Adidas

The company Is the Indian subsidiary of Dallas Group. Although Rebook Is also owned by ideas Group, ideas India Marketing only markets and distributes ideas products in India. 0 The company's core business is mainly footwear. Nonetheless, the company also has presence in clothing products such as men's and women's tops, hosiery and non-apparel products, such as sports equipment. D In India, the ideas and Rebook brands are handled by two different companies. Dallas India Marketing (ideas India) handles only the ideas brand in India, and that includes aids sportswear, casual wear as well as non-apparel products. 0 The company has a national presence and is present in all major cities as well as many smaller towns. C] The company distributes Its products both through Its Ebbs (exclusive brand outlets) as well as through independent footwear retailers across the country. ideas (I-J) Ltd Background Dallas Group was founded In 1948 In Germany, and Dallas (K) Ltd Is a subsidiary of ideas GA G.O In 1995 ideas went public and became available for stock market trading on the Frankfurt and Paris Stock Exchanges. Olin 2006 ideas acquired a ajar sportswear competitor, Rebook, which greatly increased its share. The company benefited from this acquisition by Increasing Its brand Identity and offering a wider range of products to both consumers and athletes. D In November 2011 ideas discussed acquiring Five Ten, a leading brand in outdoor and action sports apparel.The acquisition was later approved, and it purchased Five Ten for US$25 million, as the company plans on Increasing Its presence within outdoor clothing D In 2012 Dallas owned three sportswear brands, Dallas, Rebook and Tailored, with the latter leading in golf apparel and golf equipment. C] In 2010 ideas Group introduced a five-year strategic business plan called â€Å"Route 201 5†, which aims to grow the business of the entire company to turnover of ?17 billion and operating margins of 11% by 2015.The group h as an International presence In markets across the world, including the US, South America, Asia and Europe. ideas (India) Competitive Positioning ideas India ranks seventh in apparel and third in footwear. In men's outerwear (excel Jeans), overall It ranks 17th. The company's strength In sports footwear helps It maintain its leadership in footwear overall, where it had a 3% value share in 2012. In addition, the ideas brand is available across India either from its Ebbs (exclusive brand outlets) or multiplicand outlets. The company has a wide portfolio ranging from sportswear to casual wear to accessories and a few beauty and personal care products such as deodorants, as well. Nonetheless, the bulk of the company sales were still coming from footwear during the review period. D The company had over 1 OFF another 50 in 2012. The com any is sponsoring various sports events other than cricket to grab more market share and to become a predominant player in sportswear. The company also pl ans various advertising campaigns for different sports to promote its related sportswear.The company is also launching new designs of footwear in the coming months of 2013. The company has positioned itself as a premium brand. This has helped it to increase its presence in smaller cities where middle-class households are increasingly aspiring to wear premium brands. Introduction ideas Group was founded in 1948 in Germany, and ideas (I-J) Ltd is a subsidiary of ideas GAG. In 1995 ideas went public and became available for stock market trading on the Frankfurt and Paris Stock Exchanges. In 2006 ideas acquired a major sportswear competitor, Rebook, which greatly increased its share.The company benefited from this acquisition by increasing its brand identity and offering a wider range of products to both consumers and athletes. In November 2011 ideas discussed acquiring Five Ten, a leading brand in outdoor and action sports apparel. The acquisition was later approved, and it purchased F ive Ten for IIS$25 million, as the company plans on increasing its presence within outdoor clothing. In 2012 ideas owned three sportswear brands, ideas, Rebook and Tailored, with the latter eating in golf apparel and golf equipment.In 2013 it tried to create a social newsroom that is reactive to key moments in football games by producing Vine clips, tactical tweets and Faceable posts, as it prepares for a social media battle with Nikkei at the 2014 World Cup. Strategy Difference: I-J Strategy: The company has decided to endorse high profile tennis player Andy Murray after his Windblown success instead of high profile footballers like David Beckman and Lionel Mimesis who they endorsed previously.It now relies on witty marketing to all-in highly publicized marketing technique. It has chosen to take greater control of its retail operations. It has also planned to reach to the customers on the internet through tactical tweets rather than regular advertisements. India Strategy: It plans to sponsor sports teams other than cricket in India so that it can capture ore market share and is targeting the middle class buyers as they aspire to buy more of premium branded sports products.More marketing is planned to increase product awareness in India. It has planned to increase the number of Ebbs (Exclusive Brand Outlets) by 50 so that it can have a larger footprint to increase market share with increased focus on metro cities. It also has tie-ups with e-retailing giants like snapped. Com, flippant. Com, Gabon. Com, mantra. Com etc since these platforms offer products at much lesser prices and the buying population is slowly shifting towards this side. Adidas Porter’s five forces for Adidas 1. Analysis framework and market structure * High barrier to enter this field. The sports shoes industry of the USA are made by those brand company, these brand company will have advantage with advertisement, import, sales network and product development. But most importantly, they set up an obstruct for other companies with their product character and loyalty of the customer. * Other shoes are not suitable for sports, so there is no substitute for sports shoes company. Customer, they really care about the price of the sportswear, and more sensitive for fashion, but there is no negative effect for the profit rate of the company. As we can see, if less profit, the product at development country will be less to compensate for the loss. And on the other hand, most companies are success with the difference of their product which will make customer to get to know their product and prevent to associate with other companies. Supplier power. Almost the sports shoes companies are equal with their input, especially after the the outsourcing trend which is launch by Nike, over 90% of the product are made in those developing countries such as China and Vietnam, who has lower salary and high labor force. The marketing strategy of Adidas This is two of the strategy for Adidas, and the other is research.They became one of the greatest sports company in 1997 after acquired the Salomen group, these two companies will help each other to coordinate with the product and region, because Salomen group are very strong in Japan and North America, it will help Adidas to increase the market share in USA. And another important thing is they always use sports star as their spokesperson such as David Beckham and Kobe Bryant.They also become the sponsor of many sports events such as UEFA championsleague and Olympic Games. The other core strategy is research, Adidas has established a new group for technical innovation to make at least one big innovation for customer every year. They introduced their Mass customization system to public in 2003, this system will custom the different shoes for different customer with different foot condition and personal preference. This are make Adidas to become the leader of the area. Adidas Porter’s five forces for Adidas 1. Analysis framework and market structure * High barrier to enter this field. The sports shoes industry of the USA are made by those brand company, these brand company will have advantage with advertisement, import, sales network and product development. But most importantly, they set up an obstruct for other companies with their product character and loyalty of the customer. * Other shoes are not suitable for sports, so there is no substitute for sports shoes company. Customer, they really care about the price of the sportswear, and more sensitive for fashion, but there is no negative effect for the profit rate of the company. As we can see, if less profit, the product at development country will be less to compensate for the loss. And on the other hand, most companies are success with the difference of their product which will make customer to get to know their product and prevent to associate with other companies. Supplier power. Almost the sports shoes companies are equal with their input, especially after the the outsourcing trend which is launch by Nike, over 90% of the product are made in those developing countries such as China and Vietnam, who has lower salary and high labor force. The marketing strategy of Adidas This is two of the strategy for Adidas, and the other is research.They became one of the greatest sports company in 1997 after acquired the Salomen group, these two companies will help each other to coordinate with the product and region, because Salomen group are very strong in Japan and North America, it will help Adidas to increase the market share in USA. And another important thing is they always use sports star as their spokesperson such as David Beckham and Kobe Bryant.They also become the sponsor of many sports events such as UEFA championsleague and Olympic Games. The other core strategy is research, Adidas has established a new group for technical innovation to make at least one big innovation for customer every year. They introduced their Mass customization system to public in 2003, this system will custom the different shoes for different customer with different foot condition and personal preference. This are make Adidas to become the leader of the area.

Abortion Is a Social Failure

Leanna Sullivan English 111 Christina Forsyth April 4, 2009 â€Å"Abortion Is a Social Failure† Abortion is said to be â€Å"a woman’s choice. † Women do have the choice, the choice should be to do what is best for their child whether the pregnancy is planned or not. The resources should be made available for the mother to do that. There should be more funding for public services and health care for extremely low income families. Abortion is wrong and it harms the society that we live in. In 1973, the U. S. Supreme Court made abortion on demand the law of the land. With Roe v. Wade, the Court forced America to revoke the commitment to â€Å"life, liberty and justice for all. † Abortion advocates guaranteed us that making abortion easy would mean â€Å"’every child a wanted child’,†(Mealey) which would reduce child abuse and it would reduce crime. Those unwanted children who often develop into criminals would never be born. This would decrease murder rates and criminal activity; thus for, those unwanted children would never have the opportunity to act out and disrupt society. â€Å"It would protect vulnerable women from being butchered by untrained abortionists cashing in on their desperation. Widespread abortion could only lead to stronger women, stronger families and a stronger society, they promised. † (Mealey) With almost 46 million â€Å"unwanted† children murdered because of abortion since 1973 ruling, there should have been a decrease in child abuse. That did not happen. In 2003, nearly 1 million children were victims of abuse and neglected, experts calculated approximately that â€Å"three times that number was actually abused. Almost 1,500 children died of their injuries that year, according to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, which reports that all types of child abuse have increased since 1980. The plan to reduce crime by getting rid of the possible perpetrators’ just did not work out the way they wanted it to. Children were murdered to decrease murder rates and criminal activity. Also, according to Yale University law professor John Lott and Australian economist John Whitley, states that legalized abortion noticed higher h omicide rates almost every year between 1976 and 1998. They found that legalizing abortion increased state murder rates up to 7 percent. The plan to reduce crime by getting rid of possible perpetrators did not work either. Abortion can be a public health issue. In countries where abortion is not legal, approximately, 20 million women have unsafe abortion each year. (Fisanick) If legal abortion is not available, women will danger their health to end an unplanned pregnancy. Abortion is legal because the rights of the mother surpass the rights of the fetus and the fetus shows no sign of brain activity until well into the second trimester. The United States has tried to defend the rights of the fetus, but no one can determine the boundaries. Every year 45 million pregnancies end in abortion. Almost half of those abortions are medically unsafe, and end in the deaths of nearly 70,000 women. (Fisanick) When death does not occur from unsafe abortion, women can have long-term disabilities, such as uterine perforation, chronic pelvic pain or pelvic inflammatory disease. Therefore, making abortion legal and available are public health issues. â€Å"Criminalizing abortion does not save babies; it kills mothers. † () However, now it is safe with medical and surgical methods. Many countries have legalized abortion. According to the United Nations Population Fund, Where abortion is safe and legal, rates of abortion tend to be low. In contrast to the claim that thousands of women died because of illegal abortion before the ruling of Roe v. Wade, the actually figure for the deaths reported was only 263 in 1950. In 1970 that total even dropped to 119 deaths of women due to abortion. Legalizing abortion was supposed to eliminate the chance that a woman would be injured or killed during an abortion. Even though abortion is legal, it is still the fifth leading cause of pregnant women in the United States. (Mealey) In the Miami Herald, there was a story ran about a local abortion clinic. A woman died because of the conditions of the clinic. Another woman was mutilated. Abortion advocates knew about the clinic's conditions but did not say anything because of political reasons. Now, how in anyone’s right mind could they allow such horrendous acts to take place is beyond me. Just to keep the peace no one said anything. Abortions are legal to benefit the mother, so if the mother is dead or mutilated how did she receive any help. Needless to say, the most frequent gynecologic emergencies are problems preceding an abortion performed in a self-supporting clinic. (Mealey) Banning abortion as the consequence of denying women right to use a procedure that may be needed for their enjoyment of their right to health, according to the human rights act. Only women can experience the physical and emotional aspects of unwanted pregnancy. Some women suffer maternity-related injuries, such as hemorrhage or obstructed labor. Denying women access to medical services that enable th em to regulate their fertility or terminate a dangerous pregnancy amounts to a refusal to provide health care that only women need. Women are consequently exposed to health risks not experienced by men. Laws that deny the availability to abortion, have the purpose of denying a women's capacity to make responsible decisions about their bodies and their lives. Indeed, governments may find the potential consequences of allowing women to make such decisions threatening in some circumstances. Recognizing women's sexual and reproductive autonomy contradicts long-standing social norms that render women lower to men in their families and communities. It is not surprising that unwillingness to allow women to make their own decisions. Many Americans see abortion as â€Å"necessary† to avert â€Å"the back alley. In this sense, the notion of legal abortion as a â€Å"necessary evil† is based on a series of myths widely disseminated since the 1960s. These myths captured the public mind and have yet to be rebutted. One to two million illegal abortions occurred annually before legalization. In fact, the annual total in the few years before abortion on demand was no more than tens o f thousands and most likely fewer. Thousands of women died annually from abortions before legalization. As a leader in the legalization movement, Abortion law targeted women rather than abortionists before legalization. In fact, the nearly uniform policy of the states for nearly a century before 1973 was to treat the woman as the second victim of abortion. Legalized abortion has been good for women. In fact, women still die from legal abortion, and the general impact on health has had many negative consequences, including the physical and psychological toll that many women bear, the epidemic of sexually transmitted disease, the general coarsening of male-female relationships over the past 30 years, the threefold increase in the repeat-abortion rate, and the increase in hospitalizations from ectopic pregnancies. A generation of Americans educated by these myths sees little alternative to legalized abortion. It is commonly believed that prohibitions on abortion would not reduce abortion and only push thousands of women into â€Å"the back alley† where many would be killed or injured. Prohibitions would mean no fewer abortions and more women injured or killed. The better approach would be to make abortion less necessary. The first thing that needs to be done is to reduce the occurrence of unplanned pregnancy. Half of all pregnancies are unplanned and out of that half, half of them get abortions. If we showed dedication for getting out the information about abstinence and contraception; and public funding for family planning services, I know more women would be willing to keep their babies. Women who are able to avoid unplanned pregnancy do not have to make the decision of whether to have an abortion. Unfortunately, there will always be some unplanned pregnancies. Therefore, once a woman finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy, another way to reduce abortion is to guarantee that she has the resources to have and raise a child. One of the two most common reasons women choose abortion is because they cannot manage to pay for another child. Providing low-income women with education, career opportunities, Works Cited Brown, Diana. â€Å"Abortion Should Not Be Restricted. † At Issue: Should Abortion Rights Be Restricted?. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Ivy Tech – Terre Haute. 14 Feb. 2009 . Mealey, Misty. â€Å"Abortion Is a Social Failure. † Current Controversies: The Abortion Controversy. Ed. Emma Bernay. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Ivy Tech – Terre Haute. 11 Feb. 2009

