Intervention plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intervention plan - Essay Example Apparently, her painful memories of such a traumatic experience were triggered when she and her workmates visited a friend’s farm in the country. While in the farm, she had flashes of her painful childhood memories which she thought she has forgotten over the years. However, the sights, smells, sounds, etc. of the farm only made the flashbacks more vivid. Sherry was only four years old when her grandfather began sexually molesting her in his barn. He did this to her until she was nine years old when she and her family had to move to another city due to her father’s employment. Sherry used to adore her grandfather because he brought her on trips around the country side and had ready treats for her every time she and her parents came to visit him and her grandmother. It is in the barn when he would sexually abuse her in the guise of pretend play. Sherry did not enjoy that kind of play at all and felt uncomfortable with her grandfather’s touch. Even if she was already toilet trained, she would sometimes soil her underwear in the hope that her grandfather will not rape her. Although he told her that it was their secret and she was not supposed to tell anyone, she tried to tell her mother when she was five years old, and in response, she was spanked, in the belief that she was lying. She never told anyone again. Bowlby’s Attachment Theory (1969) is one theory that explains the development of attachment of children to their significant others. It posits that a person’s real relationships in the earliest stages of life shape his or her survival functions as he or she grows and develops throughout the life span. To Sherry, her attachment relationships to both her grandfather and mother may have been shattered by her disappointment in them. Ringel (2012) contends that children like Sherry develop disorganized attachments alternating between ambivalent and avoidant behaviors as well as dissociative behaviors like

Developing Business Information System Solutions Essay

Developing Business Information System Solutions - Essay Example It needs to be mentioned that because of the lines of emergence of high speed internet connectivity, the network of communication channels has improved in a drastic manner all over the world. The internet has played a major role in the process of creating the channels of communication in the various regions of the developed as well as the developing economies. It can be rightly said that it is of considerable importance to highlight that this technology powered development has resulted in the process of transformation of the globe, where the entire world can be represented and increasingly seen as a single and well connected global entity. Because of this technology powered transformation of the world around us, there has always been a steady evolution of various kinds of trends associated with the factor of globalization. The trends of globalization, that are emerging from all corners of the world are increasingly getting diffused at a very rapid pace and it is happening irrespectiv e of the fact of whether the regions are located in the developed or developing economies. The rapid diffusion of the trends of globalization is resulting in the process of evolution of various kinds of new types of consumer demands. ... It has to be stated that the entry of new firms in a specific market plays a very important role in increasing the level of competition and thereby leads to the process of increasing the consumer’s power. In this case, the focus is on a commercial and domestic equipment hire company named EquipHire. The company’s management has identified the fact that the existing information system is nearing the last stage of its product life cycle. As a result, the top management is looking for a fresh assessment of the business information requirements of the company along with recommendation for new information systems which will be successful in meeting the current business based requirements of the company. Description of the business While discussing about the business, it needs to be stated that the company EquipHire is in the business of providing commercial and domestic equipments for hire. The company has eleven branches which are spread in various regions ranging from metr opolitan Sydney, Wollongong as well as New Castle. The manpower of the company is a combination of both full time and part time employees. The product portfolio of the company is highly diverse in nature and comprises of building and engineering tools, equipments for industrial plants as well as domestic categories. Around 70% of the company’s sales are from the commercial sector like construction, engineering as well as architecture. Also, the sales from the domestic sector are growing at a steady rate and are starting to contribute in an active manner. Key information required for the business It needs to be considered that the information technology is a highly evolving field. With the passage of time, the development of new kinds of software often leads to the emergence of new information

