International Biss

‘Arrow and the apparel industry: Solved Case Study Arrow and the apparel industry Q1. Why did Arvind Mills choose globalization as the major route to achieve growth when the domestic market was huge? Ans. : The reasons of choosing global market by Arvind Mills are: 1. Market seeking motives, such as exclusiveness of product and service with high productivity, stringent in-line quality control and an encouraging manufacturing atmosphere. 2.Economic motives, such as profit making by implementing cutting edge technologies to achieve economies of scale and spreading R;D costs. etc. 3. Strategic motives, such as buying-up of sick units, departing worldwide and gaining German and US brand names. Q2. How does lifting of ‘Country-wise quota regime’ help Arvind Mills? Ans. : The lifting of ‘Country-wise quota regime’ surged a demand for high quality garments from India; while Arvind brands crossed over Rs. 60 crore in the year 2002 and planned to setup two more high tech export-oriented factories in India.And now, Arvind has the largest network of 64 outlets with 30 retail chains and 200 multi-brand outlets all over India. The current turnover of Arvind Brand is about Rs. 85 crore, which aimed to reach Rs. 100 crore with 1200-3000 outlets across 480-800 towns. Q3. What lessons can other Indian businesses learn from the experience of Arvind Mills? Ans. : Arvind Mills is one of the trademarks of Indian market, which executed diverse patterns of business. Arvind brand extended the international brands in small towns of India.Of course, many other business brands in India now follows Arvind brand. The other Indian businesses should learn a lot from Arvind Mills: international outset of market; Multi-regional integration approach; union and attainment, strategic alliances, international delegates, global network formation; changes in internal organization, etc. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Case 1:-BPO – BANE OR BOON? Which of the theories of international trade can help Indian services providersgain competitive edge over their competitors?The theory of free markets can help indian services providers gain competitive edgeover their compititors because India has got an edge over other countries at this pointof time but other nations may try to make their products look cheaper bymanipulating their currencies or by imposing restrictions on imported serviceespecially from india We need to do something like this – do something better than your competitors (either make a better product, market it better, service it better, price it cheaper, whatever). Pick up some Indian services providers.With the help of Michael Porter’sdiamond, analyze their strengths and weaknesses as active players in BPO. WNS, which was established in 1996 and transformed from a captive provider to athird-party provider in 2002, announced in December 2004 a new organizationalstructure focused on its vertical business units. The change to th e vertical focus wasmade to sharpen the company's domain expertise; develop new services andtechnologies; create superior career paths for talented managers; continue toemphasize entrepreneurship and empowerment, and win and retain business bydelivering exceptional value to its clients.The company's business units are organized into the following vertical sectors: travelservices; insurance services; financial services; enterprise services (including financialand accounting services, human resource accounting and health care processing),and knowledge services (including primary and secondary research, and analytics). Each unit is managed by a chief executive officer and has its own operating and salesteams, and draws upon support and â€Å"enabling† services across the company. â€Å"We have seen numerous tangible benefits to our decision in 2004 to more sharply focus our vertical structure,† stated Neeraj Bhargava, Group CEO. Specifically, wehave strengthened our leade rship role in the BPO industry; continued to distinguishWNS from our competitors through our differentiated strategy; maintained our recordof creating value for our key constituencies, especially customers and employees, and broadened our global perspective, thus enhancing our ability to help companies meettheir business challenges. â€Å"These developments reflect positively both on the soundness of our decision, as wellas the breadth and depth of WNS' management team, which is uniquely qualified tolead this company. â€Å"Mr. Bhargava added hat WNS' travel unit continues to be the offshore industry leaderin this segment with a dominant market share, but that â€Å"WNS' formalization of ourvertical structure clearly allowed us to devote additional resources to our non-traveloperations – especially financial services, which include mortgage and insurance. As aresult, we have strengthened our expertise and operations in each of our offerings, aswell as across the company as a whole. † Compare this case with the case given at the beginning of this chapter. Whatsimilarities and dissimilarities do you notice?Your analysis should be based onthe theories explained. Evalueserve: Based in Gurgaon, it has 650 people engaged in market research andbusiness intelligence. Nearly 45% of the company’s revenues come from math relatedprojects. Evalueserve has a research firm called Global Sourcing Now, whichspecialises in high-quality research reports. WNS: A Mumbai-based BPO, WNS has just started its KPO division for market researchwith 300 people. It operates in the knowledge services business segment and offershigh-end services such as market, investment and business research.Wipro BPO – In 2002, Wipro took a quantum jump in the BPO services by acquiring thethen Spectramind. Wipro Limited (Wipro) is engaged in the areas of information technology (IT), services,IT products and consumer care and lighting products. The Company is organized infour segments: IT services, IT products, consumer care and lighting, and others. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009 (fiscal 2009), 94% of Wipro’s operatingincome was generated from its IT Services. In Fiscal 2009, IT products represented3% of its operating income, and consumer care and lighting, and others represented3% of operating income.The Company’s IT services segment provides a range of ITand IT-enabled services. In January 2009, Wipro Technologies acquired Citi Technology Services Ltd. (India), the India-based captive provider of technologyinfrastructure services (TIS), application development and maintenance services forcards, capital markets and corporate banking. Similarities: 1. Require knowledge transfer of the organization's business processes2. Involve migration of jobs (along with some people too) to another country3. Necessitated by business compulsions such as cost reduction or shortage of resources4.Technology intensive exercise/process needing a ‘global delivery model'5. Requires structured migration process to minimize the probability of failure6. ITO and BPO Partners are both affected severely by attrition in the workforceDifferences:1. Skills required in the people are different – IT requires strong technology focuswhile BPO requires strong process understanding focus2. Replacement of resources (on account of attrition) is easier and cheaper in BPOsthan ITOs3. ITO staffing strategy is to hire â€Å"trained people† whereas BPO staffing strategy aimsto â€Å"hire the crowd and train them†4.ITO results in loss of jobs to â€Å"knowledge workers† – but they don't care since theycan get plenty of jobs elsewhere; BPO results in loss of jobs to lower skilled â€Å"processworkers† – often they do not have anywhere else to go ITO – Information Technology OutsourcingBPO – Business Process Outsourcing These are two heads, ITO is bent towards technology i. e. softw are outsourcing,whereas BPO is inclined towards process outsourcing. When we say process that could be functional (admin, HR, accounts) shared by all theindustries or technical depending upon each industry and skills required.Moreover, the KPO>RPO>MPO>PPO>EPO and all the newbies are parcel of nicheindustries vis-a-vis skills required. Case 2 PERU What are some current issues facing Peru? What is the climate for doing businessin Peru today? During the 1970s, the Peruvian government nationalized a number of industries andfactories and began running them for the profit of the state in most cases, these state– run ventures became disasters. Peruvian government are facing problem with lack of advance and latest equipmentfor both locating as well as catching and then loading and unloading the fish.Peruvian government might step in during the next couple of years and again takeover the business. If this were to happen, it might take an additional decade for theloan to be repaid. If the government were to allow the fleet owner to operate thefleet the way he has over the last decade, the fleet the way he has over the lastdecade, the loan could be repaid within seven years. Peru is located on the west coast of South America What type of political risks does this fishing company need to evaluate? Identifyand describe them. Political Risk can be divided into several types of threats. Interference with operations †¢ Confiscation (they take a piece of equipment) †¢ Expropriation (they take the whole company) †¢ Nationalization (they take all the companies in a business sector) †¢ Economic instability, which effects production †¢ Currency Repatriation, not being able to get your money out †¢ Currency Inconvertibility, not being able to exchange your money for another currency of international value (yen, dollars, pounds) †¢ Contract Repudiation Persistent and deliberate refusal †¦ to honor obligations as set forth in a Contractà ¢â‚¬ ¦ What types of integrative and protective and defensive techniques can the bankuse? Some prevention techniques apply to individual banks, independently of the rest of the economy. * A bank can take deposits from depositors who do not observe commoninformation that might spark a run. For example, in the days before depositinsurance, it made sense for a bank to have a large lobby and fast service, to preventa line of depositors from extending out into the street, causing passers-by to inferthat a bank run is occurring. [1]* Banks can encourage customers to make term deposits that cannot be withdrawnon demand.If term deposits form a high enough percentage of a bank's liabilities itsvulnerability to bank runs will be reduced considerably. The drawback is that bankshave to pay a higher interest rate on term deposits. * A bank can temporarily suspend withdrawals to stop a run; this is calledsuspension of convertibility. In many cases the threat of suspension prevents the run,which m eans the threat need not be carried out. [1]* Bank regulation or other constraints can impose a reserve ratio requirement,which limits the proportion of deposits which a bank can lend ut, making it less likelyfor a bank run to start, as more reserves will be available to satisfy the demands of depositors. [5] This practice sets a limit on the fraction in fractional-reserve banking. * Full-reserve banking is the hypothetical case where the reserve ratio is set to100%. Under this approach, the risk of bank runs would be eliminated,[11] and bankswould match maturities of deposits and loans to avoid vulnerability to runs. Would the bank be better off negotiating the loan in New York or in Lima? Why?We can think like that New York Bank is in better position to do negotiation with Limain their own terms and condition. The biggest problem is that the ships are getting oldand they needs an influx of capital of make repairs and add new technology. As theyexplained it to the new York banker. â€Å"Fishing is no longer just an art. There is a greatdeal of technology involved. And to keep costs low and be competitive on the worldmarket, you have to have the latest equipment for both locating as well as catchingand then loading and unloading the fish †Case 3:RED BECOMING THICKERWhy that Coke is has not been able to make profit in its Indian operations? Coca-Cola's operations in India have come under intense scrutiny as manycommunities are experiencing severe water shortages as well as contaminatedgroundwater and soil that some assert [18] are a result of Coca-Cola's bottlingoperations. A massive movement has emerged across India to hold the Coca-ColaCompany accountable for its actions. The state of Kerala imposed a ban of colas fromthe state only to be quashed by Coca Cola; the matter is pending in the supremecourt. citation needed] The Plachimada plant in Kerala state, one of Coca-Cola'slargest bottling facilities in India, has remained shut for 17 months now becau se thevillage council has refused to renew its license, blaming the company for causingwater shortages and pollution. In the initial period of setting the business in India, the COKE was not able tomake profit fromthe Indian operation. This is due to a number of factors. †¢ The local population is not accustomed to drinking cola drinks. †¢ The market needs to be developed. †¢ The initial bottleneck was the lack of adequate network of distributors. †¢ Product distribution was weak. The poor distribution created negative impaction the market growth. †¢ Volume was low. †¢ Overheads were growing. †¢ The operation profit was negligible. Do you think that Coke should continue to stay in India? If yes, why? I would like to mention some points if in order Coke wants to continue its operation inIndia. The allegations in other ways helped Coca-Cola Company, India to show theircorporate social responsibility and to maintain good product quality standards. The initiatives all over India helped them reach villages for a good cause and alsoindirectly marketed their products with establishing a trust among the public.After allthese allegations, the CSE is still not convinced of the quality of the product. Therefore, Coca-Cola must prove that they have upgraded their lab with sophisticatedinstrument which is capable of measuring pesticide residue in soft drinks. As per therecent reports by CSE, they claim that the pesticide residue has gone up 27 timeshigher than expected level by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)Coke is facing different type of problem in which some are mention below Critical Issues/Problems:Solid waste and water issue: The communities near the bottling plant in Indiacomplained about the passage of sludge as fertilizer, causing health andenvironmental damage. The most important issue concerning these communities isthe depletion of water levels caused by the Coca-Cola bottling operations which havedrastically reduced avail ability of water for irrigation purposes. Pesticides in soft drinks: The other issue concerning human health caused by Coca-Cola is that their bottled water and soft drinks contain pesticides which were testedby the reputed NGO, CSE.Dual product standards: Coca-Cola is accused of having dual standards in terms of their products and safety measures concerning human health with respect to USA,Europe and India. Community issue: These allegations affected Coca-Cola largely with its sales and alsocaused the closure of one of their bottling plants in Kerala, India. Additionally, Coca-Cola’s products are banned in the state of Kerala, India. What cultural adaptations would you suggest to the US expatriate managersregarding their management style?A key reason for the return of expatriates before the official end of their foreignassignment is the uncertainty and frustration resulting from poor cross-culturaladaptation. The literature provides this general, normative view without much to sayabout the interpersonal conflict expatriates experience in the workplace abroadcaused by cultural differences. Our exploratory study finds that conflicts with co-workers in host countries occur frequently causing high stress and discomfort, andprovides three specific sources of conflict as recounted by sample managers.Theimplications of our findings include: selecting expatriate managers with highemotional intelligence, providing extensive pre-departure cultural training thatconsists not only of cultural facts but also interpersonal skills such as active listening,conflict management, and ethical reasoning, utilizing sensitivity training techniquesto better prepare managers for new situations, and sending the expatriate on one ortwo pre-sojourn visits to familiarize themselves with the host culture and workplacenorms even before the actual expatriate assignment begins.An additional implicationis training the host-country workers, particularly those who will work most closely w iththe expatriate manager, on home country cultural beliefs and workplace norms. Weaim to stimulate managerial thinking and further research on the workplace conflictsthat challenge expatriates managers. Using the Hofstede and the value orientations cultural models, how can youexplain some of the cultural differences noted in this case? When business consultants and professionals in the field of workplace learning and developmentdiscovered Hofstede's dimensions, applications began to emerge in many areas.The following aremerely a few examples of how the field has translated the abstract theory into a series of concreteapproaches. In expanding their market to the global level with clear and consistent global brand images acrossnations, marketers are ever confronting the issue of how to deal with different cultural values. Cultural value is identified as an influential factor on brand image and is widely accepted as one of the crucial concepts in understanding consumer consumption val ue, which determines choices of consuming everyday products and services.Most firms endeavoring to establish and maintainconsistent global brand images, however, adopt a standardized brand image strategy that usuallydoes not consider individual target markets characteristics, including the concepts of cultural valueand consumption value. This study developed a conceptual framework which incorporated culturalvalue not only as a direct antecedent of brand image, but also as an indirect antecedent of brandimage through consumption value, and empirically tested it using the category of apparel.Following this framework, this study hypothesized the differences in brand image, cultural value,and consumption value between the U. S. and South Korea. Data were gathered through surveying university students residing in the San Francisco and Seoul metropolitan areas using a conveniencesampling method. A total of 329 completed questionnaires were used in factor analysis,discriminant analysis, an d structural equation modeling. The results provide insights intostandardized brand image strategies and suggest some implementable tools that might proveeffective in both countries.Case 4THE ABB PBS JOINT VENTURE IN OPERATIONWhere does the joint venture meet the needs of both the partners? Where does itfall short? â€Å"One of the most common instances that encourage learning and sharing is culturaldifferences. In the case study involving the ABB PBS Joint Venture the two companiesfound it rather difficult to understand certain cultural differences. These differencesexisted because the managers and employees of the venture were from the post-communist country of the Czech Republic and were new to the structure of a freemarket economy.The venture had a difficult time interacting and understanding theculture of the European nations that they were conducting business with. To facilitatelearning and knowledge the managers of the venture had to change the mentality of employees and dev elop ways to motivate them to reach the goals of the company. (â€Å"The ABB PBS Joint Venture in Operation†)† What lessons one can draw from this incident for better management of technology transfers? Technology transfer is the process of developing practical applications for scientificresearch.It is a term used to describe a formal transfer of rights to use andcommercialize new discoveries and innovations resulting from scientific research toanother party. It is, regrettably, not uncommon to find big companies and major industrial concernsin the developed countries turning a blind eye to the ethical questions when it comesto technology transfer. The need to show profits, the desire to please shareholdersand the compulsion to transfer technology to the South, whatever the outcome, haveblurred the vision and concept of fight and wrong. Mahatma Gandhi said the solution in India is not mass production, but production bythe masses.Mass production by organized industry has brought in sophisticatedtechnology and militant trade unions, and has been one of the major factors formigration from the rural to the urban areas. The establishment of small scaleindustries, and better facilities for the rural workers, will ease the tension in the citiesand reduce migratory pressures – but it will mean less profits. This ill-conceived approach has almost destroyed indigenous institutions. Thetechnology input from the developed countries should have strengthened,supplemented and supported the existing, proven structures instead of replacingthem.It has increased dependency on the outside, for spare parts, for expertise and forconsultation, thus controlling and co-opting rather than decentralizing anddisseminating. People forget that what is best and most sophisticated could easily bea ball bearing on bullock cart wheels, or a simple set of hand tools for villageblacksmiths. ——————————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Top of Form Search Bottom of Form Search History: Searching†¦ Result 00 of 00 00 results for result for ? p.

