Colours R Us' Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Colours R Us' Case Study - Essay Example Programming, on the other hand, is the actual implementation of the HR plan. Programming involves â€Å"recruitment, training, and lay-offs† (Bateman and Snell, 2007, p.332). The third stage, which is the evaluating stage, measures the effectiveness of HR plans in â€Å"producing the results needed to contribute to the organization’s business plan†. It measures such indicators as â€Å"productivity, quality, innovation, satisfaction, turn-over, absenteeism, health† (Bateman and Snell, 2007, p.322). It is assumed that the company â€Å"Colours R Us† has already undergone planning as the first stage of its HR planning process for its Magnificent Miniature lines. It has determined that it will need 30 persons for its latest product ordered by its main client, the Home Style Innovations. Probably, the company has already conducted a demand forecast, where it determined â€Å"how many and what type of people are needed† for this new product line. Before the company starts its recruitment and selection process, it must have a thorough job analysis for the positions being opened. Job analysis, as defined, is where HR managers determine what the job is all about – including the tasks involved, the duties it entailed, and the accompanying responsibility (Bateman and Snell, 2007, p. 324). This is what is usually referred to as job description. Job analysis also determines the corresponding human requirements to match the specifications in the job description, such as â€Å"skills, knowledge, abilities, and other characteristics needed to perform the job† (Bateman and Snell, 2007, p. 32). This set of characteristics which is required from a prospective applicant is referred to as job specifications. Recruitment is described by Bateman and Snell as the â€Å"development of a pool of applicants for jobs in an organization† (2007, p. 324). Accordingly, recruitment can be done either through internal or external

Information Systems in Global Business Today Essay Example for Free

Information Systems in Global Business Today Essay How IT drives the UPS operation worldwide. Using smart people and smart technology, UPS delivers over 14 million packages daily to 200 countries and territories, requiring the talents of 70,000 drivers who are wirelessly connected to UPS main databases located in seventeen major data centers throughout through out the world. Case United Parcel Services global operations are driven by its information systems technology. What UPS can do is largely a function of its information technology investments. Beginning as a local delivery service in 1907, UPS expanded on the West coast initially, reached New York in the 1930s, and went international in the 1970s. Today, UPS delivers over 14 million packages daily to 200 countries and territories, requiring the talents of 70,000 drivers who are wireless connected to UPS main databases located in seventeen major data centers throughout through out the world. A multi-year, multibillion dollar investment in technology drove the growth of UPS over the last twenty five years beginning in 1990. This investment enabled the development of the DIAD, the Delivery Information Acquisition Device. DIAD is a key element in UPSs business technology platform. Company spokesmen say that UPS revolutionized the package delivery business in 1991 when it developed and deployed the first Delivery Information Acquisition Device, known as the DIAD. More than twenty years later, UPS continues its pioneering development efforts with the fourth generation of the DIAD the DIAD IV. To ensure maximum flexibility in field transmission capabilities, DIAD IV includes multiple wireless connectivity options. Each DIAD IV features a built-in GPRS and CDMA radio, an acoustical modem to facilitate dial-up access if necessary, and 802. 11b wireless local area network connectivity to enable transmission in a UPS center. The DIAD IV also features a Bluetooth wireless personal area network and an infrared (IrDA) port to communicate with peripheral devices and customer PCs/printers. DIAD IV introduces a revolutionary new feature Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) to the handheld terminal market. UPS plans to use this technology to provide drivers with more detailed directions to pick-up and delivery points in order to improve customer service. The monochrome screen on previous DIADS will be replaced with a color screen that accommodates more information which can be displayed in an easier-to-read, more attractive manner. The color screen also enables UPS to color-code messages transmitted to a drivers DIAD. Urgent customer pickup messages, for example, can be color-coded to alert the driver. In addition, the DIAD IV contains 128 megabytes of memory 20 times the capacity of the DIAD III. UPS will use this expanded capacity to provide new and improved customer services. Like its predecessors, the DIAD IVs battery lasts an entire work day. The DIAD IV sends delivery information to the UPS data repository as soon as the delivery information is entered. Drivers simply scan the package bar code, collect the receivers signature electronically, type in the Copyright Notice This work is protected by United States copyright laws and is provided solely for the use of instructors in teaching their courses and assessing student learning. Dissemination or sale of any part of this work (including on the World Wide Web) will destroy the integrity of the work and is not permitted. The work and materials from this site should never be made available to students except by instructors using the accompanying text in their classes. All recipients of this work are expected to abide by these restrictions and to honor the intended pedagogical purposes and the needs of other instructors who rely on these materials. last name of the receiver and push a single key to complete the transaction and send the data. There is no need to activate a cell phone or return to the vehicle. Part of what makes the DIAD such a powerful tool is the system ODS (On-Demand Services) that enables communication with the driver. Every UPS driver automatically logs into the ODS system first thing in the morning. This allows dispatchers and center management to access the driver via his/her DIAD throughout the day by sending generalized text messages. Virtually all drivers start their day with a list of predefined customer pickup locations for that day. Thanks to ODS, the addition of a one-time pickup can be added to a drivers work list on-the-fly, enabling UPS to take best advantage of the geographic location of its entire fleet for servicing pickup requests. By using the DIAD, UPS eliminates the use of 59 million sheets of paper per year. The DIAD IV is the most comprehensive tracking device in the delivery industry, combining data collection and transmission technologies, digital signature capture, extensive expandable memory and rugged construction to withstand extreme temperatures and hard falls. Other Features The UPS technology infrastructure enables UPS to offer its customers many services, such as package tracking, freight planning, and freight truck packing optimization, in addition to the basic shipment of packages.

Latin American Hydroelectricity Research :: essays papers

Latin American Hydroelectricity Research Financial Analysis of Latin America Opportunity The following is an illustration of the financial feasibility of a joint venture hydro electricity power plant project in Central America. Estimating the estimated costs of our proposed project, our group chose to use Commonwealth Edison as a comparison. Commonwealth Edison, a subsidiary of Unicom Corp, is used as an assessment of our hypothetical costs of providing electricity for Central America. Using Commonwealth Edison we feel provides a good measure of the validity of estimated costs our corporation would incur. Generally Accepted Accounting Principals (GAAP), used by all U.S. corporations, is the highest standard in the world in determining the validity of a corporation's financial statements. In the subsequent paragraphs, we will demonstrate costs of the joint venture project. Future growth rates in Central America market share for electricity will be projected as well. One of the benefits that our corporation will have in expansion to Central America is a lower cost of capital. A substantially larger pool of investors would provide a larger supply of loanable funds. Having a greater selection of borrowers in the international market will reduce the cost of starting our firm in Central America. Portfolio diversification is another advantage that our firm will attain, in regards to foreign investment in the financing of our project. The projections of the percentage of debt our firm will incur will be discussed in the following paragraphs. In looking at the average debt to equity ratio (D/E) of hydroelectric firms in the U.S., we feel that a 67% debt / 33% equity structure would be feasible to initially launch our firm in Central America. To use a comparison, Commonwealth Edison's plant and equipment assets total $28.245 billion. Com Ed provides electricity for over 6.5 million residents in Chicago, and other segments of Illinois. The total population of Central America - (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Nicaragua) total to 35.5 million. Taking account these statistics, plant and equipments costs for our firm providing the Central American region would cost $154.22 billion. Using this cost estimate, we would finance $103.33 billion though new market issuance in the U.S. 30 -year Treasury market. At a $100,000/ per U.S. Treasury bond face amount, we would need to have access to 1.03 million 30 yr bond contracts, at the prevailing market interest rate of 6.

Reflect Victorian Society and Culture in the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay

In this essay I will be exploring the ways in which Robert Louis Stevenson portrays and reflects the society into which his novelette, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was initially introduced. To do this I will explore setting, language and form within the novel. There are also a number of themes and ideals that I will also discuss Gothic Literary Tradition, Victorian Science, duality, hypocrisy and Victorian concepts of virtue and vice. Many of the characters in â€Å"Jekyll and Hyde† show two sides to their personality. This duality is shown in their spotless and respected public face that contradicts their despicable behaviour in private. Possibly the most obvious example of this is seen where Sir Danvers Carew, a respectable MP and gentleman, seemingly a perfect person in Victorian society, is seen and killed whilst in Soho. At the time, Soho was a very undesirable area of London where respectable men were not expected to be, at an unusual time of the night. The lateness of his visit there suggests that he was doing something that he didn’t want his friends or anyone from his social circle to see, probably something deviant. Soho was a haven for drug dealers, drug users, prostitutes, all types of crime and very poor people. This is reflective of a common situation that was seen in the late eighteen hundreds. It would have been a shocking and unthought-of of idea to discuss this concept openly at the time the book was written, however, as it would make those who carried out deviant acts feel scrutinised and less safe. As if their secret was being made public. This is a very innovative and original reflection of a Victorian situation that was commonplace yet underground. We see more of this social situation when Jekyll himself explains that, as Hyde, he could perform acts that in his normal form he could not. His social standing would prohibit such behaviour and yet he felt compelled to act in this way. Conscious within Hyde and free from social expectations, he gained a sickening sense of satisfaction, remorselessness and enjoyment when he acted upon his suppressed evil longings. Or, at least, at first he did. A sentiment shown in his statement of the case where he points to, â€Å"secret pleasures, that I had enjoyed in the disguise of Hyde.† This explains that, owing to his social standing being rather high and respectable, he could not act upon certain longings, but, as Hyde, an unrespected nobody, he could. This was a similar, if more extreme, version of a situation that society at the time forced many respectable people into. Obviously nobody had two separate appearances and personalities, in a literal sense, but some had a public face and life and a private one. Expectation was very high amongst people from respectable social positions and classes. There was no room for misbehaving. It is suggested that social expectation indirectly resulted in the birth of Hyde, as the potion to turn Jekyll into Hyde was formulated in order to separate good from evil. Social expectation was satisfied by Jekyll as the focus was on the good things. As Hyde, a separate persona, he could be evil without the worry of social pressure and reputation. Jekyll says: â€Å"If each, I told myself, could but be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust might go his way, delivered from the aspirations and remorse of his more upright twin; and the just could walk steadfast, and securely on his upright path† The duality shown in so many of the characters shows the inherent hypocrisy in Victorian society in which people had an open, public life and a secret life that only took place where the person was not available to come under scrutiny from their society or class. This is a display of the Victorian social mindset that appearances account for almost everything. So any deviancy or misbehavior could only be conducted in secret where that no one would know. The Victorians’ are shown to be willing to disregard, ignore and remain uninvolved in unpleasant things at the danger of falling from grace. This is a form of hypocrisy which is well shown where Mr. Enfield says, â€Å"I make it a rule of mine: the more something looks like Queer Street the less I ask,† to which the reply from Mr. Utterson is, † A very good rule, too.† This shows the desperation of people to save face and maintain a facade of perfection and decency in order to agree with and remain in favor of Victorian social expectations. This explains the importance of a reputation of decency and gallantry in the Victorian society in which the book was published. The idea of reputation being essential is used as a tool to scare and warn Hyde in the first chapter of the book. Enfield explains, â€Å"Killing being out of the question, we did the next best. We told the man we could and would make a scandal out of this, as should make his name stink from one end of London to the other. If he had any friends or any credit, we undertook that he should lose them.† The fact that ruining his reputation was regarded as the next best thing to killing him emphasizes the importance of this to Victorian society. Another display of the importance of reputation occurs at the end of the book where Poole and Utterson are breaking down the door to Jekyll’s cabinet and Jekyll forces Hyde to kill himself. It shows the extreme measures that Jekyll will take: he would rather be dead than tarnish his good reputation by letting his secret escape. This is a starkly shocking reminder of the importance of a reputation in Victorian high society. Victorian concepts of virtue and vice are discussed throughout the book. There was a set belief amongst the higher ranks of society that a malicious or evil nature in a person should be hidden and suppressed beneath the good features. This is explored through Jekyll and Hyde as Jekyll and Hyde are supposed to be the good and evil sides to Jekyll’s personality. So that Jekyll can safely release his suppressed evil through the form of Hyde. He could do this without coming under scrutiny from the society around him. He says â€Å"secret pleasures, that I had enjoyed in the disguise of Hyde.† Danvers Carew is another example of this as we see him in the area of Soho, despite his respectable faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade. This may be because he is secretly acting upon the evil longings that he must suppress for most of the time, due the social expectations of a man in his position Another way that Stevenson explores Victorian society is through its science. At the time of the publication of the book, one new scientific theory was the Darwinian theory of evolution. This is explored in the book. Many Victorians believed that criminals were less evolved than normal people; they were thought to be a throwback from humanity’s primitive past. Hyde, the criminal, is often described as being similar to an animal and less evolved. Specifically, he is described as being â€Å"ape-like† in his fury. Mr. Utterson says, â€Å"The man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic.† This implies he is primitive and less evolved. When Poole and Utterson are breaking into Jekyll’s cabinet Hyde emits, â€Å"A dismal screech, as of mere animal terror.† Again, animal-like traits are highlighted. Gothic Literary Traditions from the time period of the publication of the book are also important when we are discussing its storyline and themes. They were traditions that were commonplace in novels of the time. There were set rules and patterns. There is the idea of the gothic â€Å"monster† which was very common at the time, which takes the form of Hyde in this case. There was also the typical atmosphere of darkness and secrecy and unnatural forces at work. This is exemplified in the novel by the dingy and dark setting. For example, Stevenson says that there were heavy â€Å"pea souper† fogs and much of the story occurs at nighttime in eerie locations such as the run-down Soho area. This draws from real life because there were real â€Å"pea soupers† and the area of Soho was extremely undesirable and dingy. Also the fact that most of the evil occurs at nighttime is, to an extent, a reflection of Victorian reality, as the only time when respected people would be somewhere undesirable or acting upon â€Å"evil† desires would have been at night, under the cover of darkness. Hyde’s house has no windows and a single door, so is ominous, dark and secretive, with no means of an outsider being able to view what lies beyond its walls.! Another secretive technique is that the monster, Hyde, is never described in great detail. Hyde is only ever described vaguely; his â€Å"unexpressed deformity† is a clear indication that Stevenson is conscious of the vagueness of his description. We also never see the story from his direct perspective, so his point of view is hidden which adds to the secrecy of the book. There is also the idea of Hyde’s house being a lair, shown in the form of the cabinet and laboratory that add to the secrecy and is another common technique in gothic texts. Stevenson uses these traditional ideas; however, he does so in a subtle way with far less crudeness than in other books, such as Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Hyde is not literally called a monster and is, after all, human. It is the actions and nature of the character that make him the monster. Stevenson’s use of language helps to explore the Victorian culture that the book was written in. He uses them to add to and invoke some of the Gothic Literary Traditions in his book. Stevenson describes Jekyll in a lot of detail saying that he is handsome, respected and a gentleman. However, Hyde is given very vague and non specific descriptions which add to the secrecy of the character that is, reverting to Gothic tradition, the â€Å"monster† character. Here we see a perfect display of this technique; â€Å"He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance: something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong sense of deformity, although I couldn’t specify the point. He’s an extraordinary-looking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir; I can make no hand of it; I can’t describe him. And it is not want of memory, for I declare I can see him this moment.† By giving a vague, sketchy description Stevenson separates Hyde from other main characters that are described in detail, by almost de-humanizing him. This adds to the sense that Hyde is the traditional monster character, which is a tool used in Victorian writing. Setting is also used by Stevenson to draw on gothic tradition and gives an eerie yet sometimes truthful view of London. The way in which Stevenson describes the lodgings of Jekyll and Hyde is a use of language that adds to the gothic literary tradition. Jekyll’s house is in a very upper class area and is decorated and furnished with great taste and wealth. Whereas Hyde lives in a very rough area, Soho and his house is a dark, seedy place with no windows and a solitary door.!! This surrounds this character, the monster, with secrecy and shields him from the outside world. It creates an ominous, tense atmosphere, which was often used in gothic texts of the era. Also the places in the book where evil occurs are described as foggy and dingy. And the majority of the story occurs at night. This adds to the darkness and secrecy of the gothic novelette. A point that is further reinforced by the secrecy that shroud the lodgings of Jekyll and Hyde. Contemporary London is portrayed as having an outwardly respectable veneer of goodness that disguised a dangerous and immoral undercurrent, the hiding place for much evil. This was to an extent actually true of Victorian London; it had respectable areas but was quite a seedy place. As an example there was the notorious Jack the Ripper, who killed prostitutes in London in the Victorian era at night in back alleys and brothels and was suspected to have been a respected politician or businessman by day. This links in with the idea of Victorians often leading double lives: good in the day and bad at night. The structure and form of the book emphasize the gothic traditions that Stevenson draws. The book is written from Mr. Utterson’s perspective with narratives and interjections from other characters, such as â€Å"Dr. Jekyll’s Full Statement of the Case†; however, importantly Hyde’s opinion is omitted. This heightens the shroud of secrecy and depravity that surrounds Hyde, the â€Å"monster.† This technique was common in Gothic novels of the time. It adds tension and terror to the novels by keeping the reader deprived of knowledge. To this we can link the reaction of the contemporary reader to this story. The reader would recognize much reality in the book. They would see truths from the time. For example, the pressures of society would be familiar. Some may be shocked or slightly uncomfortable when reading it, because the ideas of living double lives and suppressing evil and acting upon it in privacy, would have rung true of some readers. To discuss this in the open would have been out of the question and may have put certain individuals in an extremely uncomfortable spotlight. As was discussed earlier in the essay there was a clear Victorian mentality that reputation was very important, possibly the most important thing to some individuals. So some may have had private feelings and longings and may have acted upon these in private. On seeing this in the book, Sir Danvers Carew’s situation for example, it may have felt to them as though they were no longer safe to have a sinful private life as people ne w that this sort of thing happened. * * * In conclusion I think that the book is a fairly truthful reflection of many aspects of Victorian society and culture, especially the idea of living a double life. I also think that Stevenson’s use of Gothic Literary tradition is effective. In the novelette, he provides a new variation on traditional themes. All in all, I think that Stevenson employs a high level of reality and supplements this by drawing from the literary culture of the Victorian Britain of which he was a part.

A Piece of Art

I am choosing this piece of art because it reminds me of the original one, the Napoleon Crossing the Alps, by the French Neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David, and also because that I am quite like this Mario game very much. This artist had turned my childhood hero into a very good piece of art, that to me, can capture every aspect of him and his loyal pet, although Yoshi does not look that fiercely. The original work of Jacques-Louis is about a mighty general, who is bravely charges in the front of the army toward the enemy. Napoleon proportion show that he is the real commander, not just any soldier or any captain, but the great Napoleon Bonaparte himself. Calmly sitting on his fiery horse, finger points toward the Alps, Napoleon leading his people to victories. To sum up, this painting express Napoleon as the hero of the peoples of France, the one who freed them from the hands of Louis the sixteenth. The Mario Crossing the Mushroom Kingdom shows a quite similar meaning. Instead of crossing the dangerous Alps, Mario just crossing the Mushroom Kingdom. Now, what we all know what Mario do in the Mushroom Kingdom: fighting evils, rescue the princess, and freed the kingdom from the tyrant's hands, so that makes Mario a hero too, right? Yes! Yes, it is! Mario is the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Although Mario just a plumber, he has fought for the Kingdom with all he has, his running skill as you can see in the games, and he freed them from the tyrant.The painting is very accurate in some ways, the costume, Mario's beer belly, his clothes, and all, Mario did not really wear gloves until recently, but that can be pretermit. What is different from the original painting is that, instead of pointing his finger toward the Kingdom, Mario holds a mushroom. Funny, I would say, because in the game, Mario power up by eating special mushrooms from the mystery boxes scattered around the kingdom, they can make him bigger, and stronger depends on what mushroom he eats, and that is very interesting to see the mushroom in the painting. The Mario Crossing the Mushroom Kingdom resembles most detail from the original one: Mario's proportion, Yoshi front legs, and back legs positions, the harness, and the cape. There is one interesting thing is that Yoshi left eye is glancing backward just like Napoleon's horse eye position, glancing backward. His attention to the small details like that amuse me a lot, it makes me to look for other version of Napoleon Crossing the Alps, just to look at their eyes, although I don't see the name carved in the rock anywhere in the picture, but that is not important. There is something about Naburanja version of the dinosaur Yoshi that keeps me wonder. You see, normally, Yoshi's appearance is a cute little green dinosaur, with a frog like tongue that can swallow enemies. But here, all I see is probably the grow up version of Yoshi. He is bigger, looks more muscular, his green skin looks fade a bit, perhaps to shows old age. Yoshi normally is seen wearing brown boots, but now the boots were completely torn by his claws, like Yoshi had grown up suddenly, so suddenly that he could not take off his boots, so he had to let them be torn. Naburanja usage of colors to describe the gloomy, sad atmosphere of the scenario, where the Kingdom is invaded, and overran by monster, the princess being kidnapped with no hope to rescue her, and so on, is incredible. Naburanja use the dark, gray color to describe it. What more, is that when Mario and Yoshi showed up, light breaks through the darkness, to shine upon our heroes, where ever they go. The colors where Mario stands, are bright colors, red, blue, light dirt yellow, green, and white. It shows that Mario is going to be the savior of the Mushroom KingdomOverall, the painting is magnificent to me, its capture the picture of the hero of my childhood quite correctly, using the Napoleon Crossing the Alps style of drawing. Naburanja colors usage is wonderful, it described the scenario of Mushroom Kingdom correctly, and he depicted Mario like a saint, light shine bright where ever he goes. This painting of Naburanja has many interesting aspect that I love very much, and this is the way I mostly see it, also it makes me chuckle every times I come across it.