Wireless Communication: Applications and Limitations

Wireless Communication: Applications and Limitations Wireless Communications INTRODUCTION First of all, the meaning of wireless must be clearly identified: Wireless communications are the technology that uses any type of waves to substitute the use of cables and wires in order to create links (or a certain kind of connectivity) between different devices; such waves can be radio waves, infrared waves, or microwaves. Even though many people think that wireless communication is a new form of technology, the truth is that many devices that already existed for many decades use wireless technology, in one way or another, to accomplish the tasks or to deliver the services that they were designed for. Such devices include radio and television transmission-reception devices, military communication devices and many more. Mostly, such technology was being utilised only by governments and large organisations. The difference that appeared in the last few years is the one that involves computer systems and other related pieces of equipment and that which involves telephony and communications, which made it possible for individuals and small and medium organisations to have access to such technology and to be able to use it for specific and personalised uses. WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS Today, wireless communications are growing steadily in almost all sectors, which include home and individual uses, organisational and governmental uses, and scientific and research institutional uses as well. This is evident in every aspect of connectivity that is present and that is available for each person of us; mobile phones (especially those classified as smart-phones) are the most wide-spread devices that utilise wireless communications for almost all the requirements that wireless technology provides; this includes wireless voice connections, data and messaging connections, and multimedia (audio and video) exchange links. For those devices to be able to accomplish that, they cover most of the types of frequencies that are available through the use of technologies such as infrared, Bluetooth, WiFi, GSM and much more. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) are the most significant technological advancement since the beginning of the computer (and the Internet) age. Such technology provides the possibility of active connectivity to companies, universities, schools, research institutions, and even entities of a far smaller nature. A growing number of homes is now applying WLANs because it can provide the users with the same kind of service without the need for cables. Prasad and Ruggieri (2003) give more details about WLANs by stating that â€Å"WLAN systems are a technology that can provide very high data rate applications and individual links (e.g., in company campus areas, conference centers, airports) and represents an attractive way of setting up computers networks in environments where cable installation is expensive or not feasible. They represent the coming together of two of the fastest-growing segments of the computer industry: LANs and mobile computing, thus recalling the attention of equipment manufactures. This shows their high potential and justifies the big attention paid to WLAN by equipment manufacturers. Whereas in the early beginning of WLANs several proprietary products existed, nowadays they are mostly conform to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) 802.11b (also known as Wi-Fi) standard. It operates in the unlicenced 2.4-GHz band at 11 Mbps and it is currently extended to reach 20 Mbps.† When talking about wireless computer connectivity, it must be stated that there are two methods in which it operates today. The first is the â€Å"Ad Hoc mode, or Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). This is a peer-to-peer wireless network. This means that it does not have an access point controlling the conversation.† This method is usually used for small networks which consist of five or less users. Its point of access which â€Å"manages the conversions is gone and the clients send beacons to each other These beacons contain a timer synchronization function (TSF) to ensure that the timing is correct. This function is usually handled in the access point.† The second method is â€Å"the Infrastructure mode, which is called Extended Basic Service Set (EBSS). This is the main type of wireless network. In an EBSS, an access point controls all traffic. Setting up a wireless network in this category requires a piece of networking equipment referred to as an access point. This access point is where the Ethernet data is converted into a wireless signal that is then transferred out through the access point’s antenna. To hear and understand this signal, a wireless network interface card is needed. This card has a small antenna inside it and can hear the wireless signal and transfer it to the computer† (Earle, 2006). As is the case for what concerns wired computer networks, wireless networks are either Wide Area Networks (WAN) or Local Area Networks (LAN). As for the wireless LANs, Vacca (2003) explains that â€Å"wireless data local-area networks (WiFi LANs) have surged in popularity. WiFi LANs provide network access only for approximately 300 ft around each access point, but provide for bandwidth up to 11 Mbps for the IEEE 802.11b protocol, and up to 100 Mbps for the emerging 802.11a protocol. Best of all, the technology is available now and affordable† and the author explains that their reduced cost of deployment, compared to that of the wired LANs, made them more attractive in what concerns the enlargement of corporate networks to other locations: â€Å"The wireless data LAN is a ‘nice and clean’ extension to an office’s wired LAN. Wireless data LANs are attractive to offices that want to enable workers to take laptops into a conference room. Wireless data has a place now† According to the author, â€Å"WiFi is especially popular in the manufacturing, distribution, and retail industries† Liska (2003) explains that the main purpose of using wireless WAN technology is to enable the connection to the Internet and to allow the connection between different offices (of a certain company, for example) that are located in different geographical locations. The author states that â€Å"Wireless WANs have emerged as a low-cost alternative to a traditional method of Internet access. Wireless WAN connection can offer the same amount of bandwidth as a T1, at a fraction of the cost. Wireless connections are also being deployed in areas where cable and DSL access is not available.† Another form of wireless networks is the Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). In this type, the infrastructure network is not required as there is no need for a central link (or main connection of reference) as the connection is created between specific small devices and users within a given location. The main basic idea behind personal area network is the possibility to inter-connect two or more user-devices within a space of small coverage (that is not more than 10m) where ad hoc communication takes place which is also called personal operating space (POS). â€Å"The network is aimed at interconnecting portable and mobile computing devices such as laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), peripherals, cellular phones, digital cameras, headsets, and other electronics devices† (Prasad and Ruggieri, 2003). To give more details about this kind of wireless network, Vacca (2003) states that â€Å"the term ad hoc connectivity refers to both the ability for a device to assume either master or slave functionality and the ease in which devices may join or leave an existing network. The Bluetooth radio system has emerged as the first technology addressing WDPAN applications with its salient features of low power consumption, small package size, and low cost. Wireless data rates for Bluetooth devices are limited to 1 Mbps, although actual throughput is about half this data rate. A Bluetooth communication link also supports up to three voice channels with very limited or no additional bandwidth for bursty wireless data traffic.† For what concerns the standards of wireless networking, we find that for many years the systems were dependant on manufacturers, and this created problems regarding the compatibility of different systems with one another; that is why many standards are now present for use with the wireless systems. â€Å"This made the industry push the IEEE to make some wireless standards and help facilitate the growth of wireless with common standards that allowed various manufacturer cards to work with various manufacturer wireless networks† The standards used today include the 802.11 standard which â€Å"was the first WLAN standard accepted by multiple vendors as a true industry standard,† Other standards are 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11c, and the 802.11g which was approved by the IEEE in 2003. There are other standards such as â€Å"The 802.11i standard [which is] a security standard that can apply to other 802.11 standards† and there is the 802.11j which is â€Å"for use in Jap an only† (Earle, 2006). According to Pallato (2004), a unified 802.11n Wi-Fi will be widely used soon. The 802.11n â€Å"is based on a new radio technology called MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) that allows the transmission of up to 100M bps over a much wider range than the earlier versions.† This will certainly be a step in the right direction in attempting to unify all the wireless standards into one technology that can be accessible to everyone anywhere. But this unification is facing problems and delays: Reardon (2006) explains that â€Å"the new standard that will allow notebook users to connect to wireless access points at much faster speeds than is currently available [will be delayed].. The IEEE approved a draft version of the standard called 802.11n, after much controversy and infighting among chipmakers. A second draft was due for the standard by late fall of this year [2006], but now a new draft won’t likely be ready until January 2007. This could push back the final ratifica tion of the standard until 2008 The delay in adopting a standard has been caused by the nearly 12,000 changes to the draft that have been submitted to the standards group†. The future of the wireless communications technologies is promising; this is because more mobility and speed are the most required factors in what concerns inter-connectivity, they are certainly more desired than the wired options, especially that the cost and the security options are being improved constantly. â€Å"Though still an imperfect technology, wireless data LANs are, nonetheless, booming and remain at least one market segment that’s expected to achieve its anticipated growth rate. IDC forecasts worldwide wireless data LAN semiconductor revenue alone to grow at a 30 percent compound annual growth rate during the next 4 years. And, 68 percent of networking solution providers already deploy wireless data LANs and WANs† (Vacca, 2003). As can be seen by now, wireless technologies are becoming more requested and more used by all sectors of users, from large organisations to schools to home and office users. The overwhelming success of the mobile phone devices (especially the smart-phones with the possibility to have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Infrared links) will force the industry to grow faster and to provide the instruments and the hardware needed for its propagation for lower prices. One of the emerging realities of today is what is called ‘Wi-Fi covered towns’: The more hotspots (or Wi-Fi access points) there will be available in homes, offices, coffee shops, restaurants, and bookstores, the more the ‘covered city’ concept can be put to practice. And with the arrival of the $100-smarphone by the year 2008, more and more people will find themselves directly inside the wireless age. Some are already talking about providing the Wi-Fi service through traditional radio frequencies, and with that , what we were accustomed to in what concerns TV reception can be used for wireless connections to the internet, and through that to the entire world. According to Long (2006), â€Å"One of the latest WLAN technologies [and one of those that are expected to flourish within the next 5 years], MIMO, or multiple-input multiple-output, splits the connection workload [within a LAN] into multiple data streams for increased range and throughput. Another technology, OFDM, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, is a technique for transmitting large amounts of digital data over radio waves.† The future of communications is already known: Every individual will be able to get connected to any group of users he/she chooses, will be connected to his work network on the move and at his home and even when he/she is on vacation with no PDA or laptop. This is why the future seems to be revolving around the WPANs. The Wireless network installation and application will be extremely cheap that continuing with wired networks will be totally unacceptable by all means. APPLICATIONS Even if the beginning of the wireless applications was focused on applications related to vertical markets such as retail, warehousing, and manufacturing, â€Å"current growth is being driven by other market segments. These include enterprise, small office/home office, telecommunications/Internet service provider (ISP) and the public access throughput compared to cellular mobiles networks are the lead drivers for wireless LAN deployment. Voice over IP (VoIP) is also expected to drive this technology in the future† (Smyth, 2004). Vacca (2003) explains that an entire range of applications and services are either dependent on wireless technology or are to be deployed depending on it. The author mentions the service of Triangulation which can be (and is being) used to locate the position of a mobile device through measuring the distance from two or more known points. Another application is Assisted GPS for determining the exact geographic position of the device in use. One important service that is also mentioned is the High-Resolution Maps service. Another important application of wireless networks is the one given to rural areas and locations where no cable or wire related new technologies can reach, for this the wireless technology can be deployed through satellite. â€Å"A new breed of satellite technologies and services allows providers to bring high-speed, always-on, two-way access to the planet’s farthest reaches. For example, McLean, Virginia–based StarBand Communications (a joint venture of Israeli satellite powerhouse Gilat Satellite Networks, EchoStar Communications, and Microsoft) is the first company to launch two-way consumer service in the United States.† The potentials for wireless applications are endless in virtually all sectors. Such applications can be used for workers and sales employees, for warehouse personnel who order parts, for accountants who generate invoices, and for transportations companies such as DHL and UPS. â€Å"New applications are appearing at an ever-increasing rate. Mobile workers, such as salespeople, field service technicians, and delivery people, are an obvious target for new wireless applications. Wireless technology applications can arm these workers with tools and data access capabilities that were previously limited to desk-bound employees† (Hayes, 2003). With wireless communications, data transfer (especially of larger files, such as those related to multimedia audio and video and huge reports and presentations) will become easier whenever the mobile devices become improved in order to utilise higher bandwidths and faster access possibilities. TV and video streaming to wireless devices has already started and the improvements will keep on appearing. There are no limits to the applications of wireless technology. We have already reached the technological know-how that enables us to realise almost all the desired wireless applications, and the cost of their deployment and use will drop until it becomes more common than anything else. Any innovation in the wireless technology camp will be profitable to the manufacturers and desired by the users, mobility is something that is becoming more essential for any organisation or individual that aims at success. â€Å"Wireless Applications are in their Internet infancy and awaiting broader bandwidth. As this becomes available the scope for applications on a cost-per-view basis will increase. Of particular interest for the future are the attempts to commercialize WWW by offering software, which relies on the WWWs free infrastructure to be viable, on pay-per-use basis† (Bidgoli, 2004). PROBLEMS As mentioned earlier, one of the most important problems facing the wireless technology today is the different standards used by different manufacturers, but this is a problem that is supposed to be resolved shortly. The real important issue is security. Earle (2006) mentions some of the security related issues such as Analysis (â€Å"the viewing, recording, or eavesdropping of a signal that is not intended for the party who is performing the analysis†), Spoofing (â€Å"impersonating an authorized client, device, or user to gain access to a resource that is protected by some form of authentication or authorization†), Wireless Denial-of-Service (â€Å"achieved with small signal jammers†), and Malicious Code (which can be used to â€Å"infect and corrupt network devices†). These risks are present in both wireless computer networks and in mobile devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. The major solutions for this are encryption and authentication solutions in various kinds and modalities. But still, the security issue is the most important reason for delay concerning the movement of all the applications and services toward the wireless realm. Another problem is the bandwidth; most mobile devices need to be developed further in order to turn the experience of using them into one that is similar to desktop computers and wired LAN connected devices. Works Cited Prasad, R. and Ruggieri, M. (2003) Technology Trends in Wireless Communications. Boston, MA: Artech House Publishers. Earle, A. E. (2006) Wireless Security Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: Auerbach Publications. Liska, A. (2003) The Practice of Network Security: deployment strategies for production environments. