Internet uses in University courses Essay

The research by Wang (2007) discusses the issue of internet use specifically by lecturers in a university setting. The researchers examined three research questions in their study. The first was to determine whether or not professors in universities were effectively utilizing the internet as an instructional aid. The second was to assess the extent to which the internet is being used in such settings and the last was to analyze how students perceive the use of internet in the classroom by lecturers. The study involved a total of 624 students registered in the three major colleges of a single university in the Pacific Rim of the U. S. This was at a public university and the respondents were from both sexes, 62% of whom were females. These students also represented a cross-section of areas of study in education, business and the arts and sciences. The instrument used to collect data was a questionnaire designed by the researchers. For each item on the questionnaire the respondents were required to produce their response based on a 1-5 Likert scale. The statistical package SPSS Â ® was used as the data analysis tool. The researchers obtained descriptive statistics of the data using primarily the means. Based on the means produced from the students’ responses the researchers determine that the internet is not being effectively used by lecturers in university classrooms and that where such use existed it was not wide-spread. Additionally the researchers add that lecturers were far more comfortable to allow students to utilize this resource independently and made little attempt to facilitate students’ usage of the internet or incorporate such into the classroom. The implications of this finding are that university lecturers will need to get training in the different tools that the internet has to offer so that they can more effectively incorporate them into their classroom. In addition there is the suggestion that students are more capable than professors in manipulating these tools and thus lecturers need to update themselves. One strength of the study is that it involved the views of students from a cross-section of majors so that it gave a more rounded view of internet use across the university and was not limited to certain areas of study. However there is need to have a more broad-based analysis of the internet usage situation across multiple universities in different regions of the U. S. so as to determine if geographical or other factors are a hindrance to usage. Furthermore the survey depended solely on the views of students and did not take into consideration what the lecturers themselves felt. It would be useful to get their views to see if what the students report conforms to that of the lecturers. References Wang, Y. (2007, April). Internet uses in University courses. International Journal of E-Learning, 6(2), 279-292.

Sen No Rikyu Sen

Sen No Rikyu The most influential Japanese tea master in Japan’s history is considered to be Sen No Rikyu. He made the tea ceremony Chanoyu (Way of tea) into an art form. Sen no Rikyu was born in 1522 to the name of Yoshiro in the merchant city of Sakai. Rikyu was born to a prominent family, his father, Yohei, was a city council member (The Japanese Way, 1998) as well as an accomplished merchant. (Above) Sen No Rikyu Developing of Wabi-Cha Wabi-Cha is a Japanese discipline of drinking tea. As stated in the article â€Å"Two for Tea†: The â€Å"Wabi† refers to the beauty that is found in simple things and Cha means tea. Japan Journal) At a young age Sen No Rikyu began to study tea ceremony under Kitamuki Dochi. During his time with kitamuki Dochi, he studied the elegant tea traditions of Higashiyama, which resembles that of a traditional Chinese tea ceremony and is best suited for a shoin room. (Fujimori, 2007) See link for a brief description of a Shoin Room: htt p://www. metmuseum. org/toah/works-of-art/shoin_room At the age of 19 Sen No Rikyu began to study under Takeno Jo-o, where he learned the contemporary style of tea ceremony.This type of tea ceremony was best suited for a smaller room, known as thatched tea house. In the Daitoku-ji temple, located northwest of Kyoto, Rikyu underwent Zen training as a Zen-Buddhist. After his training he changed his name to Sen Soueki (Japanese). By combining these two different methods of tea ceremonies, he was able to create a new foundation for tea ceremonies as declared in the article â€Å"Rikyu and the Fruition of the way of tea†: As this indicates, Rikyu first studied with Kitamuki Dochin, who practiced the Higashiyama style of tea that had come down from Noami.Thereafter, he studied with Joo in the Juko tradition, and by conjoining these two strands, he was able to construct a new basis for the success of Chanoyu. (The Japanese Way, 1998) (Above) Daitoku-Ji temple Daitoku-ji temple Video : http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=XlurloSuiC0 Sen no Rikyu continue to perfect his tea ceremonial style of Wabi and by 1580 he had fashioned what we know today as Wabi-Cha. As acknowledged in â€Å"Three Chanoyou and Momoyama: Conflict and transformation in Rikyu art†: A number of tea gatherings were recorded which suggest further development of his inclination toward Wabi sensitivities.In the summer of 1577 he held a gathering to open his tea room, probably in Sakai, and invited Matsue Ryusen, Tennojiya Doshitsu, and Tsuda Sogyu; apart from the Koshima bowl, all his tea articles were common and plain, and the meal (kaiseki) was quite simple. The next year he again held a simple gathering in his small room (kozashiki). He continued also to host tea gatherings at which he used the daisu stand, but by 1580 it is clear that he had developed a strong Wabi style. (Tea in Japan, 1998) Thatched tea house Entrance of a Thatched tea houseTea ceremony For a full description a of That ched tea house build by Sen no Rikyu see the first three minutes of this YouTube video: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=WboHExBcKSg Success as tea master From a young age Sen No Rikyu was a talented tea ceremony host, this is known through the evidence of people writing about his tea ceremonial talent. As stated in the article: â€Å"Tea and council: The political role of Sen Rikyu†: A rich Nara merchant recorded in his diary that he had attended a tea ceremony hosted by the fifteen-year-old Rikyu.This shows that the boy must have been sufficiently accomplished to serve tea to such an important man and that already at this age he had successfully entered the exclusive circle of the powerful commercial elite. (Bordat, 1977) There isn’t a great deal of information about Rikyu middle years. What it’s know is that he continue to developed his tea ceremony methods and became popular among other tea masters of Sakai.As stated in the article â€Å"Three Chanoyu and Momoyama: Conflict and Transformation in Rikyu’s Art†: When Rikyu invited his teacher Joo to a gathering in 1544, just seven months before Joo's death, he used a Korean tea bowl, a kettle with a pattern of clouds and dragons, a Hotei incense container, a Kinrinji tea caddy, and a water jug of Shigaraki earthenware, and displayed a painting by Mu Ch'i with his own inscription in the alcove. These were all suitably valuable articles to show that Rikyu was in the first rank of Sakai tea men.A decade later Rikyu hosted a gathering with Imai Sokyu as the only guest, and Sokyu's account shows that Rikyu continued to collect and use famous and valuable articles; he placed a Semehimo kettle in the hearth, narcissus flowers in the highly-prized Tsuru no Hitokoe flower vase, and used a Shigaraki water jug, a Korean tea bowl, and the celebrated Narashiba Katatsuki tea caddy which had been beloved by Torii Insetsu and was afterward passed to Shimai Soshitsu of Hakata and, finally, to Hideyoshi (I should discuss about him later on).The available records thus make clear that Rikyu from an early age shared with the other Sakai tea men a liking for the collection and display of valuable articles, and he developed his aesthetic sense in accordance with his training in the Higashiyama tradition. (Ludwig, 1989) Below are two of Sen No Rikyu best saying: Though many people drink tea, if you do not know the Way of Tea, tea will drink you up. and The Way of Tea is naught but this: first you boil water, then you make the tea and drink it. Sen No Rikyu and his political rise.Even though Sen No Rikyu was a well known tea master, he never serve tea to the most powerful Daimyo of the region Oda Nobunaga, as stated in the article â€Å"Three Chanyu and Momoyama: Conflict and Transformation Rikyu’s Art†: Rikyu never attained such importance with Nobunaga, perhaps because his merchant family was not as powerful in Sakai. Approximately in 1570 Sen no Rikyu was int roduced to Oda Nobunaga, during this period Nobunaga was attempting the unification of Japan. Nobunaga who popularized Sen no Rikyu tea ceremony used it originally as a way to talk politics and business. Oda Nobunaga Biography) Rikyu along with Imai Sokyu, and Tsuda Sogyu, were placed in charge of tea ceremonies for Nobunaga. By 1575 Rikyu was acting tea master for Nobunaga as stated in the article â€Å"Three Chanoyou and Momoyama: Conflict and transformation in Rikyu art†: At a victory celebration after in 1575, Nobunaga turned to chanoyu and hosted a deluxe gathering at Myokoji Temple, inviting seventeen tea men from Kyoto and Sakai to display and use his many treasured tea articles.Rikyu's role in this sumptuous ceremony is indicated in Shincho Koki by the phrase â€Å"sado wa Soeki,† showing that Rikyu acted as tea master for Nobunaga. (Ludwig, 1989). (Above) Oda Nobunaga Rikyu continue to gain prestige above the other two tea master, mostly due to Nobunagaâ€℠¢s preference for Rikyu as he had become his secretary and highly trusted middleman. (Bodart, 1977) During this same period Rikyu was an established merchant that supported Nobunaga’s campaign as stated in the essay â€Å"Tea in Japan†: In a letter from Nobunaga address to Rikyu there is this note of thanks for a thousand musket balls.As Nobunaga continue to gain land he wanted to transform Chanoyu into his own possession (Kamakura, 1989), causing it to become a national practice, as it was way of showing Nobunaga’s supremacy. In 1582 Oda Nobunaga was assassinated, after a power struggle Toyotomi Hideyoshi claim most of Nobunaga’s clan and land. During this period Rikyu ingenuity ascended to new heights as well as his political power.In 1585 for the first time tea was formally presented to the Emperor, Emperor Ogimachi, at the Imperial Palace. As Rikyu didn’t posses rank or status he could not attend the ceremony, this issue was solve and is best d escribe in the essay â€Å"Sen No Rikyu: Inquiries into his life†: In order to be admitted into the palace either to have such as high rank and office, or alternatively, to assume the status of a priest who transcendent lay distinctions.Thus Rikyu took the priestly designation of Koji (Buddhist Layman) It is also believe that at this time Rikyu rose from one of many tea master to become Tenka Gosado â€Å"the tea master of Japan. (Bodart, 1977) (Above) Toyotomi Hideyoshi During Hideyoshi reign Rikyu political power increase so much so that he played a central role as stated in the article â€Å"Three Chanyu and Momoyama: Conflict and Transformation Rikyu’s Art†:With Hideyoshi in control, the political use of the leading tea masters continued, and Rikyu played a central role.This can be seen from his letters of 1584 and 1585, which show he was well informed of Hideyoshi's plans in the campaign against Oda Nobukatsu's and Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces and the Etchu ca mpaign against the Sassa, took a deep interest in these military affairs, and was even given responsibility in the custody of Osaka. (Ludwig, 1989) (Above) Osaka Castle Sen No Rikyu Death Rikyu became more than a tea master to Hideyoshi, he was often an advisor on other matters. Hideytoshi allow Rikyu to maintain his independence, but disagreements cause their relationship to fail.It is believe that when Rykyu refused Hideyoshi’s request to take Rikyu’s daughter as a concubine, the relationship broke and never recovered. (Zen)In 1591 Hideyoshi eventually order Rikyu to commit Seppuku (Ritual suicide) the true reasons are not know but according to the Article â€Å"Zen stories of Samurai†: Tradition holds that Hideyoshi was infuriated when he entered the gate of Daitoku-ji temple (whose construction he had funded) and saw that he was walking under a statue of Rikyu   Just before his death, Rikyu called together his family and disciples.He then composed his deat h poem. I raise the sword. This sword of mine; Long in my possession. The time is come at last. Skyward I throw it up! Sen No Rikyu Legacy Sen No Rikyu legacy can still be seen today in Japanese tea ceremonies. As he perfected the â€Å"Way of Tea† this cause all of the earlier styles of tea ceremonies to vanished with Rikyu death. Today all modern styles of tea ceremonies can be traced directly or indirectly to Rikyu. After his death Rikyu family scattered and when into hiding as stated in the article â€Å"A rief History of Chanoyu†: Though the family had been scattered and were in hiding in the residences of various generals , his son Shoan and grandson Sotan, succeeded in reestablishing the family name and reassembling their possessions. They began their task by rebuilding the Zangetsutei and Fushinan tea houses at Ogawa Teranouchi in Kyoto. Today three Sen families exists, this families continue the tradition of holding a memorial service every month at the mutual family temple. (A Brief) (Above) Sen No Rikyu Grave A timeline of the Chonoyu can be view at this link: ttp://www. tea-passage. com/timeline. html Reference A Brief history of chanoyu. (n. d. ). Retrieved from  http://cla. calpoly. edu/~bmori/syll/Hum310japan/Tea%20History. html Bodart, B. M. (1977). Tea and counsel. the political role of sen rikyu. Monumenta Nipponica,  32(1), FUJIMORI, T. (2007, August). Two for tea. Retrieved from http://www. japanjournal. jp/tjje/show_art. php? INDyear=07;INDmon=08;artid=f163e1f847cf981422ef0f1ccc Kumakura, Isao. (1989). Sen no rikyu: inquiries into his life and tea. Tea in Japan: Essays on the History of Chanoyu, 33.Ludwig, T. M. (1989). Tea in japan: essays on the history of chanoyu.. Honolulu HI: University of Hawaii Press. Oda nobunaga biography. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. biographybase. com/biography/Oda_Nobunaga. html The Japanese way of tea: from its origins in china to sen rikyu. (1998). Honolulu HI: University of Hawaii P ress. Tea in Japan: essays on the history of chanoyu. (1998). Honolulu HI: University of Hawaii Press. Zen stories of the samurai  . (n. d. ). Retrieved from  http://www. zenstoriesofthesamurai. com/Characters/Sen%20no%20Rikyu. htm