College Term Paper

College Term Paper College Term Paper College Term Paper Term paper writing is an answer to question assigned by the tutor. While writing term paper, try to think deeply about the assigned question and find the answer to it. If you want to succeed with term paper writing, you need to analyze the question, examine it, and find interesting and original answer.   Prior to term paper writing, ensure that you understand exactly what your tutor expects. While reading articles and books, collect information and organize notes on your topic. Make note cards, they are very helpful in organizing the gathered material. Once you have found a lot of information relevant to your term paper topic and do not know how to use it - try to narrow your topic and investigate carefully one side of the question. A narrow topic will help you to decrease the amount of information you need to include in your term paper. But, of course, it will be reasonable to narrow your term paper topic prior to writing and information gathering. A narrowed topic will help you f ind relevant information more quickly since you will be able to see the relevant ideas at once. Your narrowed topic allows more focused reasoning as well as targeted research. While looking for information, make a list of the subtopics, they will be useful for better understanding of English term paper topic. College Term Paper Term paper topics require your own way of thinking, your tutor doesn't want to see borrowed ideas. Sure, your tutor is an expert in the field of your research. The notes should be taken reasonably so that you collect only ideas that are relevant to the main topic, not exact words, phrases or sentences. Don't write down too many direct quotes in your notes. Organize the direct quotes according to term paper format. Use the quotes only when the ideas of them are surprisingly expressed or when you need citing examples from the original text to further discussion in your term paper. Always write down a work's complete bibliographic information. If you are making notes on paper, leave lots of free space for your own comments, questions, and reactions to your reading. These comments can virtually become the first draft of your term paper. While writing the first paragraph, provide some background information about your topic; you can use interesting facts or quotations. While writing intro duction, don't forget about thesis statement that is basically the term paper idea. Body paragraphs should be developed to support your thesis - the main idea of the college term paper. The last paragraph should be your conclusion. Custom College Term Paper Writing If you need to write a term paper and do not have enough time, you are welcome to place an order at and our professional writers will ensure that your paper is well-written and answers the question.