Article with logical fallacies Essay

Christians believe God created the whole world because he had the powers, this make them argue out the theory of evolution which states that each and every creature that exist has undergone the process of evolution. Due to the believe in the theory of creation, religion has given trust to their creator who is god, from the ancestral time to modern time. Many societies have followed this because their ancestors had practiced this for a very long time. Christians believe in faith and they argue that their faith is difficult to destroy since they believe in the word of god which was prophesized and written in the bible by men who were inspired by god and this believes have forced non- believers in the society into Christianity. The study of the bible has also strengthen the Christian believe since it has given them reliable evidence that their powerful god exist and one day he shall come into existence and he will save them from the temptation they encounter each and every day . Figure out what kind of logical fallacy is used and how it is used. Logical fallacies are the detects that weakens our arguments or reasoning, It can also be defined as error in reasoning. By having the strength to look at different types of fallacies we are able to evaluate the arguments, readings etc Fallacies have also helped us to improve our critical way of looking at things. The following logical fallacies have been identified in the above article; Fallacies that appeals to galley or Argumentum ad populum this is a fallacy that make people accept something because it is done or accepted by many people, an example in the above article is where people in the society decide to follow Christianity because they found other people had already accepted to follow it. Argumentum ad atiquitatem or fallacy of accepting something since it has been there for along time, example is the above article is where people in the society have accepted to be converted to Christianity since they believe it has been their for along time, therefore it is good to be followed. Argumentum ad baculum or Fallacy that appeal to force in order to prevail in debate, this particular type of fallacy is seen widely in the religion whereby a powerful religion forces non- believers to accept believe in the religion . In the above article non believers are forced to believe that god exists and they should believe in him. Lastly there is the Fallacy where conclusion is drawn from unconnected premises. For example in the above article bible has been believed to have been written by god`s people who were inspired by god, So when people read the bible and learn that it was prophesized by god, they are unable to evaluate it into creative thinking. Reference www. philosophychatforum. com

Grolsch Company Essay

1. Yes, several of the major players have been actively engaging in mergers and acquisitions, leading to a more concentrated market with larger market shares for the leading firms. 2. There is not a clear leader which absolutely dominates the industry. While Heineken is the leader in the international market, Bud (Light) leads total volume. There is also no core, the leading companies in international and total volume markets differ from each other. 3. In its process of expansion, Grolsch has engaged in both cooperation with local brewers, and direct shipping from domestic factories, depending on the markets demand. For markets such as the USA that valued originality, direct shipping was used. For others that did not hold an emphasis on this, joint venture options were explored to cut costs. 4. No, standardization is not increasing. Majority of Grolsch’s sales come from its Grolsch Premium Lager, with other variations such as Amsterdam beers. Packaging was not standardized around the globe, products shipped to different markets had country-specific labels. Grolsch is also priced differently in various markets, priced at a higher price in its domestic market. 5. It implies that minimum target should be to further enhance operations, increasing production and distribution efficiencies to achieve cost reduction in order to remain profitable. 6. Variation is quite large on cross-country markets. Grolsch is priced as a premium brand in non-domestic market and a mid range standard product in the Netherlands for Grolsch Premium Lager. Also, the different products offered in different regions also make them differ in profitability. For example, the home market that accounted for roughly 50% of sales in volume generated 65% of revenues with even higher EBIT. 7. Profits are most tightly linked with volume, with national sales as it is the most profitable providing the highest EBIT and lowest distribution costs. International sales have shown to be slightly less profitable but still important in overall profitability. 8. Price-sensitivity for beer is relatively low, with many competitors in the market so distribution on economic profits should lean more towards suppliers and complementors. 9. Labor took up approximately 15% of revenues compared to 4% to 6% on advertising. Hence, the industry Grolsch is in is most likely labor-intensive.