Roles and Responsibilities of a tutor

This assignment discusses the functions and duties of a coach in the womb-to-tomb acquisition sector. It highlights the chief standards required to be a good coach within the instruction environment and the restrictions for this function. The assignment will give clear positions on the classs and criterions in which coachs have to show abilities these include: Knowledge and understanding Planning, learning and category direction Monitoring and appraisal Record maintainingKnowledge and apprehension:Coachs must be confident in the topic cognition they are traveling to learn. This has to be the specialized topic you are qualified in.Planning, learning and category direction:Planing and planing of a lesson is a important and the? learning rhythm construct demand to be followed. These are: the purposes & A ; principle, program lesson & A ; expected result, bringing of lesson, assess larning against results, feedback & A ; rating. Zaf – you must be careful with how you express your ideas. Besides – although you have now mentioned the Aims and Rationale – it is still non truly clear why these are so of import in relation to each scholar group. The aims of the lesson and its result must be visualised before the topic is taught, and it must be appropriate for the group. Learner ‘s demands are non to be ignored, and a Tutor must concentrate on the issues of equality and diverseness in the schoolroom, and every kid affairs ( ECM ) . i In the delivering of the lesson, a coach needs to take into history the different backgrounds, larning demands, and disablements of the scholars, extra stuff should be made available to all persons when required.i The presentation and executing of the lesson plays a cardinal function in scholar ‘s acquisition, as each person have different ways of larning. iThe resources used in the lesson, for illustration, PowerPoint, Flip Chart, and Wipe Board should be to the full utilized. Visual, auditory and practical acquisition manners guarantee the scholar to hold equal chances in larning. Tutorials and quizzes get the pupil interested and their attending? in the lesson therefore should be portion of the lessons. Changing types of lesson programs can bring forth involvement for the scholars ; and make an chance to measure the scholars apprehension of the topic. Contemplations of the lesson during the undermentioned hebdomad will enable the coach to acquire a sense of what pupils have learned and if methods are effectual. iMonitoring and AppraisalThe initial interview and appraisal is the start of Learner / coach relationship. The Tutor will get down to larn what motivates the scholars to be a portion of this specific class. i The class and degree demands to be matched with the pupils ‘ abilities and the pervious accomplishment and cognition of the topic. The scholar ‘s ability should be assessed, in literacy, linguistic communication and numeracy accomplishments that may be applicable. This will assist place the strengths and failing of the scholar. i The Initial appraisal is besides used to inform the development of larning programs. iThe feedback from the assignments will besides assist measure the success of the lessons. It is really of import to do certain that the scholars inscribing for classs to the full understand what is required from them. iIt is a two manner system where the coach understands the scholar, and the scholar understands whether the class they are shiping on is the right 1 for them. ii Measuring the pupils larning against results, feedback and rating of the lesson is of import ; a coach could orient their following bringing in line with the feedback received from the pupils. iLessons including practical activities, tutorials, and quizzes are good manner to supervise scholar ‘s advancement throughout the class. i Coachs are committed to raise the criterion of scholars to accomplish better consequences. Assessment is the manner to guarantee the scholar ‘s advancement is on path, aid should be provided every bit shortly as the coach realises the scholar is holding troubles. i Marking is one signifier of supervising an appraisal, the twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours monitoring allows a coach to recognize when the pupils are holding troubles with the constructs a coach can so turn to these troubles. iThe appraisals of scholars must be continually monitored to analyze the advancement they are doing, and maintain the scholars informed, the feedback should be provided. iRecord Keeping:The administrative duties of the coach is to maintain a registry for of the pupil ‘s attending ; records of accomplishment and profiles. These are the chief grounds for maintaining records: To supervise and be after in front ; ( session program ) i To inform internal and external examining organic structures ; i To show that the processs are being decently followed ; i To look into the attending of the pupils ; ( legal demand ) i To track pupil ‘s advancement and demands for excess support, this is to supply grounds for funding organic structures. i In the position of, ( Gravells & A ; Simpson, pg.21. 2010 ) â€Å" All relevant information should be documented in the signifier of a program, normally called an person acquisition program ( ILP ) , this is besides known as action program † . i They note that the followers are good pattern when finishing an ILP. Involve your scholars, promote them to discourse their acquisition and support demands. Refer to the consequences of initial and diagnostic appraisals, and larning manners trials. Make sure they are single to each scholar ; there is no 1 size fits all. Express and communicate acquisition marks both verbally and in composing. iiRestrictions:There are restrictions to what a coach can make ; coachs should non supply reding or fiscal advice, for illustrations, lodging benefits, income support etc. They should mention scholars to an appropriate administration who deals with this sort of issues. i The limited clip and resources available to tutor hold to be considered. The cost of purchasing extra stuff makes it harder to assist the pupils in farther support in the lessons. As a coach, there are professional restrictions in topographic point such as non to supplying your phone figure ; the intent of these is to protect coachs from inappropriate contact. iDecision:It is clear that coachs have tonss of other duties other than merely fixing and learning. iTutors need to do certain every scholar demands are catered for, when planning, fixing and presenting the lesson. i All the records are on a regular basis checked, kept to day of the month, and are available to for analyzing and funding organic structures. Resources needed for the lesson are available to enable pupils to take part. i In the position of ( Tummons, 2007 pg.17 ) , â€Å" Much of the work done by the coach has to make with acquisition and instruction: preparing larning resource ; interceding with external testers ; taging assignment and entering the consequences. Then there are many things that do non truly look to be related to larning and learning at all, such as taking portion in selling and promotion activities, which besides come as portion of the coach ‘s function, as it is really important to procure enlisting for the undermentioned twelvemonth † . i Roles and Responsibilities of a Tutor The roles, responsibilities and boundaries of a tutor within the FE/adult education sector are ever progressing qualities which are reflected upon using the teaching cycle. This cycle can be used by both tutor and learner as discussed in ‘Prepare to teach in the lifelong learning sector' – Ann Gravells 3rd Edition. Roles 1. 0 The role of a tutor is to create a safe and healthy learning environment, where learners are able to work at their individual level. This is backed up by the use of initial assessment upon induction to the course. This will allow the tutor to pinpoint who may eed additional support through one to one support and extra tutorials. I, as the tutor will be teaching the subject effectively following the scheme of work, ensuring the aims and objectives are met. Continual assessment throughout the course will aid learner progression and also allow learners to re-evaluate their own development. Also by using learning style questionnaires like ‘Fleming 1987' the tutor is able to teach using various learning styles such as, visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. This allows inclusive teaching and will develop learners and cover all of their specific needs. The utor is able to adapt the lesson plan to incorporate all students giving them a chance to become involved. Planning and preparation are key issues ‘By Failing To Prepare, You Are Preparing To Fail' as quoted by Benjamin Franklin. You must decide what you want to achieve, plan and deliver you lesson accordingly. Targets need to be set, SMART targets should be used specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time related. These targets will enhance learning and can be used by both learner and tutor. At the end of the session it is vital to evaluate the lesson with the learners, by re-capping the aims to see if they were fully chieved. Once this has been carried out it may mean a change to the following weeks session. My role is also an assessor, so I need to prepare learners for practical assessments and give thorough guidance on the set criteria. Learners are encouraged to self assess giving them the opportunity to evaluate their own progression. Feedback is given on a one to one, the learner is given praise regardless whether the result is a pass or fail. This is to ensure learners are encouraged and never feel downhearted, this in turn will boost moral and motivate the learners to succeed further. Responsibilities 2. My responsibilities are very important, I have a duty of care to provide a safe environment and conduct risk assessments on learners and follow them up with an action plan. During practical session enforcing the correct use of personal protective equipment. I must ensure I keep an up to date register every session, this is essential to check learner attendance, achievement and also monitor progression. The awarding and funding bodies also need a record for their own evidence. Safeguarding learners, we carry out reviews every ten weeks and this involves covering Every Child Matters. Encouraging the learners to say how they stay safe, healthy and how they enjoy and achieve. The safeguarding policy we have in place not only covers our learners but also covers tutors. Teaching all learners with equal respect regardless of their sex, race, religion or ability and promote equality and diversity to all learners within their lessons. This also allows the tutor to incorporate differentiation within the session. Planning, ensuring that I am following the scheme of work and the course content is clear but also meets the needs of the individual learner. This also means turning up efore the learners do and making sure all resources are prepared and you have taken into account any materials being used are suitable for all learning styles. Data protection is an essential part of my responsibility as learners upon induction give information about themselves and this is to remain confidential at all times. Information about other staff members must not be passed on to learners as part of the data protection act. Standardising practise with other colleagues through attending standardisation meetings are vital to ensure practises are met and that all work is being marked to the correct standard. Homework handed in, is marked and returned within a reasonable time and any feedback and praise is constructive. Above all self control is extremely important, be prepared for confrontation and negativity but to answer or handle the issues calmly. Acting, dressing and speaking in an appropriate manner at all times as learners look to you as a role model to follow. Boundaries 3. 0 As tutors,we have professional boundaries which we must work within and it is very important not to over step those boundaries. You must be able to identify where the role of a tutor stops and remain there. As a tutor I must keep to standards and work within egulations set by the awarding body. Contact with learners should be kept to a professional level at all times, this means when contacting learners for assessments or to provide information to them it should be done using company mobiles or emails. Safeguarding yourself while using social networking sites having no learners on your profile, this protects both you as a tutor and the learner. Confidentiality of learners should be treated with respect, but the learner needs to be informed that although they have told you this information, you may have to refer it to a professional. Conclusion 4. 0  This is a brief description of my roles, responsibilities and boundaries as a tutor within the FE/adult education sector. These are the most important issues to be able to carry out the role successfully and help learners progress. By using a skills audit for my own work I am able to identify that I can demonstrate my skills effectively and should use the audit to reflect, although I know personally that within the areas of numeracy and literacy skills my weakest skill is numeracy. I have been using BBC Skills Wise website to help me develop my skills and give me the confidence to guide learners through their own issues with numeracy.

