Industry Environment Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industry Environment Analysis - Research Paper Example However, the business can shield itself by use of the barriers to entry. Barriers to entry are those actions by the firm that increase the costs incurred by potential competitors for them to enter the market (Hill & Jones, 2012). Therefore, the higher the barriers to entry, the higher the costs incurred by competitors and, therefore, the lower the rate of entrance into the market. The common barriers used by industries include economies of scale, switching costs by customers, capital investments, government regulation, brand loyalty and absolute cost advantages. Economies of Scale Economies of scale refer to the benefits and advantages that accrue to a company due to its large size. Economies of scale usually arise from sources such as mass production by the firm, discounts awarded due to buying in bulk, and benefits received due to spreading fixed costs over a large volume of production. Because of a large volume of output, the industry also limits its marketing and advertisements c osts (Hill & Jones, 2012). Therefore, the profitability of a fast-causal restaurant will be affected if its size is small, which limits its economies of scale. However, it can focus on increasing its size in order to increase its economies of scale such as pricing benefits. ... For example, a restaurant could create new recipes for foods; it could also spice up its foods in a unique way as compared to those of its current competitors. Therefore, customers will get used to the products and will prefer the restaurant’s foods to other foods offered in the market (Hill & Jones, 2011). This is a feature referred to as customer loyalty; it is used to ensure that customers stick to the original supplier irrespective of any other suppliers in the market. Capital Investments The business can ensure that its profitability is maintained by investing in capital intensive projects which assure it high returns in the future. For example, a restaurant could invest in latest technological equipment of operation. Such an investment will lead to offering of quality services to customers, thus increasing the number of customers attracted. Consequently, the profitability of the business will be increased. New competitors will be barred from entering the market since the y will not have similar investments for them to compete in the market. On the other hand, the capital requirements needed to make similar investments will be extremely high, so any new business would opt not to enter the market (Kar, 2011). Absolute Cost Advantages Cost advantages for the business will arise from such angles as experience, high quality trained personnel, and control of crucial inputs of production in the market such as labor, raw materials and management skills. It could also have additional advantages such as access to cheap sources of finance and insurance benefits. Therefore, a new company in the market will be hindered from entering since it will not be able to match to the advantages of the

Network Design Plan Review of Related Study Essay Example for Free

Network Design Plan Review of Related Study Essay The literature review is about the study of the network design of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, wherein there are different networks or technologies to be used and the security purposes of the office. This review also includes the possible devices to be used, according to our client it is convenient of any devices the important thing is that traffic within every department and also from the regional offices must be prevented. There must be a Quality of Service to take place so that connection will be maximized such as there are things like personal emails, data transfer, and company email servers can be delivered as efficient as possible and to prevent delay within every division. As DILG have a 7 year network design but it is not satisfying due to slow connection and old equipment. They have a good service such as primary health care; supervise the administration governance of the local government, etc. therefore a much broader connection must be achieved to give back also to people the help they deserve. According to the – Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) network design provides for centralized management and control of the computers in the two stores, so that you can maintain the network from off-site. Compare to their music stores, wherein their stores are in different places, our client also want to have a connection directly from the Central Offices to the Regional Offices through WAN. Use the technology that ? ts â€Å"All of these network designs can be used to complement each other in a large network, and can obviously make use of traditional wired networking techniques whenever possible. In our transcript of Interview our client said that they need LAN, WAN, VPN in their office. Local Area Network (LAN) is used to connect devices within the area, but in our client’s case LAN will be used per department not per floor. It is said to prevent traffic that can cause delay inside the office. Wide Area Network (WAN) network that covers a broad area wherein the client is in capable of tracking or receiving and sending files to the regional offices data. They said that some of the people in their regional offices tend to send emails but some of it is delayed due to users and also people travel to central offices personally just to send data, such a waste of time. Virtual Private Network (VPN) extends a private network across public networks like the Internet. Just like WAN it is a network used to broad area the only difference is that VPN has security purpose. There are two types that VPN can be classified with the site-to-site and the remote-access connectivity. Site-to-site connectivity is to secure connection within the DILG offices wherein guest in the area is required to ask permission of the security. The DILG office is adequate to imbed the security purposes of the building. Remote-access connectivity is where employees will create or establish to secure the connection. In that case, the head of every department has the right to place security of the connection. The security connection is between every department only therefore there will be a specific or different security per department. Therefore DILG is using the site-to-site connectivity wherein DILG’s IT Department is the one who will be creating or implementing the security purposes of the whole DILG. As said, there are many types of network or technology that can be used in order for an office will be connected near or far to each other with security or not. Traf? c optimization â€Å"Bandwidth is measured as the amount of bits transmitted over a time interval. This means that over time, bandwidth available on any link approaches in? nity. † â€Å"QoS refers to the capability of a network to provide better service. † DILG will signi? antly improve response time and maximize available throughput by eliminating unwanted and redundant traf? c from your network. That is why they indicate to have the site-to-site connectivity in order to have unity in securing the whole office. Like in the previous review, only the IT Department is the only one that will be implementing the security. Almost any network can take advantage of QoS for optimum efficiency, whether it is in central offices or even the regional offices. You can specify importance based on criteria such as IP address, MAC address, and even service name. Importance of a Good Network Design One of the main reasons behind why good network designs are necessary for people who are interested in making a success of their Internet business is because a good network design company specifies, supplies, as well as installs the right network equipment. Any network developed in this way will be based upon the requirements as well as the specifications of that particular customer. An alternative use of a good network design is to make sure that a proper and workable network infrastructure can be made which is going to be high performance and extremely secure. Many companies get together with the client, so that they can find out what is necessary and then look at the best equipment that is tailor-made to suit the requirements of the company. You might be looking for a straightforward upgrade of an existing network or complete overhaul with a brand new network. The main criteria is that for every single piece of brand new design or even just network upgrades, one needs to have a professional to look at the network structure that is present at the prior to starting any work before making any suggestions about the necessary changes. After that, theyll be provided with a quotation about the necessary bracing as well as the deliverables, which are ultimately going to make up the final product. A good network design is going to have services integrated within it as well as a complete identification is made of the design as well as the existing infrastructure. The network design company should inform the client all about an efficient and cost-effective way in which they can get the network design made to suit the requirements of his business. These design solutions should be quantifiable as well as rubberstamped, so that the implementation as well as the network upgrade can be made to measure. Reference documents should always be at hand while the network planning is done so that testing can be done easily throughout. Technical quotations in a detailed format are also useful in making sure that the client gets exactly what has been discussed and what they have paid for. In fact, the client should be provided with the most detailed information regarding the entire process starting from application profiling, to pricing and documentation. If you happen to be just starting out in your new Internet business and are looking for a company that can give you a good network design, do remember to ask if the company can supply you with these important services as well as any other requirements that you may have. After the initial talks have been done with the customer service as well as the technical department, a professional consultant needs to be sent down by the company so that the client knows everything about the project cost, resource requirements, as well as the timescale in which the project can be completely efficiently and effectively. After the project is planned in proper and methodical detail, only then can the implementation work begin. Ideally of course you should be looking for a network design company that is ultimately going to give you competitive pricing, as well as really quick results. Topologies There are different types of topologies such as Bus, Star, Ring, Mesh, Tree, Hybrid Topology. In our client’s case, they did not specify what kind of topology their design would be, the important thing is that the nodes, links, peripherals and other are arranged properly. Network topologies define the layout, virtual shape or structure of network, not only physically but also logically. The way in which different systems and nodes are connected and communicate with each other is determined by topology of the network. According to ianswer4u. com there are factors into considering when choosing a network topology a. scale of the project; b. Amount of traffic expected on the network; c. Budget allotted for the network; d. Required response time.