Ancient India Essay

The era that brought India into the map of cultural prominence was during the rule of the Gupta Dynasty. The 4th and 5th century C. E. is considered as the Golden Age of India. The attainment of this Golden Age was made possible by the rule and influence of the Gupta Dynasty, which fostered the development of both the cultural and the political might of India during its time. The Gupta Rulers Chandragupta I, son of Ghatotkacha, was the fist imperial ruler of the empire situated in the north of the then India in the Vindhya Range. By marrying the princess of Licchavis, he formed alliance with the clan and begun power expansion. One of the important administrative systems that he established during his reign was the assembly of councilors that nominated his successor. The largest territorial expansion of the empire was undertaken during the reign of Samudragupta, son of Chandragupta I. His campaign established the largest political unit in South Asia at that time (Heitzman, 2007). He is considered as one of the greatest military geniuses in the history of India. One of his notable contributions was the establishment of coins made of pure gold. More than an exemplary military leader, he was also a patron of the arts as he was a celebrated poet and musician. He made coinage as the expertise of his time. Chandragupta II further expanded the empire through war conquests. His power was extended from coast-to-coast; and his reign became the economical high point of the empire through the establishment of trading capitals. During the reign of Kumaragupta I, the Pushyamitras tribe became powerful and had post threat to the empire. His successor, Skandagupta, considered the last of the great Gupta rulers, defeated the tribe but the territory was later on invaded by the White Huns. This defeat signaled the start of the decline of the empire. The Impact of the Empire The Gupta Dynasty is highly regarded for their contributions to the arts and culture of South Asia. Though the rulers’ cultural role was limited, their coinage expresses their being patrons of the arts (Heitzman, 2007). According to Hooker (1996), the era’s cultural creativity is exemplified in magnificent architecture, sculpture and paintings. The paintings found in the Ajanta Cave are considered to be the most powerful works of the Indian art. Literature also flourished during that time of Indian history. The Gupta Empire had produced one of the greatest writers of poetry, Kalidasa. He is known for his lyric poetry and dramas, not only in India but also in Asian and even Western circles. It is also observed that the trading ports of the empire made the Indian culture dominant in the region. The period of the Gupta Dynasty was the period of â€Å"Greater India† (Hooker, 1996). Their cultural influences were extended through Burma, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Another cultural legacy of the dynasty is the coinage system and effective administrative system. Their government was governed with only one taxation system centralized to the empire capital in Pataliputra. The kings remained to be the vassal kings where the entire kingdom was consolidated into single administrative unit (Hooker, 1996). The era of the Gupta Dynasty has not only uplifted the country politically but culturally as well. It has spilled over its influence in the South Asian region through wide range of trading products and services. Though it was later on buried in the pages of Indian history, its legacy to the Indian nation continue to this age. Its cultural heritage truly makes India one of the richest cultures in the world. References: Hooker, Richard (1996). The Age of the Guptas and After. Ancient India. Retrieved September 17, 2007 from http://www. wsu. edu/~dee/ANCINDIA/GUPTA. HTM Heitzman, James (2007). Gupta Dynasty. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2007 from http://encarta. msn. com.

Terry Cannon, MBA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terry Cannon, MBA - Case Study Example From this paper it is clear that this company would be an internet based start-up so, it is quite evident that Terry Cannon should have proper knowledge regarding the information system as most of the work would be computer and internet based. In such a company with his given position, he requires to have good knowledge about Management Information Systems, Executive Support Systems, Decision-Support Systems, Transaction Processing Systems and Office Automation Systems as well. In this company Terry Cannon has been offered a position as a manager of the marketing department and would be responsible for developing new customers. Considering his role in this organization, Terry Cannon needs to have knowledge regarding Management Information System, Transaction Processing Systems, Decision Support Systems and Knowledge Management Systems. As the paper outlines Terry Cannon can prove to be a knowledgeable participant in each of the mentioned three jobs by possessing knowledge regarding information systems that would be relevant with the job profile in relation to all the three organizations. Being a knowledgeable participant in the field of information systems would assist him in carrying out his responsibilities more effectively. This would also help him in designing appropriate and accurate marketing as well as business strategies for his clients and his organizations. In case of Terry Cannon to be a knowledgeable participant, he should be well informed and possess enough knowledge regarding the types of information systems that would assist him in performing his duties as well as responsibilities towards his organizations and clients efficiently and successfully. For instance, being a consultant at ICG would involve designing marketing strategies for his clients.

Historical event related to deaf people Research Paper

Historical event related to deaf people - Research Paper Example focuses on a few aspects revolving around the impacts of the event on the deaf community and a detailed chronological assessment of the activities that took place during the events. In DPN, most of the deaf people stood up saying that they do not want nor accept degraded status, they want a deaf president now (Wilkins, 1998, 1, 5). Based on the effects of DPN, it is appropriate to assume that the protests affected the hearing more than the deaf. Deaf people always knew that they can do almost everything that the hearing do; for example, reading, teaching and leading. However, the hearing never imagined the possibility of such to happen; until DPN, most hearing people did not agree (Wilkins, 1998, 1, 8). DPN changed that perception. Simultaneously, the events were a strong memento that showed the deaf that they did not have to follow or adhere to any limitations set for them by others (Wilkins, 1998, 1, 5). The Deaf President Now protests instilled a sense of pride and high self-esteem among the deaf and hard of hearing persons from all walks of life. More graduates from the Gallaudet University and other campuses are acquiring great professions that were once c onsidered limited to the hearing only. Deaf President Now led to social and legislative change in the United States. The country so a number of changes in its Bill of Rights of the deaf and other impaired individuals, months and years later following the aftermath of the 1988 protest. The state passed so many laws between 1988 and 1993, which promoted and enhanced the lives of deaf people, more than in the two hundred and sixteen years of the nation’s existence. Months after the 1988 protest, the state passed acts such as the Television Decoder Circuitry Act, Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act and the Americans with Disability Act (Wilkins, 1998, 1, 20). First, the Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act ensured that all telecommunication systems be utterly available for the deaf

Religion Does More Harm Than Good Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion Does More Harm Than Good - Essay Example I will also introduce my colleagues in the affirmative team that includes Hamad, who will come to discuss the impact of religion on politics of today as he tries to prove the point that religion has indeed negatively affected the political situation of the 21st century as it had done throughout history. My other colleague Rubby will be seeking to address the various situations in which religion has failed to honor its original intention of standing up for the people by trying to prevent some of the historical crimes that happened under the watchful eyes of religion. He will reveal to you that by failing to speak against some of those crimes in the society, religion was indeed supporting them thus contributing to harmful effects in the society in general. I will begin my submission by attempting to define each word of utmost importance in the motion so that we fully understand what we are dealing with. To begin with, religion can be described as an organized system of beliefs, world v iews and cultural systems that revolve around spirituality and the supernatural realm (Kant, Immanuel 2001). There are various religions around the world including Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism to mention but a few. Most religions have their own symbols, narratives and sacred historical events that aim at explaining the universe and life (Russell T. McCutcheon. 2001). By causing more harm than good in the society we mean that religion has led to more negativity in the society than positivity. The concept of religion has failed to live up to its intended objective of promoting good in the society and has become synonymous with negative and harmful issues in the society. With that being said, allow me ladies and gentlemen to proceed to my arguments in support of the motion that religion does more harm than good. Arguments First and foremost, the biggest source of disharmony among married couples is how most religions handle the question of divorce. In the contemporary soci ety we live in, divorce has become one of the best solutions of marriage conflicts, if it is handled well through a legal process. Most religions however are totally opposed to the concept divorce and cannot allow their members and followers to go through divorce. This has led to most religious people living miserable lives full of conflicts including domestic violence due to the fear of separation and divorce since as religion teaches, is against the will of God. Some of the biggest religions preach that marriage should stay together until death takes away one of the couples, and that no man can separate what has been joined together by God. Such doctrines hold no place in the contemporary society since the need of individuals and the institution of marriage itself has totally changed from what it was before. Whenever couples feel they have irreconcilable differences, the y have no other options than to divorce and share responsibilities, if any. This is a legal right most religion s deny their followers. The second most important argument is the disagreements and marriage conflicts brought about as a result of interfaith marriages. When people fall in love, it does not matter which faith they belong to. Love knows no boundaries, as they say. However, these religious differences often come in to play when two love birds come together to form a marriage union. The battles of supremacy over which faith or religion should preside over the marriage ceremony, or even which religion should the family and the children, if any, allowed to follow. Such