Consumer society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer society - Essay Example Moreover, it is a society that is consecrated with consumption of goods regardless of the costs and categories. Goods preferred by this society range from goods that are essential for proper health to those that bring about environmental sustainability (Baudrillad, 2). However, this society is the most vulnerable to the changing renewal of technology. Due to the dynamic nature of the market conditions, wants and preferences oblige the society members to dump their old equipment and embrace new developments. This move is aimed at attainment of a desired measure of comfort recognized by the world today. The business world is composed of two groups of people. Firstly, the group of buyers that constitutes the consumers. Consumers are the ones who formulate a consumer society that is mandated to protect them from exploitation by sellers. The second group is that of sellers. This group is constituted by a large variety of individuals ranging from companies that produce the goods to the wholesalers who act as intermediates then to the retailers – responsible for the final deliver of goods to the consumers (Baudrillad, 5). In the business world the two groups involved are susceptible to exploitation. Consumers can be exploited by sellers in various ways which include: unfair pricing of goods and services, hooding of goods and services, provision of poor quality goods at exaggerated prices and unrealistic weights and measures. On the other hand, sellers are also susceptible to exploitation by the buyer through oppression of their rights by consumer societies. Therefore, for harmony in business, the societies which are meant to protect the two groups and working contradictorily should be established. Consumer society encourages consumption of goods and services and the economic health of the society which is dependent on the population’s spending habits. In contrast to other societies such as the feudal or peasant-based societies, consumer

Enron's Collapse and Ethical Framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Enron's Collapse and Ethical Framework - Essay Example This was an eerie accounting policy that Enron came up with. Although the present earning look very appealing, but the profits earned today could not be shown in the future statements which made the future proforma financial statement looked a little weak.   Enron adopted another extremely innovative accounting policy of starting to make more future contracts in order to make financial statements of future years also look better. This created a never ending spiral and at the end of that spiral was destruction for the company. There were certain other accounting malpractices at Enron. They kept a debt of $600 million off book just to make sure that the financial statements of the company looked good. The reason why this practice is not encouraged is because it does not reflect the true accounting position of Enron.   Debt would have decrease the net value of the company, and share price would have come down. However, this action prevented this from happening and share prices of En ron’s stock remained constant. This is misleading because owners and investors were evaluating a company at a much higher price than the true value of the company.   This is an example of an open violation of truth and trust. Investors usually select the board of directors to make the long term policy for them. Directors hire managers to run the business for them. This shows divorce of ownership and control. This means that owners are not directly controlling the business, but they entrust it to their people selected.... There were certain other accounting malpractices at Enron. They kept a debt of $600 million off book just to make sure that the financial statements of the company looked good. The reason why this practice is not encouraged is because it does not reflect the true accounting position of Enron. Debt would have decrease the net value of the company, and share price would have come down. However, this action prevented this from happening and share prices of Enron’s stock remained constant. This is misleading because owners and investors were evaluating a company at a much higher price than the true value of the company. This is an example of an open violation of truth and trust. Investors usually select the board of directors to make the long term policy for them. Directors hire managers to run the business for them. This shows divorce of ownership and control. This means that owners are not directly controlling the business, but they entrust it to their people selected in the Ann ual General Meeting. These people than entrust the responsibility of day to day operations to managers. In this way, there is a series of trust contract being formed. Ethics of any action require that trust should not be betrayed and whatever happens truth should be told to the real owners who have trusted the directors with their responsibility. The first breach of trust in Enron case started when the directors started sending misleading reports to the owners to make the financial statements of Enron look healthy. This is open violation of truth and trust and shows that in the case of Enron there was a clear evidence of breach of trust. Another problem in this case is the abuse of powers from directors. They started a new system of accounting and started fooling the real

Public Relation is the New Propaganda Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Relation is the New Propaganda - Outline Example Public relations refer to the processes, principles, and procedures guiding communication between companies, organizations, individuals with the media and the public. In most cases, public relations focus on the creation and maintenance of a positive image as well as a strong relationship with the target audience (Moloney 2006). Democracy   Democracy refers to a system of governance focusing on vesting the power in the people with the ability to rule directly or under the influence of the elected representatives (Schumpeter 2013). Political Economy of Information  For critical reasons, sociologists, political scientists and communication practitioners have the tendency of evaluating phenomena from the economists’ perspective. The condition makes them develop the aspect of becoming political economists, thus the concept of the political economy of information (Stilwell 2011). Theoretical Perspectives and Models  Various models have focused on illustrations of PR and propa ganda issues in the modern context. This section explores a critical review the most effective and prominent theoretical perceptions with the objective of understanding the research goals and scope effectively.  There are four critical theories in relation to understanding the concept of the public sphere: representative liberal, participatory liberal, discursive, and constructionist theories. Constructionist theory focuses on popular inclusion, empowerment, recognition, narrative creativity, and the eventual avoidance.

Flexible Work Schedule and its Impact on Private Company Employee Research Proposal

Flexible Work Schedule and its Impact on Private Company Employee Performance in Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example In the 21st Century though, there is the need for some kind of departure from the normal 8-hour working day in a five working day need for several reasons. Bohlander & Snell (2009 p173) identifies that the departure from the normal schedule might be necessary to keep the organizational productivity high and enhance the morale of workers by giving them control over their work schedule. This is because people now have a wide array of needs and desires at different times of their lives. The typical expectations of a worker might be the need to attend to family commitments, need for leisure and pleasure to enjoy earnings and the need for social commitments like maintaining religious and extended family ties (Segev, 2005 p78). Additionally, deviation from the normal 8 to 5 work schedule allows businesses to maintain the stature of an attractive employer. This enables a business to attract the best employees on the open market. Collectively, the recruitment and selection of the best employees allows a business to attain long-term benefits for the business. Bohlander & Snell (2009 p174) identifies the concept of flexible work schedule as an attempt by a business to maintain high productivity levels whilst deviating from the traditional working-hour requirements of their employees. In other words, flexible work schedule (FWS) allows a business to set up a system which enables employees to continue working and meeting high levels of results without necessarily having to work from 8am to 5pm for five days in a week.... Bohlander & Snell (2009 p174) identify four main types of flexible work schedule. They include: 1. Compressed Workweek: This entails reducing the number of days in the workweek by lengthening the hours of work each week. Thus for example, a person might be required to work for ten hours a day and for four days in a week instead of eight hours a day for five days a week. The 4/10 work week will enable the worker to take a day off to attend to other things. 2. Flexitime: This is a system where the worker will be allowed to choose daily starting and quitting hours. Typically, the flexitime system might give the employee a range of possibilities which are negotiable, leaving peak hours or crucial hours as non-negotiable times (Liff, 2007 p74). Thus a worker can choose to start work at 6am and close at 2pm or start at 10am and close at 6pm, with each covering an 8-hour period. 3. Job sharing: This is where two part-time employees take one full time job. In this case, each of the employee might have to work for three days a week and from the synergistic efforts of the combined employees, the business would stand to gain more in terms of productivity. 4. Telecommuting: With telecommuting, an employee might be allowed to work from home. This can be attained by the use of modern real-time equipment and gadgets like computers, Internet and telephones. Through telecommuting, an employee can avoid the traffic of traditional commuting, save time and get to handle other social activities effectively. The human ecology theory of motivation suggests that individuals are affected by the external environment they operate within and this enables them to shape their inner thoughts and emotions to attain various results (Bubolz & Sontag, 1993 p2). This indicates that there