New Potential Class of Long Gamma-Ray Bursts

New Potential Class of Long Gamma-Ray Bursts Intro Since their discovery, a debate has been sparked over the classification of a new potential class of long gamma-ray bursts (LGRB) that possess ultra-long durations lasting at least 1000s, along with distinctly different x-ray and optical light curves to regular gamma-ray bursts (GRB) (Levan 2014). The search for members of the ultra-long gamma-ray burst (ULGRB) population is currently gaining traction, with some suggesting they may be commonly occurring despite difficulties detecting them (levan 2014) and that their origins may be uniquely different from regular LGRBs (Boer 2015). It is thought that ULGRBs are produced by stars of very large radii evolving into an engine driven super-luminous supernova (SLSN), rather than an envelope stripped compact Wolf-Rayet star which is commonly accepted as a progenitor for LGRBs (levan 2014), however, the connection between SN signatures and ULGRBs is an ambiguous one. More recent work has been centred on exploring this partially vague connection, attempting to refine models explaining an engine driven SLSN, the nature of their progenitors and the host galaxy properties (bersten, kann, japlj, gao). The focus of this work is on two papers in this area of astrophysics: A very luminous magnetar-powered supernova associated with an ultra-long gamma-ray burst, (Greiner) and The Diversity of Transients from Magnetar Birth, (Metzger). The former details the discovery and observational analysis of SN2011k, preceded by GRB111209A, and postulates a magnetar origin, whereas the latter acknowledges the ULGB-SLSN connection and builds a thorough model of magnetar formation in order to explain it. A very luminous magnetar-powered supernova associated with an ultra-long gamma-ray burst Summary The work performed by (greiner) at first focuses on observational data of GRB111209A taken with GROND, a 7-channel imager specifically designed for rapid observations of GRB afterglows that performs simultaneous imaging in the Sloan grIz and near infra-red JHK bands. Use of the GROND imager gives the authors the ability to calculate multiple properties of the GRB, such as photometric redshift, the intrinsic power law slope of the continuum emission, and the galactic host emission, which can all be done in a short window and   monitored as the GRB afterglow evolves (greiner 2008). z΄ GROND was used on 16 epochs with logarithmic temporal spacing until 72 days after the GRB was detected by the Swift satellite on December 9 2011; however, readings were interrupted by the Sun until 280 days after detection when a final epoch for host photometry was obtained. There is also inclusion of supplementary observations of the GRB afterglow: u-band observations from Swift with applied UVOT photometry; HST F336W/F125W data from 11.1 and 35.1 days after the GRB, respectively; two epochs of VLT(X-shooter)/FORS2 g΄RCi΄z΄ data during the SN phase; a late-time Gemini-S u΄-band observation 198 days after the GRB. Data tables for all GROND and Swift data can be found in Appendix A. GRB111209A was measured to last ~10,000s at a redshift of z=0.677, and to have an equivalent isotropic energy output of Eiso = (5.7à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.7)à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ´1053 erg which is among the brightest of LGRBs. After analysis of the VLT/X-shooter spectrum, obtained near the peak of excess emission and detailed below, (greiner) deduces this emission to be caused by a SN, dubbed SN2011k1, because of similarities in spectral shape to known GRB-SNe and development in time and colour. Decomposition of the GRB afterglow is shown in figure 1 which displays data from GROND and other instruments. Since the authors accurately determined the host galaxy emission, they were able to subtract it from the GRB afterglow. The optical light curve displays a deviation from its initial power law decay, remaining flat for around 15 days, before decaying again. They also plot the light curve in the u-band showing a steeper decay slope >10 days where the initial slope is a1.. and the second a2 Since there is no contribution from the associated SN in the u-band, they explain that they can build a template for the pure afterglow contribution from the SN. The authors construct a quasi-bolometric light curve for the SN from GROND and supplementary data by first extinction-correcting filter band with Avà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, galactic foreground, and Avhostà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which was derived from the GRB afterglow spectral energy distribution, then secondly deriving quadratic polynomials for sets of 3 consecutive filters, which were combined to form the light curve.   They then integrate the polynomials over rest-frame wavelength from 3860/(1+z) Ã… to 13560/(1+z) Ã…, corresponding to the blue limit of the g-band filter to the red limit of the J filter, and used k-correction computed from the spectral energy distribution. Finally, they transformed the integrated flux into luminosity (figure 2), employing a luminosity distance of d=4080 Mpc, using concordance cosmology (à ¯Ã‚ -à ¯Ã‚ Ã…’=0.73, à ¯Ã‚ -m=0.27, and H0=71 km sà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­1 Mpcà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­1) Using data from the VLT/X-shooter spectrum, which is the sum of light from the GRB afterglow, the GRB host galaxy, and the supernova SN 2011kl and taken near the SN peak, (greiner) again subtracts the GRB and host contributions followed by rest-frame conversion and correction for intrinsic reddening of E(Bà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­V)=0.04à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.01 mag. They use this data, shown in figure 3, to draw similarities between SN2011k1 and SLSN, noting that its flat shape and high UV flux is clearly different from the brightest known GRB-SNe. When comparing this spectrum (figure 3) to the GRB afterglow, they find that there is no change in absorption lines or redshift and that they are similar to those found in hosts of LGRBs, thus relating SN2011k1 to the same galaxy as GRB111209A. Also mentioned in this comparison is that there is no offset between the GRB afterglow and SN images, which the authors say implies the events are co-spatial to within Spectral analysis of SN2011k1 reveals very low metal content and lack of H or He, unlike typical SNe Ic associated with LGRBs, therefore, (greiner) apply parameterized SN light curve fits to derive an ejecta mass Mej = 3à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±1 Mà ¢Ã…  Ã¢â€ž ¢ and a 56Ni mass of 1.0à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.1 Mà ¢Ã…  Ã¢â€ž ¢ for photospheric velocity vph = 20,000 km/s, and a grey opacity of 0.07à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.01 cm2 gà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ­1. The high Ni/Mej ratio is reported to be incompatible with the spectrum (figure 3) and thus the authors seek an alternative explanation for the luminosity source. The likeness of SN2011k1 to SLSNe, its host galaxy properties, low metal abundance, improbable Ni powered luminosity and association with GRB111209A lead to the authors to suggest a magnetar origin for this event, stating that post-birth from the collapse of a massive star it powers the surrounding ejecta for a super-luminous effect. This hypothesis is evidenced by reproducing the SN spectrum via sampling of   magnetar initial spin period Pi, magnetic dipole field strength B, Mej and rotational energy Ek. Best fits to the data found P=12.2à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±0.3 ms and B=7.5à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±1.5à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ´1014 G for observed short tpeak (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¾14 rest-frame days) and moderate peak luminosity, as well as Mej=2.4 ±0.7 Mà ¢Ã…  Ã¢â€ž ¢ and energy EK=(5.5à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±3.3)à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ´1051 erg. Importance and Implications The significance of this paper arises from its robust analysis of the GRB111209A afterglow and SN2011k1 using multiple datasets on top of their own data, collected with GROND. It is clear that the development (g2008) and implementation of this instrument is extraordinarily useful in this area of observational astrophysics due to its multiple measurement taking capabilities. Without this device, it is unlikely the authors could have developed their results as well as they have done, despite much of their comparison data coming from other sources, such as the ESO VLT/X-shooter. On the note of observational data analysis, there are a few important points to consider underneath the various statistical methods and rebinning mentioned in this paper. It is explained that the SN light curve error depends on the decay slope a2 remaining constant after the last afterglow measurement before onset of the SN, and since the GRB light curve is observed to steepen, the authors claim their SN luminosity measurement of 2.8+1.2-1.0 x 1043 erg/s is in fact a lower limit. They also explain that they lack any near-infrared measurements for SN2011k1, acknowledging that the bolometric peak luminosity could be underestimated by 5%-30%. A crucial achievement from this paper is that a SN with such high bolometric peak luminosity was detected, not only within the same host galaxy, but to within Evidently the authors are confident that neither the GRB is caused by a tidal disruption event, or that the unusual SN spectrum and luminosity is caused by 56Ni brightening and hence distancing it from SNIc. The former is explained by the lack of ejecta and fall back accretion time being too short to produce an ULGRB, and the latter simply by the overly large amount of 56Ni needed to reproduce the spectrum of SN2011k1. Formation and subsequent accretion of matter on a black hole is also rejected, leaving the authors to suggest the birth of a magnetar as the cause, and as seen in fig 2 their model reproduces the quasi-bolometric spectrum of SN2011k1 rather well without invoking any 56Ni interaction. Critical Assessment This paper is difficult to follow for a number of reasons. The layout is most unusual for a scientific report; it presents the abstract, which is well written and informative, then without a section heading proceeds to give a few paragraphs summarising their observational findings, with some values then absent in crucial places throughout the remainder of the work. These paragraphs are followed by a qualitative description of their interpretations for an origin of GRB111209A and SN2011k1 and their modelling of magnetar SN enhancement, in attempt to draw connections. At the end of this section, they suggest that the events could have been caused by formation of a magnetar which then lives on to power SN2011k1, and up to this point they make a good argument. The problem with this argument is that it is devoid of any mathematical content, and all the data provided is in the three graphs included in this work or essentially contained in references to other papers, making it difficult to decipher which parts (greiner) did themselves, or how they did it. The captions for each figure are also all on separate pages to the figures, located after the end of the untitled section and a collection of references. Beyond this point is a Methods section with seven 7 subsections, each with their own title and even some supplementary data to explain the origin of their work. Unfortunately, this part of the paper feels cyclical and can often feel at odds with methods they had already discussed. For example, they talk about subtracting the host galaxy emission from most of the light curves, but at multiple points in between mention they firstly have to build a template for the emission, which is detailed in a later section to be constructed from GROND data and using LePHARE . Again, there is a complete lack of mathematical clarity on their methods, however, it appears that the majority is all computational statistics performed on their copious data sources or modelling techniques. Even when discussing the origin for their magnetar properties, they give a simple qualitative explanation which should probably have been accompanied by some mathematics. When all of this is put together, it makes for an excruciatingly difficult read. There are inconsistencies everywhere in its presentation and in some comments of the work, making one wonder why they would read it again. Despite (greiner) providing some outstanding results and performing brilliant analysis on the afterglow of GRB2011k1 and spectrum of SN2011k1, the details of their work is lost to disorganisation. The Diversity of Transients from Magnetar Birth Summary This paper takes an approach to modelling physical properties of highly magnetized, millisecond rotational neutron stars, known as magnetars, in order to unify ULGRBs and SLSNe in a common framework. The authors intend to show that under their model, both of these events can be explained individually with a magnetar central engine and simultaneously via magnetar formation, as well as stating that the transition from ULGRBs to SLSNe is a natural consequence of the model. They focus on the observations of GRB111209A and SN2011k1 as a benchmark since the pair were found to be closely associated events, whilst also including various observational signatures of magnetar formation. Also discussed is the SLSN, ASASSN-15lh, which has the highest recorded peak luminosity of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (very recently it has been suggested to be a tidal disruption event (leloudas)). This event challenges the magnetar central engine model because of its extreme energy peaks, however, the authors go on to sh ow that the maximum energy output from magnetars was previously underestimated and hence fit ASASSN-15lh within their model. The proto-magnetar spin-down energetics used in the model were given as follows: firstly, the rotational energy of a magnetar with mass is where is the NS moment of inertia and is the rotational period. The rate which the NS loses rotational energy for an aligned force-free wind is given by is the spin-down luminosity, the NS magnetic dipole moment and is the surface equatorial dipole field, with a radius 12 km and is the initial spin-down time. The authors note that, although the correction is minor for ULGRBs, the spin-down luminosity given in equation eqref{2} is exceeded for a few seconds after core bounce due to neutrino-heated wind. (Metzger) secondly consider the constraints on the GRB jet collimation and how the NS properties described by the above equations can be translated to derive opening angle conditions for observed peak luminosity. Though a stable jet may be formed, it may not cleanly escape the star over time, tsd, of peak spin-down power. This is because there is uncertainty over whether the strong toroidal magnetic field in the nebula, separating the magnetar wind from the surrounding star, remains stable in the case of non-asymmetric instabilities. It is required, for a jet of luminosity Lj and half opening angle à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, that tesc Where (Metzger) assume Erot=à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ since the kinetic energy of the explosion is dominated by the magnetar rotational energy. A cleanly escaping jet will then have a peak spin-down luminosity of Lj=.., implying that the observed isotropic gamma-ray luminosity is Liso=.., where e= is the radiative efficiency and fb=.. the beaming fraction. The authors state that, assuming the propagation time through the star is negligible, we can expect the GRB duration, Ty, to be such that Ty=.. Lastly, the authors describe how SN mass ejecta, Mej, thermalizes over time through adiabatic expansion and 56Ni decay (the standard process for type Ic SNe), which is enhanced by input from the NS to super-luminous levels. The thermal energy E evolution over time t as the ejecta expands is given by For an initial kinetic energy of Eokà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ , where the LHS accounts for PdV losses, vej=.. is the ejecta velocity and rej the mean radius. Conservation of energy requires that the kinetic energy Ek=à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ increases due to the work done from PdV, thus dEk=à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Lsn=à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is the radiated luminosity, where td=.. is the photon diffusion timescale, with k=à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the optical opacity which is set by electron scattering and Doppler broadening lines. Lni=à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is the rate of heating due to 56Ni decay where Mni is the 56Ni mass. The final term is the energy input from the magnetar which is assumed to thermalize the ejecta with unity efficiency.