Band-Aid Essay Example

Band Band-Aid Essay Band-Aid Essay Essay Topic: A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings The House Of the Seven Gables Places Siem Reap  (literally â€Å"Siam Defeated†) is undoubtedly Cambodia’s fastest growing city and serves as a small charming gateway town to the world famous destination of the Angkor temples. Thanks to those Cambodia attractions, Siem Reap has transformed itself into a major tourist hub. It is laid-back and a pleasant place to stay while touring the temples. Siem Reap offers a wide  range of hotels, ranging from several 5-star hotels to hundreds of budget guesthouses while a large selection of restaurants offer many kinds of food.Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple situated atop a 525 meter (1,722 ft) cliff in the Dangrek Mountains, on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. It has the most spectacular setting of all the Khmer temples. Most of the temple was constructed in the 11th and 12th century during the reigns of the Khmer kings Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II. It was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Preah Vihear is the subject of a long-running territoria l dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, and several soldiers were killed in clashes in 2009.Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, is a port city and beach resort on the Gulf of Thailand. The big attraction here are the white-sand beaches and several undeveloped tropical islands. Sihanoukville is a good place to relax and unwind, though be prepared to battle the crows during the high season or a holiday weekend. Angkor is the greatest attraction in Cambodia and one of the most spectacular ancient sites on earth,  Angkor  is a vast temple complex featuring the remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century AD.These include the famous Angkor Wat temple, the world’s largest single religious monument, the Bayon temple (at Angkor Thom) with its multitude of massive stone faces and Ta Prohm, a Buddhist temple ruin entwined with towering trees. Banteay Srei Although officially part of the Angkor complex, Banteay Srei lies 25 km (15 miles) n orth-east of the main group of temples, enough to list it as a separate Cambodia attraction here. The temple was completed in 967 AD and is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still clearly visible today.Banteay Srei is the only major temple at Angkor not built for a king, instead it was constructed by one of king Rajendravarman’s counselors, Yajnyavahara. Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer empire for a very brief period from the year 928 to 944 AD. In this short time some very spectacular buildings and immense sculptures were constructed. The site is dominated by Prasat Thom, a 30 meter (98 ft) tall temple pyramid rising high above the surrounding jungle. A giant Garuda (mythical half-man, half-bird creature), carved into the stone blocks, still guard the very top, although its partially covered now.Left to the jungle for nearly a millennium, Koh Ker was one of Cambodia’s most remote and inac cessible temple destinations. This has now changed thanks to recent de-mining and the opening of a new toll road. Crafts Indigenous people represent 1. 4 percent of the total population in Cambodia, and the majority of them live in remote rural areas within the country. Often referred to as highlanders, their ways of life are different from the lowlanders, both from the cultural and economic perspective.Handicrafts are part of their traditional culture and their livelihood as they produce textiles, baskets, jars, pottery, and other tools for their daily use. Many indigenous groups have established small enterprises and produce traditional products to generate supplementary income in order to support their livelihood. The handicraft sector provides vital employment opportunities to most indigenous artisans and disadvantaged people, especially women who are struggling for survival. Silk weaving in Cambodia dates to as early as the first century since textiles were used for trading.Mod ern textiles have traces of motifs imitating clothing details on ancient stone sculptures. There are two main types of Cambodian weaving: 1. ikat technique (Khmer term: chongkiet) To create patterns, weavers tie and dye portions of weft yarn before weaving begins. Patterns are diverse and vary by region; common motifs include lattice, stars, and spots. 2. uneven twill It yields single or two-color fabrics, which are produced by weaving three threads so that the color of one thread dominates on one side of the fabric, while the two others determine the color on the reverse side. Traditionally, Cambodian textiles have employed natural dyes coming from: a. insect nests Red dye b. indigo Blue dye c. prohut bark- Yellow and Green dye d. ebony bark- Black dye Cambodias modern silk-weaving centers are Takeo, Battambang, BeanteayMeanchey, Siem Reap, and Kampot provinces. Silk-weaving has been revived in the past ten years and now provides employment for many rural women. Cambodian silk is generally sold domestically, where it is used in sampot (wrap skirts), furnishings, and pidan (pictoral tapestries).Now, it has seen an increase in export viability. Cotton textiles have also played a significant role in Cambodian culture. Though today, Cambodia imports most of its cotton, traditionally woven cotton remains popular. Rural women often weave homemade cotton fabric, which is used in garments and for household purposes. Krama, the traditional check scarves worn almost universally by Cambodians, are made of cotton. INDONESIA Places Bali  is one of the world’s most popular island destinations and one which consistently wins travel awards.The varied landscape, rugged coastlines, tropical beaches, lush rice terraces and volcanic hillsides all provide a picturesque backdrop to its colorful, deeply spiritual and unique Hindu culture. The combination of friendly people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and spectacular beaches with great surf ing and diving have made Bali the unrivaled number one tourist attraction in Indonesia. Borubudur is located 40 km (25 miles) northwest of  Yogyakarta  on Java, the Borobudur is the one of the most famous Buddhist temple in the world.The Borobudur was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries by the kingdom of Sailendra, out of an estimated 2 million blocks of stone. It was abandoned in the 14th century for reasons that still remain a mystery and for centuries lay hidden in the jungle under layers of volcanic ash. Today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indonesia. Lombok’s most popular tourist destination, the Gili Islands are an archipelago of three small islands:  Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.The islands are very relaxed and laid-back, with countless little beachside cafes still playing reggae and no cars or motorbikes to disturb the peace. Note that the name â€Å"Gili Islands† is rather redundant as gili si mply means â€Å"small island† in Sasak and there are many other islands around the coast of Lombok with Gili in their names. Torajaland (Tana Toraja) is a highland region of South Sulawesi, home of the Toraja people. Torajans are famous for their massive peaked-roof houses known as tongkonan and spectacular but gruesome funeral rites.After a person’s death, the body is kept – often for several years – until the actual funeral ceremony which can last for several days. The deceased is then finally buried in a small cave or in a hollow tree. Gunung Bromo is an active volcano and part of the Tengger massif, in East Java. At 2,329 meters (7,641 feet) it is not the highest peak of the massif, but it is the most well known. The area is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Indonesia and Java. The top of the volcano has been blown off and the crater inside constantly belches white smoke.It is surrounded by the Sea of Sand of fine volcanic sand. The over all effect is unsettlingly unearthly. Crafts The fabric most common to both countries is the Batik. The term â€Å"batik† is an Indonesian Malay word, believed to be related to the Malay word â€Å"titik†, which means ‘point’, ‘dot’ or ‘drop’. The â€Å"drop† action refers to the process of dyeing the fabric by making use of a resist technique: covering areas of cloth with a dye-resistant substance (usually hot wax) to prevent them from absorbing colors. This technique is has been taught for over a thousand years.Shadow Puppetry is famous in Indonesia. Wayang, in modern Indonesian language means show or perform. Kulit means skin, a reference to the leather material that the figures are carved out of. Others say that wayang is also attributed to the Indonesian word bayang which means shadow. Wayang Kulit–is a type of puppet shadow play performed around the Indo-Malayan archipelago, tracing its origins to India. It is derived from a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist tradition, where hand-crafted leather puppets depict epic stories of the gods in shadow play.A traditional Gamelan orchestra would accompany the story-telling. The puppets are moved behind a cotton or linen screen by a Dalang, or apuppetmasterin a shadow puppet play. The Dalang tells the story, interprets and voices each character, producing sound effects with speech and movement and manipulates all the figures between the lamp and the screen to bring the shadows to life. Most shadow play is based on two epic stories from India the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Balinese and Javanese have combined the Hindu stories with Buddhist and Muslim ideas mixed with their own folklore. MYANMAR PlacesThe  Shwedagon Pagoda;officially titled  Shwedagon Zedi Daw, also known in  English  as the  Great Dagon Pagoda  and theGolden Pagoda, is a 99 metres (325  ft) gilded  pagoda  and  stupa  located in  Yangon,  Burma. Bagan, in the past which was known as Pagan, is the place where the heart of the country ancient architecture lies. It is located in the upper part of Myanmar and is the capital of Myanmar’s first dynasty. Pagodas can be found mostly covered in reddish color and religious monuments which were built more than 1,500 years ago and it can be said that Bagan, is the most memorable place for visitors coming to Myanmar.Golden Rock, in Myanmar language known as KyiteHteeYoe Pagoda is one of the breath-taking and also a sacred place for Myanmar people. It is located in Mon State and perched on the highest mountain of Paunglaung mountain range. Ngapali is located in Rakhine State and stretches along the Bay of Bengal and it lies in Rakhine State of Myanmar. Ngapali is said to be one of the best beaches in Myanmar where most natural are untouched where visitors can enjoy the true nature of the beach itself. It is famous for its natural and unspotted beauty up to this day. MALAYSIA PlacesThe Petronas Twin Towers in  Kuala Lumpur  were the world’s tallest buildings before being surpassed in 2004 by Taipei 101. However, the towers are still the tallest twin buildings in the world. The 88-floor towers are constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia’s Muslim religion. The Petronas Twin Towers feature a sky bridge between the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors. The Sultan Ahmad Shah State Mosque is Pahangs state mosque. It is located in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.The  Mulu Caves  are located in the Gunung Mulu National Park in Malaysian Borneo. The park encompasses incredible caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The Sarawak chamber found in one of the underground caves is the largest cave chamber in the world. It has been said that the chamber is so big that it could accommodate about 40 Boeing 747s, without overlappi ng their wings. The  Perhentian Islands  are the must-go place in Malaysia for budget travelers. They have some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and great diving with plenty of  cheap accommodation.The two main islands are Perhentian Besar (â€Å"Big Perhentian†) and Perhentian Kecil (â€Å"Small Perhentian†). Both the islands have palm-fringed white sandy beaches and turquoise blue sea. Crafts Wau Kite in Malay is a uniquely designed Malaysian kite called Wau. This kite-making tradition comes naturally to Malaysian people, especially in the Eastern States of the Malayan Peninsula. Farmers used kites as scarecrows in the fields and as a means to lull their children to sleep, so they could work with little interruption. THAILAND Places Ayuthaya  was founded in 1350 AD by King U Thong as the second capital of Siam after Sukhothai.Throughout the centuries, the ideal location between China, India and the Malay Archipelago made Ayutthaya the trading capi tal of Asia. The city was re-founded a few kilometers to the east of the ruins, which now form the Ayutthaya historical park. Most of the remains are temples and palaces, as those were the only buildings made of stone at that time. Ko Phi Phi is a small archipelago in the Krabi Province in Southern Thailand. Ko Phi Phi Don  is the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants while the smaller Ko Phi Phi Leh is very popular as a beach or dive excursion.Chiang Mai  is one of the top Thailand attractions. The famous Night Bazaar sprawls along several city blocks along footpaths, inside buildings and temple grounds. It has handicrafts, arts, clothing and and imported products of all descriptions, and a number of large, well-appointed modern shopping centers. At first, the market was owned by Chinese merchants, but since it grew in size as more commercial buildings were built, it was no longer owned by a single group of people. Crafts WoodcarvingBeau tiful hardwoods have long been used by the craftsmen not only to bedeck wats and homes, but also to fashion charming carriages, palanquins, barges and elephant howdahs. Wood is used to make an array of domestic items. Royal throne and barges are graceful examples of the art of woodcarving. The doors, windows and gables of the temples feature delicate and unique designs. Lacquerware Chiang Mai is known for fine lacquerware. Conventionally, black resin of Lak tree is used to make it. The resin is applied to the base of bamboo or teak, adorned with designs made from natural pigments.However, commercial producers use different techniques. Ceramics Ceramics articles were first developed in Thailand in the Sukhothai era. Glazed green-blue celadon was most famous among these. Then crude but colorful ceramics made in Ayutthaya became popular. The Chinese made ceramics with Thai patterns and exported them to Siam, the then Thailand. The designs incorporated images from Hindu and Buddhist myt hology, as well as flower motifs. Thai Silk The skill of silkworm raising probably came to Thailand from China.Silk of north east Thailand, with its peculiar texture and iridescent colors, has been a traditional folk craft, specially of village women. They raise silkworms, spin and dye the threads, and then weave the fabric of handlooms. The dazzling cloth manufactured by them has always been the prized possession of the nobility. Silverware Silverware has been a popular craft in Thailand, particularly in Chiang Mai region. The products incorporate many styles, including flame and floral patterns as well as Buddhist images and mythical figures. The silversmiths were held with reverence in the society.Nielloware This special metalwork is used to adorn betel boxes, trays, vases and other small boxes. It is an ancient art of applying an amalgam of metals to carved portions of gold or selver objects against black backgrounds or vice versa. The Thais learned this art from India. LAOS Pla ces Located in  Vientiane, Pha That Luang (â€Å"Great Stupa in Lao†) is one of the most significant monument in Laos. The stupa has several terraces with each level representing a different stage of Buddhist enlightenment. The lowest level represents the material world; the highest level represents the world of nothingness.The  Mekong  is Southeast Asia’s greatest river with an estimated length of 4,350 km (2,703 miles). Laos actually has the greatest share of the Mekong River. With few good roads and mountainous terrain, the river is Laos’ principal transportation. The Upper Mekong in Laos is considered one of the most stunning journeys of the entire river. Vang Vieng  is a riverside town, located in central Laos about a 4 hour bus ride north of the capital. The main street is full of guest houses, bars, restaurants, internet cafes, tour agencies, and tourists.The area’s main attraction is the dramatic karst hill landscape surrounding Vang Vieng . Crafts In this country, they make paper by hand in the wider region for over 700 years using the bark of the local sa or mulberry tree. The bark is crushed and soaked in water until it dissolves into a paste. The liquid is then scooped out, poured through a bamboo sieve and finally placed in a thin layer on a bamboo bed and dried in the sun. Traditionally sa paper was used for calligraphy and for making festive temple decorations, umbrellas, fans, and kites.In former times it was also used as a filter in the manufacture of lacquerware. VIETNAM Places With seven stories, the Thien Mu Pagoda in  Hue  is the tallest pagoda in Vietnam. The pagoda overlooks the Perfume River and is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial capital. The temple was built in 1601 during the rule of the Nguy? n Lords. The initial temple was very simply constructed, but over time it was redeveloped and expanded with more intricate features. Ha Long Bay is situated in north Vietnam round a 120 kilometer long coast line and is literally translated as â€Å"Bay of Descending Dragons†.The top tourist attraction in Vietnam,  Ha Long Bay  features thousands of islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves, others islands include lakes and some support floating villages of fishermen. Nha Trang  is Vietnam’s most popular seaside resort town located along the second most beautiful bays in the country. It features beautiful beaches with fine and clean sand and clear ocean water with mild temperatures.The city has about 300,000 inhabitants and is more lively and urban in character than other beach destinations like Mui Ne and Phu Quoc. It’s also the scuba diving center of Vietnam. Crafts Vietnamese silk painting is one of the most popular forms of art in Vietnam, favored for the mystical atmosphere that can be achieved with the medium. Dur ing the 19th and 20th centuries, French influence was absorbed into Vietnamese art and the liberal and modern use of color especially began to differentiate Vietnamese silk paintings from their Chinese or Japanese counterparts.Vietnamese silk paintings typically showcase the countryside, landscapes, pagodas, historical events, or scenes of daily life. SINGAPORE Places Merlion Park  is located at One Fullerton,  Singapore  near the Central Business District (CBD) area of Singapore. This park is a popular tourist attraction. There are two structures of the  Merlion  located at the park with one standing at 8. 6 metres which is the original Merlion statue and a 2-metre tall Merlion cub located just behind the original statue.The park is also a major tourist attraction and a landmark of Singapore. Beaches of Sentosa This sun-kissed route begins at Sentosa Island’s westernmost beach, Siloso, and ends at its easternmost, Tanjong Beach. For proponents of barefoot running, this route is one of the few in Singapore that allows for a shoeless jog. For those who think that is an open invitation for injuries, a jogging track runs parallel to the beaches. Frequently littered with beautiful bodies, this route is also the best for people-watching or showing off.