Critical Assessments of Two Archaeology Articles Essay

Critical Assessments of Two Archaeology Articles - Essay Example The study that Churchill makes on the adaptive possibilities is intended to narrow the many theories that exist on discovering why there is an equafinality of agents that might be given value for the production of adapted traits within Neanderthals. The argument within the paper contends that without discovering ways in which to evaluate the various hypotheses there is nothing preventing the equal consideration of those hypotheses that are ‘untenable’. In other words, some hypotheses are so ridiculous that there must be a way to dispute them, but without a methodology for verifying hypotheses that have some validity, there is no recourse to dispute any hypothesis. Therefore, it appears that the main focus of the paper is to find a way to evaluate hypotheses on agents of traits through exploration of one specific trait. Churchill (2008) suggests that â€Å"The study of the flow of energy through the Neanderthal’s world holds the promise of a solution to some of th e conundrums that exist in functional morphology or adaptive studies of these archaic humans† (p. 115). ... However, through further exploration, the idea was refuted, thus providing for an assessment that suggested that perhaps Neanderthals had less of a capacity to tolerate cold temperatures than did humans. In addition, the nature of the energy required to heat the bodies that they had developed was such that the high levels of calories were needed to make it function properly and that during the time of year when food was most difficult to obtain, higher levels of calories would be needed in order to supported additional efficiency in maintaining body temperature. The primary purpose of the paper was to find and use methods of research that could verify suppositions about the adaptive agents that provided for the development of traits in Neanderthals. In working with multiple levels of biologically sound and rational discovery, Churchill manages to make a reasonable discussion about the topic, even if a firm conclusion was not possible. The problem that exists within this concept is th at another researcher may find ways in which to manipulate data to support his or her hypothesis while ignoring the variations that would refute it. The purpose of the paper brings to light the problem without genuinely discovering a responsive solution. Works Cited Churchill, S. E. Bioenergetic Perspectives on Neanderthal Thermoregulatory and Activity Budget: A Review. pp. 113–134. Found in K. Harvati and T. Harrison (eds.), Neanderthals Revisited: New Approaches and Perspectives. New York: Springer, 2008. Print. Clients Name Name of Professor Name of Class Date Skin Deep: A Critical Assessment Nina G. Jablonski and George Chaplin discuss the development

A Strategic Choice of Market Segmentation in the Medical Aesthetic Dissertation

A Strategic Choice of Market Segmentation in the Medical Aesthetic Devices industry - Dissertation Example Fashion specialists indicate that fashionable trends start in big cities as centers of invention. However, developed societies like America have shown a big trend in the way the market has responded to the changes in the customer tastes, preferences and need for new devices in the industry (Mei~data, 2012). To this cause, medicine field had evolved from the aspect of just treating diseases to more sophisticated operations like changing the actual form of the human body. Specifically, the medical field has moved to the aesthetic level of changing the physical appearance, whole or in part of the concerned person (Moretti, 2009). With the current generation endeared towards fashion and beauty, the medical aesthetic devices industry has become very interesting although it is still very young, having started just close to 35 years ago. By 2012, the annual industry growth had grown to an all-time high of 11.9%. The devices used earlier on were based on medical use in which case high risk d evices such as lasers were used. However, the needed changes raised the need to have better devices leading to introduction of other devices such as IPL, Electroporation and RF devices. Much safer devices have since been introduced into the market. Beauty salons, Spas and aestheticians then decided on the need to have these devices for their customers. They created a very important market segment (GBI, 2012). Over the years, the complexity of the industry has seen simpler operations carried out at homes and non-specialized places (Jesitus, 2008). This was a market niche that had developed leading to a more rampant consideration as another segment in the industry. These home-based aesthetic medical services became a center of consideration since there had to be pricing, assurance of efficiency of these products, product regulation and marketing (Frentzen, 2013). A strategic direction has to be therefore identified in the market that would effectively and efficiently not only be profi table to the companies in the industry but also serve the market well. Three niche markets are identified therefore for service by this industry; the medical field, home use and the beauty section. Companies have come up and focused in the market through different strategies that have allowed them to venture into different markets as stated by the niches above (Jassal, 2013). There are companies that have concentrated on any of the three choices the companies have come up with aspects of production aiming at devices that; hair removal, acne treatment, skin rejuvenation and many other aesthetic services (Kuechel, 2004). Research Aim Taking a reference at the research question, we get the idea that companies require a strategic choice for their medical aesthetic devices in the three identified market niches. The aim will therefore direct the companies on whether there is need to make changes to their current marketing strategy, expand them or invent new ones. This will also lead to th e invention of the need to either segregate the market or come up with a clearer way of operating. Research Question and Objectives From the hypothetical statement indicated in the proposal, the research questions look to determine whether there is a need for a strategic change for market segmentation for a medically focused aesthetic company considering that there are recent changes and

The Need for Bachelor Prepared Nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Need for Bachelor Prepared Nurses - Essay Example Evidently, there are a number of benefits of preparing nurses in this way and therefore society definitely has a need for bachelor prepared nurses. The first important argument for having bachelor prepared nurses is that they may be more capable in dealing with certain patients. This means that people in hospital are less likely to die from preventable causes in the hands of bachelor prepared nurses. Aiken, Clarke, Cheung, Sloane & Silber (2003) found that, in a study of hospitals in Philadeliphia, nurses with a bachelor degree had 5% less patient deaths and failure to rescue incidents than non-bachelor prepared equivalents. This was found even after adjusting for the different illnesses that the nurses were dealing with. Sasichay-Akkadechanunt, Scalzi, & Jawad (2003) found in their large study of nurses in Thailand that in-hospital deaths were reduced when patients were treated by bachelor prepared nurses. Bachelor prepared nurses may also be more qualified in basic scientific knowl edge that can be useful in their career. Thornton (1997) found that nurses who had biological and psychological knowledge from their bachelor degree were more capable and more understanding (as evaluated by co-workers, patients and the nurses themselves). These nurses were also more qualified in dealing with a wide-range of situations. This may be because nurses who had only received minimal training and had more vocational-style education may have had their experience in one or two hospital areas, and therefore were not familiar with a number of the cases in areas where they did not have training. Bachelor preparation covers a lot of ground. Manias & Bullock (2002) found that bachelor prepared nurses also had a superior knowledge of pharmacology, which is inevitably helpful when dealing with patients who need medication. Another benefit to having bachelor prepared nurses is that they can often have a better patient manner and be qualified in a number of different areas, not just be cause of their increased scientific knowledge. White, Coyne & Patel (2001) asked members of the Oncology Nursing Society to specify whether they thought that bachelor prepared nurses were adequate for end-of-life care. Not only did the nurses in the society feel that they had gained enough from their degree that they could apply in this situation, but the general feeling was that patients responded better to these nurses because bachelor preparation includes modules about talking to patients and communication. Patients often prefer and feel safer with nurses with a good bedside manner, and so this is a huge advantage to have in a nurse. There are suggestions that nurses do not need to study in formal education because their career is so practical and essay writing and research are not often used in the profession (Gurney, Mueller & Price, 1997). Although this claim may have some truth to it, in that it recognizes the nature of the profession, there are suggestions that these researc h skills can actually be useful to a nurse. Carroll et al (1997) found that nurses did use research techniques and many used them to find out more about conditions as well as take part in scholarly nursing research. If nurses were only prepared on a vocational basis, they may not have the research skills that a bachelor’

War And Civilization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

War And Civilization - Assignment Example Wars have been the violent catalyst for changes throughout history. Wars are, however, part of the agencies that help bring changes and progress in human life and the world. It might sound absurd, but wars are part of the human life activities. Wars simulate national growth, advancement in information technology, medical research, and solve some of the most complex political differences. They evoke bravery and heroism among communities and nations. In medical and health care systems, war has been the subject of appreciation as it has promoted human civilization. It is indeed a catalyst that has brought advances in medical science. Most of the chemical medicines and surgical techniques used in clinics and hospitals were not discovered when people were at peace in their homes. They were discovered and advanced when the need arose particularly when casualties of wars were in dire need of medication. Diseases such as Pestilent that evolved out of the war needed the rapid response with th e appropriate medical treatment (Smith, 2006). There are indeed several contributions of war to human civilization. The US, for example, had economic gains for its people from both World War I and II. If one looks the wars as agents of world peace, they did succeed in promoting peace and keeping the world safe. World War II eliminated Hitler who was a threat to the peace and unity of many people. In the 1973 war, Israel won a battle that enabled it to expand boundaries and acquire land that was previously a forbidden territory.