Assume your company has decided to expand their US business into an Term Paper

Assume your company has decided to expand their US business into an international business. You have been asked by your company - Term Paper Example The country that I would recommend to my CEO for international expansion is China. This is mainly because China is a country that is developing very fast and thus, if the country starts an international branch in China it will be sure to attract a large number or customers (Li, 2010). The economy of China is indeed stable and well performing with a Gross Domestic Product of approximately 7.33 trillion (The College of Staten Island's Modern China Studies Group, 2012). This is a very large and promising figure. Therefore, starting a new branch in the country will assure the company of positive returns. On the other hand, the GDP per capita is approximately $ 9, 100. This shows that the country is highly productive and thus, it is unlikely that the bank will make losses once it expands to China. China has a very large population of approximately 1.35 billion. Therefore, there is sufficient labour for all organizations in the country. Therefore, of the country expands to China, it will b e sure not to have high labour costs, or labour shortages. On the other hand, China has established itself in export and import trade (Li, 2010). Therefore, the country has a large number of economic activities that lead to the need for banking services. Importers and exporters of products in and out of China demand banking services and thus, Victory State bank will be very beneficial to them. In addition, the large number of economic activities in China requires finances. Therefore, the demand for loan services in the country is very high. When the organization expands to this country, it will have a large number of customers demanding loan services. The infrastructure of China is also well developed and efficient (The College of Staten Island's Modern China Studies Group, 2012). This is given by the study of China’s roads, machinery and latest technology. Recent studies show that the country has invested over $ 1 billion to enhance its transport and communication infrastruc ture. With developed infrastructure, the business will also thrive since operations will be smooth and effective (Li, 2010). China is made up of a large number of industries that require banking services. In addition, recent studies show that the growth rate of these industries is approximately 14.5% (The College of Staten Island's Modern China Studies Group, 2012). This is a high figure, which assures the bank that as the industries continue to grow, the demand for banking services will increase and thus the bank will grow. On the geographic factors of the country, the country has a climate that favors business operations all through the year. Therefore, the business is sure not to be affected by disasters such as floods and earthquakes. The environment in China has also been well conserved and thus; the organization will have a favorable environment to perform its operations with no environmental issues (Li, 2010). China is a politically stable country and thus, issues of politica l instability will not disrupt operations in the organization. Since China is a communist country, it is unlikely that it faces issues such as political unrest or clashes (The College of Staten Island's Modern China Studies Group, 2012). The regulatory requirements of establishing a business in China are also few and thus, the organization will only require a license and the minimum sum of money required in order to start a bank. The only other laws that the company will have to follow

Marketing- Analyzing Buying Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing- Analyzing Buying Behavior - Essay Example â€Å"eco-friendly† product can be created through informative advertising by telling consumers the hazards of using the product that are not made for the wellbeing of the environment. Another danger in the proposal is the pricing of the new product which will be charged 150% more than the current price. However, if the consumer perceives that the product is not doing a better job than their conventional products, then once again our marketing proposal could lose out. Hence, careful pricing needs to be done to see if it is consistent with the benefits that it promises to render. The increase in the availability of the product in various retail outlets will be very beneficial for the business and this could increase our sales and profits and we can try to increase retailing outlets for even our conventional products. Commercial products are often sold to different organizations once a problem is recognized by these institutions. As far as the anti-bacterial is concerned we should go with the plan. The reason behind this is that currently there is no competitor in the market and we can afford to charge high prices without losing any customers. We can therefore squeeze the maximum revenue from the market until new competition arises in the market of anti-bacterial cleaners. The consumers in this market have no opportunity for supplier search and we can squeeze the total market sales from our production. Neither will they need any proposal solicitation nor will they be reviewing our performance as there be no benchmark in the market. Thus we can go in the market to meet our objectives. Similarly, we can also repackage the wax product due its distinct features in the market and command high prices. This again will be a success due to lack of any similar product in the market. Therefore, we can trust Rena and immediately implement the plans as proposed by her to meet our marketing objectives. This exercise provided us with knowledge that businesses can produce a

Micro Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Micro Economics - Assignment Example c) If the economy is using the resources as stated in the question then it is underutilizing the resource availability. In this case it would violate the assumption of full employment. d) This is an unrealistic situation and can be attained only in presence of foreign trade. In order to produce beyond the possibility level, the economy must be able to realize the increase in the availability of resources. Question 2 Answer: Opportunity cost is referred to as the cost of an activity which in measured in regards to the next best alternative foregone. The condition of shortage is the root cause of opportunity cost. If shortage is absent there will be no reason to sacrifice one thing to achieve another. The opportunity cost is likely to be higher for New York City. The reason being the alternative uses for the block are of more value than the block of the suburban city. Question 3 Total Profits = Total Cost – Total Revenue Total Cost = P resource * Q resource and Total Revenue = P rice * Q sold Total Cost = ($40 * 5 units of labor) + ($60 * 7 units of land) + ($60 * 2 units of capital) + ($20 * 1 unit of entrepreneurial ability) = $200 + $420 + $120 + $20 = $760. Total Revenue = $2 * 400 loaves of banana bread = $800. Total Profits = $800 - $760 = $40. The firm will continue to produce as it is earning economic profits. If this firm is typical of the banana bread industry, more resources will flow toward banana bread as other potential firms are attracted to the economic profits in the industry. Question 4 a) For this condition the price will rise while the quantity will fall. b) For this condition the price will fall while the quantity will fall as well. c) For this condition the price will fall while the quantity will rise. d) For this condition the price is indeterminate but the quantity will rise. e) For this condition the price will rise as well as the quantity. f) For this condition the price will fall but it is not possible to determine the demand. g) For this condition the price will rise but it is not possible to determine the quantity. h) For this condition the price will remain indeterminate but the quantity will fall. Question 5 Price falls and demand is inelastic: The total revenue will decrease in this case as demand being inelastic a price fall will bring loss of revenue for the producers. Price rises and supply is elastic: The total revenue will increase in this case as supply being elastic a rise in price will lead to increase in total revenue conditions. Price rises and supply is inelastic: The total revenue will rise in this case as well as this is the opposite case as the above question. Supply being inelastic a price rise will lead to increase in demand conditions and therefore total revenue. Price rises and demand is inelastic: The total revenue will rise in this case. Demand being inelastic a rise in prices will lead to rise in demand and total revenue will rise. Price falls and demand is elastic: The total revenu e will rise in this case. As demand is elastic a fall in price will lead to increase in demand and total revenue will rise. Price falls and demand is unit elastic: In this case the total revenue will remain the same because a fall in price will bring no change in demand conditions and therefore total revenue will remain unaffected. Question 6 Answer: A ceiling on price that is set below the price level at

The Nature poetry of Robert Frost Research Proposal

The Nature poetry of Robert Frost - Research Proposal Example Robert Frost, in his poem, â€Å"Fire and Ice† mentions two opposite and contradictory imageries, fire and ice, both of which indicate the end of the world and therefore the end of life. The poem talks about the end of the world and the poet wonders what the source of this end could be. The two opening lines of the poem sum up the thoughts of the poem – â€Å"Some say the world will end in fire/Some say in ice† (Frost) Just like fire and ice are opposite elements in terms of the impact and sensation they produce, so are the consequences in the two cases. While fire signifies desire, lust and excessive passion, which might lead to destruction, ice signifies coldness, hatred and rigidity. While fire moves fast and spread in an instant, ice is slow and steady in its action. Both can destroy life and livelihood. Thinking from a literal perspective, fire might strike a forest and destroy the habitation. Also, ice can cover an entire area and thus destroy all forms of life that reside there. Passion, like fire can spread fast and works with high speed such that it may consume a person and destroy quickly. Instance of love and obsession leading to destruction and death of an individual are quite common. The concept of ice can be referred to the occurrence of the cold war. Ice signifies less or no expression and rigidity. This is even more dangerous because this coldness can eat into a person’s life and destroy slowly but steadily just like it worked during the cold war. While the Soviet block has its beliefs embedded in communism, the NATO nations had faith in capitalism and individuality. Thus Europe did not remain an integrated whole anymore. Just like ice might freeze into a crack and widen the fissure, thus leading to a split, Europe also met similar fate and became fragmented. (Davidson) If we think about fire, we find it at work during the early years of work and also