Gays in 9-11 Essay -- Gay Rights Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Gays in 9-11 The events of September 11, 2001 have left many people all over the world speechless to say the least. What happened that day at New York City’s World Trade Centers and Washington D.C.’s Pentagon have left many people without their loved ones, their jobs, or any sense of reason. Husbands lost wives, wives lost husbands, children lost parents, parents lost children, and partners lost their other halves. Friendships and families were destroyed. It is at our time of weakness that we are able to be our strongest. For it is at that time when there is nothing else to do, and no where else to go; when you’ve hit rock bottom there is no where to go but up. No one asked questions, people just did whatever they could to help. America’s public safety organizations didn’t hesitate for a second; they risked their own lives to help save the lives of others, people they didn’t even know. The only thing that our public safety teams knew was that all the innocent people that were attacked were fellow Americans. Perhaps that was all the information they needed, but day after day teams were back at Ground Zero and the Pentagon relentlessly looking for survivors and doing whatever they could to quickly get our lives back on track and gain some sort of closure. However, now it is time to start asking the questions no one ever wants to. â€Å"United we stand.† Direct from the media on a one way path into your homes these words and other such phrases have been tossed around and thrown in your face. Stop, and think. What is the real meaning of these inspirational and nationalistic phrases? Inspirational and nationalistic for whom? United is an adjective that means â€Å"combined into a single entity; concerned with, produced... ...size their differences or similarity from the heterosexual norm? If lesbians and gay men are increasingly integrated into society as full citizens, what will happen to other more marginalized groups, such as poor women on welfare? Does equality for some necessarily lead to equality for all† (Stein 225)? Arlene Stein is trying to articulate similar questions to those posed in the previous paragraph. What will happen to the immigrants who have been oppressed in the past, will they fall through the cracks while gays and lesbians gain acceptance? Or will they too be accepted? I assure you, the questions don’t stop here. My paper raises the question of acceptance, but is that all we really want? Do we just want acceptance across the board, or will all of us, gay and non gay, participate in the queerer project of inventing more just worlds and communities?

Part Four Chapter IX

IX The Yarvil and District Gazette erred on the side of caution in reporting what had been said during the most acrimonious Pagford Parish Council meeting in living memory. It made little difference; the bowdlerized report, augmented by the vivid eye-witness descriptions offered by all who had attended, still created widespread gossip. To make matters worse, a front-page story detailed the anonymous internet attacks in the dead man's name that had, to quote Alison Jenkins, 'caused considerable speculation and anger. See page four for full report.' While the names of the accused and the details of their supposed misdemeanours were not given, the sight of ‘serious allegations' and ‘criminal activity' in newsprint disturbed Howard even more than the original posts. ‘We should have beefed up security on the site as soon as that first post appeared,' he said, addressing his wife and business partner from in front of his gas fire. Silent spring rain sprinkled the window, and the back lawn glistened with tiny red pinpricks of light. Howard was feeling shivery, and was hogging all the heat emanating from the fake coal. For several days, nearly every visitor to the delicatessen and the cafe had been gossiping about the anonymous posts, about the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother and about Parminder Jawanda's outburst at the council meeting. Howard hated the things that she had shouted being bandied about in public. For the first time in his life, he felt uncomfortable in his own shop, and concerned about his previously unassailable position in Pagford. The election for the replacement of Barry Fairbrother would take place the following day, and where Howard had felt sanguine and excited, he was worried and twitchy. ‘This has done a lot of damage. A lot of damage,' he repeated. His hand strayed to his belly to scratch, but he pulled it away, enduring the itch with a martyr's expression. He would not soon forget what Dr Jawanda had screamed to the council and the press. He and Shirley had already checked the details of the General Medical Council, gone to see Dr Crawford, and made a formal complaint. Parminder had not been seen at work since, so no doubt she was already regretting her outburst. Nevertheless, Howard could not rid himself of the sight of her expression as she screamed at him. It had shaken him to see such hatred on another human's face. ‘It'll all blow over,' said Shirley reassuringly. ‘I'm not so sure,' said Howard. ‘I'm not so sure. It doesn't make us look good. The council. Rows in front of the press. We look divided. Aubrey says they're not happy, at District level. This whole thing's undermined our statement about the Fields. Squabbling in public, everything getting dirty †¦ it doesn't look like the council's speaking for the town.' ‘But we are,' said Shirley, with a little laugh. ‘Nobody in Pagford wants the Fields – hardly anyone.' ‘The article makes it look like our side went after pro-Fielders. Tried to intimidate them,' said Howard, succumbing to the temptation to scratch, and doing it fiercely. ‘All right, Aubrey knows it wasn't any of our side, but that's not how that journalist made it look. And I'll tell you this: if Yarvil makes us look inept or dirty †¦ they've been looking for a chance to take us over for years.' ‘That won't happen,' said Shirley at once. ‘That couldn't happen.' ‘I thought it was over,' said Howard, ignoring his wife, and thinking of the Fields. ‘I thought we'd done it. I thought we'd got rid of them.' The article over which he had spent so much time, explaining why the estate and the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic were drains and blots on Pagford, had been completely overshadowed by the scandals of Parminder's outburst, and the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother. Howard had completely forgotten now how much pleasure the accusations against Simon Price had given him, and that it had not occurred to him to remove them until Price's wife had asked. ‘District Council's emailed me,' he told Maureen, ‘with a bunch of questions about the website. They want to hear what steps we've taken against defamation. They think the security's lax.' Shirley, who detected a personal reproof in all of this, said coldly, ‘I've told you, I've taken care of it, Howard.' The nephew of friends of Howard and Shirley's had come round the previous day, while Howard was at work. The boy was halfway through a degree in computing. His recommendation to Shirley had been that they take down the immensely hackable website, bring in ‘someone who knows what they're doing' and set up a new one. Shirley had understood barely one word in ten of the technical jargon that the young man had spewed at her. She knew that ‘hack' meant to breach illegally, and when the student stopped talking his gibberish, she was left with the confused impression that the Ghost had somehow managed to find out people's passwords, maybe by questioning them cunningly in casual conversation. She had therefore emailed everybody to request that they change their password and make sure not to share the new one with anybody. This was what she meant by ‘I've taken care of it'. As to the suggestion of closing down the site, of which she was guardian and curator, she had taken no steps, nor had she mentioned the idea to Howard. Shirley was afraid that a site containing all the security measures that the superior young man had suggested would be way beyond the scope of her managerial and technical skills. She was already stretched to the limits of her abilities, and she was determined to cling to the post of administrator. ‘If Miles is elected – ‘ Shirley began, but Maureen interrupted, in her deep voice. ‘Let's hope it hasn't hurt him, this nasty stuff. Let's hope there isn't a backlash against him.' ‘People will know Miles had nothing to do with it,' said Shirley coolly. ‘Will they, though?' said Maureen, and Shirley simply hated her. How dare she sit in Shirley's lounge and contradict her? And what was worse, Howard was nodding his agreement with Maureen. ‘That's my worry,' he said, ‘and we need Miles more than ever now. Get some cohesion back on the council. After Bends-Your-Ear said what she said – after all the uproar – we didn't even take the vote on Bellchapel. We need Miles.' Shirley had already walked out of the room in silent protest at Howard's siding with Maureen. She busied herself with the teacups in the kitchen, silently fuming, wondering why she did not set out only two cups to give Maureen the hint that she so richly deserved. Shirley continued to feel nothing but defiant admiration for the Ghost. His accusations had exposed the truth about people whom she disliked and despised, people who were destructive and wrong-headed. She was sure that the electorate of Pagford would see things her way and vote for Miles, rather than that disgusting man, Colin Wall. ‘When shall we go and vote?' Shirley asked Howard, re-entering the room with the tinkling tea tray, and pointedly ignoring Maureen (for it was their son whose name they would tick on the ballot). But to her intense irritation, Howard suggested that all three of them go after closing time. Miles Mollison was quite as concerned as his father that the unprecedented ill-humour surrounding next day's vote would affect his electoral chances. That very morning he had entered the newsagent's behind the Square and caught a snatch of conversation between the woman behind the till and her elderly customer. ‘†¦ Mollison's always thought he was king of Pagford,' the old man was saying, oblivious to the wooden expression on the shopkeeper's face. ‘I liked Barry Fairbrother. Tragedy, that was. Tragedy. The Mollison boy did our wills and I thought he was very pleased with himself.' Miles had lost his nerve at that and slipped back out of the shop, his face glowing like a schoolboy's. He wondered whether the well-spoken old man was the originator of that anonymous letter. Miles' comfortable belief in his own likeability was shaken, and he kept trying to imagine how it would feel if nobody voted for him the following day. As he undressed for bed that night, he watched his silent wife's reflection in the dressing-table mirror. For days, Samantha had been nothing but sarcastic if he mentioned the election. He could have done with some support, some comfort, this evening. He also felt randy. It had been a long time. Thinking back, he supposed that it had been the night before Barry Fairbrother dropped dead. She had been a little bit drunk. It often took a little bit of drink, these days. ‘How was work?' he asked, watching her undo her bra in the mirror. Samantha did not answer immediately. She rubbed the deep red grooves in the flesh beneath her arms left by the tight bra, then said, without looking at Miles, ‘I've been meaning to talk to you about that, actually.' She hated having to say it. She had been trying to avoid doing so for several weeks. ‘Roy thinks I ought to close the shop. It's not doing well.' Exactly how badly the shop was doing would be a shock to Miles. It had been a shock to her, when her accountant had laid out the position in the baldest terms. She had both known and not known. It was strange how your brain could know what your heart refused to accept. ‘Oh,' said Miles. ‘But you'd keep the website?' ‘Yeah,' she said. ‘We'd keep the website.' ‘Well, that's good,' said Miles encouragingly. He waited for almost a minute, out of respect for the death of her shop. Then he said, ‘I don't suppose you saw the Gazette today?' She reached over for the nightdress on her pillow and he had a satisfying glimpse of her breasts. Sex would definitely help relax him. ‘It's a real shame, Sam,' he said, crawling across the bed behind her, and waiting to put his arms around her as she wriggled into the nightdress. ‘About the shop. It was a great little place. And you've had it, what – ten years?' ‘Fourteen,' said Samantha. She knew what he wanted. She considered telling him to go and screw himself, and decamping to the spare room, but the trouble was that there would then be a row and an atmosphere, and what she wanted more than anything in the world was to be able to head off to London with Libby in two days' time, wearing the T-shirts that she had bought them both, and to be within close proximity of Jake and his band mates for a whole evening. This excursion constituted the entire sum of Samantha's current happiness. What was more, sex might assuage Miles' continuing annoyance that she was missing Howard's birthday party. So she let him embrace and then kiss her. She closed her eyes, climbed on top of him, and imagined herself riding Jake on a deserted white beach, nineteen years old to his twenty-one. She came while imagining Miles watching them, furiously, through binoculars, from a distant pedalo.