Axial Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Axial Age - Essay Example This crucial period in history gave rise to the philosophies of Siddhartha Gautama ‘The Buddha’, Greek philosophers such as Solon and Thucydides, and the Hebrew prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah (Plott, 32). One of the key transformations that occurred during the axial age is that people became conscious of their nature, existence, and limitations. Societies whose lives had previously been extensively dictated by religious extremism and disorder, transformed into cultured and civilized settlements governed by rules and regulations that imposed limits on human behaviors and actions. As these societies became more orderly, people for the first time had the opportunity to observe, analyze, and understand many of the natural and human phenomena around them. This enabled them to understand the reason for the occurrence of many of the events around them and how to bring them under their control. Many scholars and philosophers have opposed the propositions and ideas exp ressed by the proponents of the Axial Age, especially German philosopher Karl Jaspers, who was the first person to identify the period as key to human reconnaissance for meaning, and coined the phrase ‘Axial Age’. ... inking, and the parallels that scholars and philosophers such as Karl Jaspers have identified between different civilizations are mostly coincidental (Plott, 39). The Axial Age in India: Buddhism However, the arguments of opposers of the importance of the Axial Age lack justification because analysis of the various ideas and teachings of key philosophers and religious leaders who spearheaded the paradigm shift of the period bear remarkable similarities suggesting parallels in their way of thinking. The teachings of Siddhartha Gautama ‘The Buddha’ set the foundation for the birth of Buddhism. Siddhartha was born to a king, and wealth and splendor characterized his early life. His father shielded him from experiencing and acquiring knowledge of the harsh life that the common man lived. Thus, suffering and poverty were altogether foreign to him. However, when he became a young man and was about to inherit his father’s throne, he became exposed to his subjects and for the first time, got the opportunity to interact with the poor, the sick, and the elderly. He observed widespread suffering that depressed him and pushed him to begin questioning the meaning of life. He then made the decision to leave the palace and the royalty and lead the life of an ascetic. He began to meditate on the meaning of life which eventually led him to what Buddhists refer to as ‘the awakening’ (The Human Journey, humanjourney.us/Buddhism). His conceived ideas and belief were completely different from the extreme asceticism of the time, which he believed did not work. His ideologies began to move away from the extreme self-mortification and self-indulgence of the time. Siddhartha’s intensive meditation on the cause of suffering enabled him to become ‘enlightened’ and gain insight

Social environmental accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social environmental accounting - Essay Example The company has employed various internal management accounting systems and techniques in relation to the social and environmental issues facing it (Marinova, Annandale, & Phillimore 2010). One of such system includes acting responsibly. This involves Aviva insurance using scientific research on the social and environmental impacts responsibly and engaging in good governance and management of the organization (Dalal-Clayton & Sadler 2014). It is important for organizations to balance possible environmental, social and economic impacts, risks and opportunities across the economic, social and economic spheres. This is a highly complex task to Aviva, its managers and the society at large. The complexity that is brought about by this is made more difficult through the requirement to identify the significance of various types and even time horizons of the outcomes. There may be instances where there is a positive overall societal, environmental and economic outcome while other activities leads to a positive outcome on one side and negative outcome on the other. Organizations, therefore, face difficulties in coming up with strategy and actions to balance the environmental, s ocial and also their economic sustainability. Managers in Aviva recognize this and ensure that it is highly incorporated in the decision-making processed  making it to be within the organizations acceptable  behavior and impacts of a society (Burritt 2011). The second internal management accounting system is saving for various environmental projects. The organization through its management overseas the Aviva community funds to sustain the economic, societal and environmental aspects of the society (Docherty, Kira, & Shani 2008). The organization is also involved in the management of its environmental costs. The organization is increasingly becoming aware of their environmental sustainability responsibility in the society. This is considering that

An analyzed look into current botnet controls Thesis Proposal

An analyzed look into current botnet controls - Thesis Proposal Example Practically speaking one botnet could be made up of ten thousand machines.It is quite difficult to identify since they are vigorous in nature. This is in order to escape the security measures put in place. This is done through the download ofsoftware called a â€Å"bot† for example AgoBot. The download comes along with afixed payload incurred by an un-suspecting user. This download is executed through the clicking of email attachments that have been infected ordownloading infected files from malicious websites. The bot software can also be transmitted as freeway in peer to peer networks. After the installation of the bot with the fixed payload in the computer, the machine makes contact with a public server set up by the botmaster. This server is the control panel that is used to give commands to the botnet. A popular procedure involves using public (IRC) Internet Relay Chat servers. The control panels are frequently changed to avoid being detected. They are managed by machines and proxies that are not owned by the botmaster. The botmaster uses the control panel to send new exploit-code to the bots or to modify the bot-code so as to avoid detection through signature methods. This code is also used to insert new commands and attack victims (Patrick Lee, 2009). The botmaster’s main objective is to enlist new nodes into the botnet. A node is any computer that is connected to the internet hence making it a target for attack. Each node is commanded to search for other potential hosts. This pattern follows for every other machine that is recruited into the botnet. Therefore the machines that were in the botnet before and the new continuously carry out the search. Within a few hours, a botnet can become very large with a composition of millions of PCs on different network throughout the world. Given the large number of zombies distributed

Ethics and Compliance Paper Essay Example for Free

Ethics and Compliance Paper Essay The companys project-oriented approach improved teamwork and leveled the playing field; team culture and corporate culture have been promoted; an innovative spirit has been instilled; and international integration has been improved. In terms of the market results, Lenovos adaptation of project management has improved the ompanys core competitiveness with improved delivery and customer satisfaction. In turn, distinctive performance was delivered: In 2006, the company had a market share of seven percent in the global PC market, led only by Dell and HP. Its total turnover was USD 14. 6 billion, a rise of 10 percent over the previous year. Ethics and Compliance Paper BY bc64762 Walmart is one of many companies who report its filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The purpose for writing about Walmarts Ethics and Compliance paper is to inform the reader about Walmarts important compliance processes. SEC filings, analysis of financial statements, requirement for certification and legal proceedings will be explained throughout further reading. Procedures for Ethical Behavior Walmart has an official statement of ethics which is meant to be applied to not only the associates and directors employed by the organization but also third parties. These third parties include suppliers, consultants, public relations firms, contractors and all other third party companies who conduct business with Walmart in any fashion. Due to the fact that Walmart does conduct business in several countries the tatement of ethics may be modified to coincide with the laws and customs of each country. To conform to the statement of ethics written out by Walmart, associates expect to follow the laws written by their city, state, and country at all times. These employees are also responsible for not only reading the Guiding Principles but also understanding and using those principles every-day. Employees do not expect to memorize these policies; however they are expected to learn those that apply directly to their Jobs. If an employee has a question or concern they should not be afraid to sk help from a manager or report any inappropriate conduct. If there was anything to happen and an investigation would take place with Walmart employees, the employees are expected to cooperate with and ensure the investigation remain private and come up front with any news that any employees may have. Along with these requirements of employees, Walmart has additional responsibilities for managers to ensure the ethical behavior is conducted. If an ethical issue is brought to a managers attention, it is their Job to report this to the Global Ethics Office at the Walmart Corporation. Managers are also expected to meet with their employees as a group to review the Guiding principles and answer any questions that may arise. Managers encourage always putting ethics first in the event that an ethical issue is in conflict of business objectives. It is the managers duty to lead by example, and ensure that Just because one ethical mistake is made that this does not continue within their department. Open communication between managers and employees is a must and no issue should ever be put aside regardless of the magnitude. Along with these responsibilities and requirements, discipline is handed own for those in violation. Actions are taken up to and including termination for violation of the organizations ethics policy. SEC Compliance Processes The most important process that Walmart uses to comply with SEC is to make SEC filings in accordance to the law. A sample of these filings can be examined at: http:// finance. yahoo. com/q/sec? s=WMT. This page gives a list of 8K and IOQ filings made by Walmart with SEC. Also of utmost importance, the finance department at Walmart prepares the financial information and statements required by the SEC like the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statements. The company is then financial statements, more disclosures, controls and procedures and other information as required under part B. It is also necessary to provide Other Information relating to the company. The most important process of compliance that appears in the report is the signature certifying that the report is in compliance with Section 13(a) or 1 5(d) of the SEC Act of 1934. The act of signing makes the President and Chief Executive Officer responsible for the information contained in the reports. The requirement for certification makes it important for the CEO and the CFO to nsure that the information contained in the report is correct. Other organization processes are somewhat mechanical. For instance, the legal proceedings, including those against the company need to be listed. The legal department will provide a comprehensive list of the legal proceedings. Three officers, the President and the CEO, the Executive Vice-President and CFO as well as the Senior Vice Preside nt law suits filed against Walmart and the disclosures in the court contains information about the internal proceedings of Walmart. The following web sites offer one the opportunity to examine Walmarts compliance with SEC requirements: http:// walmartstores. com/lnvestors/SECFilings. aspx or http://www. wakeupwalmart. com/ press/article. tml? article=784. Apart from this, the SEC is responsible for the enforcement of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Investment Company Act of 1940, Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and the Securities Act of 1933. In consideration of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, the CPA auditor of Walmart is required to comment on the internal control of the company. The auditor of Walmart, Ernst ; Young carries out the requisite examination of the internal control at Walmart and makes comments about the internal control at Walmart. Walmarts Financial Performance over the Last Two Years Financial ratios are used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a company. The current ratio, debt ratio, return on equity ratio, and days receivable ratio will be used to identify Wal-Marts financial health. The ratios used will be for 2008 and 2009 to obtain a brief look at the companys financial health. The first ratio is the current ratio. The current ratio tests for a companys liquidity (Keown, Martin, Petty, ; Scott, Jr. , 2005). The simplest and most basic test for a companys relative liquidity is the current test, which divides the companys current assets by its current liabilities. In 2008, Walmarts current assets were $48,020 million and the current liabilities were $58,478 million for a ratio of 0. 8. In 2009, Walmarts current assets were $48,949 million and current liabilities were $55,390 million for a ratio of 0. 9. The ratios indicate that the Walmarts financial health was slightly better in 2009 than it was in 2008. Because a companys assets may be financed by debt or equity it is important to consider a companys debt ratio. The debt ratio shows relatively how well a company manages its assets or rather how much of its assets are in the form of debt (Keown,