The ends of the 3 short stories Essay Example for Free

The ends of the 3 short stories Essay Who or what do you think is to blame for the tragic events at the ends of the 3 short stories? In your answer you should compare the effects of the following contributing factors:   Values and attitudes of 1800s   The characters and personalities of the females   The attitudes of the community towards the female characters The role and influence of men The tragic events at the end of the three short stories The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy, The Melancholy Hussar also by Thomas Hardy, and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, are not the consequence of any one cause in particular. There are many different causes that could explain the tragic events, and these will now be investigated. A womans activities and learning completely depended on how well off they were; whether they were a rich lady or a poor woman. In Hardys The Withered Arm and in another of his books The Melancholy Hussar, we see examples of both: Gertrude Lodge and Phyllis are the well off ladies, and Rhoda Brook is the poor milkmaid. They didnt choose what they wanted to be, they were just born that way. There are clear differences between a lady and a woman: a poor woman was not educated (which was very bad in the 1800s), but the rich lady was educated (but only on the skills that she would need to help her get a husband); the poor woman married a working man for a better money income and chose who she married, but a rich lady would usually marry someone that her father chose. By these two facts, it is clear to see that women were simply thought of as possessions of men, nothing more. This is illustrated in Hardys The Melancholy Hussar: she considered herself likely to become a possession of another. Wealthy men had to go through a ladys father even to make her acquaintance: made her fathers acquaintance in order to make hers. Rich women hired poorer women to work for them as housecleaners and maids. This is an example of how class was considered to be important in Victorian society. In The Withered Arm, the tragic event which was Rhodas sons execution is a consequence of societys division of classes. Rhodas son was poor, like Rhoda herself, thusly putting him in the lower class. This is reflected in the clothes that he wore. Gertrude brings a new pair of boots round for him because his old ones would not keep my feet dry if it came on wet, because they were so cracked. The state of his clothes signifies his class. Presumably, the people who had caught Rhodas son were fairly wealthy. Therefore, it is possible that they may have jumped to the conclusion that since he was a poor, lower class boy, he must have been doing something wrong. The second tragic event at the end of The Withered Arm is Gertrudes death. There is somewhat of a mystery of how she died. It could have been the impact of her being thrown against the wall, or it could have been the medical cure she was attempting that could have killed her. Her choice to attempt this cure was influenced by society and by her own personality and character. She is a very pretty lady: rosy-cheeked, tisty-tosty body and this is what attracted Farmer Lodge to her. But when she got the skin discolouration, her own personality makes her take measures against it. She is very eager to please Farmer Lodge: hoping against hope to win back his heart again by regaining some at least of her personal beauty and when their relationship gets worse and worse because of Farmer Lodges obsession, she tries to regain her beauty by any means necessary. This is also brought about by societys reaction. Since Gertrude is in the higher classes, she is held in better respect than, say, Rhoda. Therefore, society expects a pretty, intelligent lady. When she gets the skin discolouration, society doesnt have the pretty lady anymore. Gertrude becomes more desperate and finally, on Conjuror Trendles advice, she goes to try one last cure: placing her discoloured and disfigured arm on the neck of a hangman just when he has been cut down. Rhoda appears when Gertrude is conducting the cure and then throws her against the wall. In a way, it is Rhodas fault also that Gertrude died. Rhoda had plenty of reasons to be angry with Gertrude. Gertrude came along and married Farmer Lodge, taking Rhodas place as it were. She caused Rhoda to have the vision in which Rhoda grabbed her and threw her to the ground and, to top it all off, Rhoda now finds her with her disfigured arm on her dead son. It pushed her over the limit and caused her to react with violence. The tragic event at the end of The Melancholy Hussar, is the shooting of Matthi us Tina and his friend Christoph Bless. The actions of Phyllis and her personality explain why they were shot, but society can explain Phyllis personality. Phyllis Grove is extremely isolated and secluded living with her father in a half farm, half manor-house. The mention of a manor house suggests that she is wealthy and a member of the higher classes of society. Society enforces the characteristic that all high-class ladies should have a husband. She was being owned by her father, as it was with all daughters and fathers. She had not yet got married because she does not want to become a possession of another. However, she ends up falling for and getting engaged to marry Humphrey Gould, which was not socially common considering that he was of lower class than her. He had to leave town for a while to tend to his sick father because there were no other relations nearer. He promised he would return to Phyllis in a few weeks. However, these few weeks pass, followed by the next season but he didnt return. Phyllis was not very inquisitive when the German Hussars camped near to the town, because she became very shy living in seclusion in the manor house: became so shy if she met a stranger she felt ashamed at his gaze, walked awkwardly, and blushed to her shoulders. She came to know a German Hussar called Matthi us Tina because he frequently walked past a wall on which Phyllis usually sat. Since Humphrey Gould was not back yet, her character allowed her to get to know Matthi us. The community started to gossip about rumours that Humphrey Gould may be having an affair: he was not sure, indeed, that he might not cast his eyes elsewhere. Phyllis believes the hearsay and she and Matthi us along with Christoph and two other men try to take a boat from the harbour, in order to row to France then travel to Germany. Matthi us and Phyllis were going to live together and leave Humphrey behind. Though, at the last minute, Humphrey Gould returns. She hears him talking and she discovers that he has been living in truth the whole time. She reproaches herself for believing the hearsay. The failed escape attempt got Matthi us and Christoph captured. They were tried for court-marshal and then shot as deserters. If Phyllis had stayed and gone with Matthi us then he may not have been caught. The pressure on her from society to do the right thing cost Matthi us, Christoph and the two companions their lives. The tragic event at the end of The Yellow Wallpaper is the main female becoming insane and completely losing her mind. Society is primarily to blame for this, but also so is her husband John. The main character is apparently ill, according to her husband John who is a physician. She takes tablets and steroids but nothing is working very well. They rent out an old house to live in for 3 months whilst the old one is refurbished. The main character is forced to live in a room for these 3 months with horrible yellow wallpaper. She is a member of the high class in society. This is attainable due to the amount of technical terms, for example, that she using whilst describing the wallpaper: debased Romanesque delirium tremens isolated columns of fatuity. She never leaves the room for most of the three months and is forbidden to do practically everything by John. This is basically what is called the Rest Cure which was developed by Silas Weir Mitchell, an American physician who became famous for his work on nervous disorders. Patients of the Rest Cure were usually condemned to bed for six weeks to two months. They are not allowed to sit up, sew, read, or write. They are only allowed to clean their teeth, and sometimes they were not allowed to turn over by themselves. Silas did this because he found no motion desirable. In these cases, the patient is lifted out of bed in the evening onto a couch and given a sponge bath. The main character in The Yellow Wallpaper was allowed to get out of bed and walk around a bit, but was told not to read or write by John her husband. Still, she wrote down what is read in the story and keeps it hidden from him. In all cases of weakness, a nurse fed the patient. In many cases, Silas allowed the patient to get out of bed to go and use the toilet. After about a fortnight, Silas would allow the patient to read one to three hours a day, and frequently nervous and anaemic women jumped (not literally! ) at the chance. He says in a written account of himself: The moral uses of enforced rest are readily estimated. From a restless life of irregular hours, and probably endless drugging, from hurtful sympathy and over-zealous care, the patient passes to an atmosphere of quiet, to order and control, to the system and care of a thorough nurse, to an absence of drugs, and to simple diet. The result is always at first, whatever it may be afterwards, a sense of relief, and a remarkable and often a quite abrupt disappearance of many of the nervous symptoms with which we are all of us only too sadly familiar. The Rest Cure and the way that John her husband has acted to her illness are examples of how men have authority over women. The main female becomes more and more interested with the yellow wallpaper, slowly discovering new things about it. Her mental condition continues to worsen and she starts to think that she can see people behind the wallpaper, a woman, trying to get out. This woman could be a representation of the main character in society. Trapped, and unable to break free of all the laws and regulations. Eventually, she becomes nearly completely insane due to her being trapped in he room for three months, having to constantly look at the yellow wallpaper. She starts tearing bits off, trying to free the women behind, but also to get rid of it because it was driving her insane. At the end of the story, the main character loses her mind and speaks as though she was the women she had seen behind the wallpaper, and she had finally got out and couldnt be put back: Ive got out at last Ive pulled off most of the paper, so you cant put me back!