Geography Fieldwork. To Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle upon Tyne Essay Example

Geography Fieldwork. To Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle upon Tyne Essay Example Geography Fieldwork. To Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle upon Tyne Essay Geography Fieldwork. To Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle upon Tyne Essay Newcastle is located in the north East of England (as shown in map 1). Newcastle upon Tyne is located in between Sunderland and Northumberland and is situated along the River Tyne. Newcastle is a major commercial and retail city but it has not always been. In the medieval period and late 18th century Newcastle had a totally different function as a city. Today where the current Quayside stands used for Leisure and Entertainment purposes was previously used as a port for Import, Export and Travel purposes.From on the banks beside the Quayside, mainly St Nicholas Street and Dean Street was previously used fore Defense as Gallagate city walls and the Castle or situated at the top of these. Now this area is also used for Leisure and Entertainment. Markets were also used such as the Groat, Bigg, Cloth, Green and Grainger markets and today these are still used as Retail (Markets) ands also Entertainment (such as the pubs and nightclubs situated along the Bigg Market).For use to be able to d elimit the CBD we must first be able to see some characteristics of a Central Business District or CBDs. In a CBD we would expect to find taller buildings than in a residential or industrial area. This is Due to the fact that land values in the CBD would be high due to competition for space. Also we would expect to see traffic restrictions such as One-Way streets, No parking, No entry and Bus lanes only. Also there would be some pediestrianised areas and Specialist and Department stores in the CBD. You would also find few or no residential areas in the CBD.Aim.My Aim is to Delimit the Central Business District of Newcastle Upon Tyne by using four methods of data collection; land use ratio, building height, traffic restrictions and pedestrian counts.Method.Because we had such a short time to collect our results in we were split into groups and designated different streets to collect data on. For our methods of data collection we used land use ratio, building height, traffic restricti ons and pedestrian counts on main streets in Newcastle upon Tyne.For our land use ratio method of collection we firstly had to work out land uses of the individual buildings in Newcastle. We did this by using goad maps of Newcastle and we used a key of S for shops and O for offices. We had to decide what exactly was a shop or an office. We only used the ground floor land use and we came to a decision that if something that want obviously a shop such as a coffee shop then if it sold something it was a shop e.g.; a travel agents. We decided that pubs and derelict buildings would be under that category of other and anything else e.g.; bank would be classed as a office. We then took this key and walked around Newcastle plotting our results on a goad map.For our building height method of collection we simply took a goad map and at each building on the street in Newcastle we counted the number of floors from the outside of the building and wrote them down on the map. For our traffic restr ictions we also used a goad map and we simply walked down each street in Newcastle and looked about for any traffic restrictions including double and single yellow lines, pedestrianised areas, one way streets, bus only lanes, no entry and no parking signs.For our pedestrian counts we simply took a point on every street and for 5 minutes counted the number of people walking past us. We only did this for the people closest to us as anything else would lead to confusion. We then wrote the number down on the map.We used this methods of data collection because these were the most accurate, the fastest and the easiest methods to use. As we only had roughly three hours to complete the method of collection in we needed the quickest way to do this. We also had to take into account some of the physical boundaries of Newcastle to decide on where to collect out data. We could not make our data collection any further North than the Town moor as this is a section of greenbelt land stops us collec tion any data from here. We could only go as far East as the A167M Central Motorway as this prevents us from taking any collections from there. We could not go any further South because of the River Tyne, which prevents us getting any data further. We could not go any further West than St James Boulevard, which prevents us getting any data further.Results.As we were in groups we only had a map of the streets our group was doing. When we got back to class we had to put all our results together on one single map. We did this still using Goad maps.For our land values map we colored in the individual building using a color key as follows. Green was representing a other category building e.g.; derelict land, Red representing a shop e.g.; a coffee shop and blue representing a office e.g.; lawyers. We then looked at the map and from where the colors were situated we were able to work out a CBD. Where the ratio of shops to offices where 3:1 we took that as the CBD. We were able to draw our first CBD outline from this map. We excluded areas such as from out CBD because there were more offices than shops here.For our building height weFor our traffic restriction map we simply drew on any traffic restriction we had recorded such as double yellow lines we marked on the street two yellow lines running the same length as they did. We marked on all traffic restrictions with their correct sign on a goad map. We were then able to work out a CBD from this by the key and seeing where the traffic restrictions became less frequent. Where there were a high number of traffic restrictions we classed this as the CBD.For our pedestrian count we simply wrote the number of people on a goad map where we stopped to do our pedestrian count. We could then see where the numbers of people decreased this is where we drew our CBD boundary.Analysis.For us to have one final CBD boundary we first needed to make a CBD outline from our data collection seperatly. We did this an the CBD outlines were n ot the same for each. This is because different things were affectng this as they were seperate methods of collection. We first did our CBDs seperatly. This excluded nearly all the same streets such as Strawberry Place, Forth Street, Durant Road and Sandyford Road. This was because from this point on many of the factors were decreasing such as building height and the number of pedestrians in the area.Conclusion.We have been able to delimit the CBD sucsessfully. Because we worked as a group and as seperate groups we had to come to decisions about certian factors and i think that out ideas were not all the same. For example when we disscused the isssue of land use in class we desided on that shops would include anything that sold somthing so a travel agents could also come into this catagory because they sold holidays. But when we got back into the classroom someone had said that travel agents was an office so some people may have coloured in the wrong thing. This also happened with p ubs because some people were putting them under the catagory of shop insted of Other. This was only confusion in the land use and no other catagory.Limitations.Some of the problems with the way we collected the data are that we only looked at the land use of the bottom floor while some buildings had a shop or other building on top of it.When we did our land uses we all had different ideas of what was a shop and a office. To improve this we could have wrote it down exactly to aviod confucion. Also when we did our pedestrian counts it was hard to keep an accurate count on a busy street and confusion occured because people were walking past you in different directions. With our building height counts you cannot always tell how many floors the acctuall building had as we were just counting the windows on the building and some floors ay not have had windows where we were counting.The way were presented the data was also a problem. For example on out pedesrian counts it was hard to tell t he nubers on the map because we had wroye them quite small and there was no colour on the map to immidiatly see where the higher or lower numbers were. Other methods we could have used to extend and collect our data could be land values for the CBD but we could not do this as the land values are hard to obtain. We also could have used traffic counts but as we did not have ver much time we exclued this as this would have been time consuming and hard.

Both on the job and beyond the workplace, PSU graduate business alumni

Both on the job and beyond the workplace, PSU graduate business alumni Both on the job and beyond the workplace, PSU graduate business alumni have long contributed to making the world a better place PSU and companies or organizations showing strong commitment Task PSU and companies or organizations showing strong commitment Introduction Alumni from PSU usually contribute to the society in different ways when intending to make the world a better place. As such, behaving in accordance with the norms of the society is one such strategy. In doing so, these graduates generally utilize their skills attained during studies in their respective areas. To strengthen their contribution to the society they normally associate themselves to a given alumni by striving to uphold the principles. Concurrently, companies have been collaborating with these graduates in promoting the society (Shook, 2010). For example, Microsoft Corporation usually incorporates graduates efforts when undertaking different roles in the society. In most cases, they introduce some of the skilled graduates from PSU into the corporate world by recruiting them to their association for the benefit of the society. However, Microsoft is not only striving to make the world, a better place at the workplace, but they are also doing so beyond the workplace (Shook, 2010). Another company that has promoted ethics that makes the world a better place in their operations is Apple Inc. The organization is reputable for uniting alumni from different institutions and then integrating their skills into their operations. Companies committed to making the world a better place Microsoft is a corporation that has shown commitment to making the globe a better place as evident in their handling of business affairs. The company has been recognized globally as an organization with the interest of the society at heart. Microsoft has not only concentrated in profit making, but they have also enhanced the development of societies (Jones, 2007). Their business recognizes ethics and practices that are expected of individuals from all over the globe regardless of their backgrounds. This is evident when Microsoft promotes honesty as one of their core values in business. In my own opinion, honesty is integral for success in any field that an individual or an organization focuses on. Besides, Microsoft embraces diversity by appreciating efforts of persons from dissimilar areas. They have shown commitment to their fair recruitment process of graduates from different institution into their organization. For example, recruiting qualified graduates from institutions such a s PSU provides an opportunity for businesses for tapping into individuals’ creativity. In addition to, improving the society, the company creates awareness amongst individuals in various ways such as educating them on how to use products that will make their lives better (Jones, 2007). Lastly, Microsoft’s innovation has targeted solving different societal problems such as enhancing real time communication. To me, this is the most advanced ethical way that a company can use in conducting business operations when intending to develop the society in which they belong. I believe that promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) makes an organization succeed. Indeed, Microsoft Corporation has been responsible in doing this for years. As a company striving to lead globally, Microsoft Corporation has come up with strategies that help different members of the society in various ways (Shook, 2010). As such, the company has initiated community projects that promote the development of infrastructure in the places that they operate. In my own opinion, practices that show a concern for the environment and the society always make the world a better place. In advertising for their products, they usually consider the impacts that their products have to their consumers. Apple Inc is also a unique organization that allows for innovation in its operations. The company has collaborated with other institutions in conducting research for devising nouvelle ways of solving societal problems. Apple Inc is also unique by being considerate in offering products that serves their clients in different ways. For example, they consider consumers with challenges such as hearing capability when coming up with products for use by the disabled. Moreover, they sponsor institutions that enlighten the society in various ways that promote unity within the globe. Apple Inc’s mutual relationship with their employees and consumers has contributed to their recognition as a great world brand. The company has collaborated with institutions that promote the communities health wellness. Ethically, Apple Inc has been philanthropic by offering donations to various institutions that care for the society’s welfare, such as organization concerned with sustaining the environment. According to Shook (2010), certain principles makes Apple Inc outstand as an organization; their principles of originality in product development and their respect for diversity has enable the company tap into different potential from the graduate market, who have helped the company come up with different innovations. They come up with different packages for different individuals. Conclusion Organizations such as Microsoft and Apple Inc that embrace ethical practices will continue to lead other businesses globally based on various reasons. Their capability to tap into individuals’ potential when initiating graduates who will help them enhance innovation in their business is one such case. Their values recognize diversity and embraces innovation; thus, contributing to their success. To maintain this success, they have to continue embracing ethical business practices to avoid challenges that might arise in future. References Jones, E. (2007). The better world handbook: Small changes that make a big difference. Canada: New Society. Shook, R. L. (2010). Heart & soul: Five American companies that are making the world a better place. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books.