Puerto Rico Essay Example for Free

Puerto Rico Essay The most magnificent place I’ve ever been is Puerto Rico. With its breath taking landscapes and the calm serenity of the ocean; Puerto Rico is one of the most relaxing and gorgeous places I’ve ever been. The mixes of several different Latin styles play a huge role in not only the music and dancing of Puerto Rico but, also the style of the wardrobe. The best part of Puerto Rico though is the amazing experience and adventures I’ve been on. Puerto Rico has some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen. In San Juan P.  R, there are many under water caves. The cave are hidden by the green plants and leaves that stretch from the grown to the top of mountains and, surrounded in brown and green furry moss. The fresh water sparkles in the spots of light from the top of the cave. The water gives the clearest reflection like a mirror. When you look above all you can see are scattered rays of light and snake like veins hung like icicles along the cave roof. There are an array of fresh water fish that dance along the bottom of the river. The caves are almost as beautiful as the beaches in Isabella P. R. The only thing you can hear along the beach is the sound of the waves crashing toward the shore. The waves merge to the shore line as the ocean water flows back and forth, rocking along the shore. The water fades from a clear blue to a heart of the ocean sapphire blue. Billions upon billions of black and brown grains and minerals are spread throughout the beach. The view is something you have to see to believe. The sounds of bongos and brass instruments echo throughout the night. Puerto Ricos unique mix of Caribbean and south American sound turn into Puerto Rico Own music and dance called salsa. The sound hits the heart of people everywhere with its smooth jazzy sound and its upbeat dance. Salsa dancers and there partners dance the night away in the streets of Puerto Rico. The women dress in stunning traditional dresses. Wearing all white floor length dresses with hand sewn beats across the bodice and, hand sewn designs along the train of the dress. There hair is neatly tucked into a ballet bun with a red rose on the side. The men are dressed in all black. As they begin to dance throughout the Streets they bow to there partners with grace and elegance. There feet move at 1,000 steps a minute as there face remains the same. You can see the pure passion and enjoyment in there faces as they glide down the streets never looking down once. They are as graceful as gazelles but as energetic as a child. Never breaking a sweat they dance until the sun comes up. The only thing thats better than the gorgeous scenery and the amazing and unique sound of Puerto Rico is the exciting activities. In Puerto Rico Ive went deep sea diving, para sailing, and hiking. When I went deep sea diving all I saw was clear blue water and gorgeous yellow and blue striped fish. There was sponge like coral. The sea went on for miles but looked like it was only a few feet deep. Para sailing was both frightening and exciting. I felt like a bird flying through the sky. The wind flew through my face as my feet glided across the water making huge ripples in the water. Hiking and sight seeing was the most fun of all. Hiking in the forest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico was an amazing experience. The forrest was covered in green leaves reaching the sky, there were stunning white and red flowers. There was no cell phone service and all I heard in the forrest was the sound of coquis singing at night. Puerto Rico is the most magnificent place Ive ever been. The caves and beaches created a calm place to gather your thoughts and be close to nature. The music and dancing were an amazing way to view the culture of Puerto Rico and the activities are as exciting as can be.

Effect Of Plagiarism In University

Effect Of Plagiarism In University Plagiarism is to use someone elses words or idea without acknowledging the source. With the development of globalization process, more and more students choose to study aboard. Different education background precipitate plagiarism becoming more serious. Since the diploma from international university has become more valued by most people, resulting in a large number of people to study abroad is not in order to acquire knowledge, but in exchange for a diploma. This lead to a lot of students who are at the low foundation choose to study abroad, but limited academic competence and can not be independently completed the task of assignment, then they would use plagiarism complete it. According to that plagiarism is becoming more common in university. Another reason of plagiarism is that some students lack of understanding on foreign universities plagiarism discipline, therefore during the process of finishing the assignment the mistake may be happened. In short, plagiarism is a very serious issue in the academic writing. To avoid plagiarism, students must complete understand what the plagiarism is, and the cause of plagiarism. Only understanding the cause and effect could prevent it. There are many reasons for the cause of plagiarism. Moreover it has several negative effects on students and education system. Causes Do not understand plagiarism First of all, sometimes students do not realize that they are plagiarizing, because sometimes the inaccurate language can be regard as plagiarism. There is one way to avoid plagiarism is using the quotation marks around the copy words, and also need to add the authors name and publish year. But improper quote is a kind of plagiarism. When a direct quote is used, the quotation mark must be put in. If not, even if the reference is provided. This situation could cause the writer be accused of trying claim another persons work as his own (http://library.leeds.ac.uk/tutorials/plagiarism/). Even the quote is completely correct; overuse of direct quotations can lead a poor mark on the assignment. So its not a good choice to use too many quotations. That is why students need to use paraphrase and summary in academic writing task. An unfortunate thing is for the international students, especially the students from the non-English speaking countries. English as their second language they can not use it as well as their first language, so paraphrase and summary may make trouble in their writing. Students may use some sources full of complex sentence structure. To paraphrase those sentences is hard to organize words as well as the original one. That may make some students thinking their own work cannot compare and they may choose to copy the original source or just change some words of them, but use its primordial structure. (Kuhn 1957) To avoid plagiarism when paraphrasing, not only should the original words be changed, but also the sentence structure of the newly paraphrased text must be different from that of the original ( Roig, 2001) . According to that, students do not really understand it maybe plagiarizing. Inaccurate referencing In addition, inaccurate referencing could also cause the plagiarism. It includes five forms. (http://www.uea.ac.uk/plagiarism/understanding_plagiarism). Firstly reference must be clear to readers exactly which parts of essay draw on which scholars work. Simply including a bibliography at the end of assignment does not help the reader to distinguish which is own work and which is drawn from other scholars. Secondly using misleading reference is not allowed. Students can not forge references or include ones that they have not read. When students do not read the original but find it quoted in others article, it must indicate both the original text and the one they found. If only the original was acknowledged which is falsification. Third one, the ideas, theories, findings, etc of others are failed to attribute. Even there is no exact words quoted, it is still another scholars work that need to be acknowledged with a reference. Fourth one, the images, diagrams, tables etc should be also referenced in the same way as words. Even if the information in the presentation has been reworked, it also should be acknowledged where the data come from. The last but not least, on occasion students use some source without reference because they think it is a common knowledge, but sometimes the assuming is incorrect and it must actually be ascribed a certain individual or individuals. All in all, incomplete or inaccurate references can lead to plagiarism. Students need to check all references thoroughly when proofreading to ensure that no errors have been made. All references should be complete so that they can be traced by the reader. ( http://www.uea.ac.uk/plagiarism/plagiarism_forms5) Pressure According to famous research (Patrick G 1998), pressure is the strongest factor lead to possibility of plagiarism or cheating. The main kinds of pressure are grade pressure, time pressure, and task pressure. These three kinds of pressure are not isolated, for example, in many conditions without some time restraint the likeliness of feeling task pressure was reduced. (1) Grade pressure means academic pressures to a certain extent. When the students study in a university, they will face this pressure. Getting a degree is not a simple thing. To finish the assignment is quite a hard work and sometimes may get a low mark or even worse after a long period effort, after that student perhaps feels awful. Moreover going to study with an awful feeling can not achieve a satisfactory result. Then students will find themselves in the cycle. (https://www.york.ac.uk/students/support/health/problems/academic-pressures/) When students in this situation probably choose plagiarize to get a better mark to avoid it. (2) Time pressure -Students are often juggling conflicting constraints on the time they allocate to study due to working part-time or an active sporting or social life. Spending a significant amount of time undertaking paid employment whilst studying at university can present challenging situations which are likely to cause students to resort to plagiarism. Although there is no causal link between plagiarism and students being employed, evidence has found that students face increasing pressure to work whilst studying full time, putting them at risk of academic dishonesty or intentional omission of references as they make choices between allocating time between study and work.(Powell. L 2012) Time pressure maybe a excuse for students but it does exist. (3) Task pressure Task pressure relates to the number and types of assignments a student is struggling to complete during a given time period.(Patrick G 1998) Sometimes students will be given many assignments by different tutors but need to finish them in a short time. There is one more pressure need to be statement. The whole education system pressure The number of undergraduate and graduate students has been growing in almost every country around the world and those who enter the system stay for a longer time. (Just consider how much time it takes to get a Ph.D.) The personal investment is greater, as is the competition. In addition, there are more countries trying to move into the big leagues of academia, which adds even more pressure to the whole system.(Ivan Pacheco 2011). This pressure provokes the plagiarism in the academic field. more:http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/the_world_view/is_academic_corruption_on_the_rise#ixzz24z8KBAk9 Negative attitude Final cause is the negative attitude. Personal attitudes determine success or failure. The students with negative attitude could effect their academic motivation. If the academic motivation went to the negative part, students will lose their learning interests. When students lose it they will cost more time on enjoying college life, such as go parties or anticipate other activities, and when they pick up books they would feel sleepy. It is necessary to consider how these students can pass the exam? The majority of students may choose cheating in the exam or even pay someone to write the essay or just copy and paste others work then add a reference list at the end. Besides the student, even the professors are drawn into cheating issues. A professor at Columbia Universitys Teachers College who was propelled into the national spotlight when a noose was found on her office door last fall has been found to have plagiarized the work of a former colleague and two former students, the college has announced. (KAREN W. ARENSON and ELISSA GOOTMAN 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/education/21prof.html?_r=1adxnnl=1pagewanted=alladxnnlx=1346065286-naQLgtFv9vk7661DOblX1Q). Academic research is tough and endless. If the professors feel too eager to succeed or finish the tasks given by university, they may choose a closer way to succeed by plagiarism. To sum up above mentioned, plagiarism include two main types, Unintentional plagiarism and intentional plagiarism. Plagiarism is not allowed whatever the reason is. Effects Respect The first effect of plagiarism is this behavior is disrespectful to the original author. It is so rude to use anothers idea without referencing. Taking the exact words of another person without attribution is just like stealing a car from another person (Janice Moulton and George Robinson, Smith College, 2002). Michelle Langley (2010) claims that A student who has copied the work of another person is not showing respect for his own creative and intellectual potential. It also shows that he does not care about maintaining personal integrity. (http://www.ehow.com/facts_5472037_effect-plagiarism-students.html#ixzz24md4DHE4) Worsen academic environment Plagiarism tarnished the academic purity. When many students cheating in university, the whole learning environment will be affected then make the situation worse. When one student pass the assignment through plagiarism successful, and people around him know this news, they may try it. Then more and more students will find it is easy to finish assignment by plagiarism. That will make the number of people who plagiarism rise continue. That is minority students plagiarize cause plagiarism rife. It is certainly effect the whole academic environment in the university. Even in the famous university Oxford can not avoid it Plagiarism could threaten the value of a degree from Oxford University as students increasingly copy large slabs of work from the internet and submit it as their own, the university has warned.(Alexandra Smith 2006 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2006/mar/15/highereducation.news) That is plagiarism produce plagiarism. Academic corruption The third effect is plagiarism make academic corruption on the rise. (Ivan Pacheco 2011) Plagiarism is one main part of academic corruption. (Michael Agelasto, 2004). According to that, when plagiarism is becoming more serious , it will be accompanied by the academic corruption. The fact is that the number of students in the UK who plagiarized is rising. (BBC news) That leads to academic corruption become more serious. For example, China now is experiencing the most serious academic corruption in recent years. In Chinese university, students finish the course work in the selected course by copy and paste from internet will not receive a punishment. And if one student finishes his/her assignment, the others will copy his/her work. Also it will be not a big deal in Chinese university. Those things make situation worse. Punishment Students will receive a stiff penalty when they were caught in plagiarism. In educational institutions, particularly universities and colleges, treat plagiarism as a serious problem of academic purity. They admonish their students of serious results for plagiarizing the assignment of others. Maybe different colleges and universities have different discipline on plagiarism. There are four common penalty always be used by Our Lady of the Lake College. (1)Lowering a students grade on the assignment (2)Giving the student a failing grade on the assignment (3)Lowering the students overall course grade (4)Giving the student a failing grade in the course (http://www.ololcollege.edu/archive_material/plagiarism_project/Penalties_Plagiarism1.html) Loss of Degree or Job University students who were accused plagiarism College students who commit plagiarism face the loss of their degrees upon discovery of the offense. College faculty members who plagiarize the work of other scholars face serious consequences as well. Professors who commit plagiarism may lose tenure and face even if being the loss of their jobs and damaging reputations. An academic found guilty of plagiarism faces the permanent loss of her credibility as a scholar. Plagiarism also may damage the reputation of schools as places of learning and intellectual inquiry. Damaged Relationships Plagiarism poisons the relationship between students and teachers by undermining the mutual trust that is an important element of the learning process. Widespread incidents of plagiarism, such as students taking work from the Internet and presenting it as their own, force teachers to act as police investigators, constantly searching for wrongdoing. All students become suspect in such an environment, and learning becomes impossible. Suspicion and mistrust replace intellectual curiosity and trust. Plagiarism also damages relationships between students who plagiarize and those who earn their grades honestly. Lack of Critical Thinking When students or instructors present others work as their own, they fail to develop and use critical thinking skills, which are necessary for learning and success in life. Financial Aid Continued receipt of federal financial aid is based upon a certain percentage of successfully completed course work. Students who receive Fs or who are suspended for entire semesters will likely be affected in financial aid eligibility. Private scholarship eligibility could also be affected. Reputation Schools maintain student records, and instructors share information informally. Students who are caught plagiarizing may develop reputations as cheaters. Teachers will likely scrutinize students with reputations more carefully than other students. All in all, effects of plagiarism can conclude into two main parts. Effects on education and students. Conclusion