Complete List of High School Electives

Complete List of High School Electives SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you thinking about high school electives and wondering what your options are? Unlike required courses, electives are classes you choose based on your interests. Most high schools offer electives that cover a wide variety of topics, so you're sure to find some that interest you! This list was created by compiling the elective options from numerous high schools across the country. A variety of schools were used including public, private, large and small schools in order to create a complete list of high school electives. How to Use This List This list is intended to give you an introduction to all the possible electives you may come across as a high school student. You can use it as a starting point for doing more in-depth research of your own school's electives. Read through the list below, making note of any course names that seem particularly interesting. Then, grab a copy of your school's course catalog (ask your guidance counselor if you don't know where to find it), and look to see which of the electives you found interesting are offered by your school. Read through the course descriptions if necessary because electives can have different names depending on the school offering them, even if they cover essentially the same topic (for example, the culinary arts class listed below could also be called cooking, foods, or something similar). Mark the interesting electives you find in your course catalog as potential classes to take in the future. Also, because this list organizes electives by category, you can see which categories have the most interesting electives for you. While electives don’t include all topics covered in a specific field, if you marked, for example, a lot of the science electives as potentially interesting topics to study, you may want to think about continuing to study science in college. Being interested in your classes is one of the best way to get higher grades and enjoy what you’re learning. Now that you have the complete list, are you wondering how to choose which electives to take? We have a guide for that! Read through it to learn how many electives you'll be able to take and how to choose electives that are both interesting and will strengthen your college applications! What If Your School Doesn't Offer an Elective Listed Below? It would be impossible for any single school to offer every elective on this list; there are simply too many. Schools choose which electives to offer based on a number of factors including location, student population, resources available, teacher expertise, and student interest. If you are interested in one of the electives on this list but don't see it offered in your school's course catalog, you can take the following actions: Talk to your guidance counselor or department head. The elective may be under a different name than the one listed below, or your school may offer a similar course. If there is no comparable course and you are really interested in the subject, talk to your guidance counselor and see if it’s possible for you to do an independent study or take the course at a local community college. The Complete List of Electives Business Accounting Business law Business management Consumer education Entrepreneurial skills Introduction to business Marketing Personal finance Computer Science/Information Technology Animation App development Audio production Computer programming Computer repair Film production Graphic design Media technology Music production Typing Video game development Web design Web programming Word processing Family and Consumer Science Chemistry of foods CPR training Culinary arts Early childhood development Early childhood education Family studies Fashion and retail merchandising Fashion construction Home economics Interior design Nutrition Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Foreign Language American Sign Language Ancient Greek Arabic Chinese French German Hebrew Italian Japanese Korean Latin Portuguese Russian Spanish You might even learn all the Dutch names of the Chinese zodiac signs! Language and Writing Advanced composition African literature Asian literature British literature Cinema studies Contemporary literature Creative writing Debate Film study Gothic literature Humanities Journalism Poetry Popular literature Practical writing Public speaking Rhetoric School yearbook Works of Shakespeare World literature Math Computer math Math applications Probability and statistics Quantitative literacy Trigonometry Performing Arts Choir Concert band Dance Drama Guitar Jazz band Marching band Music theory Orchestra Percussion Piano Theater technology World music Physical Education Aerobics Dance Gymnastics Health Lifeguard training Pilates Racquet sports Specialized sports Swimming Weight training Yoga Science Agriculture Astronomy Biotechnology Botany Earth science Environmental science Forensic science Geology Human physiology Marine biology Meteorology Oceanography Physics Sound and acoustics Zoology Social Studies African studies Asian studies Civics Cultural anthropology Current events Economics European history Human geography International relations Latin American studies Middle East studies Mythology Philosophy Physical anthropology Political studies Psychology Religious studies Sociology US government Women’s studies World politics World religions Visual Arts 3-D art Art history Ceramics Digital media Drawing Film production Jewelry design Painting Photography Printmaking Sculpture Vocational Education Auto body repair Auto mechanics Building construction Computer-aided drafting Cosmetology Criminal justice Driver Education Electronics FFA (Future Farmers of America) Fire science Heating and cooling systems Hospitality and tourism JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps) Metalworking Networking Plumbing Production technology Refrigeration fundamentals Robotics Woodworking What's Next? Now that you know the options you have for electives, read our guide to learn how to choose electives that will interest you and strengthen your college applications. Trying to decide whether to take the ACT or the SAT? Read our guide to figure out which test will get you a better score! Are you considering summer academic programs for middle school and high school students? Take a look at our guides for the TIP, SIG, CTY, and Stanford EPGY programs. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Serology Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Serology - Lab Report Example The specificity of this test lies on the fact that hemoglobin is only contained in blood. This change in pH is then detected by phenolphthalein, and the solution turns into pink quickly, or leuchomalachite green, which turns the solution into green (Houck and Siegel, 2010; Tobe et al., 2007). However, there are a few considerations in using these substrates. First, because phenolphthalein is a pH indicator, phenolphthalein reacts with any basic solution. It is thus important that the addition of LMG or PPT prior to the addition of hydrogen peroxide do not yield a color change. This ensures that any change in the solution results from the reaction of hemoglobin with hydrogen peroxide. Second, when the phenolphthalein is exposed too long in the solution, a spontaneous oxidation occurs causing the colorimetric reaction to occur (Houck and Siegel, 2010). The color change indicating presence of blood must thus be quick. Third, substances in fruits and vegetables may act like a peroxidase (Tobe et al., 2007). MATERIALS AND METHODS Sample FS-26-07 was tested for the presence of blood using leuchomalachite green (LMG) and phenolphthalein (PPT). Two set-ups were prepared. Each set-up consists of three spot plates each containing a strip of 1) positive control, 2) negative control, or 3) FS-26-07. The spot plates in the first set-up were added with two drops of LMG, while those of the second set-up were added with the same amount of PPT.

Dolphins Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dolphins - Research Paper Example Finally I will attempt a self- analysis of my writing development, research ability and improvement overall as a writer and researcher. As a result of the last three projects and the content of Writ1133 I’m much more comfortable with my knowledge and ease of use with the various perspectives of research and methodology. I have developed my own writing style and individual preferences for the type of research and perspective I prefer. The first assignment started with the selection of an animal that we wanted to continue to study through the next three projects. I chose the dolphin aware of the many resources available and extensive scientific studies done on their many communication abilities and already having an interest in the dolphin. The assignment then consisted of reviewing science or scientific perspective by locating scholarly journals or publications written in more technical language. I was then to abstract pertinent, interesting and related information and write this in an easy to understand way for my intended audience, which at this time being class mates. It was important to use non-technical and expert writing for this assignment. I was to define my target audience and how I might use pathos to reach and grab their attention and also decide how to appeal to their values. The second project was to use five sources and create a literature review using an ‘artifact’ of something that contained the dolphin. Ideas or/and themes were to be represented and I was to create an analysis of the dolphins role in the text I selected. This project was to use a humanistic perspective and analysis was to be supported with evidence from the text and from research. Some possible questions to answer were how the animal is represented and also why is the animal being represented in the artifact? Project three focused on

The Scope of Policy, Issues and Contexts in AVE Essay

The Scope of Policy, Issues and Contexts in AVE - Essay Example We asked person who is responsible for project to find those information through community leaders and educate us. b. The major issues are Learning disability syndrome in the so called top management of an organization, because of its narrow vision and its adverse impact on other employees of the organization and CALD communities of an organization. c. The other major issues are how to handle depression among workers in an organization and to understand the learning abilities of exceptionally gifted people and translate that to a process for others in an organization. Training within Australia over the past 50-60 years has undergone some major alterations and changes to epistemological assumptions and educational paradigms. Prior to WWII a behaviouristic approach was taken to education (Eggan & Kauchak, 2001), whereby learners were perceived to be akin to sponges able to absorb information from a holder of knowledge or teacher. During and following WWII a more constructivist, cognitive and social constructivist educational approach (Eggan & Kauchak, 2001; Engestrm, 1994; P. Smith & Blake, 2006; P. Smith & Ragan, 2005) was adopted to provide learning in a more supportive environment. This new approach took into account the different learning styles of learners, acknowledged that learners bring different experiences and knowledge to training sessions, identified that learning can take place in a variety of situations and contexts, and that learning within social settings with real-life interactions and examples is more beneficial to learning than rote learning alone. This change in paradigms is no more evident than in the saying from Hoover (1996) that states "Constructivist teachers do not take the role of the "sage on the stage". Rather, teachers acts as "guides on the side" who provide students with opportunities to test the adequacy of their current understandings." Since the early 1990's there has also been significant emphasis on lifelong learning or education (Burns, 2002). Burns also states that the training emphasis has gone from educating young people for entry into the workforce to providing training and education continuously throughout a person's life as rapid changes in technology and the globalisation of economies forces people to change occupations several times during their working lives. Current issues that face governments (locally and internationally) and vocational and further education establishments are: - Skills shortages in some industries (Richardson, 2007) - The size and age of the workforce (Australia. Department of Education Science and Training, 2005; Burns, 2002) - The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) - Technological innovation and change (E. Smith &

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project Management - Essay Example In this regard, it has been observed that Nokia Corporation is one of the renowned companies, which has recently undergone a change in its operational processes in order to remain abreast with the changing environment of the market. The company has undergone a redesigning process in its operations to cope up with the changing needs of the customers as well as the markets all over the world. The revised operational strategy of the company includes the strategic alliance of it with Microsoft to come up with different ranges of products in the market. This alliance enables the company to deliver innovative products and enhance its geographical reach along with product identity. With this strategy, the company has the desire to increase its sales by a considerable margin. This change was much needed for the company as the nature of the market was constantly changing and there was a danger that the preferences of the customers might get switched to another brand. This approach of the comp any correlates with the operational purview where a company generally changes its operational strategy in accordance with the needs of the current business environment. This approach is termed as operational strategy approach of market requirement (Nokia, 2011; Slack & Nigel, 2009). Furthermore, the operational strategy of the company has witnessed significant changes in the recent years with the inception of the new leadership team in the operations. It has been observed that the new team of the company has acquired considerable knowledge and is competent to deal with the dynamic nature of today’s business environment. The team is also viewed to have utmost commitment towards the operational goals of the organisation. With the establishment of a new team, the company i.e. Nokia will be able to improve its decision making perspective as it is directly connected with the performance of the organisation. Furthermore, the new team of the company will also facilitate to enhance t he marketing operations or activities of the products which were lacking in the previous operating strategy of the company. In precise, it can be said that the new team of the organisation, which is a part of the operational strategy, will have its maximum focus on speed as well as accountability that would ultimately enable to deliver positive results. It would be vital to mention in this regard that the company has appointed a new face for every section of its operations from top to bottom and each one of them will have their specific targets that need to be fulfilled. This approach of the company correlates with the top-down operational strategy. In such strategy, companies experience a change from top to bottom in its operational conduct (Nokia, 2011; Pearson Education, 2010; Slack & Nigel, 2009). From the overall analysis of the strategy of Nokia Corporation, it has been learnt that the company follows two operational approaches which entail the current market requirement appro ach as well as the top-down approach. However, there are two more operational strategies that can be incorporated by the organisation in its operation. These two approaches will comprise bottom-up approach and strategy based on resources of organisation. In the bottom-up approach, a company such as Nokia would experience a change in strategy from bottom to top by taking into consideration the views and the

Research for Registered Nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Research for Registered Nurses - Essay Example Two relevant skills are important for making contribution in the clinical care in such scenarios. These are ability to examine the evidence in support of the proposed course of treatments and the ability to use the evidence in practice. However, extracting evidence from research is not easy so it can be used straightforward for clinical decision making. Although it is a commonly held idea that comprehending the research finding is what is necessary, but those who have tried this in practice know very well that finding a relevant evidence for facilitating decision making is not that easy (McDonnell, 2004). Usable evidence must support a proposed clinical activity and clinical intervention so the course of treatment can be modified. Familiarity with research process and research methods are two important requisites for a healthcare professional, and they should at the baseline be able to search the requisite information through a comprehensive, rigorous, and methodologically valid sear ch ultimately assisting them to select and deliver the most effective care. Stone and Rowles (2007) indicated that as far as nursing is concerned, most research has demonstrated that there are barriers to use research findings in practice, and the main reason is a gap of knowledge in research methods and deficiency in critical appraisal skills. A realistic, problem-based structured approach to find and evaluate research could solve the problem. Along with that, there must be approaches to have academic learning on research methodologies. Although there has been argument that evidence is lacking in all fields of nursing and in many cases review and implementation of evidence is not straightforward, it is clear that nurses most often do research for finding evidence with less than optimal methodological rigour. It has also been complained that the workload prevents the nurses to have adequate time to engage in research activity. Nursing as a profession is nascent, and lack of maturity of the science might have prevented practice guided by robust evidences fro m research (Stone and Rowles (2007). Focus Question Given these different views, it is necessary to find out the truth about nursing research, and consequently, doing a systemic literature review would be the best possible option with the focus question, what are the barriers of evidence based practice in nursing What could be the possible solutions Methodology Based on these focus questions, there were a set of inclusion criteria developed for finding relevant articles for this review. The articles which were included were all on evidence based practice in nursing, which identified the barriers to implement a process of finding relevant literature, evaluating and extracting evidence, categorizing evidence, and applying them in practice. It was expected that there would be certain number of studies in each of these themes along or in combination. The literature available in the University database will only be included which were relatively recent published within the period of last 5 years in English language will be included. It was also expected that many of these studies will also focus on evidence based nursing in different specialities. Since specialty-oriented nursing research evidence may have specific pitfalls or positive points specific