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Vacca, J. R. (2003) Wireless Data Demystified. New York, NY: McGraw-HIll Companies, Inc. Pallato, J. (2004) Unified 802.11n Wi-Fi Standard to Emerge in Mid-2006. eWeek.com.[Accessed 22nd January 2007]. Available from World Wide Web:  http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1735082,00.asp> Reardon, M. (2006). New Wi-Fi standard delayed again. ZDNet Tech News. [Accessed 21st January 2007]. Available from World Wide Web:  http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6105494.html> Long, M. (2006) The Future of Wireless Networks. Newfactor.com. [Accessed 20th January 2007]. Available from World Wide Web:  http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=41852> Smyth, P. (2004) Mobile and Wireless Communications:: Key Technologies and Future Applications. London, UK: The Institution of Electrical Engineers. Hayes, I. S. (2003) Just Enough Wireless Computing. Upper Saddler River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Bidgoli, H. (2004) The Internet Encyclopedia. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Is it better to be an Assigned or Self-Initiated Expatriate in Japan? Is it better to be an Assigned or Self-Initiated Expatriate in Japan? Research Question: Is it better to be an Assigned or Self-Initiated Expatriate in Japan? Technology is the backbone of this ever-evolving generation. Japan is not only one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, but, is also an internationally recognized hotspot for people who are looking to expatriate, and to make a promising future in this culturally un-paralleled location. This report will examine the benefits and disadvantages of being either a Company Assigned Expatriate (AE/CAE/OE) or a Self-Initiated Expatriate (SIE) in Japan. Aspects such as; motivation, job satisfaction, cross-cultural adjustment, family factors, compensation, and success factors will be taken into consideration, in this report. To begin the report, it is important to understand what some of the primary differences between assigned expatriates and self-initiated expatriates actually are. First of all, the â€Å"assigned expatriate† refers to a person who is sent abroad to another country, by the company they are working for, or are sponsored by. While, the â€Å"self-initiated expatriate† refers to a person who goes to another country of their choosing, in pursuit of a better life, often trying to find work on their own. A study done by Torsten Biemann and Maike Andresen, found that SIEs â€Å"start their international careers at a younger age, have a higher organizational mobility, and expect higher benefits from international experiences for their future careers† (2010). This implies that SIEs may often be recent graduates, or other young people who do not see much of a career opportunity in their home country, and seek bigger and better things abroad. These expatriates are also more l ikely to change or rethink their career paths, as compared to AEs, since they have more freedom to do what they would like to, as they were not brought into the country from an employer. Also, from leaving their home country, they would have a notion of achieving more, and have a broader list of goals than AEs, as again, nothing is set-up for them to feel like they are limited. They do not feel like career growth only stems from the company that they are linked to, unlike AEs. However, assigned expatriates seem to be more driven by the career factors in accordance to the company that sent them there, and may have more experience than SIEs – which seems to be more attractive to employers. Self-initiated expatriation, in most cases, is not an easy task. It requires much motivation, determination, and the ability to take risks. A SIE has to commit to the idea of leaving everything behind and going off to a foreign country – with some level of uncertainty pertaining to their future. The research done by Jan Selmer and Jakob Lauring discovers that SIEs may be motivated to expatriate because they are either; escaping from unfavourable conditions in their home country – â€Å"the refugee†, seeking financial stability – â€Å"the mercenary†, travelling to a favourable destination – â€Å"the explorer†, or finally, in pursuit of career success – â€Å"the architect† (2012). Furthermore, another study by the two, Jan Selmer and Jakob Lauring, finds that; younger SIEs â€Å"were more motivated by adventure, career and money when choosing to expatriate† (2010). What this means, is that the SIEs that belong to â€Å"the refugee† role, are most often older, may have already started a family, and most likely already have adequate work experience, prior to expatriating. However, self-initiated expatriates still consist of more young people and recent graduates on average, as compared to assigned expatriates. Japan is known for having a relatively low average fertility rate, as compared to the rest of the world (Boling, 2008). This may negatively impact young SIEs that are trying to start a family in Japan. More often, AEs, on the other hand, will go abroad with families they have already started in their home countries. AEs are also less likely to start a family in Japan, as they are aware of the fact that they are only there for a finite amount of time. Therefore, it may not be as big as a problem to AEs, on an average. Assigned expatriates are motivated to go abroad for career driven objectives, and will often not look as the new country (Japan) as â€Å"home†, but rather, a stepping-stone in the projection of their careers. SIEs would more often, treat Japan as a new cultural experience, and will end up staying longer than AEs, or even ind efinitely – unless they do not find success or happiness in Japan. For AEs; â€Å"career-related factors appeared significantly more important to their decision to move abroad, indicating that their desire for an international experience is explicitly coupled with career development and progression† (Doherty, Dickmann, Mills, 2011). This implies that, AEs might not have the same level of appreciation for Japan, as a SEI would, and it may contribute to a significantly less level of enjoyment and fulfillment while abroad. It is also important to understand which roles assigned expatriates and self-initiated expatriates often tend to fill in organizations, upon expatriating. These roles can end up defining or being the highlight of these expatriates’ careers. According to Phyllis Tharenou, the five main purposes of assigned expatriates is to: First, to set up a new operation and establish foreign operations in their early stages; second, to fill a skills gap; third, to develop managers international skills; fourth, to transfer company culture and knowledge to a foreign operation and gain feedback from it; and fifth, to supply the top manager and control the operation and coordinate with headquarters. (2013) This entails that assigned expatriates are given great responsibility and a high position within the organization when expatriated, which also implies that self-initiated expatriates would have to spent more time in the company to work up to that same level, since; â€Å"SIEs are most likely to be: an unsuitable alternative to CAEs for roles requiring firm-specific knowledge† (Tharenou, 2013). This might be the case, even if the AEs and SIEs may have the same or comparable level of education; â€Å"AEs possessed no significant difference in levels of education than SIEs, but were more likely to be in greater positions of authority† (Andresen, Biemann, Pattie, 2015). Unsurprisingly, the greater hierarchical position, leads to greater compensation for AEs on average (Sims Schraeder, 2005). Thus, SIEs are also more likely to be underemployed, since, managers would not be confident enough to trust in the SIEs abilities. This would inevitably cause SIEs to be dissatisfied with their jobs and be alienated from the others in the workplace (Lee, 2005). However, with regards to Japan, it seems as if SIEs obtain more skills that compliment them to have an easier experience of cross-cultural adjustment. Japanese language proficiency seems to be the most important trait in expatriates finding success in Japan. Self-initiated expatriates are much more competent with this skill than assigned expatriates. There may still be language training sessions for AEs, but it is seen as a drag to the management in Japan (Peltokorpi, 2008). This entails that AEs, most likely spend time before expatriating to learn about Japanese culture and the language, and are also likely to spend more time living in Japan than AEs. Thus, they find an easier experience of adjustment to the new culture, since they are prepared for it, in hopes of quickly establishing a successful career abroad. AEs on the other hand, have the sense of security that they will be working immediately upon expatriating. So, they would most likely not go through a lot of preparation for the new culture. However, SIEs would still have to work up to the level of AEs – as mentioned earlier, and would likely contribute to a decreas ed rate of job satisfaction. A study conducted by Fabian Jintae Froese and Vesa Peltokorpi, about expatriates in Japan reaffirms this; â€Å"SIEs suffer from lower job satisfaction because they tend to work more often under HCN (host-country nationals) supervisors regardless of their hierarchical level or the nationality of their employing organizations† (2013). The same studies also found that assigned expatriates and self-initiated expatriates react to cross-cultural adjustment very differently. As established before; AEs see expatriation as an important step in their careers, while, most SIEs take it as an opportunity to appreciate culture and absorb knowledge. SIEs’ increased proficiency in the Japanese language allows them to communicate more with locals, mesh within Japanese culture, and even talk to other expatriates in Japan. While, AEs will remain mostly isolated in their personal lives; â€Å"During their fixed expatriation period in Japan, OEs might be more inclined to interact with other expatriates† (Peltokorpi, 2008). As SIEs interact more with locals; â€Å"they receive information about behavioural norms and the rationale for why people behave in a certain way. The ability to act in an appropriate way and predict the behaviour of others tends to reduce uncertainty and increase psychological comfort† (Pelt okorpi, 2008). This basically means that SIEs will be happier outside of the workspace, as they can enjoy Japanese culture and appreciation for their journey. While, AEs, will be happier in the workspace, as they will have higher positions and be perceived as more successful that SIEs, in the workforce. Another report – by Nancy Napier and Sully Taylor – finds that, expatriating to Japan is a much different experience for women. Due to some of the social patriarchal structures still in place, female self-initiated expatriates will have a harder time to reach the level of, and make as much money as male SIEs – let alone AEs – in an organization. However, female AEs on average, do not face this discrimination, since, they are given and briefed of their position, in their native country, before expatriating. In some cases, women AEs are also offered optional additional cross-cultural training, in order to familiarize themselves with the social contracts and customs of Japan, as they can vary widely from genders and from the constructs and customs of their home country. One problem for female AEs, or AEs in general, can be of repatriation. This report highlights that; â€Å"In one survey of American expatriates, 40 percent said that, on their return to the U nited States, there was no specific job for them†, furthermore; â€Å"another study found that 26 percent of the American expatriates surveyed were actively looking for a different job within one year of returning to the United States† (1996). It is also important to note that this report was a little dated, as it was compiled in 1996; many things could change in a timeframe of almost two decades. To conclude, and to answer the initial research question, both assigned expatriates and self-initiated expatriates have their own unique benefits and setbacks. Preferring to be either an AE or a SIE, depends on what each individual expatriate values in their life. In review, AEs will most likely come to Japan in the pursuit of an increased repertoire and are more driven by career factors. AEs will most likely also start off in a high position (higher than that of a SIE), and in turn, will earn more money, while in Japan. SIEs, on the other hand, can come to Japan for varied reasons, but in order to succeed, they all have to have some skills to help them prepare for this unique culture. Many SIEs have great Japanese-language proficiencies and have a tendency to appreciate the culture and the locals more, as, they will most likely want to stay longer in Japan, than AEs. However, they will usually start off in lower positions, compared to AEs, even though they may have the same level of education. This may lead to them being underemployed and contribute to an overall job dissatisfaction. Women looking expatriate on their own to Japan, also need to consider that they will be facing additional challenges due to the patriarchal structure over there, and may not be happy about their compensation. Thus, may consider expatriating to Japan, through company sponsorship from their native countries. With all of the pros and cons weighted and in consideration, it seems as if being an assigned expatriate may better suit most people’s characteristics. Not many people would like to shift to Japan for life (or most of their lives), thus, assigned expatriation provides a great opportunity to experience Japanese life and culture, while making more money than SIEs, on average. AEs are also given the chance to expatriate elsewhere, and see more of the world after their experience with Japan. SIEs may choose to repatriate to their native countries, but most would choose not to be a SIE again, as they may find it to be too much of a commitment. References: Biemann, T., Andresen, M. (2010). Self-initiated foreign expatriates versus assigned expatriates.Journal of Managerial Psychology,25(4), 430-448. doi:10.1108/02683941011035313 Selmer, J., Lauring, J. (2012). Reasons to expatriate and work outcomes of self-initiated expatriates.Personnel Review,41(5), 665-684. doi:10.1108/00483481211249166 Selmer, J., Lauring, J. (2010), Self-initiated academic expatriates: Inherent demographics and reasons to expatriate. European Management Review, 7:169–179. doi:10.1057/emr.2010.15 Boling, P. A. (2008). Demography, culture, and policy: Understanding Japans low fertility.Population and Development Review,34(2), 307-326. doi:10.1111/j.1728-4457.2008.00221.x Doherty, N., Dickmann, M., Mills, T. (2011). Exploring the motives of company-backed and self-initiated expatriates. International Journal Of Human Resource Management,22(3), 595-611. doi:10.1080/09585192.2011.543637 Doherty, N., Richardson, J., Thorn, K. (2013). Self-initiated expatriation and self-initiated expatriates.Career Development International,18(1), 97-112. doi:10.1108/13620431311305971 Tharenou, P. (2013). Self-initiated expatriates: An alternative to company-assigned expatriates?Journal of Global Mobility,1(3), 336-356. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JGM-02-2013-0008 Andresen, M., Biemann, T., Pattie, M. W. (2015). What makes them move abroad? reviewing and exploring differences between self-initiated and assigned expatriation.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,26(7), 932-947. doi:10.1080/09585192.2012.669780 Sims, R. H., Schraeder, M. (2005). Expatriate compensation.Career Development International,10(2), 98-108. doi:10.1108/13620430510588301 Lee, C. H. (2005). A study of underemployment among self-initiated expatriates.Journal of World Business,40(2), 172-187. doi:10.1016/j.jwb.2005.02.005 Peltokorpi, V. (2007). Intercultural communication patterns and tactics: Nordic expatriates in Japan.International Business Review,16(1), 68-82. doi:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2006.12.001 Peltokorpi, V. (2008). Cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates in Japan.International Journal Of Human Resource Management,19(9), 1588-1606. doi:10.1080/09585190802294903 Froese, F. J., Peltokorpi, V. (2013). Organizational expatriates and self-initiated expatriates: differences in cross-cultural adjustment and job satisfaction.International Journal Of Human Resource Management,24(10), 1953-1967. doi:10.1080/09585192.2012.725078 Taylor, S., Napier, N. (1996). Working in Japan: Lessons from women expatriates.Sloan Management Review,37(3), 76. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/224969161?accountid=14771 1