Carbon Nanotubes for Drug Delivery Review

Carbon Nanotubes for Drug Delivery Review Using the functionalized carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials to deliver the antimicrobial drugs, is one of the most applications of carbon nanotubes. Several studies were conducted about this topic. Amphotericin B (AMB) is one of the first antimicrobials to be delivered with CNTs. Wei Wu et al. studied the Targeted Delivery of Amphotericin B to Cells by using Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes, they used oxidized MWCNTs that were functionalized with AMB and FITC. They found that at equivalent AMB concentration of 10  µg/mL, this CNT conjugate was found to be significantly less cytotoxic to Human Jurkat lymphoma T cells as compared to pristine AMB. This CNT-AMB construct was able to penetrate cells rapidly within 1 h of incubation by spontaneous piercing mechanism without causing cell death. Finally, They evaluated the antifungal activity of CNTs,functionalized with AmB, against three species of fungi(Candida parapsilosis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans). In this experiment, they used AmB that was covalently linked to ammonium functionalized multi- and single-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT-AmB and SWNT-AmB). The functionlized forms was found to be more potent than free A MB possibly due to enhanced drug solubility and the presence of multiple copies of AMB per CNT molecule (i.e. the multivalence effect) leading to improved binding affinity between the drug and its target.177 In another separate paper by the same group, a similar MWCNTs AMB construct and a newly designed SWCNTs-AMB conjugate with PEG linker were prepared with AMB loading of 25% and 10% w/w, respectively. These conjugates were tested for their antifungal activities in comparison to pristine AMB and a conventional colloidal dispersion AMB deoxycholate formulation. Both MWCNTs-AMB construct and SWCNTs-AMB conjugate were considerably more than AMB alone. Some fugal strains which were resistant to free AMB showed a significant response to the MWCNT-based AMB conjugate.178 In another study performed by Pruthi et al., AMB was physically adsorbed on mannosylated MWCNTs inorder to treat leishmaniasis by achieving specific delivery of the drug to macrophages. the mannosylated MWCNTs had high affinity to bind lectins and were able to be uptaken by macrophages in sufficient amount. but the result of this study is unfortunately insufficient to support macrophage-targeting because a control experiment with non-mannosylated MWCNTs was not performed. Although AMB was adsorbed onto the mannosylated MWCNTs and demonstrated a sustained in vitro release profile, the use of Rh B-loaded mannosylated MWCNTs for intracellular fluorescence imaging of macrophages is inconclusive because Rh B could be detached from the MWCNTs before it enters macrophages, which means that the observed fluorescence is due to free Rh B not the MWCNTs-loaded with Rh B.179 Apart from AMB, dapsone is another example of antimicrobial that has been  successfully delivered with CNTs. It is an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drug that can be used to treat many diseases such as malaria, leprosy, AIDS-associated toxoplasmosis and other diseases.180 Some bacterial species developed resistance to dapsone so experiments was started to deliver dapsone with CNTs and fortunately it was delivered successfully. Dap-MWCNTs was formed by functionalizing dapsone onto oxidized MWCNTs. Dap-MWCNTs were first tested on rat peritoneal macrophages it was rapidly ingested with predominant endosomal localization without significant cytotoxicity. Dap-MWCNTs showed many advantages as it induced less apoptosis than oxidized MWCNTs and had a lower degree of oxidative stress. On the other hand, apoptosis of macrophages is important for clearance of intracellular pathogen, so the delayed apoptosis seen by Dap-MWCNTs may be counterintuitive in the treatment of infection.181 In anoter study, Pazufloxacin mesylate, an antibiotic belonging to the class of fluoroquinolones, was adsorbed onto MWCNTs functionalized with ethylenediamine. In vitro release suggested that the adsorption of pazufloxacin consists of two phases, the first one is a rapid burst release followed by a second phase of sustained release. The total amount of released pazufloxacin from the amino-functionalized CNTs was higher at pH 5.7 than pH 7.0, due to increase hydrophilicity in acidic condition. This could be advantageous in the treatment of infections, due to the acidic environment of the infected cells.182 In another hand, gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, was incorporated into collagen hydrogel doped with 1% w/w CNTs which served as an additive to enhance the physical stability of the hydrogel and retard the release of gentamicin. The retarded release effect had took a place in the formation of irregular CNT network in the hydrogel which impeded solvent diffusion. However, The presence of CNTs can induce a simple chemical attraction between CNTs and gentamicin, and hence improve the drug loading which could affect the drug release rate.183 In addition, chloroquine is an anti-malarial drug that also possesses lysomotropic effect. Due to their ability to cause swelling and rupture of endocytic vesicles, lyosomotropic compounds have been proposed to be used as an additive to enhance gene transfection by enabling timely escape and minimizing degradation of delivered genetic material in lysosomes. For further enhancement of gene delivery with CNTs, chloroquine was loaded onto DWCNTs coated with cationic polymer PEI and plasmid encoding for luciferase. Chloroquine can be released from the CNTs in acidic condition.Coating chloroquine with cationic polymer and plasmid can strongly affect chloroquine loading. Transfection efficiency can be improved up to five folds by introduction of chloroquine compared to a non-chloroquine loaded control. Unfortunately this construct has limited uses as a biocompatible transfecting agent because it was found to have more cytotoxic effects to cells than the non-chloroquine loaded control and f ree chloroquine. In the future, this construct might prove to be effective as a treatment of intracellular malaria infection and the excellent intracellular delivery of chloroquine can explain the higher observed cytotoxicity.184 In another study, Annamalai Senthil Kumar et al. used an electrochemical route for highly selective immobilization of amoxicillin (AMX) on multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE/[emailprotected]), without any linkers and surface functionalization. In order to reveal the immobilization of AMX both on the inner and outer (surface) walls of the carbon nanotubes. They usedX-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Finally, they tested its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis in comparison with the unmodified AMX and MWNT using disk diffusion method. They found that [emailprotected] has enhanced antibacterial activity against the three bacterial pathogens185 Liangliang Ji et al. studied the adsorption of two sulfonamide to MWCNTs. Nonporous, pure graphite was used as a comparative adsorbent The results revealed thatthe two sulfonamides have a strong adsorption to both MWNT and graphite which can be explained by( Ï€-Ï€ electron coupling)186 In another study, Xin Zhang et al, studied the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole on different carbon nanotube typesand compared the results with the adsorption to natural sorbents including soils, sediments and sludges. Many properties of carbon nanotubes contributed to the adsorption process such as surface area, diameters and surface functional groups. They showed that the adsorption coefficients of SMX on CNTs were generally twicehigher in magnitude than other natural sorbents..187 Also, Liangliang Ji et al. studied the effect of aqueous solution chemical characteristics on the tetracycline adsorption onSWNT and MWNTsuch as the effect of ionic strength (NaCl and CaCl2), the results showed that th ere is an inverse relationship between the ionic strength and the tetracycline adsorption on both SWNT and MWNT. They also studied the effect of Cu2†+ion (7.5 mg/L) that showeda higher tetracycline adsorption rate to both SWNT and MWNT due to cation bridging mechanism. They finally studied the effect of dissolved soil coal humic acids (50 mg/L) , and the results revealed that these acids have a minimal effect on SWNT while on graphite and MWNT it has a suppression effect on tetracycline adsorption.188 According to ciprofloxacin, S.A.C. Carabineiro et al. studied the adsorption capacity of ciprofloxacin on three types of carbon based materials: activated carbon, carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon xerogel that were functionalized through oxidation with nitric acid then they were heat treated at different temperatures (between 350 and 900  °C) under a flow of N2. They demonstrated that the adsorption capacity affected inversely when the samples were treated with nitric acid. While thermal treatments, especially at 900 °C after oxidation, enhance adsorption performance.189 In another study, S. Ashok Kumar and Sea-Fue Wang studied the stabilizing of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by aqueous solution of ciprofloxacin. It was found that MWCNTs can be stabilized by ciprofloxacinand the dispersions were stable for more than a month.190 Recently, Haibo Li et al. studied the effect of PH and temperature on the adsorption of ciprofloxacin on different functionalized CNTs like: carboxyliz ed (MC), hydroxylized (MH), single-walled CNTs (SW)and graphitized multi-walled CNTs (MG).They found thatSW had the highest absorption rate for ciprofloxacin among all CNTs due to its largest surface area and they found that this is true for all PHs .Also, ciprofloxacinsorption was thermodynamically favorable For SW, while the reverse process was observed for MC and MG. For MH, ciprofloxacin sorption firstly increased then decreased with increasing temperature.191 Apart from using carbon nanotubes to deliver antimicrobial drugs, other nanmaterials were used form the same purpose. For example, Renjis T. Tom et al. prepared Ciprofloxacin-Protected Gold Nanoparticles of two different mean diameters, 4 and 20 nm. they used different analytical techniques to study the adsorption of ciprofloxacin molecule on gold nanoparticle surface. The voltammetric and spectroscopic studies confirmed that nitrogen atom of the NH moiety of piperazine group can bind strongly to Au nanoparticles. These particles are stable in dry state and at room temperature. This study showed that the release of molecule from the particles depends on the size of particles and is more in the basic medium than in pure water. These particles were found to have many application because their fluorescent nature. Finally, This study shows that metal nanoparticles could be useful carriers for ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolone molecules.192 Regarding to liposome, many other examples have also been developed for various applications. For ciprofloxacin, M Magallanes et al. were prepared Liposomes that incorporated ciprofloxacin by dehydration-rehydration procedure to treat Salmonella Dublin in mice sp leens. Their results revealed that a single injection of liposome-incorporated ciprofloxacin (LIC) was 10 times more effective than a single injection of free drug at preventing mortality.193 Another example conducted by MURRAY S. WEBB et al. who encapsulated ciprofloxacin into large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) and studied their antibacterial efficacy in vivo against Salmonella typhimurium in mice infected with intracellular S. typhimurium. They noticed that the LUV composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine-cholesterol (DPPC/chol), distearoylphosphatidylcholine-cholesterol (DSPC/chol), or sphingomyelin-cholesterol (SM/chol) increased the circulation lifetime of ciprofloxacin after intravenous (i.v.) administration by >15-fold. In another hand, the retention of ciprofloxacin in liposomes in the circulation decreased in the sequence SM/chol > DSPC/chol > DPPC/chol. It was noticed that after the adminsrtation of Liposomal ciprofloxacin,intravenously and intraperitoneally to mice, they conferred significant increases in the longevity of the drug in the plasma after intraperitoneal administration and in the lungs after intratracheal administration in comparison to free ciprofloxacin and the concentration of drug in the liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys is also increased. Also, they concludedthat it extended survival and reduced the number of bacteria in the liver and spleen after studying The efficacy of a single i.v. administration of an SM/chol formulation of ciprofloxacin in a Salmonella typhimurium infection mode l. The encapsulated formulation resulted in 103 to 104 fold fewer viable bacteria in the livers and spleens of infected mice than was observed for animals treated with free ciprofloxacin. These results confirmed that the utility of liposomal encapsulation of ciprofloxacin improved the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and antibacterial efficacy of the antibiotic.194 In another study, when negatively charged liposomes are used, ciprofloxacin efficiently inhibits the growth of M. avium in vitro in a murine macrophage-like cell line and this results also were observed in vivo by using specific stealth liposomes in a mouse model of tuberculosis infection.195 Regarding to Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs), a study conducted by D. Jain and R. Banerjee to develop single dose delivery systems based on nanotechnology for prolonged antibiotic release in a controlled manner. In this study they prepared ciprofloxacin hydrochloride-loaded nanoparticles using four different natural carrier materials: albumin, gelatin, chitosan (CS), and lipid [solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs)] . They compared them on the basis of particle size, electro-kinetic stability, entrapment efficiency, and drug release. Their Results suggested that CS nanoparticles and SLNs were found to be promising formulations for sustained ciprofloxacin release especially for local delivery in ocular and skin infections.196 Finally, concerning to polymeric nanoparticles as nanoantibiotics to deliver ciprofloxacin, several studies were carried out. Fawaz et al. encapsulated the synthetic drug ciprofloxacin in polyisobutylcyanoacrylate (PIBCA) nanoparticles. Thay studied their pharmacokinetic after intravenous infusion to the rabbit. The results revealed that ciprofloxacin-loaded PIBCA/NP led to increased AUC, t1/2 and Vd, and to a decreased Cl as compared with free form of drug. In addition, they tested these nanoparticles against a M. avium infection in a human macrophage culture, it was found that ciprofloxacin-loaded PIBCA/NP was more effective than unbound ciprofloxacin. In spite of this, the efficacy of ciprofloxacin associated with nanoparticles was much lower than anticipated due to the cytotoxicity of the polymeric material that was observed at concentrations higher than 80 mg of PIBCA per ml.197 another study carried out by Dillen et al. to prepare Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles incorp orating ciprofloxacin HCl by using W/O/W emulsification solvent evaporation method. They used poly(vinylalcohol) as a stabilizer. They studied of different preparation factors on the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles. Thee microbiological activity on two types of microorganisms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, was tested. the activity against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus of the nanoparticles and aqueous solution was comparable.198 While Rosemary et al. investigated the antibacterial activity of ciprofloxacin-encapsulated silica nanoshells that were synthesized from [emailprotected] core-shell nanoparticles. In the case of Escherichia coli DH5R better antibacterial activity was showed in comparison with free ciprofloxacin, but the same activity was observed for Lactococcus lactis MG 1363. Also, nanoparticles were shown to enter the bacterial cell to exert their antibacterial effect by fluorescence imaging studies that conducted using fluorescein [emailprote cted]199 Last study carried out by Abeylath et al. where they synthesized glycosylated polyacrylate nanoparticles that had covalently-bounded three antibiotics (N-sec-butylthio b-lactam, ciprofloxacin, and a penicillin ) within their framework. The results of the microbiological test showed that the N-sec-butylthio b-lactam and ciprofloxacin nanoparticles both had powerful in vitro activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis, while the penicillin-bound nanoparticles had no antimicrobial activity

