not adequately developed. Another reason for concern is many of the companies are offering their own branded delivery. These companies have been investing heavily in creating their own delivery networks for a country like India, which has poor infrastructure and high diversity. Thus it also failed to achieve economies of scale. Supplier Relations: This is directly related to the inventory management. The amount of inventory the companies carry is dependent on supplier lead times. If the lead time is 24 hours, the business will carry only one days worth of inventory in its warehouse. That makes optimization of the existing supplier-inventory-shipping network a priority. These Retailers are always dependent on third-party information about the availability of products, which at very best is modest. Global players tend to deal with a few large suppliers (Indias Online Booksellers Try to Write a New Chapter, 2010). In India, e-retail firms have relationships with thousands of suppliers of all sizes. Psychological barriers: Indians are reluctant to use their credit cards online, and Indias banking regulator, the Reserve Bank of India, only recently introduced fraud checks on credit card misuse. More than 80% of payments are made as cash-on-delivery, in line with the traditional Indian consumer behavior of paying for goods only after receiving them (Indias Online Booksellers Try to Write a New Chapter, 2010). Cash-on-delivery model has its own issues: cash gets blocked, inventories are high and returns have to be managed. This model is contrary to the typical e-commerce model, and global players will find it challenging. Difficulties in e-procurement: Companys faces lot of issues in e-procurement process due to following reasons: High initial investment: E-procurement requires new IT systems that are often a significant financial investment. Also problems like technical issues hinder implementation for both buyer and supplier Suppliers Resistance to Changes: Buyers have to deal with the technological immaturity and unpreparedness from the suppliers side during the course of implementing e-purchasing initiatives (Rebecca Angeles and Ravi Nath, 2007). Limited Knowledge Pool: The consultant expertise on e-procurement initiatives is still not at par with global standards because of typical differences among industries in its procurement strategies. Weakness of IT Act: The present IT Act in India is weak and a sound legal framework is vital for the success of e-retailing in India. Hence, there is a strong need to introduce separate law for e-retailing in India as the existing laws are incapable to deal with the various issues that are emerging with the increasing implementation of e-retailing in India. CONCLUSION E-Business has indeed brought revolution in the traditional value chain structure of the firms. An e-retailer can gain a competitive advantage if they implement IT that enables them to have more effective and efficient supply chains. But to sustain that in ever increasing competition e-retailer has to implement innovative solution for continuous improvement of its value chain. Indian retail sector is growing fast. The retail scene is changing really fast. But still Indian consumers feel more secure transacting with a retailer who is present in online as well as physical format, so a clicks-and-bricks hybrid model can be a way forward for Indian e-retailers. India needs to invest in infrastructure to improve transportation and distribution capabilities of e-retailers. As more and more firms begin to integrate their online and traditional operations and share more information over the Internet, real-time supply chain management and ability to create value for customers using e-value ch ain on consistent basis are going to become all the more important.