Job Redesign and Workplace Reward Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Job Redesign and Workplace Reward - Essay Example It is prudent to note that companies go an extra mile to include value added packages for their employees to entice them to stay with the organization as long as they are productive and their skills are advantageous to the business (Lauby, 2005). Better job re-designed coupled with an efficient and well-designed reward system is critical in determining the success of the organization. There has been a trend in the corporate world by which organizations are transforming their business structures by ensuring their employees are more utilized by the firm while at the same time they become more productive by absorbing them from hourly workers into full-time salaried workers with more responsibilities and privileges. This is a motivation technique that seeks to incorporate the workers into the firm through extra duties aimed at making them feel more liable and responsible to the success of the organization. On the other hand, the business are reviewing their reward systems to include additional incentives and other packages that are aimed at motivating the workers to be more dedicated and productive in the organization (Hodgetts and Hegar, 2008). Significant amounts of resources have been directed to study both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for the organization’s management to understand the relevant changes that they need to execute to ensure there is improved performance in their organizations while at the same time ensuring the workers are motivated and retained to enhance productivity. The work culture of the modern world is always a concern; firms are aiming at cutting down on their operational costs and as a result, most firms are opting for casual hourly workers at the expense of salaried employees. Research, however, indicates that hourly employees have a high sense of extrinsic motivation but less intrinsic motivation because they obliged to perform or because of the rewards and incentives they are to receive at the end. For this

Q7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Q7 - Essay Example We can not say with certainty that the specific programming environment is best for particular use. Here we have variety of programming environments that are functional and efficient in diverse domains. Their working power is linked to the area of the system development. So the choice of a best programming environment is possible to a definite aspect of system development and application development. Each programming environment is tied to specific domain of system development, like that web, desktop, scientific, real-time, etc. applications. There is no such excellent programming environment exist for the development of the all kinds and type of the applications (Bishop-Clark et al. 2006). Integrated Development Environment or IDE software is fundamentally software or programs to develop/build other programs or applications. They are usually software editing location by means of advance tools to aid the developers and programmers to write and develop the code speedily as well as proficiently. For instance PHP is an IDE system that is capable to build PHP driven website applications by means of a blend of PHPEclipse and Eclipse (Des Rivià ¨res & Wiegand, 2004). Here main advantage we have is regarding the less time and effort for the software development and execution. These applications of Integrated Development Environment systems typically proffer assortment of facilities and attributes for the effectual execution as well as coding (development) of the applications. These features facilitate the coders, programmers, and developers to take the advantages regarding the less time and effort for the software development. The intact design with an Integrated Development Environment can be built or developed quickly as well as easily. Its features and tools are believed to ease the management stop happening mistakes, resources as well as offer shortcuts (Des Rivià ¨res & Wiegand, 2004). The

Value Alignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Value Alignment - Essay Example 1). As such, organizational values are seen to be all encompassing for various stakeholders. As an individual, traditional values include being accorded with opportunities for personal and professional growth; being treated equally, fairly, and justly – without discrimination or prejudice; being able to balance family life with work; and being able to adhere to ethical, moral and legal standards. The origin of individual values stem from the value system inculcated by one’s parents (family) and that which is traditionally handed and manifested in one’s culture. From the value statements, of the individual and that of the organization, it could be deduced that when these values are congruent; meaning, they are aligned or identical, the relationship between employer and employee is perceived to be harmonious, smooth, and effective. It was emphasized that â€Å"values and ethics are important in the workplace to help keep order, ensuring that a company runs smoothly and remains profitable† (Amico, 2013, p. 1). As such, both the individual and the organization could work hand in hand towards the accomplishment of identified goals: whether it be personal, professional, or organizational

Australian ICT Framework and Mobile Device Management Essay

Australian ICT Framework and Mobile Device Management - Essay Example The legal frameworks aid reliability in the procurement processes of service provision in all the different Australian governments, i.e. the federal, state and territorial governments. This also helps in underpinning enterprise architecture in the entire Australian government (Saha, 2009). The current ICT infrastructure in Australia requires improvement to help achieve the creation of a whole-of-government Australian Public Service (APS) ICT career structure, which entails training and development programs for information technology professionals. ICT improvement also helps in developing and maintaining an information technology whole-of-government strategic workforce plan. ICT policies and frameworks help in the effective management of government and private data, and the protection of the government data from unauthorized accesses and misuse (Hart & Diane, 2007). The need for ICT legal framework and policies is to regulate the different types of governments, and create an easier wa y to monitor them. Every Australian is entitled to freedom of information access as per the Freedom of Information Act 1982, which guides the legislative basis of the release of government information. However, some of the information needs privacy and confidentiality, and hence demands protection. This ensures that the unauthorized access of information is reduced, whereby the necessary precautions are applied to strictly allow for classified information access to authorized or accredited personnel only. The main principles of the Australian enterprise ICT framework and policies is the need to know, which is applied to all official information, and the need to protect government information. This ensures the proper information access platforms and protects the divulgement of information within the government or from a foreign government. There is the enhancement of legal proceedings through privileged information access to legal professionals in the justice and legal system of the government (Hart & Diane, 2007). The presence of information technology Acts and policies provides the necessary foundation and benchmarks for the Australian governments to facilitate the smooth functioning of the country’s ICT sector. There are whole-of-government ICT policy frameworks guided by the Financial Management and Accountability Act (FMA) of 1997. The ICT Customization and Bespoke Development policy outlines compliance requirements for FMA Act agencies, and strengthens government arrangements for ICT Customization and Bespoke development. The Australian government has the legal enterprise ICT framework for enhancing and ensuring e-security. There is the core Cyber Security Requirement Policy for ICT driven proposals that requires agencies to access and address cyber security risks, and ensure that all businesses prepared through ICT-based proposals comply with the Australian government’s Cyber Security policies. This is aimed at achieving core cyber security for the smooth running of agencies and the government at large, through a smooth and safe flow and storage of information (Saha, 2009). The ICT Strategic Workforce plan is a core policy that entails the current expertise and capabilities of the APS ICT workforce, and the agency capabilities required in the delivery of government priorities. It guides the shift of ICT short term objectives and factors into medium and long term goals. There is also the Opt-Out policy for the whole-of-government ICT arrangements that has changed the opt-in self approvement by agencies into the

Outline and Introductory Paragraph Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Outline and Introductory Paragraph Worksheet Essay University of Phoenix Material Outline and Introductory Paragraph Worksheet Create an outline and introductory paragraph in preparation for writing a complete Personal Plan due in Week Five. Use the following information to assist you with the content of your outline and introductory paragraph: †¢ Ethical Lens Inventory results †¢ Career Interests Profiler results †¢ Career Plan Building Activity: Competencies results †¢ Your SMART goals, including those identified in the University of Phoenix Material: Goal Setting Use the following to assist you with the writing of your outline: †¢ Sample Outline in the CWE †¢ MyFoundationsLab: The Writing Process †¢ MyFoundationsLab: Prewriting Outline: Introduction: 1. Topic: What the results say versus what I thought about myself. a. Subtopic: Seeing my strengths and weakness b. Subtopic: Figuring in my SMART goals 2. Topic: How to build off of my competencies a. Subtopic: What areas need to be improved b. Subtopic: What jobs I may look for in the future Use the following to assist you with the writing of your introductory paragraph: †¢ MyFoundationsLab: Developing and Organizing a Paragraph †¢ MyFoundationsLab: The Topic Sentence †¢ MyFoundationsLab: Recognizing a Paragraph Introductory Paragraph: Since I have started college, I have set myself up for high standards. My wife and I have talked many times about the importance of me wanting to go to college so I have an understanding support system. Ever since I enrolled at University of Phoenix I have received many helpful resources. These resources first helped point me in the right direction not only for academics but also in my future with locating the right job for my personality. I could see what jobs matched my personality and compare them to the jobs I wanted to take before I joined the university and I saw that the results were close to the same. The university’s resources then helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses. Whereas I plan to continue to practice my strengths that I already knew I had, I can make my weaknesses that I never thought about into strengths as well. Finally, the resources allowed me to set up SMART goals in which to help further my education by breaking down what I need to study further into detail in order to succeed in my classes. Not only has the University of Phoenix helped set up goals while I am studying, but also it has helped me identify SMART goals, which will help me to enhance myself for the professional world.

War in the Air Essay Example for Free

War in the Air Essay If there was a war today, aircraft would be used for the following reasons, parachuting soldiers into enemy lines, bombing enemy countries, transporting supplies to troops, spying on the enemy, observe aircraft carriers to gain valuable information about operations in the enemy lines. In 1914 planes were not as useful and were mainly used to watch enemy activities. The only weaponry used by aircraft were the guns which pilots carried to shoot down enemy planes this was very dangerous as pilots risked hitting the propeller and having the shot rebound and killing themselves. Later in 1915 a man called Anthony Fokker a Dutch designer working for Germany designed a machine gun timed to fire between the airplanes propellers. The invention made air combat more deadly and lead to dogfights which was clashes with enemy aircraft. Another source of weaponry used by pilots was small hand bombs which were dropped by hand; these bombs had little effect on the enemy and outcome of the war. In 1914 planes resources disabled the aeroplanes from transporting supplies to troops and operating attacks on the enemy. During 1914 planes were extremely unreliable and very dangerous, they were mostly used for observing the enemies lines, spying and collecting valuable information. At later stages Germany developed the Gotha it was one of the first bomber aircraft, these aeroplanes were very valuable as they collected information from the enemy lines they took valuable photographs. These aeroplanes were a great help for sailors and troops. The Zeppelins were not much use for attacking this was due to them not being able to carry enough bombs to do serious damage. These were a valuable weapon for war at sea and the Germans had the most advanced ones. In the earlier stages of war the important aircraft were the airships, the airships were gas powered by engines with massive bags of Hydrogen. The airships were mainly used by the British army for accompanying ships and tracking down u-boats. They spotted u-boats on the surface of the water and they gave a warning to allied troops. However Germany had an advantage as their airships were the Zeppelins they were an important weapon but more so to the war at sea. The Zeppelins flew higher and travelled at a greater speed.