Ship Planning and Hazardous Cargo

Ship Planning and Hazardous Cargo ABSTRACT This project aims to provide an insight of the container shipping industry, in particular the â€Å"mega-vessel†. â€Å"Mega-vessel† here is referred to as large carrying container vessel which is commonly referred also to as a VLCC (Very Large Container Carrier) or ULCC (Ultra Large Container Carrier). By doing research on the factors or/and constraints that limit the size of container vessels will give a better understanding of how the container industry has been evolving till present. We will look into seven areas which can affect the decision of constructing large container vessels. Factors or/and constraints that limit the size of container vessels are important points to look into when deciding whether or not to proceed with a decision of building larger vessels for the purpose of optimizing vessel space and achieving economy of scale. INTRODUCTION Container shipping industry has been expanding in terms of vessel size since it first came to existence in the 1950s and is expected to continue to grow gradually. In the 1960s, the so-called largest container vessel had a container capacity of 1,000 TEU then increased to 2,000 TEU for the following 10 years and so on. From then on, it has reached to the present biggest container vessel, Emma Maersk with capacity of 11,000 TEU. Now an entire industry has come into sight and therefore container terminals have become a crucial link to the chain of intermodalism. Malaccamax is referred to vessel of 21m draft permissible to pass through Malacca Strait – a major shipping route between Europe and Asia. Adding the 10% underkeel clearance, the minimum channel depth of at least 23.1m is required in port and alongside the berth. She would have a capacity of 18,000 TEU, a length of 470m and a beam of 60m. Even so, with Suez Canal planning to increase the cross-section breadth and depth over the coming years, Malaccamax will be able pass the Suez Canal in future as its current narrowest width is at 60m. With the trend towards building larger container vessels make ports even more incapable to accommodate them. Terminal advancement and dredging are some of the options for existing harbours to decide and some ports already have plans to deepen or widen its channel or berth depth. To some, this may not be feasible to construct larger vessel as not only it is a challenge to design it in a way it is safe to navigate but also gives more room for casualties like grounding and navigational error. FACTORS AND CONSTRAINTS THAT LIMIT THE SIZE OF CONTAINER VESSELS A container terminal is a facility that handles ocean-going vessels along the coastline to manage movement of cargo (container) in and out of a country. A typical container terminal consists of berths, yards, quay cranes, storage area, equipments to handle containers, gatehouse that controls the flow of containers in and out of the yard and administration building. In this section, we will look into the factors and constraints that limit the size of container vessel. Port Infrastructure – Terminal Water depth The water depth of a berth has to be deep enough to accommodate Malaccamax which is said to have a draft of 21m. Ports with shallow draft will face a problem when Malaccamax calls in the port. They may have to deepen its draft through dredging or expanding the land used for storing of containers as part of the port development. Quay length The quay length is defined by the expected size of vessel to call at the terminal. Since this research is about Malaccamax, she would have a length of 470m, thus the berth needs to have a length capacity sufficient to take in Malaccamax for loading and discharging of containers. Beam width Beam width is to be taken into consideration as part of the port development to accommodate future vessels. The entrance channel should be wide enough for her to pass through. Quay cranes are to be replaced with highly durable and that the outreach of the cranes can be extended and reach the very last row of the ship. Lifting capacity is also an important point for handling of hatch cover pontoons. Storage space To expand the landside container storage yard should be done if future large vessel like Malaccamax is to be constructed. Especially now with the no. of containers handled will be increased, most likely the port would need an extension of storage space as well as CFS (container freight station) for stuffing and stripping of containers. Another constraint that the yard can have is the dwell time – the time cargo (container) remains in a terminals in-transit storage area while awaiting shipment by clearance transportation. The longer the dwell time, the lesser containers can be handled at any one time. By expanding the storage area, will reduce the time taken to handle containers which are waiting to be transferred out. Ship’s design and cargo handling Ship structure The ship’s structure has to be able to carry more containers in cargo holds as well as on deck. It should also allow a better field of vision from the bridge to navigate the ship. The bow has to be strong enough to withstand the bow impact during the journey. It should be built with concrete frames, in a way to reduce torsional stresses and internal and external forces. Engine In today’s ship, it is equipped with one propeller, with the largest diesel engine manufactured (12 cylinders), maximum boring (980 or 960 mm), the power available is approximately 93.000 BHP (68500 kw), which gives a maximum speed of approximately 24-25 knots, which is required by industry. Now with the expansion of container ship size, one propeller is not enough to withstand the large vessel. The diesel engine should also be increased to maybe about 14-16 cylinders so that the maximum speed of the vessel can remain the same or even increase to higher knots. All designs beyond the 9,500–10,000 TEU limit require alternative propulsion, either twin screw or some kind of combination with pods or contra-rotating propellers. Using double propulsion can be another option for larger vessel like what the small draft tankers used. Capital costs, fuel costs and daily operating costs all will go up with a twin screw ship, however the advantage of using the double propulsion is that if one of the engines breaks down, the ship can still be controlled by another engine. This increases the investment and hence offsets the economy of scale incentive for bigger size. If it happens, there will most probably have to be a jump in size to compensate for the increased capital cost. To meet the SOLAS requirements for bridge visibility on such a large ship, the design envisages the separation of deckhouse and engine room. The innovative arrangement of the deckhouse in the forward part of the ship permits an increase in container capacity and a reduction in ballast water. Container lashing Lashings are essential and every container vessel will carry lashing equipments like lashing bar, turnbuckles and twistlocks used to secure containers onboard, especially in the present situation where containers are stacked as high as nine high. Even so with the securing of containers, sometimes accident happens and containers collapsed like dominos. To reduce the risk of further accidents, some ways can be adopted like considering temporary reduction in container stack heights, revised weather routeing and replacement of lashing equipment. Sometimes, lashing bars can also break. Probably the reason behind it is that heavy container is stacked onto lighter ones. This is where the job of a ship planner comes into picture. The ship planner has to plan loading of containers in a way it is safe from the loading point till it reach the discharging point. With Malaccamax coming along, lashing of containers becomes more vital and needs to be carried out in a safe manner. It has to be regularly checked and assessed and if needed, to tighten the lashing bars. Crew Crew plays an important role in ensuring that the ship is properly manned. Without crew, ships cannot sail. With regards to Malaccamax, qualification and competency of a crew is a challenge. Of course with this, they would require the best crew onboard. Simulators also need to be further advanced for bigger ships. Most vessels employ 13 crews on board, however in the case of Malaccamax, it has to be increased to do the daily routine. 13 crews onboard can’t possibly handle such a large vessel. Cargo (reefer) Usual accidents that we also hear from container vessels are loss of containers, collision, fire and some cargo claims especially with regards to reefer containers. In this case, reefer containers pose a kind of problem because it has to have power points for the reefers to operate. Power points are to be situated at one side so reefers will be placed together at a single point. Crew has to also check the temperature needed depending on its content. That is one of the reasons why reefers cannot be loaded in cargo hold. Technical constraint Cargo handling equipment (quay crane, mobile crane, gantry cranes, etc) The life span of a crane is 40 years but the useful life will not be more that 25 or 30 years. Improved and automated handling equipment is required for the ships’ turnaround time to be reduced. Port can also improve on the yard productivity to overcome the situation. Road and rail intermodal connection It is important to improve the situation in port. Currently, we are facing the common constraint in yard which is congestion. By expediting on the technology, we can utilise the container space even more by higher stacking of containers. Gatehouse can also be replaced with automated gantry that allows trucks to move in and out of the yard with less difficulty. The terminal operator can install some kind of a system that can see through the trucks for security purpose. That will reduce the employment of staff for the job and also reduce the waiting time for trucks to get in and out of the yard. Some countries have rail system where it will transport containers from one place to another place using railways. Now with more containers coming in the port, the system has to be amended for an example to use double stack or triple stack high on rail. With this kind of system, it can carry at least twice the normal no. of containers being transported by rail. Turnaround time It is obvious that the ship’s turnaround time would be slower for large vessels like Malaccamax. Therefore it is the ports’ trading speed that will attract ship owners to acquire any services needed. Ports should stay competitive especially when handling large vessels like Malaccamax since not many ports have the capability to deal with it. Container handling equipments will have an impact on the turnaround time. To reduce it, maintenance of the equipments needs to be in a regular basis so that the efficiency is maintained at a high level. To use additional cranes or faster hoist speeds and trolleys can minimise the constraint in port. IT The crippling of the port need not be through the destruction of physical assets—it can also occur through the disruption of the information systems controlling port flow. Only a sophisticated information network management system can allow the port to manage the volumes and complexity of handling different cargoes all at once. As the hub ports grow bigger, even more information needs to be processed and disseminated. This makes the hub ports—and the entire maritime shipping structure—even more vulnerable to disruption of the information network itself. Operational cost When we talk about Malaccamax, being the future largest container vessel to be constructed, surely all sorts of costs will increase especially the bunker cost. With twin engine usage and heavy deadweight will consume more bunkers. With the maintenance of ships’ engine, other equipments and all as part of the operational cost, it would definitely increase as compared to smaller vessel of say 8000 TEU. Speed of a ship is of critical importance as ship will enjoy economy of scale when she is at sea. When in port, capital cost will start building up. CONCLUSION The growth of vessel size and the development of hub ports are the result of the search for efficiencies and profit by private businesses competing in a fierce shipping market. The growth in demand for container ships is required to provide employment for the rapidly expanding container ship fleet. When talking about business, of course risks are involved and when times are bad, the container ship industry will be greatly affected especially with the economic downturn crisis at present. Although the container ship is a type of reliable ship, the rapid development of new bigger designs and the increasing value of the cargo call for a more proactive approach in order to deal effectively with the hazards currently associated with container ships. The industry as a whole must focus on these issues and find suitable solutions. REFERENCES A.Jordan, Micheal, Future: Proof your crane, viewed on 15th June 2009 http://www.jwdliftech.com/LiftechPublications/mj_futureproofcrane.pdf All Business, Containerships: Making it to the Malaccamax?, viewed on 23rd June 2009 http://www.allbusiness.com/transportation-equipment-manufacturing/ship-boat-building/1189984-1.html Association Francaise Des Capitaines De Navires, The safety of the container ships; An increasing concern, viewed on 15th June 2009 http://www.afcan.org/dossiers_techniques/porte_conteneur_gb.html Blankey, Nick, Containerships: Making it to the Malaccamax?, viewed on 23rd June 2009 http://www.allbusiness.com/transportation-equipment-manufacturing/ship-boat-building/1189984-1.html C.Ircha, Micheal, Serving tomorrow’s mega size container vessels, viewed on 15th June 2009 http://www.unb.ca/transpo/documents/Servingtomorrowsmegasizecontainerships..01.pdf Compton, Mike, Seaways magazine: Container safety, Dec 2008 p19 DNV, Container ship safety: An area for increasing concern?, viewed on 15th June 2009 http://www.dnv.com/industry/maritime/publicationsanddownloads/publications/dnvcontainershipupdate/2004/no32004/ContainershipsafetyAnareaforincreasingconcern.asp Global Security.org, Container Ship Types, viewed on 15th June 2009 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/container-types.htm Looklex Encyclopedia, Suez Canal, viewed on 24th June 2009 http://looklex.com/e.o/suez_can.htm Maersk, Emma Maersk, viewed on 24th June 2009 http://about.maersk.com/en/Fleet/Pages/Fleet.aspx Tozer, David and Penfold, Andrew; Ultra Large Container Ships; designing to the limit of current and projected terminal infrastructure capabilities; viewed on 23th June 2009 http://www.antiport.de/doku/gutachten/ulcs.pdf The Scottish Government, Container Transhipment and Demand for Container Terminal Capacity in Scotland, viewed on 15th June 2009 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/09/19885/42551 Y.Coulter, Daniel, Globalization of Maritime Commerce: The Rise of Hub Ports, viewed on 15th June 2009 http://www.ndu.edu/inss/books/Books_2002/Globalization_and_Maritime_Power_Dec_02/08_ch07.htm