The Regrets of a Time Gone By :: essays research papers fc

The Regrets of a Time Gone By Poetry is a language of understanding. The reader must be able to comprehend the various known connotations for words as well as be able to pick up on the uncommon and unknown meanings of words. Poets are masters of language. They constantly manipulate words to make a specific connotation fit the ideas and scenarios that they choose to describe. Therefore, poetry is a language that requires a reader to closely read and pay attention to certain aspects in order for he or she to understand the poet’s message. The poet, Robert Frost, takes the idea of a harvest and uses it as a metaphor to expound upon different aspects of life. In the poem, â€Å"After Apple-Picking,† Frost uses imagery, figurative language, and a reminiscent tone to demonstrate to the reader the various emotions and complications of life. What at first glance from the title seems to be a poem about picking apples is really a metaphor about retirement. The first idea the poem illustrates is that the speaker has no true desire to depart from his work. His â€Å"long two-pointed† ladder that still rest upon the same tree â€Å"toward heaven still† is a metaphor symbolizing his reluctance to leave and accept that the day is coming to an end (line 1)(line 2). He becomes unable to fulfill his last day’s work as though the completion of the task would make the finalization too real. He mentions the â€Å"barrel the [he] didn’t fill† and refers to â€Å"some apples that [he] didn’t pick† that still hang from â€Å"some bough† as though he is leaving something behind that he truly cares about or some matter of unfinished business (line 5). The speaker struggles between feelings of regret and feelings of satisfaction as he ponders his accomplishments and the opportunities that he let pass him by in life. His emotions run the gamut from lament to fulfillment as he slightly regrets the fact that he is â€Å"done with apple-picking now (line 6).† He mentions an â€Å"essence of winter sleep† present in the air which is easily interpreted as a sense of hibernation or a long restful and peaceful slumber that is sure to come very soon (line 7). Grounding this poem in reality reassures the fact that it is after a long day, or era, and the speaker is reflecting on all that has passed him by in that time.

Why Winter Is Better Than Summer

Mr. ENG4U Due: The Winter Season is the Best Amongst Them All The winter season is the best season amongst the 4 that occur in Canada. The winter season has the most spirit, is the most comfortable, and is the safest health wise. The winter season has holidays that every kid impatiently waits for, and has outdoor pond hockey unlike any other season. Whereas in the summer you’re hot and dehydrated while mosquitoes attack you, and it harder to sleep when it’s hot compared to when it’s cold. No other season has the holiday spirit that is present in the winter.The winter has multiple holidays that everyone looks forward to, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentines Day, New Years Eve/Day, and the best of all Christmas. The smell of the ginger bread cookies that the mothers make is the traditional Christmas holiday scent. While the mothers are cooking the older sons are hanging the Christmas lights with their fathers. The mothers and daughters decorating the house and Chris tmas tree while the younger kids are writing up their Christmas wish lists to send to the North Pole.The little girls go out side to build some snowmen while the boys go play some shinny with their friends on the frozen pond. Whereas in the summer there is no pond hockey, no presents, and no holiday spirit. Only unpleasant things await ones presence in the summer. As the summer season comes around, it won’t wont have any presents, ginger bread cookies, frozen pond hockey, or a nice cool night of sleep waiting for you. The winter is the most comfortable and stress-free amongst all the seasons in Canada.When the kids are done building their snowman’s, or finished playing shinny with their friends on the frozen pond, they can go back inside and enjoy a nice hot chocolate (http://ghostlittle. blogspot. ca/2011/05/21-winter-is-better-than-summer. htmlby) the warmth of the roaring fire. In comparison the summer will only have bloodthirsty mosquitoes ready to attack, a scorch ing hot sun ready to dehydrate and burn, and a long hot sleepless night waiting for you.While one builds a snowman in the winter, one will have sand sticking to their burnt sweaty skin in the summer. While one is sitting by the warm fireplace with a hot chocolate in the winter, one will be struggling for cool air from the fan in the summer. When the day comes to an end in the winter, one can enjoy a good night of sleep in the warmth of their beds; where in the summer one truly detests the warmth of their bed, resulting with a long sleepless night.Winter being the most stress-free season for anybody is the reason why it’s the healthiest season. The winter season is the healthiest season for anybody. The increased comfort helps reduce stress, and the holiday spirit and more time spent with your family is another factor that contributes to making people in a more cheerful mood. The main reason why winter is the healthiest season amongst them all is because there are lower amount of sicknesses and diseases compared to the summer.Whereas in the summer one can suffer from dehydration, sun burn from the scorching hot sun, sunstroke, and a fever from when it rains (http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20080930065312AAGlbMn) . The human body also can withstand cold temperatures better than it can handle hot temperatures, so the winter is more preferable for ones body. In the winter we never have to face any of these problem, instead one can enjoy the hot chocolate once again by the fireplace with their family members and friends.The winter season is the most enjoyable for one compared to the summer because it is the most comfortable, spirit filled, and the healthiest. Would one rather be suffering from all pain from the bloodthirsty mosquitoes and the red-hot sun? Or would they rather be snuggling with their lovers by the warm fireplace with a hot chocolate at hand? Works Cited http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20080930065312AAGlbMn http:/ /ghostlittle. blogspot. ca/2011/05/21-winter-is-better-than-summer. html

All Work and No Play Makes a Dull Life

Imagine a world without leisure and enjoyment! We would all be drudges and consequently would be no better than animals. I can only imagine people with bowed shoulders and lowered eyes, people who have no light in their eyes and no hope in their world. As it is. things are pretty had. People are always busy – busy with work and busy with idleness. No – No. I'm not trying to be witty but people are busy with nothing to do because they do not know how to make use of their leisure. But of that later, for the time being let me stick to the point – all work and no play would he a monotonous existence. Man has always been busy with the effort of fulfilling his needs. In the early stages man spent his time hunting and then ploughing. but these activities did not fill up his whole day. Today man is busy keeping up with the Joneses. he is the company of his kind in the rat race that he runs. It is no longer a question of survival but a question of acquisition – acquiring more worldly goods, having more money to hoard and to spend. Most of us do not feel happy when there is nothing to do. Those who are able to enjoy what they do and those who are able to do what they enjoy are indeed very lucky. But even these people need a change. A person who is doing an office job or busy with books welcomes a walk in the evening, half an hour in the garden, a drink with a friend. And a person who has been working in a factory or in a field would definitely enjoy a visit to a restaurant, an hour to go through the newspaper. watch television. It is not only the nature of one's work which conditions one's choice of recreative activity; intellectual and cultural development is also an important factor. Those people who do not know how to enjoy their leisure and do not allow themselves to recoup lose their efficiency. No one can continue at the same rate of efficiency over an indefinite period. Just as the body needs sleep, the mind needs rest and change. That is why the hobbies which one cultivates and the activities which keep one busy are referred to as recreative; they help to recreate something which has been spent and utilized. People who only know about their work and are perpetually engrossed in it do not recreate that part of themselves which is spent. Thus they either break down under the strain or merely tag along automatically. They make very poor conversationalists and do not have well-integrated personalities. Over the years they lose their mental alertness and become confined to the narrow limits of their jobs. This is not to decry hard work. Work is necessary and only those who work hard are able to achieve something. But at the same time one must know how to relax no matter for how short a period. Relaxation does not mean only sleeping or idling; it also means finding something satisfying and meaningful to do. Otherwise life becomes monotonous and dull.

Data and Information

Data and Information Data and Information Data and Information By Maeve Maddox A reader suggests addressing the difference between data and information. Both information and data are types of knowledge, a concept for which English has numerous words. The various words are used in different ways, according to context, but heres an effort to differentiate some of them. information knowledge obtained from investigation or communication. Detectives and journalists gather information. Just the facts, Mam. data [dÄ tÉ™, dÄÆ'tÉ™, dtÉ™] reliable information based on observation and record-keeping. Scientists, marketing specialists, and government agencies gather data. For a discussion of datum and data, see this DWT post on Latin plurals. fact something known to be true, or something that can be proved to be true. knowledge the condition of knowing. Knowledge is the whole package of what we have learned from the experience of living. It may or may not be factual. To my knowledge, the world is flat. Learning and erudition both indicate knowledge obtained from academic inquiry. An English professor who knows the language and literature of English and can also read Latin and a couple of modern languages can be said to have learning. The professor is learned [là »rnÄ ­d]. If the professor can also read Hebrew and ancient Greek and is well-read in several other academic disciplines, the word erudition [Ä•ryÉ™-dÄ ­shÉ™n, Ä•rÉ™-] applies. A person so steeped in learning is erudite [Ä•ryÉ™-dÄ «t, Ä•rÉ™-]. While its ok for a professor to be erudite, its not such a good thing for a poet. Many of T. S. Eliots poems are so erudite as to be pedantic. The general reader needs explanatory notes to understand them. Scholarship is often used to indicate all the learning, data, and informed opinion that exists in a certain area of study. Ex. Civil War scholarship, George Washington scholarship, motion picture scholarship. Lore is specialized knowledge above and beyond what most people know about a subject. Ex. movie lore, sports lore, computer lore. The word often suggests arcane learning. Ex. Gandalf is steeped in magical lore. Science is systematized knowledge Ex. the science of light, the science of photosynthesis. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?Taser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?Starting a Business Letter with Dear Mr.

Animal Farm vs. Marxism essays

Animal Farm vs. Marxism essays In George Orwell's Animal Farm, the animals and events can be compared to similar people and events during the Russian Revolution of 1917. These similarities stand out due to the symbolism found in the book and the reality of the happenings of the Russian Revolution. Old Major was a prized-boar that belonged to Farmer Jones. The fact that Old Major is himself a boar was to signify that radical change and revolution are, themselves, boring in the eyes of the lower class (represented by the other barnyard animals), who are more prone to worrying about work and survival in their everyday life. Old Major gave many speeches to the farm animals about hope and the future. He is the main animal who got the rebellion started even though he died before it actually began. Old Major's role compares to Lenin and Marx whose ideas were to lead to the communist revolution. "Animal Farm is a criticism of Karl Marx, as well as a novel perpetuating his convictions of democratic Socialism." (Zwerdling, 20). Lenin became leader and teacher of the working class in Russia, and their determination to struggle against capitalism. Like Old Major, Lenin and Marx wrote essays and gave speeches to the working class poor. The working class in Russia, as compared wit h the barnyard animals in Animal Farm, was a laboring class of people that received low wages for their work. "Like the animals in the farm yard, the people is Russia thought there would be no oppression in a new society because the working class people (or animals) would own all the riches and hold all the power." (Golubeva and Gellerstein 168). Another character represented in the book is Farmer Jones. He represents the symbol of the Czar Nicholas in Russia who treated his people like Farmer Jones treated his animals. The animal rebellion on the farm was started because Farmer Jones was a drunk who never took care of the animals and who came home one night, left the gate open and the...