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project Management - Essay Example In this regard, it has been observed that Nokia Corporation is one of the renowned companies, which has recently undergone a change in its operational processes in order to remain abreast with the changing environment of the market. The company has undergone a redesigning process in its operations to cope up with the changing needs of the customers as well as the markets all over the world. The revised operational strategy of the company includes the strategic alliance of it with Microsoft to come up with different ranges of products in the market. This alliance enables the company to deliver innovative products and enhance its geographical reach along with product identity. With this strategy, the company has the desire to increase its sales by a considerable margin. This change was much needed for the company as the nature of the market was constantly changing and there was a danger that the preferences of the customers might get switched to another brand. This approach of the comp any correlates with the operational purview where a company generally changes its operational strategy in accordance with the needs of the current business environment. This approach is termed as operational strategy approach of market requirement (Nokia, 2011; Slack & Nigel, 2009). Furthermore, the operational strategy of the company has witnessed significant changes in the recent years with the inception of the new leadership team in the operations. It has been observed that the new team of the company has acquired considerable knowledge and is competent to deal with the dynamic nature of today’s business environment. The team is also viewed to have utmost commitment towards the operational goals of the organisation. With the establishment of a new team, the company i.e. Nokia will be able to improve its decision making perspective as it is directly connected with the performance of the organisation. Furthermore, the new team of the company will also facilitate to enhance t he marketing operations or activities of the products which were lacking in the previous operating strategy of the company. In precise, it can be said that the new team of the organisation, which is a part of the operational strategy, will have its maximum focus on speed as well as accountability that would ultimately enable to deliver positive results. It would be vital to mention in this regard that the company has appointed a new face for every section of its operations from top to bottom and each one of them will have their specific targets that need to be fulfilled. This approach of the company correlates with the top-down operational strategy. In such strategy, companies experience a change from top to bottom in its operational conduct (Nokia, 2011; Pearson Education, 2010; Slack & Nigel, 2009). From the overall analysis of the strategy of Nokia Corporation, it has been learnt that the company follows two operational approaches which entail the current market requirement appro ach as well as the top-down approach. However, there are two more operational strategies that can be incorporated by the organisation in its operation. These two approaches will comprise bottom-up approach and strategy based on resources of organisation. In the bottom-up approach, a company such as Nokia would experience a change in strategy from bottom to top by taking into consideration the views and the

Juvenile Recidivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Juvenile Recidivism - Essay Example The designing of effective assessment strategies leading to interventions with the young offenders are no doubt, predominantly dependant on the identification of causal factors that constitute the basis of a realistic prediction (Savitz et al., 1962). Adolescence is a phase of life when the young people are more prone to engaging in antisocial behavior. Practice of antisocial behavior during adolescence is the single most important factor in the prediction of criminal behavior in the adulthood. A plethora of research carried on till now has suggested that almost a half or more of juvenile offenders continue with the criminal behavior beyond their teens. Juvenile recidivism is a serious problem in the United States. On an annual basis, roughly 2.4 million juveniles are charged with criminal offences every year (Wilson, 2011: Online). As per some conservative estimates, roughly 55 percent or more of juvenile offenders who are released get rearrested within a year (Wilson, 2011: Online). In case of urban areas, the rate of juvenile recidivism is estimated to be as high as 76 percent (Wilson, 2011: Online). At a national level, it is utterly difficult to acquire the accurate recidivism rates. This is because in the US, the recidivism rates in case of juvenile offenders are assessed at a state or county level (Wilson, 2011: Online). Hence, the statistics specific to the particular states is in a way a realistic indicator of the levels of juvenile recidivism. In the year 2005, the rate of juvenile recidivism in the State of Washington, in case of boys stood at 77 percent and in the case of girls it stood at 72 percent (Wilson, 2011: Onli ne). In the State of California, the percentage of juvenile delinquents who got rearrested within a year was 74 (Wilson, 2011: Online). In Manhattan, the rate of juvenile recidivism rested at roughly 80 percent (Wilson, 2011: Online). Many

Iliad and Achilles Actions Essay Example for Free

Iliad and Achilles Actions Essay Central to David Malouf’s Ransom, is the notion of loss, to deeply depict the fastidiousness and fragility of life. Achilles, in his quest to seek vengeance for the death of his be-loved friend, Patroclus, becomes distant as he struggles to remain emotionally intact, being unable to grasp onto the warrior and the leader he once was. Similarly, Priam’s better judgement and role as the King of Troy are clouded by the slaying of his son, Hector, acting irrationally, by conjuring up a precarious journey virtuously from a vision as a result of the trauma he has experienced from witnessing Achilles actions on his son. Consequently it takes the proceedings of Priam ransoming his son’s body to bring renewed empathy to both men. Achilles being born from both elements of earth and water is hindered to entirely comprehend who he really is. His Dad, Peleus being a great warrior and his mother, Thetis, originating from the element of water, â€Å"in all its many forms†. He inherits abilities from his mother, emulating an â€Å"eel – like, fluid weightless† sensation within himself, aiding his swift, rapid movements in battle. Yet Achilles is bought up by his father, where â€Å"he had entered the rough world of men†, thus not being exposed to the tender virtues of women, such as compassion, empathy and kind-heartedness, rather from of a young –age is subjected to â€Å"a world of pain, loss, dependency, bursts of violence and elation†. As a result Achilles is moulded by Peleus into the man; he wishes him to be, while Achilles aspires to impress Peleus to rifle for his loving approval, which is unfulfilled due to the absence of a feminine role model. Ultimately Achilles is deprived of his childhood; he is submerged into a world of violence and killing, where he becomes â€Å"numb† to the notion of death. Subsequently from the loss of his childhood, as well as being immersed in the culture of battle, Achilles is unable to find direction about who he truly is and successively he is unable to appropriately manage the loss of his dear friend Patroclus, envisioning himself as a protector to Patroclus. It is amidst Achilles emotional pain and gradual deterioration of Patroclus’ murder through which Malouf truly captures the concept of loss. Achilles visioning himself as a protector to Patroclus befalls emotionally disturbed â€Å"like a man obeying the needs of some other, darker agency†. From his childhood, Peleus taught Achilles to suppress his feelings, to not to expose to others how he felt, this strength remained mentally where he never learnt to deal with anguish and misery of his loved ones, especially Patroclus. As a result he becomes damaged and a blurred personality of what he once was that Malouf uses to show the consequences of emotional pain, to elude a resilient, strong minded leader in Achilles. Consequently Achilles becomes psychologically detached from reality, in a struggle to find solace for Patroclus’ death, reverting to massacring Hectors body repeatedly as â€Å"the self-consuming rage that drives him and wastes his spirit in despair†, is the beginning of the loss of his true self as a leader and a gladiator, which is stemmed from his ‘inward rage’, for his self-blame of Patroclus’ death, further obscuring his leadership and judgement to disrespect the body of Hector, to outwardly direct his anger at Hector’s body as a scapegoat for his true agony, at the loss of his adopted brother and the loss of his humane side, which Patroclus he him to draw away from a world of bloodshed and combat. Centralised to Malouf’s conceptual theme of loss, is the perception of loss facing Priam, through the murder and slaughter of his son, and the loss of his own perceived insignificance, as he journeys to Ransom the body of Hector. Priam’s most immediate and significant pain is climaxed, as he endures the murder of Hector, although Achilles actions ultimately prove the harshest ordeal to Priam, watching Achilles, ‘dragged the corpse to his car, secure it, knot after knot to the axle-tree, and hauled it off through the tumbling dust’. As Achilles for eleven continuous days drags ‘him up and down before the Greek Ships’, serving as a reminder to Priam for eleven days in a row, the loss and death of his son’s presence, evoking Priam to act out of instinct, journeying to re-obtain Hectors body. As a result Priam, viewing himself as an ‘ancient doll’, feels the desire and motivation due to Achilles actions, to conjure a treacherous journey, stripping himself of all ‘royal insignia’ and developing the courage to travel to the Greek camp undetected, without soldiers, but with the purity of his true self, ‘dressed in a plain white robe’. It is here that Priam’s desperation and misery are highlighted Malouf, to demonstrate the multitude of the situation, in which the way loss can diversely affect an individual, forcing them to go to great lengths to do what is perceived to them to be necessary. Ultimately, David Malouf’s concept of loss is explored through the main characters of Priam and Achilles. Both physically having the grieve for the loss of loved ones, Malouf explores this theme by depicting the dissimilar personalities of each character, and how each character adapts, copes and develops into a new leader after the ordeal of losing Patroclus and Hector. For Achilles he emerges a wrathful leader of his Myrmidons, being unable to have fully captured his emotions, as Patroclus was his escape from war. Conversely, Priam emerges as a wise man, viewing his own action as necessary, and rather than being systematic, spontaneously from a vision, journey’s to ransom the body of Hector.