The Over-diagnosis of ADHD

The Over-diagnosis of ADHD A simple way to describe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is that it is a brain based condition where there is an imbalance of the brains chemicals dopamine and noradrenaline, these chemicals being responsible for self-control and slowing down of impulses (Green and Chee, 1997: 3). Because of the slight imbalance of these important chemicals, people with ADHD will experience impulsive, hyperactive behaviour as well as inattentiveness with short term memory and in some cases, learning difficulties. Although doctors and scientists have more information about the causes and treatment of ADHD today, there is an interesting history around this disorder which had many different theories and beliefs. Discovered over one hundred years ago, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not a recent medical discovery. It was first described in about 1902 by George Still, an English paediatrician, who had observed a group of patients and recognised them as being inattentive, over active and suffering from a lack of moral control (Green and Chee, 1997: 10). After George Stills discovery, many controversies followed. It was believed that ADHD was a result of brain damage, but when doctors realised that most children with ADHD had no brain damage, that idea was discarded. ADHD was then called Hyperactive Child Syndrome, where all the focus was on hyperactivity. In addition to this, Dr Ben Feingold researched a link between ones diet and hyperactivity, but this controversy was soon proven to not have much effect. Today, it is known that ADHD is strongly hereditary and is, as mentioned before, believed to be caused by the imbalance of dopamine and noradrenaline chemicals in ones brain. This subtle difference in the brain causes ADHD, as inattentiveness and hyperactivity, and can display itself through a number of different symptoms. There is not one definite test for ADHD, but rather a series of steps to go through which help to make the final conclusion in diagnosing ADHD. As ADHD is a common condition, doctors need to be certain when assessing a child for ADHD. Some simple symptoms of the disorder are; disorganisation, restlessness, fidgeting, clumsiness, forgetfulness and being easily distracted. Although every person does experience at least one or more of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that they have ADHD. People with ADHD will experience these symptoms, but at a far greater level of severity than those without the disorder would, and with negative outcomes because of the severity (Green and Chee, 1997; 227).Therefore, focusing on the simple symptoms of ADHD is what often leads to an over diagnosis of the disorder, such as if a child has a lot of energy and doesnt like to sit still, the child may just be an active child and will not necessarily have ADHD. As Dr Sam Goldstein says, just as not every sneeze is indicative of a cold, so too not every restless, impulsive and inattentive behaviour is indicative of ADHD. (Goldstein, 2004: 7) shows how easily one can confuse normal behaviours with the simple ADHD behaviours, leading to an overdiagnosis of the disorder. When observing a child for ADHD, tests must be done and observations will be made according to the DSM-IV criteria to make a correct diagnosis of ADHD. There are two main features of ADHD, these being inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Under each feature there are diagnostic criteria which need to be addressed when assessing a child who possibly has ADHD. These criteria are called DSM-IV, which stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth addition. Under the inattention feature, DSM-IV symptoms include; not paying attention to detail, difficulty focusing and keeping attention on tasks, not listening or following instructions, poor organisational skills, being easily distracted, very forgetful and often losing important items. The hyperactivity-impulsivity feature is arranged under two different subheadings but these are both very closely linked. Hyperactivity DSM-IV symptoms include fidgeting with hands and feet, often leaving ones seat, excessive running and climbing in inappropriate situations, difficulty engaging quietly in relaxing activities, always has endless energy and talks excessively. T he impulsivity criteria include blurting out answers, difficulty being patient and interrupting and intruding on others. Using these criteria, further steps are then taken to make a diagnosis of ADHD. When making the diagnosis of ADHD, there are a number of steps to follow to make sure of an accurate diagnosis. Dr Christopher Green (1997: 61) states that there are four simple steps to diagnosis; firstly to look for alarm signals any behaviours or symptoms that could indicate ADHD. Secondly, to exclude ADHD lookalikes- the behaviours or disorders that are often confused with ADHD. Thirdly, to use objective pointers towards the diagnosis, such as tests and questionnaires, and lastly, to take a detailed history of the child being assessed and link it to ADHD subtleties, discover if the child had any noticeable signs of ADHD growing up. The DSM-IV criteria to determine ADHD can only be used to make a diagnosis if six or more of the symptoms under each subheading (inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) are experienced or displayed consistently for six or more months, and are not at an age-appropriate developmental level. From this observation, a series of tests will be done to he lp make the diagnosis. Children believed to have ADHD must take a series of tests once the DSM-IV criteria have been observed appropriately, starting with the standard intelligence test. The standard intelligence test will then be followed by specialised subject tests, for example maths, reading and writing, just to name a few. These tests will be monitored by a psychologist who will observe restless or inattentive behaviour. This observation can sometimes be misleading though, as some children are able to focus in a quiet environment, but cannot focus in a noisy classroom environment (Green and Chee, 1997: 67). After ADHD has been identified from this test, children will take a test of attention and persistence to indicate the main areas of weakness caused by ADHD. This final test will help make the final diagnosis of ADHD and will help indicate the right medication to give. Although these tests are the most accurate in diagnosing ADHD, there is still some controversy around whether ADHD is in fact being overdiagnosed. There is a common belief that ADHD is over diagnosed (Sciutto and Eisenberg, 2007: 106). For ADHD to be classified as overdiagnosed the number of false positives, people diagnosed with ADHD who should not be, must be far more than the number of false negatives, people with ADHD who are left undiagnosed and untreated. ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders (Sciutto and Eisenberg, 2007: 106),with three to seven percent of school children meeting the ADHD criteria. A CNN online poll in 2002 showed that seventy six percent of the people who responded to the poll believed that ADHD is an over diagnosed disorder (Sciutto and Eisenberg, 2007: 106). A recent study in 2007 (Sciutto and Eisenberg, 2007: 108,109) focused on looking at evidence for and against the overdiagnosis of ADHD. An area of this study looked at factors that could contribute to a false diagnosis of ADHD, the first factor being comorbidity, many children diagnosed with ADHD also meet the criteria for another psy chiatric disorder and these symptoms overlap with ADHD symptoms, therefore resulting in an incorrect diagnosis. Another factor is diagnostic inaccuracy. Many children are given a diagnosis of ADHD after an initial, brief assessment, but then when evaluated properly on a second occasion, only a few children are given a final and accurate diagnosis of ADHD. A reason for this diagnostic inaccuracy is that some psychologists do not follow the correct diagnostic program and only briefly take in to account the DSM-IV criteria. The other area of this study focused on factors that could contribute to false negatives in ADHD, people with ADHD who are undiagnosed and untreated for it. The key area was aimed at gender differences, which showed that girls with ADHD are more commonly under diagnosed. The reason for this is because girls with ADHD are more likely to internalize their symptoms and are less hyperactive and disruptive but struggle more with inattentiveness. The conclusion of this st udy showed that there is not enough evidence to claim that ADHD is overdiagnosed, so is therefore not classified as overdiagnosed. Although this is just one study, there are other controversies around if ADHD is over diagnosed or under diagnosed and this applies to both children and adults. In earlier years, research shows that ADHD was mostly found in children but more recent studies show that adults can suffer from the disorder too. One of the most common statements made about ADHD is that children with ADHD will outgrow the disorder by the time they reach adulthood. But most children do not outgrow their ADHD (Marsh and Wolfe, 2007/2010: 136). Although the symptoms and signs may be worse as young children and then lessen with age, they do not disappear completely (Green and Chee, 1997: 192). In some cases noticeable signs of ADHD may be present during infancy, however one cannot be certain as there are no valid methods of identifying ADHD before the age of about three years old. Symptoms often become more evident as children move into preschool, at about three or four years old. These include acting without thinking, working and moving fast, roaming around and disrupting other children. If children display these symptoms for one or more years then they will more than likely continue with these difficulties as they grow older. When children move into higher grades at school, inattentive symptoms will start to become more evident. The early grades of junior school are the most common years in which diagnosis of ADHD occurs. The hyperactive behaviours experienced in preschool normally continue for a few years but gradually lessen. As previously mentioned most children with ADHD do not outgrow this disorder, about fifty percent of children display ADHD characteristics into adolescence (Marsh and Wolfe, 2007/2010: 136). In some cases, the problems as a result of ADHD get worse, and most ADHD teenagers present problems in emotional, behavioural and social spheres of development. These problems are often carried on to adulthood and present problems later on in life. The impairments in developmental areas during childhood and adolescence present themselves as problems in adulthood life. Some children can grow out of ADHD, although the majority do not and therefore learn to cope with it as they become older. Some symptoms of ADHD in adults include; restlessness, being easily bored, constantly seeking exhilaration, may experience work difficulties, depression, low self-esteem, substance abuse and personality disorders (Marsh and Wolfe, 2007/2010: 136). Many adults who have ADHD have never been diagnosed with the disorder and consequently feel there is something wrong with them, leading to frustration and additional problems mentioned above. If undiagnosed or left untreated, adults with ADHD will more than likely have negative health and mental problems, work and financial problems and relationship stability problems (Smith and Segal, 2012). There is still on-going research around the controversy about ADHD in adults. There are a number of ways for people with ADHD, both adults and children, to help deal with the disorder, which leads to the next controversy how to treat ADHD. There is no cure for ADHD; however there are various approaches to treating people with the disorder which enables them to live an easier life (Mash and Wolfe, 2010: 149). Although highly controversial, stimulant medication proves to be the most common way of treating ADHD (Robinson, Smith, Segal and Ramsey, 2012) and as it was the first type of medication to treat children with ADHD, it is the most trusted (Barlow and Durand, 2012: 490). Two stimulants are proven to be the most common and effective, one being Methylphenidate, for example Ritalin and Concerta, and the other being Dexamphetamine. Stimulants, otherwise known as psychostimulant drugs, are effective because they regulate the slight imbalance of dopamine and noradrenaline in an ADHD childs brain. This therefore allows the children to be able to focus on tasks that they could not focus on when untreated and shut out distractions as well as thinking before acting (Green and Chee, 1997: 125). Another positive about stimulant s is that they can be used on children and adults of any age, but should only be used on very young children if extremely necessary (Green and Chee, 1997: 161). Although the proven short term benefits of using psychostimulant drugs are positive such as reducing restlessness and allowing children to listen better, which evidently show the reasons for using these drugs, there are arguments against using the drugs which, for example, arise from the negative side effects which are likely to be experienced when taking the medication. There are many controversies around using psychostimulant drugs to treat ADHD but one of the most understandable reasons for any controversy around using these drugs is because of the negative side effects. These side effects are explained by Eric Mash and David Wolfe as reduced appetite, weight loss, slowing of expected gains in height or weight, increase in heart rate and blood pressure, or problems falling asleep. (Mash and Wolfe, 2010: 144). Comprehending that these are only the proven short term side effects of the drugs, the other controversies arise because there are unknown long term side effects that could be a consequence of using these psychostimulant drugs. A common area of concern for parents and another of the controversies surrounding the use of stimulant medication is the possibility of children becoming addicted to the drugs. Dr Christopher Green and Dr Kit Chee responded to this concern by saying that when a stimulant is effective it brings the child into harsh real ity. No one ever got addicted to reality. (Green and Chee, 1997: 160). This quote gives one an understanding that the possibility of becoming addicted to the stimulant medication is unlikely, but this only refers to the people who are actually prescribed by a doctor to the medication. However these stimulant drugs are becoming increasingly available to the public for anyone to purchase, and in this regard are being used and abused by many adolescents and young adults who do not need the medication, as they help enhance academic performance. In this case, where medication is used when not needed, the topic of addiction becomes a reality (McCarthy, 2010). Even with the negative aspects, psychostimulant drugs still remain the most popular in treating ADHD today. The other medication to take into account when looking at treatments for ADHD is the non-stimulant medication. Although not as commonly used as the psychostimulant drugs are, non-stimulant medication can also be considered for the treatment of ADHD. Often non-stimulant medication is only considered when the stimulant drugs are not effective (Green and Chee, 1997: 125). Atomoxetine, with the brand name Strattera, is the first non-stimulant ADHD treatment drug to be FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved (Low, 2009). The reasons why many people believe that the non-stimulant medication is better than using psychostimulant medication is because Atomoxetine does have any indications of becoming addictive, whilst many believe that stimulant medication has the characteristic of becoming addictive. It is also believed to have a longer lasting effect than stimulant medication (Low, 2009). The other non-stimulant drug which is commonly used is the tricyclic antidepressant, Tofranil. This medication may be used when the person being treated does not react well to stimulant medication, or has signs of depression combined with ADHD. This non-stimulant medication may take longer to take effect on the patient, but also has a longer lasting effect than stimulant medication does (Low, 2009). Both of these non-stimulant medications have similar side effects, but debatably not as severe as the side effects of stimulant medication. For the majority of people affected with ADHD, non-stimulant medication does not work and they therefore resort to using psychostimulant drugs. Using these psychostimulant drugs, combined with behaviour development, is possibly the most helpful treatment of all. This combined treatment of stimulant medication and behaviour development is known as multimodal treatment. It is believed that before medication is prescribed, therapy and help should be given to the areas in which children with ADHD are struggling. After the weaknesses are found, the family should be educated about ADHD so that they are aware with what they are exposed to and how to deal with tough situations as a result of their child having ADHD when faced with them, such as helping their child work through a task that they are struggling with. Once the ADHD child is getting the help he or she needs, then medication will be prescribed in order to help the child focus (Green and Chee, 1997: 230). The one negative aspect about this progress of treatment is that it is quite expensive and therefore not everyone will be able to benefit from it. With all of the possibilities of treatment taken into account, it is evident to conclude that although highly controversial, psychostimulant d rugs remain the most efficient medication to use when treating children and adults for ADHD. Taking into account all of the controversies surrounding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder it is clear that there are definite sides to arguments in the areas of diagnostic criteria and whether ADHD is underdiagnosed or overdiagnosed, ADHD in children as well as adults, and the treatment of the disorder. Looking at the diagnostic criteria and studies around overdiagnosis, research confirms my opinion that ADHD is not overdiagnosed, but in some cases it is misdiagnosed as many other psychiatric disorders share the same symptoms as ADHD which leads many people into believing it is overdiagnosed. Researching the occurrence of ADHD in adults as well as children concludes that ADHD in adults is very common, but is not recognised as much as ADHD is in children. Regarding the treatment of ADHD, my side taken in the debate leans towards the use of multimodal treatment, therefore supporting the use of psychostimulant drugs. Research in the area of psychostimulant drugs has shown that t hey have the most effect with helping children and adults focus on tasks and to restrain hyperactive behaviour, without endangering the patients life. Personal experience with psychostimulant drugs also accounts for my reasoning in supporting these drugs for the treatment of ADHD. The controversies surrounding ADHD all have valid points, and each individual has motives to stand behind their belief in a side of an argument. I have looked at all debates around each controversy and made a decision of where I stand based on my views around each controversy, which have been explained above.