Liberal Arguments Against the Death Penalty

Liberal Arguments Against the Death Penalty The problem with the death penalty was on stark display last week in Arizona. No one disputes that Joseph R. Wood III committed a horrific crime when he killed his ex-girlfriend and her father in 1989. The problem is that Woods execution, 25 years after the crime, went horribly wrong as he gasped, choked, snored, and in other ways resisted the lethal injection that was supposed to kill him quickly but dragged on for nearly two hours. In an unprecedented move, Woods attorneys even appealed to a Supreme Court justice during the execution, hoping for a federal order that would mandate that the prison administer life-saving measures.Woods extended execution has many criticizing the protocol Arizona used to execute him, especially whether it is right or wrong to use untested drug cocktails in executions.  His execution now joins those of Dennis McGuire in Ohio and Clayton D. Lockett in Oklahoma as questionable applications of the death penalty. In each of these cases, the condemned men appeared to experience prolonged suffering during their executions.   A Brief History of the Death Penalty in America For liberals the larger issue is not how inhumane the method of execution is, but whether the death penalty itself is cruel and unusual. To liberals, the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is clear. It reads, Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. What is not clear, however, is what cruel and unusual means. Throughout history, Americans and, more specifically, the Supreme Court have gone back and forth on whether the death penalty is cruel. The Supreme Court effectively found the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972 when it ruled in Furman v. Georgia that the death penalty was often too arbitrarily applied. Justice Potter Stewart said that the random way that states decided on the death penalty was comparable to the randomness of being struck by lightning. But the Court seemingly reversed itself in 1976, and state-sponsored executions resumed. What Liberals Believe To liberals, the death penalty is itself an affront to the principles of liberalism. These are the specific arguments liberals use against the death penalty, including a commitment to humanism and equality. Liberals agree that one of the fundamental underpinnings of a just society is the right to due process, and the death penalty compromises that. Too many factors, such as race, economic status, and access to adequate legal representation, prevent the judicial process from guaranteeing that each of the accused receives due process. Liberals agree with the American Civil Liberties Union, which states, The death penalty system in the U.S. is applied in an unfair and unjust manner against people, largely dependent on how much money they have, the skill of their attorneys, race of the victim and where the crime took place. People of color are far more likely to be executed than white people, especially if the victim is white.Liberals believe that death is both a cruel and unusual punishment.  Unlike conservatives, who follow the biblical eye for an eye doctrine, liberals argue that the death penalty is merely state-sponsored murder that violates the human right to life. They agree with t he U.S. Catholic Conference that we cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. Liberals argue that the death penalty does not reduce the prevalence of violent crimes.  Again, according to the ACLU, The vast majority of law enforcement professionals surveyed agree that capital punishment does not deter violent crime; a survey of police chiefs nationwide found they rank the death penalty lowest among ways to reduce violent crime...The FBI has found the states with the death penalty have the highest murder rates. The recent death penalty executions have graphically illustrated all of these concerns. Heinous crimes must be met with firm punishment. Liberals do not question the need to punish those who commit such crimes, both in order to affirm that bad behavior has consequences but also to provide justice for victims of those crimes. Rather, liberals question whether the death penalty upholds American ideals or violates them. To most liberals, state-sponsored executions are an example of a state that has embraced barbarism rather than humanism.

High school sports personal to myself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

High school sports personal to myself - Essay Example During my freshman year of high school I had just moved to a new town and did not know many people. Upon joining the high school baseball team I was able to meet and interact with a wide variety of individuals. This allowed me to become fully integrated into my high school as well as the new community. I recognize that having the opportunity to interact with a number of individuals under a common interest was a very beneficial element for my life. It greatly boosted my self-esteem and confidence. The structure of high school sports was also a highly beneficial element for my life. Everyday after school I attended practice and participated in rigorous exercise. Now that I am in college I recognize that not having this structure and regular exercise effects other aspects of my life. I have now been required to fill in these elements on my own. Having this regular structure in my life I believe was good for my general health and motivation. While it may appear counter-intuitive, the mor e active I was the more energy I generally had. This motivation affected other aspects of my life, such that I approached it with strength and vigor. Since leaving the high school baseball team I have been forced to struggle to fill these elements.

Jews of Spain relationship with Islamic and Arabic Culture Assignment - 1

Jews of Spain relationship with Islamic and Arabic Culture - Assignment Example Ladino was a romantic language that borrowed much from Judeo-Catalan, Hebrew, and Old Castilian. However, Jews in Spain currently uses Spanish as their language. The adoption of the Arabic culture by the Spanish Jewish started in the twelfth century when Almohades seized the southern parts of the Spain. He gave three choices to the Jews in Spain: death, flee or adopt the Arabic culture. Some of the Arabic cultural practices that Spanish Jews adopted include using of the last name. Jews were renowned of using their first name, their fathers’ name, or even their tribal name but with adoption of the Arabic culture, they were compelled to use the last name. The Spanish Jews adopted washing of legs and hands before entering the synagogue just as the Muslims do; they also adopted Arabic tunes for their sacred songs (Attig 832). In addition, the Arabic rule made the Spanish Jews to shift from their native languages such as Hebrews and Aramaic to Arabic language. The loss of the Jewish language led to extinction of the central literary works that was a characteristic of the Jewish culture. Examples of the Jewish literary works are poetry, Torah, Mishnah, liturgy, and Midrash (Corrà © 172). Moreover, the wide spread of the Arabic language resulted into Bible translation into Arabic. Consequently, Jews shifted from their traditional habit of being religious to secular. Furthermore, the Spanish Jews adopted the court system of settling disputes. Additionally, Jews of Spain accepted the Arabic traditions and customs including clothing in their daily routine (Corrà © 172). Jewish of Spain never lost hope of their culture, however, they took advantage of the Islamic rule to revive their culture by collaborating with them. The Spanish Jews struck an agreement with the Islamic rulers so that they could exercise their religion and culture. This agreement came at a cost because they had to a pay a special tax called jizya. Therefore, they enjoyed

Popular Culture Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Popular Culture Today - Essay Example No country seems to be free from the rapid growth of popular culture. The only difference is that in advanced countries the growth of popular culture may takes place much rapidly than in underdeveloped countries. For example, soft drinks were signs of lavish life styles earlier and it was available in western countries only. However, it is available in all parts of the world at present. In other words, cultural changes or life style changes are taking place in all the corners of the world. Even the tribal people or the people living in rural areas are changing their life styles periodically. Even in some of the most patriarchal societies like Saudi Arabia, one can visualize pop culture changes. America is a country which is striving for changes. Many people are of the view that cultural changes or the development of new popular culture normally originates from America. Since America is a liberal society, it can accommodate any changes. Religion has not much role in politics or social life of the people and therefore America can welcome or accommodate any changes in pop culture easily. This paper analyses the trends in changing popular culture in America. Students may not be typical of the population as a whole, though jeans are widely popular among nonstudents of same age group, and only slightly less widespread among older age groups. So thinking about jeans is a good way to begin a discussion on popular culture (Fiske, p.1). Clothing is one area in which one can witness huge changes as part of the pop culture changes. Earlier, Americans used pants stitched in different ways. Tight pants, loos pants and bell bottom pants were the symbols of fashion at some periods of time in the past. However, the present era is the era of jeans, especially blue jeans. Majority of the celebrities, not only in America, but all over the world are fans of blue jeans at present. Even though jeans provide a rough look, even the soft hearted females are currently fans of jeans. One of the unique characteristics of jeans is the fact that it attracts all people irrespective of their religion, race, culture, gender, socioeconomic status, age etc. Apart from jeans, T shirts also attract Americans very much. Half pants is another major way through which Americans express their fashion concepts. Only on formal occasions, Americans use formal dressings like pants and coats. On all other occasions they like to wear jeans, T shirts, half pants etc. The gap between two different fashion trends has been reduced completely over the past few years. â€Å"Apparel designers used to have an eighteen-month lead time between concept and sale. Now they're reducing that to a year, or even six months, in order to react faster to new ideas from the street† (Who decides what's cool? Certain kids in certain places-- and only the cool hunters know who they are). Current generation is always looking for new ideas and concepts. The better living standards and advancements in scie nce and technology helped them in doing so. For example, the advancements in computer technologies or digital electronics brought huge changes in America and other parts of the word. The size of the computer has come down gradually and as a result of that, laptops, palmtops and gadgets entered the market. Now a mobile phone like Samsung Galaxy S2 or iPhone can perform the activities of a computer without many problems. It is difficult to see an American without a

Human Rights Act 1998 s 3 s 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human Rights Act 1998 s 3 s 4 - Essay Example Rights Act was geared towards bringing about a â€Å"major constitutional change† within the UK3 in order to ensure that the freedoms and human rights guaranteed to individuals under the European Convention of Human Rights were more effectively incorporated into national law. Klug and Starmer have spelt out the goals of the HRA as follows: (a) ensuring compliances with human rights principles (b) interpreting domestic legislation such that it is compatible with the Act (c) introducing the doctrine of horizontal effect and (d) modifying grounds for judicial review4. In the balance of division of powers within the UK, Parliament emerges supreme and therefore this leads to a centralized form of Government. Parliamentary Sovereignty in the UK has therefore posed the urgent need for Constitutional reform within the country.5 However, Klug and Starmer also point out that five years after the Human Rights Act came into force on 2nd October 2000, conflicting views are offered about its efficacy, with some experts concluding that the only difference is that a wider range of questions may be asked by judicial authorities although the answers remain the same while others contend that UK courts have demonstrated their ability to interpret and apply the principles of the ECHR in national law. The essential conflict with the democratic principles of Parliamentary Sovereignty6 upon which UK law has been based - mandating Parliament’s authority as the supreme law making authority, has also produced resistance to the HRA7. The two major sections of the HRA that are significant are sections 3 and 4. The provisions of Section 3 of the Human Rights Act states that Parliament legislation must be read and given effect to in a way that will be compatible with Convention rights â€Å"so far as it is possible to do so.†8 In the event that domestic legislation is found to be incompatible with individual rights spelt out in the Convention, and statutory interpretation is not possible,

Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Political Science - Essay Example But this rise was not unending. After huge growth in the 1980s, Japan suffered a terrible â€Å"lost decade† during the 1990s, beginning with the world recession in 1990-92. Why was the recession so especially painful for Japan? Why did it extend for almost a full decade, causing so many lost economic opportunities? And perhaps more importantly, what can the United States and the global economy, currently mired in a serious recession, learn from this period of economic doldrums in Japan? This essay will try to get to the bottom of these important and timely questions. In the decade before the long drawn out recession of the 1990s, Japan experienced unprecedented growth. Its flagship industries—electronics and automobiles—were taking over the world. These companies had an impressive reputation of high quality and reliability and were dominating their markets. American automobile makers were taken aback; American electronic companies were being bought up. Because of savings programs implemented by the government and tariffs against investing in foreign companies, there was a lot of money in Japan available to invest in Japanese companies and other investments. The government was trying to depreciate the yen, which had soared in value in the previous years. In order to do this, they dramatically eased monetary policy and increased spending. This economic stimulus led to a lot more money in the marketplace. Many economists believe that this situation led to an asset bubble in the late 1980s—similar to what happened in the United States over the last few years. Real estate and art, for example, rapidly appreciated. As an example of how extreme this bubble became: in the late 1980s it is said that the land in downtown Tokyo occupied by the Imperial Palace (about 3.5 square kilometres) was valued at more than all of the real estate in

Customizing Bonus Pay Plns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Customizing Bonus Pay Plns - Essay Example Both individual and group incentives can be used to motivate workers. One of the cons of the use of individual incentives is that it can create interpersonal conflict due to competition among the workers. A negative aspect of group incentives is that sometimes many employees receive additional compensation benefits without providing any effort since they rely on the efforts of others to achieve the productivity goals. The individual performance modifier identified by Towers Perrin was incentive plans in which the performance was linked to a company wide measure and distributions were made from a pool in proportion to salary. The use of the scorecard approach is more appropriate for companies in the manufacturing sector or firms that have a wide variety of products to offer. Companies or professionals that offer intangible services such as stylists or consultants are not suitable for this assessment tool. Firms with many employees can benefit from the application of this tool because it can be used as a metric to evaluate the individual performance of each

Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Political Science - Essay Example But this rise was not unending. After huge growth in the 1980s, Japan suffered a terrible â€Å"lost decade† during the 1990s, beginning with the world recession in 1990-92. Why was the recession so especially painful for Japan? Why did it extend for almost a full decade, causing so many lost economic opportunities? And perhaps more importantly, what can the United States and the global economy, currently mired in a serious recession, learn from this period of economic doldrums in Japan? This essay will try to get to the bottom of these important and timely questions. In the decade before the long drawn out recession of the 1990s, Japan experienced unprecedented growth. Its flagship industries—electronics and automobiles—were taking over the world. These companies had an impressive reputation of high quality and reliability and were dominating their markets. American automobile makers were taken aback; American electronic companies were being bought up. Because of savings programs implemented by the government and tariffs against investing in foreign companies, there was a lot of money in Japan available to invest in Japanese companies and other investments. The government was trying to depreciate the yen, which had soared in value in the previous years. In order to do this, they dramatically eased monetary policy and increased spending. This economic stimulus led to a lot more money in the marketplace. Many economists believe that this situation led to an asset bubble in the late 1980s—similar to what happened in the United States over the last few years. Real estate and art, for example, rapidly appreciated. As an example of how extreme this bubble became: in the late 1980s it is said that the land in downtown Tokyo occupied by the Imperial Palace (about 3.5 square kilometres) was valued at more than all of the real estate in

My worldview as a Christian Essay Example for Free

My worldview as a Christian Essay This essay is for the purpose of formally stating my worldview as a Christian and demonstrating how I perceive reality when it pertains to certain issues. While this will not have changed much from my original worldview outline, it serves to expand on the issues and give intelligent analysis to my beliefs. As this semester draws to a close, and I re-evaluate my worldview outline, I a consistency between my beliefs and those presented in the course material. After analyzing the major questions, I have been able to find academic support for each belief that I hold. The first question we were asked was ‘Who is God, and what is he like?’ my initial answer was that God is the creator of heaven and earth, the supreme celestial being that oversees and influences everyday events. As to His characteristics, I believe that he is absolutely just while being full of grace. He is absolute power, under perfect control. He has intense emotions, but perfect reactions to them. That is who God is to me. The second question was about humans, what they were, and what happened when they died. A human is a being created in the image of God, with capabilities for reason, and an innate understanding of right and wrong. When a human dies, they go to one of two places. Those who have chosen to follow God will go to heaven. Those who don’t will go to hell. The third question was ‘what is the nature of the universe?’ When I hear that, I have to ask what they mean by nature. I have to look around and say ‘is it the actual physical world, and how it fits into a bigger picture? I would assume so, and say that by nature, what God created was good, And was later polluted by sin. The most confusing question was ‘how do I know what I know, and how do I know it’s true?’ I know what I know because of what I’ve been told, and what I’ve experienced, and how I apply it through the filter of my faith and values. And I kn ow that I know because if I didn’t know that I knew I wouldn’t be able to analyze this question about knowing. The next question was the only one that my answer changed slightly. What is right and wrong, or does it exist? Right exists, but wrong is only the absence of right, not something in and of itself. And the only way we can discover it is through the experiences, of ourselves and others, and through the filter of God’s word. Is life pointless or is there a purpose? If we believe God creates us, we must believe that there is a reason. I believe my purpose is to help people through hard times, since I have gone through enough hard times that I can empathize with them. Each person has a unique attribute that helps them glorify God in some way. What core commitments are consistent with my worldview, and how do they impact my life? I’m still not exactly sure about what is meant by core commitments, but the actions and values that I hold myself to identify key aspects of my worldview. I would say that the things I do are very consistent with my moral and spiritual beliefs. My worldview is based a lot on faith, and I try to find reason for what I believe. I do need to evaluate if the beliefs that I have actually have base in reality, scientifically and morally. I have very strong beliefs and opinions, as a result of coming from a very opinionated family. My worldview is very consistent with the perspectives expressed in the coursework. I have a fairly weighty background in biblical studies from other schools, and so have been exposed to this subject more than the average student. As a result, my worldview has been shaped by what I have learned, and there were few if any contradictions between what I believe and what was presented. My worldview passes (to my knowledge) all of the four tests of a worldview. In the test of evidence, my worldview draws from personal experience and scientific reason, and assumes (if not proves) the existence of a God who embodies the characteristics I have identified. In the test of logical consistency there is no reason to doubt what I have seen or read, and I try not to act outside of my beliefs in a way that would cause any inconsistency to be evident. In the test of existential repugnance, it is possible to live the life that I am attempting to live in the ‘outside’ world. Anyone can live a moral life and follow specific rules about how we should govern ourselves, but not on their own. And the test of human nature is consistent with my belief on the nature of humanity. Nothing about humanity suggests that we are not designed by a higher being, and everything points to inherent value that other creatures do not and can not possess. My worldview affects everything about my actions, because I will not leave that frame of reference without changing part of my worldview. I cannot act outside of my worldview, because I will always analyze things based on what I assume to be right information, and will act accordingly. My worldview has stayed consistent throughout this course, and if it has changed at all it has been a subconscious change. I have had a good upbringing and a solid background in biblical studies, so I did not hear anything that was shockingly new or revolutionary. Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian thought: faith, learning, and the Christian worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. Strobel, L. (2000). The case for faith: a journalist investigates the toughest objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich.: ZondervanPublishingHouse. Wilkens, S., Sanford, M. L. (2009). Hidden worldviews: eight cultural stories that shape our lives. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academi