Orson Welles The Magnificent Ambersons Essay examples -- Movies Films

â€Å"The biggest mistake we have made is to consider that films are primarily a form of entertainment. The film is the greatest medium since the invention of movable type for exchanging ideas and information, and it is no more at its best in light entertainment than literature is at its best in the light novel.† - Orson Welles Orson Welles was passionate about film. By the young age of 25, he had directed, produced, and starred in what is today considered by most to be the greatest movie ever made, Citizen Kane. About a year later, Welles began work on his next film project, The Magnificent Ambersons. Based on the novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons tells the story of a falling aristocratic family in a small midwestern town during the late 19h century. It depicts the sad, rapid industrial growth of the Midwest. Welles, who grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin and later in Illinois, understood what life was like in this part of the country and the novel allowed him to delve into his roots and examine his personal past. Surviving many risks and crises, this film is still revered today, almost 60 years later, as yet another great work of art by Orson Welles. After finishing up Citizen Kane, Welles’ search for a second film to fulfill his contract with the Hollywood studio RKO radio pictures was a hard one. He first wanted to make The Pickwick Papers with W.C. Fields, but someone else was already under contract to make the film with another studio. He also considered trying Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness but RKO considered the project too experimental, and he finally decided to write a script based on Booth Tarkington’s novel, which had won a Pulitzer Prize in 1919 (McBride 53). It had been film... ...ugh The Magnificent Ambersons had a poor track record at the box office, it was still admired by many. A July 20, 1942 Time Magazine review called it â€Å"a great motion picture, adult and demanding. Artistically it is a textbook of advanced cinema technique† (Variety Film Reviews). It was also nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Black and White Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress (Agnes Moorehead) (O’Neil). Moorehead won the New York Film Critics Award for her performance as Fanny Minafer (O’Neill). â€Å"Agnes Moorehead gave a brilliant and thoughtful portrayal in the somber and murky Orson Welles picture The Magnificent Ambersons† (Variety Film Reviews). There has been speculation that the film would be widely regarded as Welles's best work and possibly the greatest film ever made had an original cut been available.

Playstation2 Arrives! :: essays research papers

Playstation2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Late this summer, Sony will release its brainchild product dubbed PlayStation2. This is a follow up to its predecessor PlayStation1. If you are familiar with the video game entertainment market, its usual that a company releases a new console every 4 to 5 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Playstation2 is expected to revolutionize the video gaming industry in ways never imagined before. Who would have thought we would be able to watch DVD's on our video game player? Soon this summer we will be able to. How about connecting to the net and going online to play a buddy or just any competitor in California? Feel like downloading some mp3's? The new PlayStation2 will let you do all these things and more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  PlayStation2 will offer a variety of different ways of using their machine. Not only can you play revolutionizing games, but you can shop through your computer. Sony will offer in 2001 a connection to the Internet in which you can just surf the web. As I have mentioned, Sony has formatted the PlayStation2 to able to play DVD videos along with its games. One of the greatest things about the PlayStation2 is that you can play all your old Playstation1 games on it! Finally! After years and years of this backwards compatibility being in the dark, it is now possible with the PlayStation2. Not only your old games, but even your old controllers, memory cards and wires are going to be fully compatible with the system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The PlayStation2 is expected to beat out its predecessor in every way including the books. Playstation1 accounted for 40% of all of Sony's profits in 1998. As of the first weekend of sales in Japan, Playstation2 had sold 980,000 units. All in one weekend! The lone fairly new competition that will be on the market before Playstation2 is the Sega Dreamcast. This was released in 1999 and has sold 4 million units since its release. Figure 4 million units in 52-weeks and then look at PlayStation2's numbers in Japan on one weekend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Playstation2 will be extremely succesful because of it almost cult like following. In a recent study, a conclusion was made that 1 in four homes have a Playstation. That is close to 25 million units sold in the US alone. This all adds up to the 70 million units total sold in the world. And now the product is just more sellable with the DVD, Internet, and backwards compatibility available.

The Enron Implosion and the Loss of Respect for the Accounting Professi

The Enron Implosion and the Loss of Respect for the Accounting Profession On the surface, the motives behind decisions and events leading to Enron’s downfall appear simple enough: individual and collective greed born in an atmosphere of market euphoria and corporate arrogance. Hardly anyone—the company, its employees, analysts or individual investors—wanted to believe the company was too good to be true. So, for a while, hardly anyone did. Many kept on buying the stock, the corporate mantra and the dream. In the meantime, the company made many high-risk deals, some of which were outside the company’s typical asset risk control process. Many went sour in the early months of 2001 as Enron’s stock price and debt rating imploded because of loss of investor and creditor trust. Methods the company used to disclose its complicated financial dealings were all wrong and downright deceptive. The company’s lack of accuracy in reporting its financial affairs, followed by financial restatements disclosing billions of dollars of omitted liabilities and losses, contributed to its downfall. The whole affair happened under the watchful eye of Arthur Andersen LLP, which kept a whole floor of auditors assigned at Enron year-round. In 1985, after federal deregulation of natural gas pipelines, Enron was born from the merger of Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, a Nebraska pipeline company. In the process of the merger, Enron incurred a lot of debt and, as the result of deregulation, no longer had exclusive rights to its pipelines. In order to survive, the company had to come up with a new and innovative business strategy to generate profits and cash flow. Kenneth Lay, CEO, hired McKinsey & Co. to assist in developing Enron’s business strategy. It assigned Jeffrey Skilling to the task. Skilling, who had a background in banking and asset and liability management, proposed a revolutionary solution to Enron’s credit, cash, and profit worries in the gas pipeline business: create a â€Å"gas bank† in which Enron would buy gas from a network of suppliers and sell it to a network of consumers, contractually guaranteeing both the supply and the price, charging fees for the transactions and assuming the associated risks. Thanks to the young consultant, the company created both a new product and a new paradigm for the industry—the energy derivative. Lay was so impressed with Skilling’s ... ... excellence stand in satirical contrast to allegations now being made public. Personally, I had referred several of our best and brightest accounting, finance and MBA graduates to Enron, hoping they could gain valuable experience from seeing things done right. These included a very bright training consultant who had lost her job in 2000 with a Houston consulting firm as a result of a reduction in force. She has lost her second job in 18 months through no fault of her own. Other former students still hanging on at Enron face an uncertain future as the company fights for survival. The old saying goes, â€Å"Lessons learned hard are learned best.† Some former Enron employees are embittered by the way they have been treated by the company that was once â€Å"the best in the business.† Others disagree. In the words of one of my former students who is still hanging on: â€Å"Just for the record, my time and experience at Enron have been nothing short of fantastic. I could not have asked for a better place to be or better people to work with. Please, though, remember this: Never take customer and employee confidence for granted. That confidence is easy to lose and tough—to impossible—to regain.†