My Decision :: Essays Papers

My Decision As the three o'clock bell rang, a sense of excitement filled the air. I ran with my friends through the cluttered hallways and scurried onto the bus. The seats were filled with bouncing children preparing to go home. Many waved to their teachers as the buses departed. I had anticipated this moment for so long--I was officially a second grader. The last day of first grade had arrived, and I had the remainder of summer to enjoy and have fun. I couldn't wait to get home and begin my vacation. The bus finally rolled quietly around a corner and stopped at my house--the last stop. My mother was standing at the door waiting for me. She smiled and causally took my bag. I didn't even have to ask for permission to go to a friends house, my mom simply said to be home by dark. I walked only a short distance to where my friend, Maggie, was waiting. It seemed odd that we were such good friends. She was pretty and popular, and I was simple and somewhat shy. The differences however made a perfect match. The times of fun and laughter between us were countless. A majority of my summer was guaranteed to be spent running around with this close friend. Soon, however, darkness was drawing in, and I reluctantly said good-bye to my friend and headed for home. The porch light was the first thing I could see of my house. The light was such a brilliant white. I loved how it illuminated its surroundings. A sense of security overwhelmed me when I saw this light, for my mother always turned it on until I had safely returned home. I walked up the steps to the front door. When I stepped inside, I was bombarded with the wonderful aroma of a home-made meal. I could see my mother working in the kitchen. She looked up from her masterpiece and welcomed me home. "Did you have fun?" "Of course", I replied. "We made a lot of plans for the summer." "That's good." "Don't you want to know what we're going to do?" "Not really, I feel that you are old enough to make good judgments. As long as you use your head, are reasonable, and are being safe, I don't mind what you do." I looked at my mother with a blank stare for a moment. I was totally confused. "Do you mean that I can do anything that I want to?

Willa Cathers Paul‟s Case: A Study in Temperament Essay examples -- P

Willa Cather‟s â€Å"Paul‟s Case: A Study in Temperament† (1905) invites the reader to wonder, â€Å"What really is Paul‟s case?† Cather provides us with ample clues and descriptions of Paul‟s temperament with remarkable detail and insight into the human psyche considering that she had no formal background in psychology and that she was writing when Sigmund Freud was just beginning to publish his theories and was therefore writing by intuitive observation rather than by using a scientific approach. Because â€Å"Paul‟s Case† is written much like a descriptive analysis or case study in a patient‟s temperament, the reader is left with several details about Paul that are mysterious and psychiatrically and medically unexplained. The lack of a diagnosis for Paul has led many critics to develop their own diagnosis – some say Paul is a stereotypical homosexual, has Asperger‟s Syndrome or Autism, or that he has a combinati on of depression and anxiety. In my opinion, however, the most likely diagnosis for Paul is that he suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. According to the DSM-IV, people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are â€Å"preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love† (Criterion 2) and believe that they are â€Å"„special‟ and unique and can only be understood by, or should be associated with, other special or high-status people† (Criterion 3). Paul‟s clothing gives us our first clue to his narcissistic attitudes about himself; in Cather‟s description of Paul‟s dress, it is apparent that Paul is attempting to rise above his lower-class status by mimicking the upper class‟ appearance. The collar of Paul‟s overcoat is velvet, and â€Å"there was something of the dandy about him, and he wore an... ...her was writing about a social disorder that had not yet been identified or studied. Despite the lack of knowledge about Narcissistic Personality Disorder when Cather wrote this short story, she provides readers with plenty of details to diagnose the boy themselves. Narcissism is the only diagnosis that can explain all of Paul‟s attitudes and behaviors, and that is why it is the disorder that he must be suffering from. Works Cited Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV. Arlington, VA.: American Psychiatric Association, 2007. Print. Larry Rubin. "The Homosexual Motif in Willa Cather's "Paul's Case"" Studies in Short Fiction (1975): 127-31. Print. Perkins, Barbara, Robyn Warhol-Down, and George B. Perkins. "Paul's Case: A Study in Temperament." Women's Work: an Anthology of American Literature. New York: McGrawHill, 1994. Print.

Understanding ADD and ADHD Essay -- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Di

Understanding ADD and ADHD First, it is important to understand ADD and ADHD and how they can be identified. Within the classroom, a teacher may encounter a student who constantly squirms in their seat, stares out the window, and has a desk that is a complete mess. These are not poor students who do not care about school and learning. Often these students may be undiagnosed cases of Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These students can often be disruptive to themselves and the students around them, which causes serious educational problems. For this reason it is important for these students to be identified and to have their condition treated. Also, if untreated for a long period of time, the student?s self esteem and feeling of competence may be severely damaged (D?Alonzo, 1996). Untreated cases of attention disorders can be spotted through certain symptoms. These symptoms include short attention span, daydreaming, low frustration tolerance, poor planning ability, disorganization, constantly displaying inappropriate behavior, and a multitude of others (Copeland & Love, 1992). If a teacher encounters a student in their classroom and feel that he or she may have an attention disorder, there are certain steps one should follow to initiate effective and appropriate treatment of the student. First, one should take time to organize a list of behaviors and problems of the student that cause concern. Next one should gather information about the student?s behavior by observing them. These observations should be recorded and kept for future reference. Then gather information on the student including previous test scores, medical reports, past teacher?s remarks, and so on. After this... ...ers and how to manage them in the classroom. Dowdy, C., Patton, J., Smith, T., & Polloway, E. (1998). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the classroom. Austin, Texas: PRO-ED, Inc. This book covers a multitude of areas addressing ADD and ADHD, including but not limited to managing the classroom, accommodating instructional needs, and student-regulated strategies. Slavin, R. (2000). Educational Psychology: theory and practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. This book is an educational psychology textbook. I found a section on ADD and ADHD that provided information on the problems the child faces and it also addressed the role of the teacher with ADD or ADHD students. Online Medical Dictionary, (1998). Retrieved from the World Wide Web on September 20, 2014. This source is an online dictionary of medical terms and conditions.

Corporate Strategy Essay

Diversification is even more prominent in other parts of the world †¢ Grupos, chaebol, business houses, keiretsu, and so on – Poor corporate strategy is common â€Å"Excite, one of the leading Internet services companies, yesterday [received a] takeover offer from Zapata, a Texas-based group with holdings in marine protein and food packaging companies. Citing the â€Å"excellent fit with Zapata’s new strategic direction,† Avram Glazer, Zapata’s chief executive officer, said the proposed transaction â€Å"makes sense for Excite’s shareholders because of the capital resources that Zapata can bring to Excite. † Financial Times, May 22, 1998 2 What diversified corporation did this become? 3 Decomposition of Variance in Profitability: Evidence from the United States Year 2% Industry 18% Corporate parent 4% Transient 46% †¢ In the U. S. corporate strategy is typically the icing on the cake, not the cake itself – Business units must be competitive on their own merits – †¦in attractive industries †¢ But the icing can make the decisive difference between a good cake and a bad one Business segment 30% Note: Ignores covariance terms; based on 58,132 observations of 12,296 business segments in 628 industries in the United States Source: Anita M. McGahan and Michael E. Porter, â₠¬Å"How Much Does Industry Matter Really? † Strategic Management Journal, 1997 4 Decomposition of Variance in Profitability: Evidence from 14 Emerging Economies †¢ In much of the rest of the world, corporate strategy is more prominent †¢ Membership in a diversified entity has a larger effect on profitability †¢ The effect on profitability is more likely to be positive Source: Tarun Khanna and Jan W. Rivkin, â€Å"Estimating the Performance Effects of Business Groups in Emerging Markets,† Strategic Management Journal, 2000 Countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey Litmus Test of Corporate Strategy †¢ Is the combination of all businesses of the firm worth more than the sum of how much each business is worth individually? – The answer could be less, e. g. J. C. Penney telemarketing division was worth 3X the market value of the entire firm †¢ When deciding whether or not to acquire another business, you need to decide BOTH – whether you have a competitive advantage running that business – AND how it will contribute to the fit among the other 6 businesses you are running Acrobat Document 7 The Walt Disney Company: Stock Price vs. S&P 500, 1984-1994 8 The Walt Disney Company: Stock Price vs. S&P 500, 1995-2005 9 Two big problems 1. Growth at all costs: †¢ This is an example of what happens when a solid corporate strategy meets an aggressive growth goal 2. Mismatch between strategy and organizational structure: †¢ You can have a corporation with businesses that are closely connected like the classic Disney businesses and then run the businesses together in a tightly integrated way. That can work. †¢ You can have a corporation with the broader scope of later Disney and run them in a loosely coupled way. That can work. †¢ But if you have a corporation with the broader scope of later Disney and run them like the classic Disney, with heavy-handed management from the top, searching for synergy that doesn’t really exist†¦then you get into trouble. – In 2005, ABC President Robert Iger replaces Eisner 10 The Walt Disney Company: Stock Price vs. S&P 500, 2005-2012 11 The Walt Disney Company: Take-aways Core lessons of corporate-level strategy †¢ Competition occurs at the level of the business unit †¢ Corporate strategy is a success or failure to the extent that it enhances business unit competitive advantage – Is the relative gap between WTP and cost larger than it would be otherwise? †¢ Two tests: – Better-off: Does the presence of the corporation in a given market improve the total competitive advantage of business units over and above what they could achieve on their own? (What’s the added value of the corporation? – Ownership: Does ownership of the business unit produce a greater competitive advantage than an alternative arrangement would produce? †¢ A corporation is more likely to pass the tests when it has some shared resource that (a) creates competitive advantage for the business units and (b) is difficult to trade efficiently via the market – E. g. , access to animated characters – Making business units â€Å"better off† sounds easy, but it typically requires sophisticated structures, systems, and processes, plus cultural supports 12 Corporate strategy entails trade-offs Either focus on†¦ or focus on†¦ Guidance on the Projects Overall Grading †¢ The project must cover all three components of the class – Human and Social Capital – Strategy – Multinational Management Components of Grade (NOT equally weighted) †¢ Use of frameworks (most important issue) †¢ Quality of research †¢ Innovativeness/Insight of analysis †¢ Integration of different components of class †¢ Quality of communication 14 †¢ ? of grade will be based on presentation; ? on final project write up †¢ We will also use a peer assessment to adjust the grade for effort put in by each team member