Importance Of Professionalism In Healthcare Nursing Essay

Importance Of Professionalism In Healthcare Nursing Essay Nowadays, the word professionalism is a popular issue at the leading edge of entire healthcare professions especially in the field of physiotherapy. It is presently one of the primary areas of interest as physiotherapy progresses to Vision 2020. Vision 2020 is the American Physical Therapy Associations (APTA) established target for the future in 2020. Healthcare providers will be doctoral-level qualified, recognized by different healthcare specialists as well as patients, and will have maximum absolute access in each and every circumstances within their scope of practice in that year (APTA, 2011). Professionalism can be ascertained in several different ways and from various perspectives. According to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, professionalism is defined as a proficiency of a clear and specific body of knowledge and contribution to that body of knowledge with an adherence to a distinct code of ethics which controls behavior via rigorous healthcare training (Dictionary of O ccupational Titles, 1991). The 7 main core values of professionalism in physiotherapy stated by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) are accountability, altruism, compassion/caring, excellence, integrity, professional duty and social responsibility as well (Swisher and Page, 2005). The relationship between healthcare professionals and patient is intended to be therapeutic in nature as the patient has a need for technical services from healthcare professionals and the healthcare professionals are the technical experts who are qualified to help the patient. The ability for healthcare professionals to maintain the level of professionalism is very important because this will give assurance to the patients that the healthcare professionals are in good hands. A healthcare professional should be able to supply a measure of support and the security of knowing what one is supposed to do (Brechin, Brown Eby, pp 149). A healthcare professional has to find ways of handling various situations which enable them to continue to provide health care. The patient who feels that the healthcare professional has been professional is comforted and assured is beneficial for the healthcare professional to gather sufficient information and the active participation of the patient. For example, making a wise decision and speaking firmly will give a good impression on the patient and their family members. It is also important that the medical professionals should use the language that can be easily understood as jargons may work perfectly well with professionals but not patients, thus creating confusion, incorrect cases and dissatisfaction in patient. Hence, professionalism can bring trust and confidence between the healthcare professionals and the patient. According to Miller-Keane Encyclopaedia Dictionary, the ethical norms, values, and principles that guide a profession and the ethics of decisions made within the profession are meant by professional ethics. Based on code of ethics adopted by American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), healthcare providers should be accountable in making professional judgments. This is well elaborated when a healthcare provider is thorough with professional standards, practicing up-to-date evidence-based practices, equipped with good practitioner experiences, performing within his level of expertise, valuing patients feelings, in demonstrating independent and objective judgments when clients participating fully in all practical settings together with good communication amongst interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary healthcare team. Legal and professional obligations should be fulfilled by healthcare providers. They should adhere themselves to applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Those include having prior culpability in supervising assistants and supporting personnel, protecting clients personal information, providing notices upon termination of provider relationships to appropriate authority, and encourage colleagues in physical and psychological aspects when they hesitate to ask for assistance in professional practices. (Code of Ethics, 2010) It is mentioned in code of ethics that, healthcare providers shall enhance their expertise through professional behaviours. They should achieve and maintain professional competence in taking responsibilities for their professional development based on critical self-assessment and reflections especially on current changes of physiotherapy practices, education, healthcare delivery, and technology. They should evaluate applicability of updated evidence-based practices in pre, during, and post practice. They should cultivate lifelong learning and professional development. In professional ethical practice, healthcare providers should promote organizational behaviours that benefits patients and society. They should support autonomous and accountable professional judgments, not accepting gifts and other considerations that might influence a judgment, always being alert of documentation and coding for practice accuracy to avoid any complications, and prevent one from fulfilling professional obligations. The major attribute of professionalism is self-improvement. Research is one of the importance ways to improve themselves. This is because research is able to gain and widen the knowledge of the healthcare professional such as the latest interventions. Knowledge is essential for reasoning and decision making which are central to professional practice (Higg, Jones, 2000, p.24). Knowledge empowers the healthcare professional, increase their self-confidence, sense of mission and hope which is able to manage the untreatable illness (Blumenthal, 2011, pp.254-255). According to the Paul B (2005), knowledge, skills, and behaviour need to be achieved via self-improvement in order to improve the quality of care towards the patient. These ensure the better interaction between the healthcare professional and patients especially to avoid any misunderstandings. Self- awareness is a continuous process of noticing and exploring aspects of one self such as the psychosocial, physical and behavioural aspect with the intention of developing personal and interpersonal understanding (Burnard,2001,p.68). It is a very important skill and it has the ability to influence the healthcare professional. Self- awareness is significant as when they have a better understanding of themselves; they are able to make changes and hence strengthen every aspect of the healthcare professionals. This is a way to achieve the patient-centered care practice. In addition, the self-awareness is required from the healthcare professionals so to enable them to attune to patients and their experiences, concerns and interpretations of their illness. Thus, a close therapeutic relationship can be developed and sustained (Higg, Jones, 2000, p.30). Other than that, decision making for a healthcare professional is very important as there are many other alternative treatments, and as a healthcare provider, we need to choose the right treatment that has the highest probability of giving an effective treatment to the patients. Decision-making is a process of reducing any uncertainty and doubt to allow a healthcare provider to choose the best choice among them (Robert Harris, 2009). Decision-making could be influenced by several factors. These include: clinicians goals, psychosocial skills, based of knowledge and expertise, values and beliefs, strategies for problem solving and procedural skills. Patients characters influence the decision-making too. This closely associated with patients goals, values and beliefs, physical, education, psychosocial, and cultural factors and as well as environment factors such as clinical practice environment, overall resources, time, level of financial support and level of social support (OSullivan.B.S.,Schmitz.J.T., 2007,pg 3). Framework for a patient management is crucial for decision-making, as it assists to provide successful manifestation on healthcare provider plans. With a good planning ahead, an effective and efficient work could be carried out. Clear settings of aims and objectives, priorities, planning and evaluating work are those important aspects of management (Ewles.L.,Simnett.I., 2003, pg149). Effective treatment on the other hand plays important roles in the practice setting. The treatment given must be appropriate to the need of the patient and the members of the healthcare team (OSullivan.B.S.,Schmitz.J.T., 2007,pg 4). Evidence-based practice is also being emphasized upon decision making. A successful treatment can be accomplished with the evidence-based medical practice. Data collection and analyzing on qualitative or quantitative questionnaire are done as a form of evidence-based practice. Evidence-based clinical practices protect healthcare providers from discrimination and no research-b ased illegitimacy. Constant reflections and practitioners experiences provide a guideline for the healthcare professional in enhancement of service care through evidence-based clinical practices. (Ewles.L.,Simnett.I., 2003, pg 129). In a nutshell, a high standard of professionalism will benefit both healthcare providers as well as patients in the long run and it allows healthcare providers to experience a development in self-confidence together with reliability from patients, co-workers as well as most of appreciation from others (Gage, 2007). Professionalism is a fulfillment for all patients, no matter young or old. It also behooves healthcare providers to serve in a proficient manner at all times because it creates a positive effect on every single individuals involved in any circumstances. In other words, professionalism denominate the entire healthcare practices in aspects like communication and decision making by implementing the value itself onto the healthcare providers. Thus, it is essential for healthcare provider to be versatile and not to underestimate any one aspect of professionalism. (1399 words)

Allan Shivers Essay -- essays research papers fc

Throughout Texas history, there have been a number of men and women to serve in their government that have stood out from the rest. Allan Shivers has been one of those men who have stuck out not only as a sore thumb, but even more as one of Texas greatest politicians. Even though his come down from politics was a rough road, his accomplishments more than equal out a bad reputation. From rags to riches, he is a landmark in the lone star state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Allan Shivers was born Robert Allan Shivers on October 7, 1907 in Lufkin, Texas. He grew up in an area known as the Magnolia Hills near a little town called Woodville where he attended primary school. The Woodville school system only went up to the eighth grade. When Shivers finished school in Woodville, he started working at the local sawmill. Shortly thereafter, his family relocated to Port Arthur where he attended high school and graduated in 1924. Eager to learn, Shivers was accepted to the University of Texas and went to school there for one year. Expenses for college had become too much for the Shivers family to afford. He was forced to drop out of school and returned to Port Arthur. He worked in an oil refinery to make some money and eventually made enough to be able to return to school. He actively participated in extracurricular activities such as his fraternity Delta Theta Phi, a law frat. His senior year, he was elected president of the Students Associa tion, thus marking the beginning of his poli...

The Use of Religion in Paintings during the Counter-Reformation :: Religious Art Artwork Catholic

Symbolism: The Way to Get Your Point Across â€Å"Baroque: Dominant style in western European art and architecture from late 16thC [entury] to mid- 18thC [entury]. Started in Rome, with the reassertion of Roman Catholicism in the Counter-Reformation. and then spread to northern Italy and other parts of Europe† as defined by a website containing nothing but art terms, is the time period that I chose to analyze how religion was used through paintings as ammunition for the Counter-Reformation. The Counter Reformation was a movement within the Catholic Church to reform itself in the midst of the Protestant Reformation. I am in awe at how we can look at something for just a short period of time and, in most cases, we can understand what is going on, or something hits us telling us what is meant to be seen or interpreted in a certain scenario. This process is called â€Å"thin-slicing†, as Malcolm Gladwell coined a phrase in his book Blink. In a very dark and some-what eerie painting—with the only form of light in the middle—that depicts a battle that has just been fought, the first thing that comes to mind is the thought of war and death. This painting can be found in the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami in the Renaissance and Baroque section. It is un-named and was painted by Giovanni Andrea Donducci, who was commonly known as Mastelleta, somewhere between 1611 and 1612. The historical time periods that do incorporate these two concepts prior to 1611 are endless. The fact that there is, what seems to be, a knight in the middle of the painting pointing to a city that is illuminated wearing plate and armor, it is deduced that this could be the Crusades. Upon further research, I have come to the conclusion that this image is most likely depicting the Crusades; due to the illuminated city, and the red flags, uniforms, and ornate pole arms, since the main colors were red and white. The Crusades were a series of wars in the name of God and Christendom, fought between Christians and Muslims, to claim the Kingdom of Heaven, also known as Jerusalem. The main symbol that is drawn out of these wars is God and Christ. The city that is illuminated in this painting could be Jerusalem and the people on mountain pointing towards the city could be the Christians fighting to reach the city and try to conquer it.

Of Mice and Me Essay

Of mice and men is a Film about life in a ranch, well done, with a low budget but with a lot of creativity. The directors are Gary Since and Horton Foot, Since plays an important part in the film as George. The other main actors are John Malcovich as Lenny and Sherlin Flynn as Curley’s wife. Very good actors and know how to interpret each characters. Curley’s wife has a very low profile in comparison with the book. Well the film starts when they escape from weed because they think Lenny raped a girl. They go to a ranch to work. There is a guy named Curly who hates big guys like Lenny, he has a wife who likes to flirt with men at the ranch. Curly has a fight with Lenny and Lenny breaks Curley’s hand. They say he caught it in a machine. Gorge and Lenny tell Candy about their dream and they decide to do it together. Lenny is playing with a pup and he realizes its dead, suddenly Curley’s wife gets in they start talking and she says to him to touch her hare. He dose it so hard she starts to scream and Lenny gets nervous and he ends up killing her. He runs away. Candy tells the guys and they go and look for Lenny. Gorge arrives first and while he is telling him their dream he kills him. The part of Lenny its grate. The actor was perfectly chosen in the physical part and its interpretation as Lenny it’s just like I imagined in the book. The part of George was good but not perfect. In the book talks a lot and has a very tight relationship with slim and he treats Lenny very badly in the film he is more quiet and more gentile with Lenny. I personally did not like Curley’s wife. In the book they describe her like a tart. She likes to where fancy dresses and feathers. In the film she is more reserved and less flirty. The music and lights play a major part in the film. For example the sins in the bunk house are always dark, with very little light in the middle of the bunk house. A very good example of music it’s when George is running to the pool at the ending they put nervous music because George its nervous, that makes a big effect in the audience. The novel is a protest novel with deep content but in the feel this is not so clear. The film could represent these themes in a better way if Curley’s wife was more of a tart or if crooks part was the same as in the book, longer and expressing more resentment feelings. I would recommend this film only for people who read the book because it helps to understand many aspects but for people who did not red it could be very slow and boring. This film it’s good only as a complement of the book. It’s good to rescue the actuation of John Malcovich who did a brilliant part and the good music and light effects.