Effect of the Internet on Business Development

Effect of the Internet on Business Development The internet is a network of computers who can share data and communicate between them. Its reach is almost every place in this world (see table 1). Any other technology has never changed a business as fast as internet has done. There are many stories of how a business been transformed on internet. EBay, the biggest e-shop was created by his founder to trade niche goods but now, one can buy or sell almost everything in this world to virtually everywhere. You can transform your business if you are nicely connected to your customers, suppliers and other trade partners. Internet is the best possible connector in a business who is at your service for virtually nothing. There is whole world at your disposal and you dont need to open a shop everywhere. Only thing you need is internet connection with some computer system. If you are able to offer a better deal you are in business otherwise, irrespective of how big or small you are, you are going to run out of business. The impact of interne t includes: Less importance of economies of scale. Fewer barriers to internationalization. Lower marketing communication costs. Greater price standardization. Less information floating time. Easy and fast communication between buyer and sellers. Changes in intermediary relationships. The internet lowers transaction costs in three ways: Search costs: The amount of information available to the buyer and the seller can be increased with the help of internet and that can be accessed conveniently and timely. Contracting costs: The internet helps to establish better communication and monitor the performance of partners in business relationship. It is easier to negotiate and compare prices via internet. Co-ordination costs: The cost of sharing information is reduced due to internet and is helpful in integrating business operations. What is e-business? (Kotler and Keller, 2009) e-business describes the use of electronic means and platform to conduct a companys business. E-business is short form of electronic business, where internet and related technology is used for normal business operations. Here internet is used to increase productivity, reduce costs and thus to increase turnover. The effect of Internet on business Internet has changed the business immensely. It has made the world come closer and trade economically and efficiently. It has created a virtual market where everything is available, not physically but virtually. The greatest effect internet has done on business is that it made trade price sensitive and more logical. A customer now is able to do the research work or comparisons before buying a product or services. Not only customer but it has benefited firm as well. Now firm is able to reach distant customer easily and cheaply. They can create awareness about their product and can interact directly with customer to know their preference, problem and potential solution. There is lot more to come and has impact on almost every sector of business. In further chapters we will discuss about these impacts in detail. Dissertation Objective The objective of writing this dissertation is as follows: To analyse the role of internet in development of business. To highlight the way a firm can effectively use internet technology to gain competitive advantage over their competitors. Project Structure This dissertation is divided in seven chapters with each chapter dealing with a specific topic dealing how internet helps in developing a business. First chapter Introduction contains the basic detail about the internet and their business application. Chapter 2 with heading literature review discusses about the internet and its impact on international marketing, the internet and the e-value chain and international marketing strategy and e-business. Here, the things discussed are the essence of the academic work of known writers. Chapter three discusses about the virtual market (market space) and their different aspects (like how this market can be exploited, what the possible pitfall are and where opportunities lies). Chapter four is about marketing on internet. Here some of the important discussions are on interactive marketing, push marketing and advertising via internet. There is also discussion about global business strategy and driver that need to be adopted for international ma rketing via internet. In chapter five, the academic analysis of internet as a tool for development of business is done. Here porters generic competitive advantage model, Rayport and Sviokla model of marketspace and Dutta and Segevs market space model has been discussed in brief. Further a SWOT analysis of inter is done with some suggestions. In chapter sis a very brief case study of eBay is done. Chapter seven is about the managerial implication of the changing scenario due to internet and in marketplace. Literature Review The Internet and its impact on International Marketing The Internet (Fletcher et al, 2005) The internet is a global network of interlinked computers operating on a standard protocol that allows information exchange. (Carolyn Siegel, 2004) It is the worlds largest network of interconnected distributed computer networks. Thus we can infer that any system which is able to share information to other system through a globally accepted protocol is part of internet and this whole interconnection may be called as internet. Internet commerce (Kotler and Keller, 2009) e-commerce means that the company or site offers to transact or facilitate the selling of products and services online. The internet user in the world is growing fast and so is the market scope for the marketers. According to Internet World Stat, 23.8% of total world population are active internet user. Thus, a vast population of more than 1.5 billion is ready to buy and sell on internet given a better deal. It can be only imagined the vastness and growth of market that within 8 year (2000 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 2008) the world internet users grew by 342% and out of those users, 85% have purchased something on internet (Source, Nielsen, Feb 2008). The Internet and International Marketing (Carolyn Siegel, 2004) Marketing is a collection of activities that bring buyers and sellers together to make exchanges that satisfy and give value to all parties. (Carolyn Siegel, 2004) Internet marketing or e-marketing (electronic marketing) is marketing on internet with the help of emails, World Wide Web or other means. It also includes production and selling of internet related products. According to Fletcher in 2005, the introduction of electronic business has changed the fundamental principles of international marketing. He pointed out certain things that internet has changed are: Size of firm is no longer a barrier to internationalization. No need of overseas intermediaries as it became easier to locate customer and deal directly with them. No longer is traditional way of internationalization (moving from familiar to less familiar country) applicable as information became easily available and the communication medium is interactive. The internet (as a low cost medium) allows small and medium firms to become global marketer at their early stage. This is due to the fact that internet can help establishing better communication among overseas customers, suppliers, agents and distributors. We will discuss more about drivers of internet business model, impact of internet on international marketing in chapter 5. Characteristics According to Richard Fletcher et al, 2005, the internet is both communication and a marketing intelligence tool. As a communication tool it helps to build and maintain effective communication with overseas suppliers, distributors and customers. The internet has good information processing capability which acts as link between firm and external environment (discussed later). This ability of internet used as marketing intelligence tool. The internet is used as marketing channel and has following characteristics: Ability to store vast amount of data (information) inexpensively at virtually different location. Interactivity and ability to provide information on demand. Relatively low entry and establishment costs for sellers. Serve as distribution medium for goods like software, e-books etc. Powerful and cheap tool for searching, organizing and processing information. The ability to provide better insight of a product than that of other form of printed catalogue. The Internet and the e-value chain Netchising or Virtual value chain According to Beck and Morrison (2000), the physical value chain activity while globalization has not seen good results. This is due to the fact that a firm uses their resources in overseas activity at the expense of opportunities of domestic market. Not only that, there are other problem faced by an organisation like coordination of physical operations across the globe, the cultural differences, the cost of expatriates and vulnerability to environmental risk that can damage reputation of the firm. Most of these problems can be effectively solved by netchising, a term coined by Beck and Morrison (2000). Netchising is the practice of handing over overseas operations to partners (generally overseas) by outsourcing, subcontracting or franchising. Netchising has following advantages: Efficiency: generally overseas partners are more efficient and are specialized in carrying out the outsourced activities than the outsourcing firm. Convenience: exchange of information becomes easy. Now, orders can be directly placed to the firm without any local agent and a firm can also share information to the customers directly. Reduction in Transaction cost: It reduces the cost of carrying business operations which ultimately benefit the profitability of firm. International value chain According to Plumley (2000), international e-business value chain is the combination of e-commerce platform and secure transaction support (see figure 2.1). The e-commerce platform builds on the countries business rules and language where as secure transaction support builds on currency clearing and legal requirement. According to Gartner Group, internet affects the supply chain (see figure 2.2). It shows that a customer can buy and pay for the product or services easily and at the same time a supplier can also communicate directly with customer and with their own other internal departments. International information chain According to Karmarkar (2000), internet value chain is closely linked with international information chain. The language and cultural differences is the main hurdle in the path of globalization of a firm. When a firm deals with information product (like music, e-books or software) then it becomes easier to go global. In certain cases when product or services are not much attached to language or cultural factors (for ex. Technical publishing and industrial services), then also it is easy to become global. In production of information product and services low labour cost is the key as relative cost of hardware and software has come down. Now, firms look for low cost labour market (like India, China) to develop information products. Outsourcing of information services (customer care service such as call centres) and software development cell are some examples. Thus we can say that in information value chain, the physical infrastructure doesnt play a vital role. International Marketing Strategy and e-business Internet issue and foreign market entry According to Oxley and Yeung (2000), the e-commerce readiness of a market is determined by three factors: The rule of law: A customer is not able to see the original product while purchasing online. Therefore, they need to be assured that if they purchase a product or service online; they will get them as they were told or shown online in given time limit. According to survey by e-consultancy in 2008, 84% buyers look for the sign that a website is secure before making a purchase. Thus, a market (country) must be able to provide an environment where property rights are well defines, courts are efficient in resolving disputes and consumer credits and consumer protection regulations are well established and enforced (i.e. strong tradition of the rule of law). The transactional integrity of online business: It is difficult to track a e-business trader by their e-mail address or website. Also, the entry and exit barrier in e-business is low and this is used as a weapon by dishonest e-traders. They can execute fraud and again be able to do it with a new name (as they can entre again in market with new identity). When dispute arises, it is hard to practise legal action in a different country and can be costly. The availability of infrastructure: migration from traditional market to online market is not possible until customers have access to personal computer and internet connection at reasonable price. Apart from these facilities, they do have the facility of credit card or online payment system. Thus, internet related infrastructure and financial infrastructure are essential Electronic Marketplace Internet a virtual market According to Garrison, (1996), the internet acts as a catalyst for sociological change. It has changed the nature of market, the way of business operation and the mode of communication with customers and other business partners. It has created a market space which has affected the traditional marketplace and consumer preferences by providing greater facilities to them. Internet has become the largest market available to mankind where almost everything is been sell or bought. This market space doesnt exist in physical terms but can get everything available in physical market. Physical vs. Virtual Value Chain Value chain is nothing but a set of value adding activity for the product or services. Rayport and Sviokla, 1996, argued about a new value chain termed as virtual value chain where product or services exist as a piece of information and can be delivered through information based channel of communication. This virtual value chain is different from physical or traditional value chain where one can see or touch products. He said the virtual world as market space while the physical world as marketplace. According to Fletchar et al 2005, the virtual value chain is a realm where products and services exist as digital information delivered through information based channel. He also differentiates virtual value chain and physical value chain on the basis of information used. The virtual value system uses information as the source of value while in physical value chain it is used as a supporting element of value adding process. Thus we can say that now a day a firm has to compete in two busin ess environment, one is traditional and other is virtual business environment. The distinction between the two can be understood by this example. when consumers use answering machines to leave a message, they are using an object that is both made and sold in the physical world, however when they buy electronic answering services from the phone company they are using the market space à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  a virtual realm where products and services are digital information and are delivered through information-based channels. (Rayport and Sviokla, 1996) Figure 2: The Virtual Value Chain in relation to The Physical Value Chain (source: Hollensen, 2001). Adoption of Value Adding Activities: Company adopts value adding information activities in the following three stages: Visibility: Here large scale information systems are used to coordinate