An Analysis Of Charlton Heston’s Essay Essay

The message of Charlton Heston’s speech is that there is a cultural war going on where the freedom to think and to express those thoughts in the way one believes to be right is being curtailed and that the audience, who are students of Harvard Law School who are perceived to be champions of free thought must live up to this expectation even to the point of employing the method of peaceful civil disobedience as was done by Martin Luther King. This is an appealing message to this specific audience because it played on the pride of the Harvard students of being â€Å"champions of free thought† and it serves to challenge them on living up to this expectation as stated earlier. Heston established his ethos by building on his various experiences in the movie industry, politics, civil activism and military through which he was able to establish his intelligence, character and goodwill. These are three traits which according to Aristotle builds up the credibility of a speaker (Griffin). First, he used his persona as a movie star where he related his triumph in portraying great men to his task at hand. To this effect he said, â€Å"If my Creator gave me the gift to connect with the hearts and minds of those great men, then I want to use the same gift now to re-connect with your own sense of liberty, your own freedom of thought, your own compass for what is right. † (1999) As part of the introductory paragraphs in the speech, this served to cement his credibility generally to speak not only of the subject but also on any topic for that matter. These words were uttered to achieve the effect of making his audience rise up to their supposed role as part of the prime law school in the land to be the first to lobby for the freedom of thought and expression even if it means walking the footsteps of civil disobedience like Martin Luther King. Despite the noble intentions of Heston, the students are not the appropriate target of these words. The proper audience for these would be their mentors or professors and the university’s leaders because whatever the latter’s values and principles will be cascaded to the students through the university’s curricula or teaching strategies, for example. He added significant details regarding his political and military career to deepen his credibility. He mentioned becoming president of the National Rifle Association, his association with Martin Luther King, his days in civil activism, his service during the World War II. What concretized his credibility was when he cited the event when he read to the stockholders of Time Warner and the press corps afterwards the lyrics of IceT’s song Cop Killer â€Å"celebrating the ambushing and murdering of police officers† (Heston, 1999). This led to the cancelling of IceT’s contract and the release of the album. Heston used the pathos â€Å"shame† countless times during the speech in order to challenge his audience not to tolerate their perceived social conformance. He insulted them several times to achieve this. For this he uttered the following: â€Å"Before you claim to be a champion of free thought, tell me: Why did political correctness originate of American campuses? And why do you continue to tolerate it? Why do you, who’re supposed to debate ideas, surrender to their suppression?; â€Å"You are the best and the brightest†¦. But I submit that you and your counterparts across the land are the most socially conformed and politically silenced generation†¦ And as long as you validate that and abide it, you are, by your grandfathers’ standards, cowards. † and; â€Å"Who will defend the core values of academia, if you, the supposed soldiers of free thought and expression lay down your arms and plead, â€Å"Don’t shoot me. †(1999) The examples posed in the speech are not consistent and fully effective. For instance, the case of Antioch College in Ohio where the courtship process must have the approval and knowledge of the college; in New Jersey where doctors who are infected with HIV are not required to discuss this with their patients; the segregation of black students at the University of Pennsylvania; and the controversial forced resignation of David Howard only because he said the word niggardly during a meeting; these are examples which are given to elaborate on the curtailing of the freedom on what to think, what to say and how to express these thoughts. These evidence the â€Å"cultural war† stated in the thesis statement meant to elaborate on the problem being tackled in the speech. These are also meant to cultivate indignation on the part of the audience. The rest of the examples are not consistent with this motive, however, since they exemplify for instance respect and protection of the rights of tranvestites and transsexuals and establishing connection with Hispanic roots which are irrelevant, if not contradictory to the thesis of the speech Heston also used enthymeme as an argument to support the statement by Martin Gross that, â€Å"blatantly irrational behavior is rapidly being established as the norm in almost every area of human endeavor†¦ Americans know something without a name is undermining the country, turning the mind mushy when it comes to separating the truth from falsehood and right from wrong†¦ † The enthymeme was when Heston posed the premise that he thinks that â€Å"hyphenated identities are awkward† specifically Native-American. After which he said he is a Native American and even a â€Å"blood-initiated brother of the Miniconjou Sioux†. It was at this juncture that he left the argument open for the audience to make their own conclusion. Charlton Heston has effectively established his ethos during the speech by banking on his relevant experiences. He also made very clear his intentions in delivering the speech. However, he did not present enough convincing logos in order to support his intentions and to move his audience to action. The appropriateness of some of his words can also be questioned. The organization of the speech can be considered exemplary in that first he used ethos to establish his credibility, then rightfully followed it with logos and then pathos in the end. Thus, over-all the speech was effective in that the speaker was able to establish his credibility well but partially ineffective because of the choice of logos and pathos.