Televisions Influence On The World †Sociology Essay

Televisions Influence On The World – Sociology Essay Free Online Research Papers Televisions Influence On The World Sociology Essay Television is not a new word in the 21st century, it has became a must-have electronic device for the majority of society. This invention has greatly influenced the world technology and society development. This essay aims to illustrate the technological development of television under different social background, as well as discussing the social and cultural changes that brought about by the incorporation of this particular media form. Firstly, in order to discuss deep into the influences brought by television, the brief history development of Television in both social and technological should be pointed out. The invention of television combined numbers of countries and individuals hard work through the history. According to Martin Clifford’s(1995) study about early television, in 1900 the word â€Å"television† has appeared. German Paul Nipkow developed a rotating-disc technology to transmit pictures over wire in 1884 called the Nipkow disk. This was the very first electromechanical TV scanning system. Nipkows system was abandoned early in the history of TV for the electronic systems developed by later inventors. In 1925 Scottish John Logie Baird has been considered as the father of television for his new invention. (Martin, Clifford 1995, Electronics Now, Vol. 66, Gernsback Publishing Inc.) Then the technology of television continuously developed, and also became widespread in Europe and America. However due to the war history, it was not as successfully developed as in the beginning. Becker argues that pre-World War Two was the wrong time for the television to take off as a domestic technology. He pointed out that: â€Å"Television was promoted as more than just a scientific development. Rather RCA tried very hard to emphasize its positive values. â€Å"(Becker, Ron Hear and See Radio in the World of Tomorrow: RCA and the presentation of television at the Worlds Fair, 1939-1940 in Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Oct 2001, v.2, issue 4, p.361) There were also Surveys taken at the time demonstrate an ambivalence of the audience towards television as well as skepticism by media commentators on its potential. It did not infiltrate successfully into the American home until the 1950s (Kato, Hidetoshi Chapter 13: Japan in Television: An International Histo ry, ed. Anthony Smith with Richard Paterson, Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 169-181). Currently the main consideration about television technology is digitalized. All the information includes news, entertainment and knowledge can be shared simultaneously world-widely. Until now, there are still revolutions in the television industry. From the brief history above, we could understand that the development of television technology is closely related to the changing society environment. Hence secondary we would discuss the social and cultural changes brought about by the incorporation of this media form. In the last two hundred years, the invention of television has totally changed our day-to-day life. It is a multi-media form that combines visual, acoustical and psychological effects. Therefore television has become the most penetrating and widespread media form in the general media industry, and the influences brought by television are individually and collectively. Television has significant influences on individuals in both advantage and disadvantage ways. For example, it has become our chief means of obtaining information. There are general information such as weather report, stock prices, world news and entertainment information. Because of television, the world has become much smaller and things and people that used to be strangers are now familiar to us. Hence, audiences are thousands of times more informed than our ancestors, individuals are trained and thought in a multilayered way by sharing instant information. The sharing of simultaneous information using television would also have great impact on social behavior. Studies carried by Stanford University pointed out that: â€Å"Television is a medium that we take for granted as part of everyday life. We usually get caught up and involved in the programs we watch and the medium itself merges into the background.†(Stanford University Press, 1994. pp. 107-143) The self-involving effect has made television become a tool to interact and learn from the society, it also become education tool for younger generation. It is argued that there could be inappropriate information received by certain generation such as violence, terror and erotic. These negative influences may alter the social behavior, and cause disadvantages such as increasing teenager crime and school violence. Looking at the influences on individual and society, we could further argue that television has such significant power that it will eventually affect a country’s domestic culture. In an advantage way, the society may develop into a more civilized and harmonic way. However there could be disadvantages. For example, it could not be denied that the over-spreaded America information through television has potentially influenced world cultures. For example, when we are watching popular America soap operas, we are receiving the American culture, thinking and habitudes. Then we may alter our thinking in the American way in our real day-to-day life, and if we look at it in a radical way, collectively the whole society has a potential becoming same as the American society, while losing its own domestic culture. Hence television would influence the individual and society in both good and bad aspects, it depends on how the information is shared and controlled by individual, families and government. In conclusion, television has become part our life. It has gone through many years of development in technology and it is still improving. As one most popular media form, television has influenced individual and society in lifestyle, habitudes and culture. It is critical that we receive the information and manipulate it properly, to use the media form as an advanced tool, and consequently benefit the daily life. Part 02: New Media-Theory and Practice In this section there would be illustrating the understanding of new media concepts based on medium, cultural interfaces and screen. The section would also include how the theory is examined and practiced in the final assignment. Firstly it would be necessary to introduce the background of my main theme in the assignment. It is required that we make a multimedia educational work. Since I am in a foreign country, I would like to create a project that would help the foreign audiences to get some information about my own country and my hometown. This program would provide a glance of how China looks like and what is special about Chinese culture. It would also help the audiences to learn some common conversation in Chinese. Secondary, after decided the theme and purpose of the project, I will have to make a decision about interface. There are two related new media concepts while I studying how to create an interface. Interface is created on screen and it is communicated and interacted on screen too. According to Manovich’s (2001) study, the idea â€Å"Screen† has become an idea of Visual culture framing, it will frame what the audience see as well as separate the audience from the virtual world behind the screen. Although the physical size of a screen is small, it would create enormous contents. The screen is a communication device that delivers enjoyment, happiness, success, sadness, anger and ambitions. It is a boundary set up by individuals to divided apart appropriate or inappropriate behavior. It is an educational tool that teaches the audience all the time without being noticed or nominated. Hence, after reading the new theory about screen in current media industry, I realize how imp ortant the device is and how further it has gone beyond the simple word â€Å"tool†. If the screen is communicating culture information, it becomes the cultured itself to the audiences. It is the technology development that allows us to use the screen in an interactive way, and to further involving us into the virtual reality world behind it. Then the actual interface would concern about the direct interaction between the screen and the audience. Most of information communicated by computer screen is designed as a website style, with many buttons and some text illustration link to the button. However, according to Anne (2002): â€Å" while engineers strive to maintain the illusion of transparency in the design and refinement of media technologies, artists explore the meaning of he interface itself, using various transformations of the medias their palette.† (Cranny-Francis. Anne, 2000, pp23- 27) After reading her statement, I realized that the purely website style interface only aims to includes certain computer technology in it, it has no designed feature for particular audiences group for particular screen functions. Following the concepts and discussions about television that I have done in the pervious part, I realized that such an educational theme project would be best done by using an interface as television . It would draw audiences’ attention. Additionally, the audiences would subconsciously treat the computer screen into television screen, and would then subliminally realize it is an educational program rather than a computer flash game. Finally we have to think about how the actual content would displayed on the screen in this particular interface. There were studies by Bolter (1999) and others pointed out that such content would be defined as â€Å"Hypermedia†. Bolter illustrated that the term Hypermedia could be characterized by its multiplicity and the ability to bring a combination of all media communication mediums, such as images, sound, text, animation and video. (Bolter, Jay and Grusin, Richard. 1999. pp21- 50) The content of the project in the interface would also be a hypermedia. It is designed as a television screen, having three to four channels. These channels are buttons which links to different sub-contents. These include â€Å"discovery China†, which will introduce the natural conditions and social customs of China; â€Å"Music Channel† which will introduce traditional Chinese music culture. There would also be a channel called â€Å"Let’s speak Chinese†, which would include a educational game about listening, writing and speaking simple Chinese. The advantage of using interactive game is it combines uses of visual, acoustic and writing. It would draw audiences’ attention by its interesting interface, and the game would make the audiences experience successes. Here would be pictures and related Chinese pronunciations first, then after a few words there would be random pictures appears for the audiences to choose the right related pronunciations. It is a play-as-you-learn idea. Conclusion After reading the New Media Block course material (weeks 6- 9), I had a deeper and more solid understand of how the new concepts of media terms work in practical projects. Also by combining the concepts and the researching in television, it is clear that such fast developing media form would greatly influence individual as well as the whole society. It is critical to use the theory and the media form as a tool to create better and more advanced media form that would mostly benefit the mankind. References: Bolter, Jay and Grusin, Richard. Immediacy, Hypermediacy and Remediation Remediation: Understanding New Media. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, 1999. pp. 21-50. Kato, Hidetoshi Chapter 13: Japan in Television: An International History, ed. Anthony Smith with Richard Paterson, Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 169-181. Becker, Ron Hear and See Radio in the World of Tomorrow: RCA and the presentation of television at the Worlds Fair, 1939-1940 in Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Oct 2001, v.2, issue 4, p.361 Hilf, Bill Media Lullabies: The Reinvention of the World Wide Web. In online jopurnal, First Monday. Viewed on 13/09/2005 http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue3_4/hilf/index.html Manovich, Lev. The Screen and the User from Chapter 2: The Language of Cultural Interfaces. In Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2001 pp. 94-115 Cranny-Francis, Anne. The Anatomy of a Website: Exploring Multimedia Literacy. Information Technology, Education and Society. Vol 1, No.1. 2000. pp.23-27. Martin, Clifford, Adventures in cybersound: Early television, 1995, Electronics Now, Vol. 66, Gernsback Publishing Inc. viewed on 14/09/2005. acmi.net.au/AIC/TV_HIST_CLIFFORD.html Research Papers on Televisions Influence On The World - Sociology EssayRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropePETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfOpen Architechture a white paper

The power of the past, Davinci Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The power of the past, Davinci - Essay Example Culture and religion are integral in shaping the way art is presented and features of the art. For instance, in Italy 1500 to 1600AD, the art presentation focused on religion and the depiction of the nature of human beings. The focus of the Italian art was on Christianity which was undergoing changes due to Protestantism which led to the development of different focus of especially on the beauty of humanity. During the era, Leonardo paintings included the last supper, virgin and child with St Anne including St John the Baptist and the Mona Lisa paintings (Kleiner 545). These paintings were oil based and mostly portrait. The influence of religion on the approach used by the artist of the era in the presentation of their ideas is evident from the type of pictures and paintings produced. Both the sculptures and painting of the era comprised of beautiful figures moving gracefully in multi-figure compositions conveying humanity and the perfection of God. The work of Davinci is not differe nt from other artists because it depicts the idea of the society. Art has an important role in the society because it shapes the ideology and customs of the society. In conclusion, Cone addresses the issue of artistic transition and use of portable materials. The art is important when evaluating the impact of material change in artwork. Therefore, artists in Europe were not influenced by the humanism approach employed in the art from Italy. Northern painters travelled to Rome and are known as Romanists.

Lean Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lean Management - Essay Example This may further impact on growing economic aspirations of developed and developing countries, which will require fewer resources that create less environmental pollution and greenhouse gases. At the same time, these improvements in production and logistics have given consumers a growing range of higher quality products at lower prices through many different sales channels. Federal Express' originally thought of delivering packages within 24-hours and they did. In 1983, Lens Crafters followed suit by assembling eyeglasses in one hour. Dell computers maintains it market share and profit level even when the competition is very stiff by made-to-order computers in a very short time. What is common in all of these entities The answer is Lean and its application in their respective organization. Add nothing but value (Eliminate Waste). In Lean, it is a primary task to determine what adds value and what activities add value to a product. Then, one will be able to determine the essentials of an activity and reduce or eliminate waste. Unfortunately in any organization, nobody wants to admit that his or her job is sometimes just waste. Breakthroughs are recognized upon recognition of waste. If an activity or cost does not add value, then it should be considered as waste or if an activity; or cost can be forgone with, then it is waste. Taiichi Ohno, the executive of Toyota Production System identified several sources of waste in a manufacturing industry: Overproduction, Inventory, Extra Processing Steps, Motion, Defects, Waiting, and Transportation. Center on the people who add value. Organizations would not admit that their own people are waste at times, unless they are asked which of their employees or system adds value to their output. Unless they can identify areas where people become the value-adding system in the work place, they will not know which is essential and which is waste. The criteria to determine the people who do the work that add value: Resources, Information, Process Design Authority, and Organizational Energy. Usually in a manufacturing entity, the design of tasks is divided to the unskilled worker doing the routine tasks (manual) and the managers doing the production tasks like planning, forecasting and so on. When problems arise, the task of solving lies on the managers and not on the frontline workers who knew what went wrong. This is due to the fact that these workers are not tasked, encouraged and even involved on these matters of production dilemma. They simply asked to keep or maintain the production quota. Womack (1990) stated that a truly lean organization transfers the maximum number of tasks and responsibilities to the workers who add value and place a system for detecting or recognizing defects. In this way, it empowers people to add value to their work. It reorients human resources to become a flow of value and not a functional expert. In the production of Toyota cars, the management figured out how to reduce multiple stamping and create a