activities in the physical value chain. Mirroring Capability: It is the capability of substituting physical activities with virtual and thus creating a parallel virtual value chain in the marketspace (see figure 2). New Customer Relationship: This is the flow of information to customer to deliver value in new ways. This parallel physical and virtual value chain operation allow firms to deliver value to their customer in both marketspace and marketplace. These operations create marketspace based relationship with customers. The virtual value chain consists of five steps, say, gathering, organising, selecting, synthesizing and distributing information. These value adding activity allow company to identify customers desires more effectively and fulfil them more efficiently. This happens, for example, when a car manufacturer shifts its RD from the physical to the virtual value chain. By doing so, they involve customers of different locations in the new product development process. The physical value chain is linear (a sequence of activities with defined input and outputs), whereas the virtual value chain is non-linear (a matrix of potential inputs and outputs that can be accessed and distribute by a wide variety of channels). Relationship marketing It is a way of marketing where marketers or firm try to attract, maintain and enhance relationship with customers and other business partners. Internet (or website) acts as the best medium to communicate with people related to business. Firms now focus on relationship marketing to gather information from customers, to develop customized product or services for a focussed customer group. The internet helps firms to improve relationship with their customers and suppliers; and help them to work effectively. Now a firm doesnt need a middleman or a agent as they can sell directly to the customer via internet. Thus the distance with customer is decreasing and a firm need a smaller supply chain which can increase their profitability. The lesser distance also allows firms to establish a close relationship with customer and provide those customized products or services as per their need. The firms (like eBay, Google etc) involved in innovative business have always realized the power of customer relationship. They bank on the ability to process large relationship database. With the help of this relationship database they formulate their strategy and develop innovative way of marketing. The relationship marketing not only benefit the firm but also the customers. The customers are benefitted because firm can develop customized and focussed marketing message. Mattsson, (1996), has described a relationship as combination of three main components, which affect the parties involved in a business. Those components are legal(L), behavioural(P), and atmospheric (E). These three factor determines the success and failure of a relationship marketing in a particular market. Thus it is possible to have a successful buyer-seller relationship in domestic market totally failure in overseas market. Finally we can say that relationship marketing includes the management of a firm and thus it must be included in the business plan Marketing on the Internet Internet and Global Business Strategy (Kotler and Keller, 2006) e-marketing describes company offers to inform buyers, communicate, promote and sell its products and services over the internet. Drivers of Internet Adoption in International Marketing Once a firm establishes an internet portal (website), they automatically become a MNC (Multi National Company). Quelch and Kelvin (1996) describe two evolutionary paths of a website: Information to Transaction Model (figure 4.1) adopted by existing MNCs where they offer information to address the needs of existing customers. Transaction to Information Model (figure 4.2) adopted by internet start-up companies where they begin with transaction and use the medium to build brand image and secure repeat orders. The basic purpose of these models is either to reduce cost or to increase revenue. According to Quelch and Kelvin (1996), these drivers fall into four quadrant as given in figure 4.3. Internal customers focus/ cost reduction (quadrant 1): This is applicable to the companies who use website as a tool to communicate with their customers. Their main focus is to provide customer services for domestic market. They just happen to attract international traffic. Internal customer focus/ revenue generation (quadrant 2): This is applicable to the companies who use website not only to communicate with their domestic customers but also offer transactions online. This enables a firm to reach those international customers who might be inaccessible via other media. External customer focus/ cost reduction (quadrant 2): This is applicable to the companies whose main aim is to attract international audience through their website. This happens to benefit all customers because of the international scope of operations. External customer focus/ revenue generation (quadrant 3): This is applicable to the firms who not only focus on attracting international audience but also offer transactions worldwide. Here transaction involves connecting buyers and sellers. Company target providing services to existing customers and attract new customers from global market. Impact of Internet on International Marketing Variables The modification in marketing mix variables is necessary while using internet for international marketing. The impacts of internet on application of marketing mix while going to international market are as follows: Pricing: Due to internet customers are more aware of prices in different countries and thus there is increase in price standardization across borders and price differential become narrow. One advantage of this is that price can be customized easily with customers need and their profile (segment). Distribution Channels: Internet has dramatically reduced the number of intermediaries earlier needed for worldwide distribution channels. As now, less capital is needed for inventory and thus the role of intermediaries has been changed. The new roles of intermediaries include collection, spreading, interpretation and distribution of information rather than traditionally handling and distribution of products. Creation of new Market: Internet offers new opportunities for firms to create market by helping buyers and sellers to locate and negotiate trade terms with each other (ex. eBay etc). There is also a market developed for executing transaction between traders (ex. PayPal etc). New Product Diffusion: The traditional test as you go practice where shifting products from one country to another is now outdated. Now, new product announcement or launch generates immediate demand (as information travel faster on internet) and that requires immediate availability of goods. Customization: Due to internet, getting demographic and purchasing profile of customer became easy. This allows firms to customize products for local adaption as per local market demand. Advertising on internet Internet is a low cost advertising medium having reach to global audience. Advertising on internet includes banner advertising on website, email, blogs and links to search engines. As traditional media of advertising is quite expensive and at the same time internet infrastructure is improving day by day and able to prove support to video and graphics on web. With this improvement a firm can successfully launch an online advertisement campaign. Interactive advertising According to Haeckel, Marketing interactivity is a person-to-person or person-to-technology exchange designed to effect a change in the knowledge or behaviour of at least one person. He also point out that interactivity is function of certain dimensions, which is given as: I = Æ'(N, C, F, SI, CI, T, CT, SY, M) Where, I = impact of interaction, M = Type of media involved (Other factors not discussed as not relevant to current topic). Now, as a technology, internet is the strongest media for interactive marketing. The reason for that is Internet is used by almost a quarter of the total world population. It is not limited to a particular geographic reason. The growth of user is fast. Cheapest and fastest way of interacting with majority of population (both for customer and marketers). Haeckel also pointed out that there is going to be much more business and marketing use through internet. He made a graph which shows how we find usage of a new technology with time (see graph below) and thus we can say there is more in store than what we are seeing and using presently. Even interactive marketing may see turnaround with this technology. Marketing with push technology (Wetzel, 2008) defined push marketing as, customers are provided information by receiving or viewing advertisements digitally, such as: e-mail, SMS, RSS, phone calls, etc., as subscribers of the latest product and service information provided by the company. The internet is the cheapest and most effective media that is used for push marketing. Advantages of Push Marketing via Internet Tracking of Customer Preference: It is easier to track user preference with the help of push technology (internet) and customize according to their preferences. A good example of this is Google AdSense that tracks the users visited website or keywords in mail and according to those criteria it shows advertisement (related link). Increase Accessibility: With the help of push marketing a firm can increase customer accessibility by the firms marketing and advertisement of the products. Subscribers get pushed by built in developed software called PointCast that enable users to receive automatic content updates via their internet connection and web presence as the channel to get information when their computers are not in use. Corporate identity in cyberspace Firms are now using web to extend and reinforce their companies brand image in a cost efficient manner. This serves as a complementary media device that re-establishes a firm in consumers mind. By providing valuable information to users a firm can expand their brand image. The regular updating of information may attract customers to visit website regularly, which will reinforce firms image and provide them a chance to create a new and extended cyber image. Analysis and Methodology Competitive Advantage via Internet Porters three generic strategies for competitive advantage According to Porter (1985), a firm can earn high return if they are able to position themselves well enough, irrespective of the structure of the industry and profitability of the industry. He pointed out the fundamental basis for above average performance is sustainable competitive advantage in long run. For that sustainable competitive advantage he gave three generic competitive strategies. Cost Leadership: According to porter (1985), a firm is having cost advantage over his competitors if the cumulative cost of performing value activity is less than the competitors. He further discussed that a firms cost position is a function of; (a) the composition of their value chain to their competitors, (b) their relative position in cost drivers. Now, we see that how internet helps them to achieve them cost leadership by affecting the above two functions. Differentiation: Porter (1985) describes another strategy for competitive advantage is to differentiate their product with competitors products. This means raising the quality with ignoring the cost for the sake of quality. Now internet can help them to do that by interacting directly with customer and customizing products according to target group. Many firms now use blog site to interact with customers and promoting their new or customized product. Focus: Porter describe this as customizing products or services to suit a focused or small segment of consumer group. The internet helps firms to focus on different aspects of the products and customer group. Internet even allow firm to receive specification from each and every customers and according to them they can produce customized products or services. As discussed in chapter 3, the relation of physical and virtual value chain (Hollensen, 2001), we find there is virtual value chain corresponding to each physical value chain. By applying this value chain a firm can become cost leader as it depends on two factors discussed above. A firm can shift to virtual value chain to gain cost advantage over their competitors physical value chain. For example Federal Express (FedEx), a shipment company allows consumer to track their parcels. This tracking system via internet is very efficient and economical. The FedEx has now reduced more than a million query calls per month by providing online shipment tracking system. This is one of the way of reducing cost and step towards cost leader position and at the same time it differentiate FedEx from their competitors. But this is not enough as sooner or later others will follow same practice and FedEx lose the competitive edge. The real edge lies on the innovative and creative way of finding or chang ing physical value chain to virtual value chain. So now apart from technology, innovative idea of using technology is the key for success of a firm. Stuck in the middle Porter (1985) points out a situation, where a firm try to achieve both generic strategy (cost leadership and differentiation) but fails to achieve any of them. He calls this situation as stuck in the middle. According to him, a firm stuck in the middle will compete at disadvantage as others competitors (cost leader, differentiators) will be better positioned to compete in any segment. In case of Google AdSense, Google is offering a differentiated advertising tool at very low cost (usually one get this via auction, where price is driven by customer not producer) is offering a differentiated (highly unique and effective) advertisement. Here both cost leadership and differentiation is achieved by Google with the help of technology. Johnson et al (1998) discuss about the core competency of a firm may be difficult to imitate because they are complex. The google is doing the same thing by making the internal structure complex, which is hard to imitate by competitors. Thus, they can put the mselves in a position where for an advertisement position (ex. Out of five position or space, advertisers bid for first position then second and so on), firms bid among themselves. Thus, it is possible to achieve a position where a firm can achieve cost leadership and differentiation without compromising one for the other with the help of technology (say internet) and their own creativity (say way of using internet). E-business marketing Models and International Competitiveness Rayport and Sviokla Model According to Rayport and Sviokla (1995), the internet has changed the nature of trade. Internet has made both physical location of inventory and the actual place (marketplace) of trade irrelevant. They argued that traditional marketplace (the physical market) transaction has been replaced by markets place (virtual market or e-market) transaction. They concluded that brand equity is created in marketplace through content (i.e. the product offering), context (the communication programmes) and infrastructure (i.e. the pricing and value chain activity related to distribution). While in market space (internet marketing); content, context and infrastructure has been transformed to innovate new ways of creating value. The changes are: Content: Now, everything possible is delivered electronically whether it is product, service or information. Even though operating system (Microsoft window) are available online. They tim