Public Bank Group : strategy and analysis

Executive SummaryThe rubric of this assignment is Public Bank Group and it consists of a sum of three subdivisions in this assignment. The first subdivision explains about the scheme and mission statement that practiced by Public Bank, and the linkage between scheme and mission statement of Public Bank. The 2nd subdivision of the assignment explains about the organisation construction design of Public Bank and what is the importance and forte of the construction that applied by Public Bank. The last subdivision of the assignment contains of the competition arise between Public Bank, Maybank, and CIMB Bank. Besides that, I would take SWOT analysis to analyse the competition arise between its rivals in order to cognize whose is better. Assorted methods have been used to research for findings such as interview, e-brary, cyberspace, and books.Table of ContentssExecutive Summary Table of Contentss 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Mission Statement and Strategy of Public Bank 2.1 Mission of Public Bank Group 2.2 The linkage between Mission of and Strategy of the Public Bank Group 2.3 Drumhead 3.0 Organization Structure Design of the Public Bank Group 3.1 Interviewee Statement 3.2 Divisional Structure of Public Bank Jalan Yang Kalsom 3.3 Drumhead 4.0 Competition Arise between Public Bank, Maybank and CIMB Bank 4.1 Identify the Public Bank Group’s Rivals 4.2 SWOT Analysis 4.3 Drumhead 5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations 6.0 Mentions 7.0 Appendix1.0 IntroductionStrategic direction is a set of managerial determinations and actions that determine the long tally public presentation of a corporation as stated in Strategic direction and concern policy ( Wheelen and Hunger, 2012 ) . The assignment rubric is about Public Bank Group in Malaysia. Public Bank Group is the 3rd largest banking group in Malaysia by plus size with entire assets of RM305.73 billion as at the terminal of 2013, and is ranked 2nd among all the public listed companies on Bursa Malaysia Securities in footings of market capitalisation. There are entire of three subdivisions in the assignment. Section one will be covering the scheme and mission statement that practiced by Public Bank Group. Furthermore, subdivision two will be covering the organisation construction design that applied by Public Bank Group while subdivision three will be covering the competition arise between Public Bank Group and its rivals which is CIMB Bank and Maybank.2.0 Mission Statement and Strategy of Public BankBased on the Idaho National Laboratory ( Inlportal.inl.gov, 2014 ) , Mission Definition consists of those actions taken to specify the mission for a system and the environment that affects its executing. The mission statement must specify the bing status that justifies the plan or undertaking demand, the coveted terminal province or merchandise ( s ) , and the public presentation outlook.2.1 Mission of Public Bank GroupHarmonizing to the one-year study of Public Bank Group ( Public Bank Berhad, 2013 ) , the corporate mission of Public Bank Group is to prolong the place of being the most efficient, profitable and respected premier fiscal establishment in Malaysia. To accomplish the corporate mission, Public Bank Group will hold a corporate scheme that sets out what its long-run aims are in footings of what concern it plans to be involved and concern scheme that sets out how the organisation plans to win in a given concern country.2.2 The linkage between Mission of and Strategy of the Public Bank GroupAs we mentioned earlier, Public Bank Group adopts corporate scheme that focused on consistent growing scheme, which is to prosecute organic growing in the retail banking concern concentrating on the broad-based retail consumers and small-and moderate-sized endeavors ( â€Å" SMEs † ) , and strives to farther increase its leading in the retail banking market as stated in official web site of Public Bank Group ( Pbebank.com, n.d. ) . A recent article ( Nickols, 2011 ) , stated that a scheme or general program of action might be formulated for wide, long-run, corporate ends and aims, for more specific concern unit ends and aims, or for a functional unit, even one every bit little as a cost centre. There are different degrees of scheme within an organisation which is corporate scheme, concern scheme and functional scheme. Corporate scheme ( Yunizal Arief, 2014 ) , is a scheme of corporate that requires the company’s top directors and determination addressed to the satisfaction of the stakeholders of the company. The directors at the corporate degree by and large make up one's mind what sort of concern to be conducted to bring forth long-run net income maximization and better the company’s gross stockholders. Furthermore, corporate scheme can take for growing, stableness or reclamation. The Unlocking the concern environment ( Brinkman, 2010 ) , published that a growing scheme aims to increase the sum of concern undertaken by spread outing the scope of merchandises or services, and the markets it serves. As defined in Strategic direction ( Dess and Miller, 1993 ) , concern scheme is all about how houses compete, and in concern, competition is all about value: making it and capturing it. From the information above, we can reason that the schemes that practiced by Public Bank Group are able to accomplish their mission statement because the schemes and mission statement are interrelated. Therefore, to accomplish the place of being the most profitable, Public Bank Group adopts corporate scheme that focused on consistent growing scheme. Harmonizing to Ivey Business Journal ( Liabotis, 2007 ) , far excessively many companies fail to accomplish their growing marks in gross and profitableness. However, the chance of accomplishing profitable growing is heightened whenever an organisation has a clear growing scheme and strong executing substructure. One without the other impairs the chance of success. Furthermore, to prolong the place of being the most efficient, Public Bank Group adopts concern scheme that focused on the Group ‘s retail banking concern continues to aim retail consumer and commercial loans and funding, sedimentations and fee-based concerns. Besides that, to drive concern growing and increase its market portion in retail banking, the Public Bank Group leverages on its well-established client service substructure, procedures and patterns to present prompt and consistent service to run into the demands of its clients. As stated by The Boston Group ( Leichtfuss et al. , 2010 ) , Banks should take stairss to ingrain cost efficiency by industrialising procedures, set uping cardinal or regional processing centres, and developing IT and operations platforms. Therefore, all Bankss will be forced to better their procedure efficiency in the coming old ages, non merely to cut down costs but besides better client service.2.3 DrumheadBy analysing the Public Bank Groupâ₠¬â„¢s scheme through the one-year study 2013, we could reason that Public Bank Group able to accomplish the mission statement as mentioned above.3.0 Organization Structure Design of the Public Bank GroupBased on Unlocking the concern environment ( Brinkman, 2010 ) , the manner an organisation organizes itself in footings of who does desire, and who reports to whom, is fundamentally what organisational construction is concerned with. The construction of an organisation needs to guarantee that it is able to accomplish its mission and aims in an effectual and efficient mode. In other words, an organisation needs to be structured in an appropriate manner to acquire things done, while besides enabling a grade of flexibleness that will enable it to run into what can frequently be fast paced alterations in the external concern environment. Sometimes, direction may make up one's mind that the construction of an organisation needs to alter, and this is referred to as organisational design.3.1 Interviewee StatementName: Sarah Choong Suet Yee Position: Senior Financial ExecutiveWhat is the organisational construction of this subdivision?One subdivision directorOne Business Managers ( loan and mortgage )Assistant subdivision director ( operation )Departments:SOO- Senior Operation OfficerOO- Operation OfficerOIC- Officer in ChargeWhat are the classs of section in this subdivision?Investing – insurance & A ; unit trustCredit Card – recognition card & A ; safety boxCustomer Service – Customer service representatives ( CSR )Operationss ( Teller, under control of OO )3.2 Divisional Structure of Public Bank Jalan Yang KalsomAs stated by Strategic Management ( Miller and Dess, 1998 ) , a divisional or strategic concern unit ( SBU ) is a construction covers a set of comparatively independent entities governed by a cardinal disposal. Harmonizing to Miss Choong the Senior Financial Executive of Public Bank Group in Ipoh Jalan Yang Kalsom Branch, the organisation construction that applied by Public Bank is one subdivision director, one concern troughs ( loan and mortgage ) and adjunct subdivision director ( operation ) . Hence, I assumed that the organisation construction that applied by Public Bank Group is divisional construction. Figure 1: Organization construction of Public Bank Branch at Jalan Yang Kalsom ( Own Adaptation, 2014 ) As the figure above, subdivision director is ranked highest place in the Public Bank Branch Jalan Yang Kalsom. The subdivision director of Public Bank Jalan Yang Kalsom will make up one's mind the concluding determination of all the planning and waies. After that, the concern trough and the helper subdivision director will be in-charge on the loan and mortgage unit. Furthermore, the helper subdivision director will be in-charge on the client service unit, investing unit, operation unit and recognition card unit. For illustration, a client is confronting history jobs so the client will be served by the officer at client service unit. The divisional construction is of import to the Public Bank Group because it helps organisation to avoid many jobs typically found in organisations structured by map. Furthermore, directors can more dressed ore on their ain peculiar merchandise lines and markets, and they have entree to resources and staff functional specializers. Delegating determination devising to take down managerial degrees moves determinations closer to merchandises and markets, which facilitates faster determinations from those who are more specialised and knowing in the merchandise country. This allows a high grade of accent to be placed on merchandises and markets. Besides that, it besides improves a firm’s ability to accommodate during rapid environmental alteration.3.3 DrumheadIn short, the organisation construction design is really of import to all the organisations particularly Public Bank Group. The divisional construction helps Public Bank Group to avoid many jobs typically found in organisation structured by map.4.0 Competition Arise between Public Bank, Maybank and CIMB BankWhen there is competition arise between Public Bank, Maybank, and CIMB Bank, Public Bank needs to happen out about its rivals. The first measure is rival analysis which is the procedure of placing cardinal rivals ; measuring their aims, schemes, strengths, and failings. In this manner, the company would be able to happen countries of possible competitory advantages and disadvantages as stated in the Principles of Marketing ( Kotler and Armstrong, 1991 ) .4.2 SWOT AnalysisIn this subdivision, I will utilize SWOT analysis to analyse the competition arise between Public Bank, Maybank, and CIMB Bank. Based on The Principles of Marketing ( Kotler and Armstrong, 1991 ) , SWOT analysis is an overall rating of the company’s strengths, failings, chances, and menaces. Strengths include internal capablenesss, resources, and positive stuational factors that may assist the company to function its clients an d accomplish its aims. Failings include internal restrictions and negative stituational factors that may interfere with the company’s public presentation. Opportunities are favourable factors or tendencies in the external environment that the company may be able to work to its advantage. And menaces are unfavourable external factors or tendencies that may show challenges to public presentation.4.3 DrumheadAs the illustrated on Table 1, I’m assume that the scheme used by Public Bank is better than Maybank and CIMB Bank because Public Bank has the nucleus competences with the higher one-year returns increasing yearly and unbroken net income path record of their group. Harmonizing to the Pubic Bank Investor Presentation Citi ASEAN Investor Conference 2014 Singapore ( Public Bank Berhad, 2014 ) , Public Bank has 47 old ages of unbroken profitableness and healthy net income growing in the past 5 old ages.5.0 Conclusion and RecommendationsStrategic direction is a set of mana gerial determinations and actions that determine the long-term public presentation of a corporation as stated in Strategic direction and concern policy ( Wheelen and Hunger, 2012 ) . In subdivision 1, Public Bank Group has adopts the growing scheme and concern scheme in order to accomplish the corporate mission â€Å"To sustain the place of being the most efficient, profitable and respected premier fiscal establishment in Malaysia† . In subdivision 2, the divisional construction has brings a batch of benefit to all the organisation particularly Public Bank Group where it helps the organisation to avoid many jobs typically found in organisations structured by map. In subdivision 3, Public Bank is much better after compared with its rivals which is Maybank and CIMB Bank through the SWOT analysis. Last but non least, the recommendation for the Public Bank Group is to maintain set more attempts on their development in order to accomplish and prolong the place of being the most efficient, profitable and respected premier fiscal establishment in Malaysia.