Women Athletes of the 1920s Essay -- Sports, Upper-Class Women

The 1920s was a time for many new opportunities for women in America, including participating in sports and becoming athletes. Prior to the Roaring Twenties, only upper-class women had participated in sports. These wealthy women had joined sports clubs, social clubs, and country clubs. They engaged in sports at institutions, as well as playing sports while vacationing in Europe (Women’s Sports Foundation, 2/21/2011). An example of a woman like this would be Jordan Baker, a character from the novel The Great Gatsby. Jordan is a competitive golfer in the novel. Baker comes from the wealthy, upper-class, and is ‘old money’. Consumerism of the 1920s caused the amount of clubs and sports teams for women to multiply. This materialistic attitude of Americans caused the economy to boom, thus providing more money for leisure activities. Institutions, churches, and saloons sponsored sports teams for women, and provided facilities. Declining prices of sporting goods and increasing popularity of sports as entertainment encouraged the formation of leagues. Both amateur and semi-pro leagues were organized, providing opportunities for middle-class athletes (Women’s Sports Foundation, 2/21/2011) Industries and companies supported sports teams for women. They did this to promote personal health and worker efficiency. These teams brought advertising opportunities for the companies who supported them. This offered competitive opportunities for women and occasional income for the athletes (Women’s Sports Foundation, 2/21/2011). To satisfy the competitive urge of their students, physical educators held â€Å"Play Days† and â€Å"Sport Days† for their female students. In a play day, teams from institutions did not play each other, but were comb... ...se at the end of the race† (Smith, 1998, p. 8). Eyewitnesses proclaimed that women were in no more distress than men when they finished the race. The majority of the International Olympic Committee believed that track and field was too hard for women, and proposed other events, that included activities such as singing and dancing. The 1920s was the just the beginning of women in sports. The booming post-war economy and the sports heroines increased the popularity of women athletes. The idea of a woman was changing, from being dainty and delicate to athletic, healthy and strong. There has been a growth in opportunities for women in sports, and the media brought this competition to everyone’s attention around the world. The accomplishments of the women athletes of the 1920s were the beginning of the journey to becoming equal to men in the world of sports.

Influence and Creativity Essay -- Individuality Culture Media Essays

Influence and Creativity I have a habit of noticing redundancies in other people. Their personalities and their thoughts just seem so similar: daughters trying to be like mothers, or sons trying to be like fathers, or friends trying to be like each other. In my mind the sense of "self" that we as human beings have is more of a delusion than a reality, where we are nothing but the products of a multitude of influences throughout our lives. Did I ever have an original thought in my life? Or is it always someone else's idea that I am only repeating? What does it mean to be a human being without original thought and creativity? I talk like my friends do. I learned body language from my parents, stories from movies and books, perspectives on life from parents or philosophers or friends or teachers. Despite the myriad of thoughts that make up my personality, I feel as if I only absorbed my surroundings with no real personal creation. My parents keep asking me: "Who have you been hanging out with? Why do you a ct like this?" as if they already know that the comments I make, or the movies I enjoy or any of my other sudden preferences and mannerisms are not my own. When we are young, the adults tell us that "everyone is `special,' but how could I believe in this idea of personal creativity and uniqueness when there are so many influences that I copy in my life? Of course, the term "creativity" is almost inherently ambiguous. What do I hope to achieve, or more specifically, what do I feel that I lack because of this supposed lack of personal creativity? When I think of creative minds, I imagine Pablo Picasso or Thomas Edison and the contributions they have made to society or the impact on our emotions. But fame or critical acclaim a... ...y mine. I don't see creativity as being some sort of individual contest that must be won as an indication of my uniqueness and verification of my or anyone's human value. And although I don't think I fully understand the greater picture regarding the role of influence of creativity in my life and society, maybe the answer is not nearly as complex as it seems. Maybe creativity is a societal, collective process in which everyone has a role. I like to think that the point of creativity and the creative process is not to individually labor over the seminal work of the century, or to painstakingly differentiate one's self from others. Creativity should be about the pure enjoyment of having been involved, influencing others and being influenced, combining ideas and preserving those that speak to us, discovering and appreciating all that which is greater than ourselves.

Assessment of Mathematical Understanding Especially as it Relates to CMP :: Education Educational Papers

Assessment of Mathematical Understanding Especially as it Relates to CMP Introduction Assessment has become a very â€Å"hot† topic in education circles lately. Or at least, it is talked about more often and with more passion. Teachers are being judged on their students’ performance, based on assessment scores. It is the assessment by which we are judged. The reauthorization of ESEA and the ‘No Child Left Behind’ act shows the public’s (or is it the politician’s?) faith in standardized tests as a school improvement instrument. But I also know that the once-a-year test can not provide continuous information about student achievement. The traditional assessments of computation exercises, short answer questions, and word problems will not suffice any more. Typically, standardized tests measure factual knowledge, not conceptual understanding. I believe that conceptual understanding is not only what students know, but what they can do with what they know. Assessments are varied from teacher to teacher, district to district, and state to state. I did an informal survey with some of my colleagues, asking them their reasons for assessing students, and the results varied greatly. I am interested in assessment and alternative assessments in order to help further my students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. I strongly believe that the purpose of assessment to inform my instruction, which in turn will further my students understanding. Background According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards 2000 Assessment Principle, â€Å"assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students.† Assessment should be designed to â€Å"maximize student learning† and â€Å"support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students.† The National Education Association suggests that assessment is a â€Å"continuous flow of evidence that can only be provided by classroom assessment.† (NEA, 2003) Balanced assessments can actually promote student learning and achievement. â€Å"To maximize student success, assessment must be seen as an instructional tool for use while learning is occurring, and as an accountability tool to determine if learning has occurred.† (NEA, 2003) The 1995 NCTM Standards acknowledged that assessment should: 1. Reflect the mathematics that students show they know and what they are able to do. 2. Enhance mathematics learning. 3. Promote equity. 4. Be an open process. 5. Promote valid inference. 6. Be a coherent process. The Assessment Model from NCTM (2000) includes four phases of the assessment process includes planning, gathering, interpreting, and using data. The table below shows how each phase influences the next.