Amazon’s Marketing Strategy Essay

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the marketing process of online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. Amazon.com provides a number of retail services as well as web and storage services. The corporate strategy framework, as discussed in Cravens & Piercy’s Strategic Marketing text, will be used to examine the background of the company and define its current position. The corporate framework includes the following: (1) corporate vision (2) corporate objectives toward vision (3) resources (4) business composition and (5) business design. The marketing strategy of the company will be reviewed using Cravens & Piercy’s suggested marketing strategy process. To assess the current marketing problems and opportunities, this paper takes a closer look at the company’s current SWOT analysis, provided by GlobalData. In addition, strategic recommendations will be made for the company’s prolonged growth. Amazon Inc. A company’s market driven strategy â€Å"mandates more effective integration of activities and processes that impact customer value† (Cravens & Piercy, 2009). As well as a consistent market driven strategy, an organization must be creative and innovative in order to compete in the global marketplace. Amazon, Inc. has developed an inventive marketing strategy through the use of the Internet. By becoming pioneers in the e-commerce marketplace, the company has transformed retail. Amazon Inc. should evaluate their corporate and marketing strategies to make use of all available resources. The company has experienced some marketing failures but can still take advantage of existing marketing opportunities. In the 9th Edition of the text Strategic Marketing, Cravens & Piercy write, â€Å"corporate strategies are concerned with how the company can achieve its growth objectives in current or new business areas† (Cravens & Piercy, 2009). When building the framework for a co mpetitive corporate strategy, an organization must first decide the corporate vision. During the summer of 1994, Internet usage showed promising growth. A reported statistic of 2,300% yearly growth encouraged Jeff Bezos, then Senior Vice President for D.E. Shaw & Co., to quit his job and concentrate on a way to gainfully use this information. His long term vision for his company was to revolutionize retail by creating â€Å"the  earth’s biggest online retail store, where everyone could buy anything and everything† (Kargar, 2003). To achieve this goal, Bezos conducted market research that led him to Seattle and directed him to choose selling books online as his main focus. The company was launched in 1995 and by the first quarter of 1996 reported sales revenues of $110 million. The company soon changed from a virtual bookstore into a virtual marketplace by entering new markets that included music, movies, electronics, toys, apparel, grocery and others. Years later in 2006 Amazon.com had become what some called a model of â€Å"the next-generation Internet-based business† (Isckia, 2009). That same year the company introduced their new endeavor, Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), that offered cheap computing power over the Internet. Many believed Bezos’ unconventional wisdom took the company further away from its core vision. However, a closer examination of Bezos creative mindset reveals more of the organization’s well developed corporate philosophy and structure. Moving beyond book selling, the launch of EC2 and Simple Storage Service (S3) are examples of achievements towards the corporate vision. Amazon has been able to implement objectives in the areas of product quality improvement and new-product targets. Cravens and Piercy note that â€Å"a key strategy issue is matching capabilities to market opportunities† (Cravens & Piercy, 2009). Transforming Amazon.com into more than just a retail operation has given the organization the capability to â€Å"compete in different markets, provide significant valued to end user customers, and create barriers t o competitor duplication† (Cravens & Piercy. 2009). With Bezos’ continuous investments in new technological initiatives, investors were concerned about Amazon’s increasing debt and profitability. Kargar reports, â€Å"the company had a weak balance sheet [and] massive negative operating cash flow† (Kargar, 2004). Throughout the company’s financial history there have been many monetary losses. According to Robert D. Hoff and Heather Green, in 2002, â€Å"the company still carried $2.2 billion in long-term debt† (Business Week, 2002). In International Journal of Cases in Electronic Commerce, Pauline Ratnasingham reports that â€Å"Amazon.com shareholders lost 80% of their value in 2000† (Ratnasingham, 2006). Though sales increase rapidly, losses continue to soar as well. Despite the financial failures, in 2006 Bezos’ still believed that his investments would yield big payoffs in later years and that Amazon.com would be a â€Å"meaningful business†¦one day† (Hoff, 2006). As Amazon.com continued to expand, the company’s strategic business units (SBU) consisted of four key divisions: (1) U.S. Books/Music/DVD/Video (2) U.S. Electronics, Tools, and Kitchen (3) Services and (4) International (Ratnasingham, 2006). This business composition makes it easier to focus on separate specific strategies for each unit. The company’s business model also provides a competitive advantage. Amazon benefits from being able to maintain a virtual store front with distribution centers located in low rent areas. In all, a combination of convenience, speed, reliability, discounted pricing, and a wide selection of merchandise creates a synergistic business design that cannot be easily duplicated. When developing Amazon.com’s corporate structure Bezos clearly understood and defined his business strategy. The organization would now need to design and implement a consistent and integrated marketing strategy. An important aspect of Amazon.com’s marketing strategy is their customer-centric approach. Amazon offers lower prices, free shipping, and customer service available 24/7. Also, the customer experience is enhanced through personalized recommendations and customized web pages. The organization’s strength in customer service has been effective in increasing customer loyalty, website traffic, and repeat purchases. Amazon.com uses various marketing techniques that include online advertising, email campaigns, and their Associates Program. The Associates Program, which allows outside websites the ability to make products available to Amazon customers, has proven to be very successful. In 2001 over 700,000 associates were registered for the program. This marketing tool allowed Amazon.com the ability to â€Å"expand its market beyond its own website and concentrate on its strength of order fulfillment and distribution† (Ratnasingham, 2006). Another key aspect of Amazon.com’s marketing strategy is their established strategic relationships with various traditional retailers. These alliances enhance the value offerings of customers, give the company a competitive advantage, and increase the market share for all companies involved. Some of Amazon’s partnerships include Toys ‘R’ Us for toys and video games, the Gap for clothing and Drugstore.com for pharmacy items. The company also has third party arrangements with Target Corporation, Borders Group, Expedia, and others. Amazon profits by providing customers with a diverse array of products while their allies are able to use the technology, services, and  tools of Amazon.com. A significant detail of any organization’s marketing strategy is creativity and innovation. In her article for The Learning Organization, Verna Allee suggests that â€Å"in order to sustain competitive strength and continue growth Western companies need to build innovation into their cultures and structures as an essential condition for value creation† (Allee & Taug, 2006). In 2008, Amazon.com was listed as number 20 in a list of the world’s 25 most innovative companies (Cravens & Piercy, 2009). The new service offering of the EC2 and S3 digital utilities moves the company into competitive opportunities within the software platform marketplace. Bezos’ innovation strategy for Amazon.com includes these five following rules: 1) Measure everything 2) Keep development teams small 3) Don’t be afraid of weird ideas 4) Open up to outsiders 5) Watch customers, not competitors (Hoff, 2006) Amazon.com’s technological advances and Bezos’ forward-thinking has led the company to create ground-breaking products, such as the Kindle and also compete with top online digital music provider Apple ITunes. By encouraging continued innovation, Amazon can secure their place as leaders in Internet-based businesses. Amazon.com is in a position to gain from the various opportunities they have in the e-commerce marketplace. These opportunities include new trends and technological advances. Amazon competes well and has growth in the digital e-book market thanks to their Kindle product. Amazon can continue to invest in technology to sustain profitability. In general, E-commerce is experiencing growth. Amazon.com is in the position to benefit from this rise. The site currently offers payment security, one-click payments, user-friendly features, and other technologies that new web-based businesses will have to compete with. The company also has the opportunity to expand through strategic alliances and acquisitions. For example, GlobalData reports that Amazon.com acquisition of TouchCo earlier this year, â€Å"is expected to bring about cost reduction in the company’s business† (GlobalData, 2010). Overall, Amazon.com employs strong marketing  strategies. GlobalData reports that the company’s emphasis on marketing can be seen in their increased marketing costs in 2009, in comparison with 2008 and 2007 (GlobalData, 2010). However, Amazon.com is faced with some marketing problems. Because the company has a seasonal nature, more shoppers during the holiday seasons, the number of customers accessing the website at one time could cause system interruptions. This could contribute to fulfillment issues and a delay in deliveries. Also, Amazon.com faces the threat of traditional retail stores like Wal-Mart or Barnes & Nobles who now have an online component. Amazon.com now has to compete with companies who have greater brand recognition and more customers. The partnerships the company has made also pose a problem. For example, in 2004 Toys ‘R’ Us bought a case against the company because Toys ‘R’ Us exclusive items were being sold by competitors through Amazon’s website. Also the company suffered increased costs because of their alliance with Drugstore.com. To offset the problems and threats faced by the company, Amazon can benefit from the following strategic recommendations. First, during the off-season Amazon can do aggressive promotional campaigns to include discounts for students and partnerships with university and college professors to be the exclusive vendor for textbooks and suggested reading materials. Also, Amazon’s fulfillment processes should be evaluated to determine what issues are prevalent during the holiday season. Those issues should be addressed and fulfillment centers should be restructured accordingly. The company should re-evaluate their alliances by doing a cost assessment. By determining which costs are insignificant, expenses can be reduced or eliminated. Through the leadership of Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com continues to be the best and first by thinking outside the box. The company has changed the way consumers shop, the way they read, and the way entrepreneurs run their businesses. Bezos accepts his failures, focuses on what works and continues to support new ideas and hopeful initiatives. An evaluation of their marketing and corporate strategies to assess their failures can allow them the ability to make appropriate use of their opportunities. References Cravens, D. W., & Piercy, N. F. (2009). Strategic marketing (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Hoff, R.D. (2006). Jeff Bezos’ risky bet. BusinessWeek, 52-58. Retrieved December 14 from ABI/INFORM Global. Hoff, R.D., & Green, H. (2002). How amazon cleared that hurdle: to earn a profit, it cut costsand started growing again. BusinessWeek, (3768), 60-61 Retrieved December 14 from ABI/INFORM Global. Hoff, R.D., Neuborne E., & Green, H. (1998 December). Amazon.com: the wild world of e-commerce: by pioneering – and damn near perfecting – the art of selling online, amazon is redefining retailing. BusinessWeek (3608), 106 Isckia, T. (2009). Amazon’s evolving ecosystem: a cyber-bookstore and application service provider. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 26(4), 332-343. Retrieved December 17 from ABI/INFORM Global. Kargar, J. (2004). Amazon.com in 2003. Journal of the International Academy for CaseStudies, 10(1), 33-52. Retrieved December 11, 2010 from ABI/INFORM Global. Ratnasingham, P. (2006). A swot analysis for b2c e-commerce: the case of amazon.com. International Journal of Cases in Electro nic Commerce, 2(1), 1-22, Retrieved December11, from ABI/INFORM Global.