Big foot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Big foot - Essay Example This could seem funny, but to some it is not. Bigfoot has been described as a real cave man. In 2007, Robert Wilson a Vancouver resident stated that he saw a large and hairy man who looked like a cave man. This strengthened the earlier theory that indeed, Bigfoot is a man. Those who dispute the Bigfoot conspiracy justify it by saying that there have never been corpses of bigfeet men found anywhere. But the supporters of this conspiracy use the counter argument that big feet bury their dead, and in fact, they are mentioned in the Bible in the book of Genesis. In 1999, there are those who claim that in the Battle Mountain fires, one Bigfoot was injured and taken away for treatment by government officials. Another theory is that just like there are gay people; it is believed that 10% of bigfeet also known as sasquatches are also gay. This is according to Loren Coleman, a cryptozoologist. But there are also those people who claim that the male sasquatches sodomize male domestic

Supply Chain Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Supply Chain - Case Study Example It is the world’s largest apparel retail store having chain stores in many countries. It is famous that the production, operations and then the supply chain activities are so well managed at Zara that it takes just two weeks to manufacture a new product and then launch at a display store. Whereas other competitors working in the Apparel industry take minimum of six months for manufacturing and then launching a new product in the market. This developed structure is really a source of competitive advantage for the Company Zara (Bhagwat 2011). Benetton is another Italian based Clothing Company, working globally regardless of the geographical boundaries. Benetton is famous for its dual supply chain system. The production is usually based on the quantity demanded from the stores themselves. This is also sometimes known as pull driven strategy. In addition, the last one, H & M is Swedish based Apparel Company working successfully in the market. The full name of H & M is Hennes and M auritz. The products are famous for its reasonable prices and the availability of variety of stocks within no time. It is famous that no single item remains on shop shelves more than a month duration. At Zara, the efficient operational activities and the processes are the real cause or the source of gaining competitive advantage as compare to many other competitor firms operating in the industry. The managers at Zara Company continue the research process throughout the whole season and not just in the end. For this reason, they are successful in the provision of new products within no time. The lower prices as compare to many other competitors may also give a positive impact to strengthen the competitive advantage of the company. Anyone can imagine the work efficiency at Zara Company that the product stay at distribution centre is only three days and after that, workers dispatch it to different retail stores. Another innovative thinking of marketing managers at Zara

Critically assess the positioning strategies of 4 countries as tourist Essay

Critically assess the positioning strategies of 4 countries as tourist destination - Essay Example All these countries are assessed separately in the report. Turkey is assessed first. It is definitely a tourist destination, one that has a rich culture and one of the most fascinating histories. The heritage is amazing which is displayed in the great number of Turkish museums. The people are hospitable and family-oriented. This is all attractive for tourists and positions it as a striking destination for tourists interested in culture. The Bahamas is assessed next. It is mainly a spot for vacationers who enjoy the beach, sand and sun. There is little attraction for other kinds of tourists though. There are no events and activities are limited to water sports. Dubai is assessed next and it is definitely positioned as a luxury tourist destination. This is followed by Thailand which is very popular for its culture, cuisine and eco-tourism. The geographical structure is fascinating and attractive for many. The population includes British citizens, male and female in a high-income community. A sample of 10 British was drawn from the population. This was not a random sample. Instead sampling was done using the systematic sampling method. This is also called interval sampling and it means that there is a fixed gap between selecting people. This is a very effective technique for sampling for surveys (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004). In our sample, 6 of the respondents were male while the rest were female respondents. They all belonged to the higher income group. Their names have not been disclosed but other demographic characteristics are illustrated below in the table: In our survey, the first person (from the first house) was selected randomly after which every tenth house was selected, out of which one person was selected for the sample. The following criteria were followed: The main search tool was based on interviews. Questions in the interview were open-ended. They had no

One Hundred Secret Sense - Amy Tan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

One Hundred Secret Sense - Amy Tan - Essay Example Chinese culture and English culture are so inherently different from each other that it often takes a lifetime for an individual of Chinese origin to adjust in an English or American culture. The difference between the two cultures is almost as strong and evident as the difference between the Chinese and English language. The narration of Chinese superstitions and tales strengthens the relationship between Kwan and Olivia. Kwan’s belief that she can see ghosts because of having yin eyes originates in her relationship to the past because it is a belief of the Chinese culture. Her relationship to her past is particularly evident from the fact that Kwan recounts tales from the past life. The story The Hundred Secret Senses revolves around the process of creation of the new Asian-American identities that Kwan and Olivia, and millions of Chinese girls like them undergo while living in a culture that is worlds apart from their original culture. The fundamental reason why Kwan contemplates a trip to China is to find out more about her connection to the Yin world. Remembering and accepting her past has a significant effect on how Kwan lives now. It eventually becomes obvious that there is a connection between the fidelity of Kwan to Olivia and that of Nunumu to Miss Banner in terms of past lives being in the present. As the visit of Kwan, Olivia, and Simon to China is transformed into a tragedy, Olivia happens to accept the faith of Kwan. It is because of Kwan’s remembrance and acceptance of her past that she manages to lead Olivia to the realization that in addition to what can be perceived with the use of five basic senses, there is a whole lot of other things which cannot be understood without the use of the hundred secret senses. Olivia gushes in the conclusion of the novel, â€Å"The world is not a place but the vastness of the soul. And the soul is nothing more than love, limitless, endless, all that moves us t oward knowing what is true. . . . And

Supply Chain Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Supply Chain - Case Study Example It is the world’s largest apparel retail store having chain stores in many countries. It is famous that the production, operations and then the supply chain activities are so well managed at Zara that it takes just two weeks to manufacture a new product and then launch at a display store. Whereas other competitors working in the Apparel industry take minimum of six months for manufacturing and then launching a new product in the market. This developed structure is really a source of competitive advantage for the Company Zara (Bhagwat 2011). Benetton is another Italian based Clothing Company, working globally regardless of the geographical boundaries. Benetton is famous for its dual supply chain system. The production is usually based on the quantity demanded from the stores themselves. This is also sometimes known as pull driven strategy. In addition, the last one, H & M is Swedish based Apparel Company working successfully in the market. The full name of H & M is Hennes and M auritz. The products are famous for its reasonable prices and the availability of variety of stocks within no time. It is famous that no single item remains on shop shelves more than a month duration. At Zara, the efficient operational activities and the processes are the real cause or the source of gaining competitive advantage as compare to many other competitor firms operating in the industry. The managers at Zara Company continue the research process throughout the whole season and not just in the end. For this reason, they are successful in the provision of new products within no time. The lower prices as compare to many other competitors may also give a positive impact to strengthen the competitive advantage of the company. Anyone can imagine the work efficiency at Zara Company that the product stay at distribution centre is only three days and after that, workers dispatch it to different retail stores. Another innovative thinking of marketing managers at Zara

One Hundred Secret Sense - Amy Tan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

One Hundred Secret Sense - Amy Tan - Essay Example Chinese culture and English culture are so inherently different from each other that it often takes a lifetime for an individual of Chinese origin to adjust in an English or American culture. The difference between the two cultures is almost as strong and evident as the difference between the Chinese and English language. The narration of Chinese superstitions and tales strengthens the relationship between Kwan and Olivia. Kwan’s belief that she can see ghosts because of having yin eyes originates in her relationship to the past because it is a belief of the Chinese culture. Her relationship to her past is particularly evident from the fact that Kwan recounts tales from the past life. The story The Hundred Secret Senses revolves around the process of creation of the new Asian-American identities that Kwan and Olivia, and millions of Chinese girls like them undergo while living in a culture that is worlds apart from their original culture. The fundamental reason why Kwan contemplates a trip to China is to find out more about her connection to the Yin world. Remembering and accepting her past has a significant effect on how Kwan lives now. It eventually becomes obvious that there is a connection between the fidelity of Kwan to Olivia and that of Nunumu to Miss Banner in terms of past lives being in the present. As the visit of Kwan, Olivia, and Simon to China is transformed into a tragedy, Olivia happens to accept the faith of Kwan. It is because of Kwan’s remembrance and acceptance of her past that she manages to lead Olivia to the realization that in addition to what can be perceived with the use of five basic senses, there is a whole lot of other things which cannot be understood without the use of the hundred secret senses. Olivia gushes in the conclusion of the novel, â€Å"The world is not a place but the vastness of the soul. And the soul is nothing more than love, limitless, endless, all that moves us t oward knowing what is true. . . . And

Economics Unit †housing prices from different cities Essay Example for Free

Economics Unit – housing prices from different cities Essay The cost of housing is commonly the reflection of the value of the land plus the price of the house and the amenities that come with it. This is often affected by what’s around the place, the nearest recreation areas or sceneries. This affects how housing is priced, and is also usually affected by the supply and demand of the land. Because of this, there are various considerations when choosing where to have a house, including the total costs and what you’ll actually get from it. Usually, these prices also vary from city to city, as it is known that not all cities are the same regarding what you get from the housing deals, like the nearest public transportation, market, and schools. These all appeals to the needs of the people, and these are usually the ones that affect the pricing. The housing prices are directly affected by the changes in supply and demand of the land. This is because of the developments done in housing, wherein house prices are thoroughly based on the value of the amenities that are directly available in the neighborhood (Nelson). Because of this increase in demand, there will be an increase in the competition for the houses, since there are a lot of people wanting the same thing, and that is a good housing. As a number of residents are acquiring homes, the more the managers of the land would try and make sure to provide benefits for these residents. This includes additional security, recreation areas and shopping areas for the people. They are not only investing on the housing that they are being sold, but also with the things that come with it that would surely benefit the people. This is how the housing value is affected when there is an increase in demand: it is not only because you have to increase the price when a lot of people demand for housing in a specific city or area, it is also because of the increase in the services that one should provide for these increasing number of residents. The cost of those additional amenities would then be reflected in the housing price: the more amenities offered, the higher the price (Duca). Comparison of different cities In order to actually see how amenities affect the price of housing, the housing situations in various cities are compared. This is by comparing the price of a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house in several cities like San Francisco, California; Topeka, Kansas; Dallas, Texas; Concord, Massachusetts; and Seattle, Washington. The results for the housing prices in these different cities were varying, and it is because of the added amenities that you can find available upon purchase, plus the neighborhood and the type of house. The most obvious result was between the housing of a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house in San Francisco, California and Dallas, Texas. The cost of housing in San Francisco, California ranges from $600,000 to a million US dollars. Meanwhile, the cost of housing in Dallas, Texas for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house ranges from $40,000 to a hundred thousand US dollars (Realtor. com). The difference is quite large, and this is roughly because of the amenities that are included upon purchasing these houses. Housing in Dallas, Texas doesn’t offer much, wherein it is far from public transportation, and are often in subdivision areas. On the other hand, housing in San Francisco, California has amenities like community exercise and recreation areas, hill/mountain view, Water view, and so much more. Because of those differences, the prices of these housing deals are comparatively far from each other. These differences in housing deals give the people choices, wherein they are free to choose what type of amenities they want in their house. Also this variety would give them a wide array of choices, either wanting a plain, not so costly house, or to a fully-packed house that would surely cost them money. Other amenities present (or lacking) in some of the houses in various cities which could have affected their prices includes access to shopping areas/markets, nearby elementary or high schools, parks and recreation areas, and the type and quality of the house itself. With all these, the price the housing offered in the various cities is greatly varying. References: Duca, J. V. (2005, September/October 2005). Making Sense of Elevated Housing Prices. Southwest Economy Retrieved May 5, 2007, from http://www. dallasfed. org/research/swe/2005/swe0505b. html Nelson, A. C. (2000 ). Effects of Urban Containment on Housing Prices and Landowner Behavior. Land Lines, Volume 12(Number 3). Realtor. com. (2007). Find A Home. Retrieved May 5, 2007, from http://www. realtor. com/Default. aspx