Conflicts of Globalization and Restructuring of Education Essay

The September 11 terrorist attacks have generated a wealth of theoretical reflection as well as regressive political responses by the Bush administration and other governments (Kellner, 2003b). The 9/11 attacks and subsequent Bush administration military response have dramatized once again the centrality of globalization in contemporary experience and the need for adequate conceptualizations and responses to it for critical theory and pedagogy to maintain their relevance in the present age. In this article, I want to argue that critical educators need to comprehend the conflicts of globalization, terrorism, and the prospects and obstacles to democratization in order to develop pedagogies adequate to the challenges of the present age. Accordingly, I begin with some comments on how the September 11 terror attacks call attention to key aspects of globalization, and then provide a critical theory of globalization, after which I suggest some pedagogical initiatives to aid in the democratic reconstruction of education after 9/11.1 September 11 and Globalization The terrorist acts on the United States on September 11 and the subsequent Terror War throughout the world dramatically disclose the downside of globalization, and the ways that global flows of technology, goods, information, ideologies, and people can have destructive as well as productive effects.2 The disclosure of powerful anti-Western terrorist networks shows that globalization divides the world just as it unifies, that it produces enemies as it incorporates participants. The events reveal explosive contradictions and conflicts at the heart of globalization and that the technologies of information, communication, and transportation that facilitate globaliz ation can also be used to undermine and attack it, and generate instruments of destruction as well as production. The experience of September 11 points to the objective ambiguity of globalization, that positive and negative sides are interconnected, that the institutions of the open society unlock the possibilities of destruction and violence, as well as democracy, free trade, and cultural and social exchange. Once again, the interconnection and interdependency of the networked world was dramatically demonstrated as terrorists from the Middle East brought local grievances from their region to attack key symbols of US military power and the very infrastructure of Wall Street. Some see terrorism as an expression of â€Å"the dark side of globalization,† while I would conceive it as part of the objective ambiguity of globalization that simultaneously creates friends and enemies, wealth and poverty, and growing divisions between the â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have nots.† Yet, the downturn in the global economy, intensification of local and global political conflicts, repression of human rights and civil liberties, and general increase in fear and anxiety have certainly undermined the naà ¯ve optimism of globophiles who perceived globalization as a purely positive instrument of progress and well-being. The use of powerful technologies as weapons of destruction also discloses current asymmetries of power and emergent forms of terrorism and war, as the new millennium exploded into dangerous conflicts and military interventions. As technologies of mass destruction become more available and dispersed, perilous instabilities have emerged that have elicited policing measures to stem the flow of movements of people and goods across borders and internally. In particular, the U.S. â€Å"Patriot Act† has led to repressive measures that are replacing the spaces of the open and free information society with new forms of surveillance, policing, and restrictions of civil liberties, thus significantly undermining U.S. democracy (see Kellner, 2003b). Ultimately, however, the abhorrent terror acts by the bin Laden network and the violent military response by the Bush administration may be an anomalous paroxysm whereby a highly regressive premodern Islamic fundamentalism has clashed with an old-fashioned patriarchal and unilateralist Wild West militarism. It could be that such forms of terrorism, militarism, and state repression will be superseded by more rational forms of politics that globalize and criminalize terrorism, and that do not sacrifice the benefits of the open society and economy in the name of security. Yet the events of September 11 may open a new era of Terror War that will lead to the kind of apocalyptic futurist world depicted by cyberpunk fiction (see Kellner 2003b). In any case, the events of September 11 have promoted a fury of reflection, theoretical debates, and political conflicts and upheaval that put the complex dynamics of globalization at the center of contemporary theory and politics. To those skeptical of the centrality of globalization to contemporary experience, it is now clear that we are living in a global world that is highly interconnected and vulnerable to passions and crises that can cross borders and can affect anyone or any region at any time. The events of September 11 and their aftermath also provide a test case to evaluate various theories of globalization in the contemporary era. In addition, they highlight some of the contradictions of globalization and the need to develop a highly complex and dialectical model to capture its conflicts, ambiguities, and contradictory effects. Consequently, I argue that in order to properly theorize globalization one needs to conceptualize several sets of contradictions generated by globalization’s combination of technological revolution and restructuring of capital, which, in turn, generate tensions between capitalism and democracy, and â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have nots.† Within the world economy, globalization involves the proliferation of the logic of capital, but also the spread of democracy in information, finance, investing, and the diffusion of technology (see Friedman, 1999 and Hardt and Negri, 2000). Globalization is thus a contradictory amalgam of capital ism and democracy, in which the logic of capital and the market system enter ever more arenas of global life, even as democracy spreads and more political regions and spaces of everyday life are being contested by democratic demands and forces. But the overall process is contradictory. Sometimes globalizing forces promote democracy and sometimes inhibit it, thus either equating capitalism and democracy, or simply opposing them, are problematical. The processes of globalization are highly turbulent and have generated intense conflicts throughout the world. Benjamin Barber (1996) describes the strife between McWorld and Jihad, contrasting the homogenizing, commercialized, Americanized tendencies of the global economy and culture with anti-modernizing Jihadist movements that affirm traditional cultures and are resistant to aspects of neoliberal globalization. Thomas Friedman (1999) makes a more benign distinction between what he calls the â€Å"Lexus† and the â€Å"Olive Tree.† The former is a symbol of modernization, of affluence and luxury, and of Westernized consumption, contrasted with the Olive Tree that is a symbol of roots, tradition, place, and stable community. Barber (1996), however, is too negative toward McWorld and Jihad, failing to adequately describe the democratic and progressive forces within both. Although Barber recognizes a dialectic of McWorld and Jihad, he opposes both to democracy, failing to perceive how they generate their own democratic forces and tendencies, as well as opposing and undermining democratization. Within Western democracies, for instance, there is not just top-down homogenization and corporate domination, but also globalization-from-below and oppositional social movements that desire alternatives to capitalist globalization. Thus, it is not only traditionalist, non-Western forces of Jihad that oppose McWorld. Likewise, Jihad has its democratizing forces as well as the reactionary Islamic fundamentalists who are now the most demonized elements of the contemporary era, as I discuss below. Jihad, like McWorld, has its contradictions and its potential for democratization, as well as elements of domination and destruction.3 Friedman, by contrast, is too uncritical of globalization, caught up in his own Lexus highconsumption life-style, failing to perceive the depth of the oppressive features of globalization and breadth and extent of resistance and opposition to it. In particular, he fails to articulate the contradictions between capitalism and democracy, and the ways that globalization and its economic logic undermine democracy as well as encouraging it. Likewise, he does not grasp the virulence of the premodern and Jihadist tendencies that he blithely identifies with the Olive tree, and the reasons why globalization and the West are so strongly resisted in many parts of the world. Hence, it is important to present globalization as a strange amalgam of both homogenizing forces of sameness and uniformity, and heterogeneity, difference, and hybridity, as well as a contradictory mixture of democratizing and anti-democratizing tendencies. On one hand, globalization unfolds a process of standardization in which a globalized mass culture circulates the globe creating sameness and homogeneity everywhere. But globalized culture makes possible unique appropriations and developments all over the world, thus proliferating hybrids, difference, and heterogeneity.4 Every local context involves its own appropriation and reworking of global products and signifiers, thus proliferating difference, otherness, diversity, and variety (Luke and Luke, 2000 ). Grasping that globalization embodies these contradictory tendencies at once, that it can be both a force of homogenization and heterogeneity, is crucial to articulating the contradictions of globalization and avoiding one-sided and reductive conceptions. My intention is to present globalization as conflictual, contradictory and open to resistance and democratic intervention and transformation and not just as a monolithic juggernaut of progress or domination as in many other discourses. This goal is advanced by distinguishing between â€Å"globalization from below† and â€Å"globalization from above† of corporate capitalism and the capitalist state, a distinction that should help us to get a better sense of how globalization does or does not promote democratization. â€Å"Globalization from below† refers to the ways in which marginalized individuals and social movements and critical pedagogues resist globalization and/or use its institutions and instruments to further democratization and social justice. Yet, one needs to avoid binary normative articulations, since globalization from below can have highly conservative and destructive effects, as well as positive ones, while globalization from above can help produce global solutions to problems like terrorism or the environment. Moreover, on one hand, as Michael Peters argues (forthcoming), globalization itself is a kind of war and much militarism has been expansive and globalizing in many historical situations. On the other hand, antiwar and peace movements are also increasingly global, hence globalization itself is marked by tensions and contradictions. Thus, while on one level, globalization significantly increases the supremacy of big corporations and big government, it can also give power to groups and individuals that were previously left out of the democratic dialogue and terrain of political struggle. Such potentially positive effects of globalization include increased access to education for individuals excluded from sharing culture and knowledge and the possibility of oppositional individuals and groups to participate in global culture and politics through gaining access to global communication and media networks and to circulate local struggles and oppositional ideas through these media. The role of information technologies in social movements, political struggle, and everyday life forces social movements and critical theorists to reconsider their political strategies and goals and democratic theory to appraise how new technologies do and do not promote democratization (Kellner, 1995b, 1997 and 1999b; Best and Kellner 2001; Kahn and Kellner 2003). In their book Empire, Hardt and Negri (2000) present contradictions within globalization in terms of an imperializing logic of â€Å"Empire† and an assortment of struggles by the multitude, creating a contradictory and tension-full situation. As in my conception, Hardt and Negri present globalization as a complex process that involves a multidimensional mixture of expansions of the global economy and capitalist market system, information technologies and media, expanded judicial and legal modes of governance, and emergent modes of power, sovereignty, and resistance.5 Combining poststructuralism with â€Å"autonomous Marxism,† Hardt and Negri stress political openings and possibilities of struggle within Empire in an optimistic and buoyant text that envisages progressive democratization and self-valorization in the turbulent process of the restructuring of capital. Many theorists, by contrast, have argued that one of the trends of globalization is depoliticization of publics, the decline of the nation-state, and the end of traditional politics (Boggs, 2000). While I would agree that globalization is promoted by extremely powerful economic forces and that it often undermines democratic movements and decision-making, one should also note that there are openings and possibilities for a globalization from below that inflects globalization for positive and progressive ends, and that globalization can thus help promote as well as destabilize democracy.6 Globalization involves both a disorganization and reorganization of capitalism, a turbulent restructuring process, which creates openings for progressive social change and intervention as well as highly destructive transformative effects. On the positive ledger, in a more fluid and open economic and political system, oppositional forces can gain concessions, win victories, and effect progressive changes. During the 1970s, new social movements, new nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and new forms of struggle and solidarity emerged that have been expanding to the present day (Hardt and Negri, 2000; Burbach, 2001; Best and Kellner, 2001; and Foran, 2003). The anti-corporate globalization of the 1990s emerged as a form of globalization from below, but so too did Al Qaeda and various global terror networks, which intensified their attacks and helped generate an era of Terror War. This made it difficult simply to affirm globalization from below while denigrating globalization from above, as clearly terrorism was an emergent and dangerous form of globalization from below that was a threat to peace, security, and democracy. Moreover, in the face of Bush administration unilateralism and militarism, multilateral approaches to the problems of terrorism called for global responses and alliances to a wide range of global problems (see Kellner 2003b and Barber 2003), thus demanding a progressive and cosmopolitan globalization to deal with contemporary challenges. Moreover, the present conjuncture is marked by a conflict between growing centralization and organization of power and wealth in the hands of the few contrasted with opposing processes exhibiting a fragmentation of power that is more plural, multiple, and open to contestation. As the following analysis will suggest, both tendencies are observable and it is up to individuals and groups to find openings for progressive political intervention, social transformation, and the democratization of education that pursue positive values such as democracy, human rights, literacy, equality, ecological preservation and restoration, and social justice, while figh ting poverty, ignorance, terror, and injustice. Thus, rather than just denouncing globalization, or engaging in celebration and legitimation, a critical theory of globalization reproaches those aspects that are oppressive, while seizing upon opportunities to fight domination and exploitation and to promote democratization, justice, and a forward looking reconstruction of the polity, society, and culture. Against capitalist globalization from above, there has been a significant eruption of forces and subcultures of resistance that have attempted to preserve specific forms of culture and society against globalization and homogenization, and to create alternative forces of society and culture, thus exhibiting resistance and globalization from below. Most dramatically, peasant and guerrilla movements in Latin America, labor unions, students, and environmentalists throughout the world, and a variety of other groups and movements have resisted capitalist globalization and attacks on previous rights and benefits. 7 Several dozen people’s organizations from around the world have protested World Trade Organization (WTO) policies and a backlash against globalization is visible everywhere. Politicians who once championed trade agreements like GATT and NAFTA are now often quiet about these arrangements or example, at the 1996 annual Davos World Economic Forum its founder and managing director published a warning entitled: â€Å"Start Taking the Backlash Against Globalization Seriously.† Reports surfaced that major representatives of the capitalist system expressed fear that capitalism was getting too mean and predatory, that it needs a kinder and gentler state to ensure order and harmony, and that the welfare state may make a come-back (see the article in New York Times, February 7, 1996: A15).8 One should take such reports with the proverbial grain of salt, but they express fissures and openings in the system for critical discourse and intervention. Indeed, by 1999, the theme of the annual Davos conference was making globalization work for poor countries and minimizing the differences between the â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have nots.† The growing divisions between rich and poor were worrying some globalizers, as were the wave of crises in Asian, Latin American, and other â€Å"developing countries†. In James Flanigan’s report in the Los Angeles Times (Febr. 19, 1999), the â€Å"main theme† is to â€Å"spread the wealth. In a world frightened by glaring imbalances and the weakness of economies from Indonesia to Russia, the talk is no longer of a new world economy getting stronger but of ways to ‘keep the engine going.'† In particular, the globalizers were attempting to keep economies growing in the more developed countries and capital flowing to developing nations. U.S. Vice-President Al Gore called on all countries to spur economic growth, and he proposed a new U.S.-led initiative to eliminate the debt burdens of developing countries. South African President Nelson Mandela asked: â€Å"Is globalization only for the powerful? Does it offer nothing to the men, women and children who are ravaged by the violence of poverty?† As the new millennium opened, there was no clear answer to Mandela’s question. In the 2000s, there have been ritual proclamations of the need to make globalization work for the developing nations at all major meetings of global institutions like the WTO or G-8 convenings. For instance, at the September 2003 WTO meeting at Cancun, organizers claimed that its goal was to fashion a new trade agreement that would reduce poverty and boost development in poorer nations. But critics pointed out that in the past years the richer nations of the U.S., Japan, and Europe continued to enforce trade tariffs and provide subsidies for national producers of goods such as agriculture, while forcing poorer nations to open their markets to â€Å"free trade,† thus bankrupting agricultural sectors in these countries that could not compete. Significantly, the September 2003 WTO trade talks in Cancun collapsed as leaders of the developing world concurred with protestors and blocked expansion of a â€Å"free trade zone† that would mainly benefit the US and overdeveloped countries. Likewise, in Miami in November 2003 the â€Å"Free-Trade Summit† collapsed without an agreement as the police violently suppressed protestors.9 Moreover, major economists like Joseph Stiglitz (2002), as well as anti-corporate globalization protestors and critics, argued that the developing countries were not adequately benefiting under current corporate globalization policies and that divisions between the rich and poor nations were growing. Under these conditions, critics of globalization were calling for radically new policies that would help the developing countries, regulate the rich and overdeveloped countries, and provide more power to working people and local groups. The Global Movement Against Capitalist Globalization With the global economic recession and the Terror War erupting in 2001, the situation of many developing countries has worsened. As part of the backlash against globalization in recent years, a wide range of theorists have argued that the proliferation of difference and the shift to more local discourses and practices best define the contemporary scene. In this view, theory and politics should shift from the level of globalization (and its accompanying often totalizing and macro dimensions) in order to focus on the local, the specific, the particular, the heterogeneous, and the micro level of everyday experience. An array of theories associated with poststructuralism, postmodernism, feminism, and multiculturalism focus on difference, otherness, marginality, the personal, the particular, and the concrete in contrast to more general theory and politics that aim at more global or universal conditions. 10 Likewise, a broad spectrum of subcultures of resistance have focused their attention on the local level, organizing struggles around identity issues such as gender, race, sexual preference, or youth subculture (see Kahn and Kellner, 2003). It can be argued that such dichotomies as those between the global and the local express contradictions and tensions between crucial constitutive forces on the present scene. It may be a mistake to focus on one side of the global/local polarity in favor of exclusive concern with the other side (Cvetkovitch and Kellner, 1997). Hence, an important challenge for a critical theory of globalization is to think through the relationships between the global and the local by observing how global forces influence and even structure an increasing number of local situations.