International Politics Essay

Transformation—is one of the few words which could be used in order to define and describe the current situation of the international community. In every parts of the world, transformation is currently occurring from the simple acquisition of one product to another. Such situation could be one of the few examples of the changes which are present in the current society. In the modern society, boundaries and limits had now been erased due to the technology including the issues facing most states in the global community. The past limitation of states in surpassing territorial boundaries of their own state is now removed. Such hindrances are not a concern any longer. The gaps in which divides states are now being linked therefore making each and everyone of us connected. The far away lands of Africa or Europe could now be reached through one click of a button. The then complicated processes of communication as well as the process of international relations had changed due to globalization. The process of globalization became a significant change in the relations of states. In addition, states are not only the actors in the international community. The active participation of non-state actors had been highlighted in the past events which had recently occurred such as wars, conflicts and environmental phenomenon. In the past such as the events of the World War I, nations were the only actors in the war. Decisions were only influenced by the leaders of the states involved. Although international organizations were present in providing aid to the victims of the war, they were not equally involved in the decision making process. But as these events unfold, it is evident that international organizations are similarly participating with the political issues at hand. In the principle of realism, the main actors were only states however; in the view of the liberalism theory, other actors such that of international organizations, trans-national organizations, multinational corporations and the likes. In the book of Baylis and Smith, the authors stated that in â€Å"Realists emphasize states’ ruthlessly self-interested search for territorial, military and economic resources† (Baylis and Smith, 2008). On the other hand, Liberalism or Idealism pursues to promote internationalism during the inter-war period (Baylis and Smith, 2008). The theory of liberalism’s main idea is to attach government together with good governance which will create a connection between states and the societies of the global community. Liberalism promotes the need for the world to unite and commune with the issues of the international community equally. However, unlike the liberalism, realists approach the view of internationalism is translated as anarchy. (Baylis and Smith, 2008) Evidently, the world is already shifting and adopting another form of ideology other than realism which was mainly utilized in the past. In the inter-war years, the liberalist theorists started to promote their perspective in which advocates that international institutions should encourage the values of having order, justice, liberty and toleration within the relationship of states. It was believed in such theory that the conflicts between states could not only be resolved through the use of force and warfare. International institutions or organizations much act as mediators when conflicts are at hand. In addition, such international institutions must be the area of discussion for the reason that it could create other actions in resolving disputes in a much objective manner. Therefore, the liberalists were able to influence every state in creating an international organization which lead to the creation of the League of Nations in which became the fundamental foundation of the United Nations. Although the ideas of the liberalists were idealistic, each state must be a member of the organization in order to fully accomplish and pursue the goals of the international organization. (Baylis and Smith, 2008) In our changing world, the past conflicts and issues of a state are realized to also be affecting the world. The recent war on terror had been actively participated by different states in order to deter the effects of terrorism. After the war on terror, many states changes their view point which such situations—following the chief state which proclaimed the war. The war on terror became a global issue due to the involvement of different states. Additionally, international organizations became a great factor in such war. The war in Afghanistan for example, the United Nations became one of the main decision maker and supporter of the war. The United Nations launched protocols and written agendas in order to promote action against the cruel ruling and the storage of the weapons of mass destruction of Saddam Hussein. In the incident given, the United Nations played a great role in encouraging and promoting in the issue against terrorism. United Nations became one of the main actors is countering against terrorism unlike in the past. (Bredel, 2003) Another issue which is currently in debate until this day is the issues concerning the global environment—climate change. This issue is one of the most controversial and debated issues because it is one of the problems of the world which passes the boundaries of states. Climate change not only affects the climate and the environment but also the politics and economics of each state. One of the few very specific problems under climate change is pollution. Pollution had been a great problem for different states for the reason that it encompasses the boundaries of states. It is known that most industries or factory excretes smoke which turns out to be air pollutants due to the machineries used to create products and the likes. Water pollution also has the same situation for the reason that it flows although out different forms of water and continuously flow to the water of other states. The problem obviously passes through the limitation of the international law and protocols available. The problem becomes a trans-national issue that requires states to cooperate and coordinate with each other in order to solve such crisis. With the issue of climate change, trans-national entities are the most reliable organizations in laying down such issues. Trans-national organizations provide states a much immediate and larger picture of the issue. Due to the personality of trans-national organization, different organizations that aim for the same goals as others come together to be able to solve the dilemmas at hand. With the issue of climate change, the main agent which is very much focused is the United Nations. The international organization created a branch which focuses on the issues of environment which is the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The branch of United Nations provides answer to the needs of each state in order to address the problem. The UNEP together with the states and other organizations with the same advocacy such as Green Peace and other local organizations with in the various states to be able to provide answer to the issue. The role of non-state actors and trans-national networks had become significant in the international community due to the promotion of international organization during crisis. The power given to non-state actors as well as trans-national networks enable these agencies to freely interfere with the conflicts of states and within states. Therefore, these groups provide their own view points, influencing states and individuals with their perspective. Most of the time, such organizations changes the civil society which then results to the change of the government. One example that could be cited is the pursuance of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in Asia to promote change in the civil society, therefore promoting development within the society. It is stated by Harriet Bulkeley and Michele Merrill Betsill (2005) in their book that â€Å"the international, regional, national and local interact â€Å"with actors influencing the activities of different levels simultaneously† (cited in O’ Riordan and Jordan 1996). With the statement given by the authors, it is evident that the role of non-state actors as well as trans-national organization is equally important as the responsibility of states. Therefore, the international order is changed due to the additional actors that are also acting in the international community. Currently, the international community is evidently reliant to non-state actors as well as to the trans-national networks due to the important role that it is undertaking with conflicts and decision making processes of a state. Non-state actors and trans-national networks had become one of the main components of international relations whether it may be in conflict resolution or in times of celebration. Such groups empower and support positive ideology due to the idealistic nature of most non-state and trans-national networks. The usual â€Å"state-only† theory had now been changed into a new form of relations of states which brings together actors that has the same goals to attain making the relations of states peaceful. Although most non-state actors and trans-national networks aims to create a united international community, there are also groups alike that promotes otherwise. One well known group is the Al-Qaeda which seeks to promote terror and violence from the eyes of most states. Although Al-Qaeda is seen as an extremist group in promoting change, it is also considered a trans-national network for the reason that it encompasses the boundaries of its home state and promotes their ideology to the world. The group creates networks in different parts of the world while maintaining a balance relation with other networks associated to the group. Due to the negative effects they such trans-national network is creating; it definitely changes the order of the international community. Not only it brings terror to the whole global community but the group promotes division and conflict within the global society. (Pearlstein, 2004) In conclusion, the issues that the international community is facing are now crossing the boundaries of states such that of the terrorism and climate change. There is a need for states to get together and resolve such dilemma. Therefore, trans-national networks and non-state actors play a vital role in resolving such problems. The non-state and trans-national networks are the best area for the resolution of such conflicts because objectiveness within the situation is achieved. The international community sets the non-states actors and trans-national networks as the one of the numerous vital actors in the global community. The participation of such actors promotes the unity of the whole international community in times of crisis or triumph. References Baylis J. , Smith S. , & Owens, P. Eds.(2008). The Globalization of World Politics: An introduction to International Relations. New York: Oxford University Press. Bredel, R. (2003). Long-term Conflict Prevention and Industrial Development: The United Nations and Its Specialized Agency, UNIDO. Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. Bulkeley, H. , and Betsill, M. M. (2005). Cities and Climate Change: Urban Sustainability and Global Environmental Governance. London: Routledge. Pearlstein, R. M. (2004). Fatal Future? : Transnational Terrorism and the New Global Disorder. Texas:University of Texas Press.