An Analysis Of Shanghai Volkswagen

An Analysis Of Shanghai Volkswagen Shanghai Volkswagen is one of the largest single foreign-invested projects ever conceived in China and has proven to be a successful development. Com- pared with Beijing Jeeps course, the German ventures progress was steady and smooth. In 1997 Shanghai Volkswagen headed the list of the top 500 foreign-funded enterprises operating in China. It is a joint venture between Volkswagen of Germany and Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation. It posted a 21.3-percent rise in sales of its Santana model for the first seven months of 1997 in comparison to the same period in 1996 and reported a 10- percent increase in net profits for 1997 to 472.6 million renminbi. This will further the ventures reputation as the most successful partnership in Chinas car industry (Woodard 2002, p 39). Volkswagen has an aim as part of its global competition strategy to build up a business base in the Far East that will limit the dominance of Japanese firms. Its strategy is for China to become a big export base for the whole of Southeast Asia. In the year 2003 Volkswagen wants to be able to go to Japan with German-engineered cars that are produced in China. Officially, the company plans to produce nearly 700,000 cars by 2000 (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 77). However, the vision calls for at least a million cars. Shanghai Volkswagen was built on a more solid mutual foundation than the Jeep venture. In October 1984 a joint-venture agreement was signed between Volkswagen AG (VW AG) and a consortium of Chinese partners led by the Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC), the Bank of China, and the Chinese National Automotive Industrial Corporation (CNAIC). Literature Review The agreement, valued at I billion renminbi, established a twenty-five-year Sino- German partnership with 50-percent equity provided by VW AG, 25 percent by SAIC, 15 percent by the Bank of China, and 10 percent by CNAIC. Initial equity from the partnership was used to finance the renovation of production facilities, to import production lines from Brazil, and to import the Santana completely knocked-down kits (CKDs). The new joint venture was christened Shanghai Volkswagen (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 49). Over the previous five-year period, the Chinese consortium had negotiated with more than eight international automobile manufactures before opting for a partnership with Shanghai Volkswagens German parent. As the second automobile joint venture in China after Beijing Jeep, the joint venture planned to manufacture automobiles and engines and was granted a special tax relief under Chinese guidelines for advanced technology partnerships: a standard two-year tax holiday and a special six- year reduced tax rate exclusive to Shanghai Volkswagen, all in exchange for promised technology transfer (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 23). West German experiences with Socialist East Germany have contributed to an understanding of command economies and their shortcomings (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 48). Therefore, Volkswagen representatives already knew what and how to negotiate with the Chinese partners. The contract they negotiated with the Chinese was notable for attention to detail, and for its ability to predict future difficulties. On one part of the contract, the Germans insisted on the assembly of imported CKD kits (The Economist 1990, p 16). Other parts of the contract also demonstrated Volkswagens foresight. Anticipating the problem of paying for imported kits with Chinese renminbi remittances, the contract allowed Shanghai Volkswagen to convert RMB into German marks at the prevailing official exchange rate until the venture had produced 89,000 cars (Bates et al. 2008, p 6-7). Such a clause would help protect the company against foreign exchange shortage that could possibly occur within the venture. The contract took into account the need to localize the Santana model. According to the agreement, however, responsibility for providing quality parts made in China rested squarely with the Chinese; Volkswagen had no obligation to hasten the process (Woodard 2002, p 41). To help balance the foreign exchange flowing out of China to pay for kit imports, the contract called for the venture to purchase engines produced in Shanghai to be used in cars manufactured in Europe (Hook 2001, p 10). The earnings generated from such exports would support the use of foreign currency by Shanghai Volkswagen for importing the kits and later the foreign components used for assembly in China. In addition, the price Volkswagen would pay for each engine was predetermined. The primary concern was the possibility for localization. Localization was planned to start immediately in order to reduce the foreign exchange expense of importing the Santana kits from Germany. It was planned to reach a local content of 20 percent in 1988, 32 percent in 1989, and 84 percent in 1990 (Frisbie 2003, p 4). The negative factors were poor local supply, the Chinese partners existing technical capability, and foreign exchange. Volkswagen also worried about the effect poor-quality products would have on the companys reputation. At this time China was not known for its ability to manufacture complex products with dependable quality. The industrial infrastructure in the auto- mobile industry was poor. Components were imported because local suppliers could not manufacture them to the requisite quality standards. Imported components faced high import tariffs of 25 to 40 percent (The Economist 1990, p 16). The technical standards of Chinese automobile-component suppliers in 1986 were nearly thirty years behind component manufacturers of Europe, Japan, and the United States. Even some simple materials, such as sandpaper for polishing cars and major items such as batteries, had to be imported. Although an automobile industry did exist in China, quality parts were hard to find (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 47). The problem was the development of local suppliers who could make components to Western standards. Furthermore, Volkswagens technical staff found it difficult to communicate Volkswagens concept of quality to the Chinese autoparts manufacturers. Since Shanghai is the most developed industrial area in China, it was expected that car components could be locally made there in the near future (Hofstede 2006, p 25). Local supply was therefore expected to improve, but it would take time. In fact, the development of local capabilities was incredibly important to their ability to compete in the market and has proven to be the most troublesome feature of Shanghai Volkswagens short history. In order to increase the value of an automobile from China-based factories, and to prove that the Chinese automotive industry could indeed compete with foreign suppliers, Volkswagen worked with their European parts manufacturers to encourage their entry into China. Volkswagens technical staff sup- ported the m by assisting with the identification of possible Chinese partners for the various parts to be manufactured. Also, Shanghai Volkswagen encouraged Chinese suppliers to forge cooperative relations with peer parts makers from abroad. From Volkswagens supplier group, suitable partners were chosen by Chinese suppliers and formal joint-venture relations between foreign and domestic supplier firms were signed. In order to assure quality improvement, Shanghai Volkswagen rated its suppliers (Woodard 2002, p 43). The joint-venture contract specifically charged the Chinese with responsibility for providing parts of acceptable quality. It categorized its suppliers into A, B, or C classes: A suppliers produced parts of export standard, B suppliers produced parts used for the domestic market that were not yet of export quality, and C suppliers produced parts below even first-rate domestic standards (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 45). Because of Shanghai Volkswagens strict quality control and demands, it rewarded its suppliers handsomely. This reward would provide an incentive to the supplie rs so that they would maintain their quality standards. Shanghai Volkswagen promised to pay its suppliers a purchase price capped at the price of a similar import, in addition to custom duties (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 112). It guaranteed a profit for every manufacturer in its parts-supplier network. Furthermore, Shanghai Volkswagen organized their suppliers into the Santana Localization Community. The community served to forge closer ties between Shanghai Volkswagen and its suppliers, and more important, among the suppliers themselves. The organizing principle behind the localization community was the relentless pursuit of quality (U.S. China Business Council 2008, p 5). Throughout the barrage of Chinese criticism over localization levels, the Germans refrained from making their problems public. Volkswagen officials patiently allowed the Chinese to find a solution to problems. On the Chinese side, the government granted some incentive for the Germans to increase local content. After 40 percent of parts were localized, the imported parts were no longer considered CKD kits and were then taxed at a lower rate. Similar tax reductions were made once the 60- and 80-percent localization barriers were crossed. Although there were some components and tasks that were still impossible to source in China, the progress of localization did quite well (Hofstede 2006, p 8). Research Questions And Objectives To prove that German patience paid off in the long run. Local content was 70 percent after the engine and gearbox were localized in 1991. The company reached its goal of 80- percent local content in 1993 (Bates et al. 2008, p 8). By the end of 1995, 90 percent of the components were locally sourced. In the Changchun plant, local content was 40 percent for Audi and 60 percent for Jetta. The company had strong, reliable dealer and supplier networks in place. Shanghai Volkswagen made a profit largely because they were able to provide a substitute for imports from Japan, and because they were assisted by the high import tariff set by the Chinese government (Hofstede 2006, p 23). To prove the logistical importance of the Guangdong factory. It initially appeared to be a logical site for the new factory. The province had one of the highest standards of living in the country and had acquired extensive experience with joint-venture projects. Moreover, with Guangdong far from Beijings watchful eye, Peugeot officials anticipated a greater degree of managerial autonomy than a plant in northern China might enjoy. Local government support for the joint venture also seemed strong. Yet these apparent advantages could not shield the Sino-French joint venture from its share of difficulties (United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations 2009, p 11). During the set-up phase, for example, Peugeot discovered that GPAC workers-formerly employed at the GAM bus and truck factory-had inadequate skills. Consequently, Peugeot had to spend more than anticipated, both on training PRC workers in Europe and sending French managers to the PRC. Commitments to localize parts production posed additional stumbling blocks for GPAC (United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations 2009, p 6). Though the joint-venture contract called for GPAC vehicles to reach a 90-percent Chinese content level within five years of start-up, the French partner found few suppliers of quality parts in Guangdong and was prohibited by Guangzhou officials from sourcing from other regions in China. Peugeot, for its part, was slow to establish its own joint-venture parts manufacturers, a key to Volkswagen AGs success in Shanghai (Hook 2001, p 6). GPAC thus had to assemble automobiles largely from imported parts, which proved costly when the French franc appreciated some 110 percent against the renminbi in the late 1980s. The resulting rise in prices of imported parts, together with PRC localization and consumption taxes totaling more than 45,000 yuan ($12,000, based on the 1989 exchange rate) per vehicle, substantially raised the final prices of finished vehicles. In early 1990, for example, the companys model 505 station wagon sold for 200,000 yuan ($54,000), while Shanghai Volkswagen Co. Ltd.s Santana, which was subject to similar taxes, sold for 180,000 yuan ($49,000). GPACs growth slowed as a result (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 34). Stiff Competition GPACs troubles were aggravated by such stiff competition from Shanghai Volkswagen. The Santana had achieved 75-percent local content by 1992, and thus was able to keep production costs and sales prices relatively low. Though GPAC had reached similar levels of domestic content by 1994, its least expensive station wagon (in the year 1997) costs 170,000 yuan ($21,000, based on the 1997 exchange rate), compared with 135,000 yuan ($16,000) for the least expensive Santana model. Moreover, the quality of both GPAC parts and finished vehicles remained poor. Because the local government objected to sourcing from plants outside Guangzhou, GPAC was forced to use local parts that often failed to meet international standards. Some of Peugeots management decisions also contributed to GPACs competitive weaknesses. The company reportedly repatriated most of its profits and made relatively few changes to its 1980s era products, whereas Volkswagen reinvested profits and refined its production, introducing a new ÊÂ »Santana 2000ÊÂ » model in the mid-1990s. The GPAC sedan also had problems finding a market niche, as its large engines high fuel consumption precluded the cars use as a taxi, and its outdated design failed to attract Chinese buyers. When com- pared with the Audi 100, made in Changchun by a joint venture between Audi AG, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, and Chinas First Automobile Works (Group) Corp., the GPAC sedan lacked the prestige that status-conscious private or government consumers sought in a vehicle (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 12). GPAC also was not as high a political priority for Guangzhou officials as the Volkswagen plant was for the Shanghai government (Bates et al. 2008, p 10). While the Shanghai municipality invested 5 to 6 billion yuan ($600-$700 million) to aid Volkswagens endeavor, Guangzhou officials only contributed about 1 billion yuan ($120 million) to help GPAC (Sender 2007, p 90). Further, because of Guangzhous laissez-faire approach to production and consumption, city leaders were reluctant to urge government officials or ente rprises into purchasing GPACs vehicles. In Shanghai, by contrast, the citys taxi company was one of the largest purchasers of Volkswagen Santanas. Further, 1996 Shanghai municipal rules on engine size for taxis effectively eliminated Volkswagens competitor in the city, the Tianjin Charade, from the taxi business (Hofstede 2006, p 23). Ironically, while GPACs remoteness from Beijing protected it from central-government interference, the southern China venture also did not rank high on Beijings planning agenda. And the lack of a central-government partner meant PRC leaders did little to forestall the joint ventures decline. Many MNCs are approaching China as a long-term strategic market, and they are investing large sums of money to help build sustainable long- term positions. This can be a rational strategy. MNCs that do not consider exploring Chinas vast market with its emerging consumer base could be missing a tremendous growth opportunity. But some MNCs take the long-term argument too far. The traditional belief that a firm has to be around a long time to get results is not necessarily right in all cases. Long-term success is best achieved through measurable short-term results (Sender 2007, p 91). It is true that Shanghai Volkswagen, Matsushitas TV tube factory, Charoen Pokphands animal-feed ventures, and Otiss elevator plant are all early entrants that are growing at double-digit rates. But Peugeot entered the Chinese market at the same time as Volkswagen, and it has lost tens of millions of dollars each year since 1995. Kraft entered China more than ten years ago, and all of its plants are now rep orted to be losing money (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 66). In a volatile market such as Chinas, sustainable long-term positions are necessarily built on a series of successful short-term moves. Short-term results can help build brand recognition, attract local talent, and secure support from the parent company. They can create a virtuous cycle (Frisbie 2003, p 4). By contrast, when MNCs see no positive short-term results, a vicious cycle could arise. Rather than revise the companys strategy, managers typically justify poor performance with the argument that China is a long-term market. Patience and longevity are not enough. In fact, many MNCs accomplished great short-term success. For instance, Ericsson, the Swedish telecom company, acquired 40 percent of the cellular handset market, worth $4 billion, in only three years. Kodak gained a 15-percent share of the $500-million film market in less than two years. Tingyi built a $500-million instant-noodle business from nothing in just four years (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 45); its average operat ing margin over that period was more than 20 percent. Many of these successes can be attributed to recent moves these companies have made, not to how long they have been in China. These examples show how MNCs can plan for success by making smart short-term moves, thereby helping to establish new rules for the game (Karp 2002, p 74). Their successes are also founded on their continuous learning in the market and their ability to react correctly to changing dynamics. Performance is driven by an adaptive strategy that can be implemented rapidly. In this respect, recent developments in the cellular handset market are particularly instructive. Continuous learning and adaptability is essential to manage the vastness of the market and the rapid rate of change (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 52). This is difficult in an environment like China, where Western managers face exceptional language and cultural differences, and doubly difficult because consumer demographics and tastes are constantly changing. Krafts Tang was successful at the start, but carbonated drinks and fruit juices were quickly substituted for it. Motorola was very successful with male consumers, but Ericsson took advantage of the demo- graphic shift in the cellular handset market toward women (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 62). As Ericssons success dramatically sh ows, in an emerging market, effective learning is essential. Although Peugeot and Volkswagen entered the Chinese automobile market at roughly the same time, their performances have differed dramatically. Volkswagens revenues have grown at a compounded annual rate of 77 percent since 1985. Sales exceeded $2 billion by 1995. Today Volkswagen has expanded its capacity to 300,000 cars; the company produces close to 200,000 cars per year. It enjoys more than a 50-percent share of the passenger car market and earns a double-digit after-tax profit. By contrast, Peugeot built a 90,000-car capacity and sold only 2,000 cars in 1996 (Bates et al. 2008, p 9). Research Plan Perspective The factors are labeled as political, legal, cultural, economic, historical and geographic. This paper addresses the six environmental factors as they apply to IJVs in the Peoples Republic of China. Examples are drawn from an active IJV in Shanghai. Much of the information on this IJV was gathered during a research visit to the manufacturing facility during spring. Data gathering techniques included an on-site interview in Shanghai and material secured from corporation and government agencies (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 2). Why have scholars avoided looking closely at the Chinese bureaucracy? First, the Chinese system has, until recently, been quite difficult to penetrate. Chinese citizens were to avoid divulging state secrets to foreigners (Manguno 2003, p 8); even general communication with such outsiders was discouraged. Much of the relevant information, then, was found in statements of the top leaders, published in newspapers or journals or broadcast over the radio. Foreign researchers in the 1960s and 1970s found that exiles and migrants from southern China to Hong Kong were also good sources, but the scarcity of central government bureaucrats among their numbers made many types of focused, in-depth interview research nearly impossible (Sender 2007, p 90). Data Collection Methods, Access and Sampling Strategy Although China remains a relatively secretive society, the amount of personal contact allowed with foreigners has vastly increased. The requirement for efficient functioning of economic transactions forces the Chinese to be more open in publicizing their bureaucratic procedures. In other words, even in the face of the June 1989 crackdown on dissent, it is now easier to gain access to the lower levels of power than in the years preceding the economic opening to the outside world (Frisbie 2003, p 4). Lins conclusions included lists of the positive and negative factors Americans faced in choosing to invest in China. He also made some comparison of Chinese and American attitudes toward the joint ventures. He omitted, though, focus on misperceived and misunderstood actions related to divergence in the long-term goals of the two sides (Manguno 2003, p 7). Ball and McCulloch, (2005) analyzed cultural expectations in conducting business in China. 20 He investigated Chinese feelings toward various nationalities, and used these results to predict the future success of some eighteen different nations and regions in trade relations with China. Although this work was useful for examining the Chinese attitudes toward the outside world, no comparison was made of foreign perceptions of and approaches to the Chinese side. Business journals present a further source of empirical data. Publications such as The China Business Review and business school magazines feature articles tailored to potential future investors. Availability of space and the general scope of these journals, however, tend to prohibit a fully developed theoretical analysis of Chinese industrial development (Hofstede 2000, p 32). Earlier studies also failed to employ Jerviss ideas of misperception. Considering the great differences in culture and past practices of the Chinese and foreign automotive representatives, it would be surprising if misunderstandings did not cloud the stimuli foreigners exerted on the Chinese policy makers. To further utilize Jerviss work, one should also consider the influence of misperception between higher and lower levels of the Chinese political system. Finally, the motivational elements of wishful thinking may also distort the policy process at many levels of the Chinese bureaucracy (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 12). My own approach seeks to build on the theoretical framework of Sender and Hook and the analysis of Hofstede on, while adding new empirical data in a different industrial sector, that of the automobile industry. In doing so, this thesis will take into account several variables that shaped both the political and the economic development of the Chinese automotive sector (Hofstede 2000, p 32). Four case studies look at the stimuli of domestic and foreign economic forces, and discuss their effect on the Chinese central government (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 11). The empirical parts will also examine the bargaining that took place between central and local politicians, and the misperception that affected the policy process. Finally, the studies shall note the differing policy outcomes for the four automotive ventures, and try to make projections of their future progress based on past experiences. Ethical Considerations Peugeots poor performance appears to have been caused by its repeated inability to learn in, and adapt to, a rapidly changing environment. As Volkswagens success demonstrates, the Chinese automotive industry is attractive, and Peugeot began its operations in China with plenty of advantages (Mowery 2008, p 3). Its joint venture was set up in the wealthy south, which has a more entrepreneurial culture because of its proximity to Hong Kong and because of the early promotion of the reform policies of the late Deng Xiaoping. By contrast, Volkswagens joint venture was established in the more conservative Shanghai region. Until the mid-1990s Shanghais economy was dominated by loss-making state-owned enterprises, and the city was not allowed to implement aggressive reform policies (Hofstede 2006, p 13). Yet Peugeot was not able to exploit its advantageous position in the south and did not learn how to succeed with commercial customers. In the 1980s automobile industry experts predicted that growth would be driven by consumer wealth and consumer demand. But the market in China remained commercial (U.S. China Business Council 2008, p 12). Even now, the vast majority of Chinese consumers cannot afford to own cars: More than 70 percent of cars in China are purchased by commercial companies. Volkswagen was quick to adjust its assumptions and operating paradigms; Peugeot was not. To serve the commercial market, Volkswagen built an aggressive distributor network and sales force (Hook 2001, p 32). Conclusion The company recognized that commercial buyers were less price sensitive than other consumers, given that they needed and were willing to pay for high-quality after-sales servicing. Volkswagen was able to push volume through its distributors and achieve critical mass. This growing volume allowed Volkswagen to realize considerable scale economies, thereby allowing it to drive down prices. Because Peugeot never man- aged to develop an effective approach for commercial buyers, it never generated the prices and profits needed to motivate distributors (Woodard 2002, p 2). Without this high-channel profit, it was unable to attract capable and aggressive distributors and could not develop a reasonable service network. Peugeot also failed to learn other important lessons. An understanding of the development of down- stream industries, for example, was crucial in identifying and promoting potential demand. Volkswagens partner lobbied the government to support the establishment of taxi companie s in Shanghai. Although consumers could not afford to buy private cars, their demand for taxi services supported the growth of taxi companies, which did buy cars from Volkswagen. Peugeot did not follow a similar strategy. The company was unable to secure a dominant position in its home province in China. Hence, it never achieved critical mass and a competitive cost position to grow its operations to a national scale. Losses piled up, and after a twelve-year stay in China, Peugeot exited the market.