International Business in Japan

Abstract Capitalist and mostly single family centered, Zaibatsu led to a static system with weak competitive forces resulting in what is known as ‘cordial oligopoly’. (Niciejewska, 2007, pg 17) Keiretsu networks on the other hand, with its cross stockholdings is more dynamic and provided a more competitive business economy that continued to drive the Japanese economy during the post war period. The high cohesion that existed between the participating firms in the vertical keiretsu resulted in production and operational efficiency that gave Japanese manufacturers significant advantages in international markets. The impact of information technology and the internet in particular enabled the western countries implement modular production strategies and improved value chain management with setting up of contracted production centers across the globe. The japans keiretsu firms struggled to fight the American companies that specialized in single core functions leading to what is known as the mega competition. Keiretsu networks are unsuitable under modern, globally competitive, and technologically advanced market conditions. There is definitely a shift towards a more western centric business organization. Introduction Japanese corporate governance has undergone a lot of change since the Meiji restoration in 1868. It was during this time that the industrial revolution flourished across the world. The Zaibatsu originated when the Meiji government sold out certain government undertakings to a select few private and influential families namely Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Yasuda and Sumitomo. These government controlled firms slowly developed into different industries that helped Japan grow economically strong. During this period Japan practiced a closed economic system and foreign technology was totally shunned except in areas concerning domestic development (Thorson & Whitney, 2003). The Zaibatsu which could be loosely translated as monopolies emerged as the corporate structure that underlined the Japanese economy from this time till the end of the Second World War. In particular, the Zaibatsu or the industrial and financial conglomeration of the Japanese empire controlled a large percentage of the national economy during the first few decades of the twentieth century. In the aftermath of the World war 11 and the occupation of Japan by American forces, the Zaibatsu system was broken down and this gave rise to what is what is known as the Keiretsu system which is nothing but a group of companies with cross shareholdings and preferential business practices. Though the American government was bent on totally destroying the protectionary policies that the Zaibatsu system represented and proceeded with the dissolution of many Zaibatsu such as Asano, Furukawa, Nakajima, etc they stopped short of complete dissolution owing to fear of the intrusion of China’s communist practices into Japan. The formation of Keiretsu was an attempt to democratize the Japanese economy and to eliminate the restrictive policies (Thorson & Whitney, 2003). A brief overview of the firm structures in the Keiretsu and flourishing of Japanese economy between 1950-90, and its implications to the current Japanese economy would be discussed in this paper. Zaibatsu (Upto 1945) As briefly mentioned above, the Zaibatsu promoted a strong monopoly with holding companies at the top of the pyramid controlling all the operations between the various enterprises within the pyramid. Holding companies typically enjoyed the majority of the stocks of these businesses and more than 50% of the overall stocks of all the small companies that constitute the Zaibatsu were owned by its members (Thorson & Whitney, 2003). Stock options were never sold out to any third parties not connected with the zaibatsu making it a totally closed economic structure. The Zaibatsu was in short, a government led economic drive with strategies as well as resources provided for by the government. Japan’s industrial growth witnessed a rapid upswing under the Zaibatsu system. Buoyed by it success at home, the Japanese government forced the Zaibatsu system in Korea when it colonized the country (Shim & Lee, 2008, pg 49). The Zaibatsu enjoyed complete domination with Mitsui, Sumitomo and Mitsubishi, enjoying as much as 28% of the assets in Japanese companies by 1929. Just when the World War II was about to finish the Zaibatsu had 22.9% of the Japanese company stocks. Thus a handful of Japanese families had control over a vast majority of the Japanese enterprises under the Zaibatsu system. The structure of the Zaibatsu changed very quickly and soon there was intense diversification. For instance the single Mitsubishi Corporation rapidly diversified its business in to mining, shipping, insurance, trading, etc in a very short period of time and soon transformed into a holding company that was at the top of the Pyramid controlling a range of individual yet affiliated businesses. The Iwasaki family owned and controlled the entire business network of Mitsubishi (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Keiretsu Keiretsu represents a cluster of enterprises that are linked to each other by way of cross shareholdings and preferential trading practices creating mutual interests in the business progress. Keiretsu are basically divided into two main types’ namely Vertical keiretsu and horizontal keiretsu. However there are also other keiretsu such as the distribution keiretsu that relate to the distribution networks of big manufacturers. For instance the distribution networks of Matsushita, Fuji Photo Film, etc come under the distribution Keiretsu (Shimotani, 1995). Keiretsu emerged as a protective response to the dissolution and distribution of the largely family owned stocks of the Zaibatsu. When hostile companies were taking over the zaibatsu firms the three main Zaibatsu leaders convened and arranged a solution of cross shareholding and preferential trading policies that enabled them to retain the overall control of the enterprises among themselves. For instance the Mitsui, Sumitomo an d Mitsubishi zaibatsu formed this strategic pact of cross shareholdings to maintain their stronghold in the business. This is how the Keiretsu emerged from the Zaibatsu. Soon by the 1960’s a few big financial institutions in Japan such as Dai-Ichi Kangyo, Fuji and Sanwa joined with the Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Mitsui to constitute what was popularly known as the six horizontal Keiretsu (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Periodic meetings between the president’s council (shacho-kai) members and executive exchanges and cross share holdings formed the glue between these six Keiretsu. The horizontal Keiretsu is centered around a large bank. On the other hand, the vertical Keiretsu are the large manufacturing companies and supply chain companies, the distributors etc. Unlike the Horizontal Keiretsu there is no president’s council in the vertical Keiretsu but the groups of suppliers of a manufacturing firm represent that role (Miwa and Ramsayer, 2006). Similar to the horizontal Keiretsu, the firms in the vertical keiretsu are also linked together by share holdings across firms and preferential business policies. In vertical Keiretsu there is improved knowledge sharing by way of business transfers including exchange of experts and technical staff members across the vertical network. Overall, vertical Keiretsu promotes improved cohesion among the network firms. In fact, the increased dependence of main firms on the supplier firms in the vertical Keiretsu even lead to large scale investments by these ancillary Japanese firms in US following the footsteps of the Japanese automobile manufacturing firms setting up their FDI in that Country (Banerji & Sambharya ,1996). In technology intensive industries of Japan vertical Keiretsu has greatly improved their international competitiveness by facilitating rapid knowledge sharing across the partnership firms. Empirical studies that measured the effects of such knowledge sharing across the firms in the vertical Keiretsu clearly suggest positive productive gains (Branstetter, 2000). One of the important advantages of the vertical keiretsu is the improved coordination between the suppliers and the assemblers. In the keiretsu automotive industries the suppliers receive plenty of support in products manufacturing , processing and people management. This is distinctly different from the US approach where the suppliers and the assembly line operate entirely independently. This model of operation facilitates both the parties as it helps to reduce the overall risk for either party. (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009) Thus the Keiretsu improved knowledge transfer among t he networked firms, improved productivity, reduced risk for the firms and gave the Japanese companies clear advantage in the international market. Furthermore, Gerlach (2004), also notes that the Keiretsus were particularly important due to their one-set principle and networking. For instance, synergies were achieved in input and output, especially in the case of manufacturing. Centralized systems and departments were used in conducting basic support operations, which helped all subsidiaries in cost savings (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Also, profit-trapping mechanisms were used in place, by distributing them effectively through subsidiaries (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Cross shareholdings were also particularly important as it helped avoid takeovers, encouraged risk taking amongst companies, and had a long term outlook on strategy (Sturgeon, 2006). One of the important examples of the vertical Keiretsu is the Toyota group. In fact, Toyota has a unique distinction of being both a horizontal keiretsu as well as a vertical keiretsu. They key difference is that the massive size of the Toyota organization makes it possible to exist without being controlled by a central bank as is the case with horizontal keiretsu. Toyota with more than $72 billion in annual revenue has the financial might to stand for itself without the dependence of any major funding source. However, it is associated with the Mitsui group horizontally. Toyota is also widely diversified like a horizontal keiretsu company with its firms representing industries as varied as real estate, computer development, aircraft development, nonlife insurance, etc. The disintegration of the Keiretsu (Why keiretsu failed?) The keiretsu system started to decline slowly by the early nineties and one study by Gerlach (2004) that analyzed the cluster networking pattern of 257 Japanese organizations between 1978 and 1998 found clear evidence indicating this shift away from the Keiretsu. Analysis of cross shareholdings further confirmed the decline of the keiretsu structure (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). By the late nineties many major banks that were previously the core of the Horizontal keiretsu had already sold off major portions of their shares to international financial institutions (Ahmadjian and Robinson, 2001). Several Bank mergers further shook the keiretsu structure. Starting with the Mitsui and Taiyo-Kobe Bank merger in 1990 to the 1998 merger of Industrial Bank of Japan, Fuji and Dai-ichi Kangyo bank the largescale mergers of Japanese financial institutions led to consolidation of the related keiretsu firms (Lincoln & Shimotani, 2009). Globalization and technological changes further led to the withering of the Keiretsu. The numbers of board of directors were reduced and many foreign personals took up the position. International investors further demanded the selling off of the stocks in supplier firms and other affiliate firms. Furthermore, the global shift towards modular production system and the production efficiency that it gave rise to, along with a degree of independence between the firms that are involved, kind of eroded the production line advantages that Japanese firms specialized in mass production under the keiretsu system had enjoyed for a long period. The growth of information technology and the adaptation of computer simulation technologies in production testing and experimentation and swift data exchange between the firms reduced the need for physical communication (which was key in Keiretsu) and drastically improved value chain management.(Sturgeon, 2006) Modular production is propelled by ease of systems integration facilitated by information technology. By the 1990’s modular production system was already in place in the US electronic industry with its contract manufacturers spread across the globe. While the American firms capitalized on the internet enabled modular production systems and dominated the electronics industry and related computer hardware industry, Japanese electronics industry was still sticking to the ‘components plus products’ strategy. Cisco systems for instance enjoyed total domination in the network routers market enjoying as much as 80% of the market share while simply outsourcing its device production to contracted producers such as Solectron and Flextronics. Often the production centers are located in low cost regions such as China giving a distinct advantage for the modular production strategy. This contrast between the modular production strategies of the American firms and the in house à ¢â‚¬Ëœintegrated production system’ of the Japanese keiretsu firms gave a clear advantage to the American firms. In other words, the Japanese keiretsu firms could not handle the ‘mega competition’ from the American firms which specialize in single core functions or narrow core competencies. The following figure 1 illustrates the loss suffered by the Japanese keiretsu electronic industries in the early years of the new millennium. (Sturgeon, 2006) Another factor that accompanied global trade is the fluctuation of the exchange rates and its influence on the profit margin. Furthermore, the expansion into international markets and the associated transportation costs motivated many of Japan’s manufacturing firms to move their production facilities abroad as a cost effective solution. Though some suppliers too moved and invested in these new countries, in most cases the central firms such as Toyota started building trust and relationships with the local suppliers. Furthermore, changes in Japanese economic reforms including the Tax policies did not tolerate risk sharing measures as they used to before which clearly undermined one of the key Keiretsu principles. Conclusion The Large capitalist and mostly single family based zaibatsu companies flourished during the early twentieth century creating industrial monopolies that were closely controlled by the government. Zaibatsu led to what is known as a static system as most of the stocks are retained by the family that controls the business. Furthermore Zaibatsu promoted weak competition leading to what is known as ‘cordial oligopoly’.) Keiretsu on the other hand with its cross stockholdings is more dynamic and provided a more competitive business economy that continued to drive the Japanese economy during the post war period. The high cohesion that existed between the participating firms in the vertical keiretsu resulted in production and operational efficiency that gave Japanese manufacturers significant advantages in international markets. However, the Keiretsu principles of ‘preferential business’ affected foreign companies from entering the Japanese markets. Globalization and increasing pressures from international organizations to sell off stocks in affiliated firms affected the cohesion that previously existed between the participating firms in the keiretsu network. Furthermore, the successful integration and mass production strategies of the keiretsu networks that helped Japanese manufacturing firms flourish were soon affected by the shift in global production strategies. Particularly, the concept of modular production where product design could be isolated from its manufacture and the shift towards outsourcing in the western world created a dent in the Japanese manufacturing sector which was still stuck with the ‘in house production’ policies. The impact of information technology and the internet in particular enabled the western countries implement modular production strategies and improved value chain management with setting up of contracted production centers across the globe. The japans keiretsu firms struggled to fi ght the American companies that specialized in single core functions leading to what is known as the mega competition. These fundamental shifts in organizational structure and strategies in the West have made the Keiretsu networks unsuitable under modern globally competitive and technologically advanced market conditions. There is definitely a shift towards a more western centric business organization. Bibliography Ahmadjian, Christina L and Patricia Robinson. (2001). Safety in Numbers: Downsizing and the New Political Economy of Structural Adjustment and Globalization, New York: M.E. Sharpe. Jae Seung Shim & Moosung lee, (2008), The Korean Economic System, Ashgate Publishing Ltd. England. James R Lincoln & Mashiro Shimotani, (2009), Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper series, [online] University of California, viewed Mar 9th 2012, Katharina Niciejewska, (2007) The Influence of Social networks in Japanese business. Keiretsu as a Japanese Network. Auflage , Germany. 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