John Cooper and Human Resources Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

John Cooper and Human Resources - Case Study Example The study presents John Cooper as a person who has over the past five years and looking at Standard Holdings, the early phases of business improvement and own value arm of Standard Group. This was a bit challenging because the work was one he took quickly after Business College and became the Business Analyst, which was further challenging. In fact, the idea of having met or being offered the opportunity to work with Alan Kirkpatrick was one of the best experiences to Cooper. Kirkpatrick was experienced and regarded business person and founder of the standard. According to the research Cooper increased certainty to use their potential ultimately, and after that, he was welcomed to partake in numerous experiences and created a good relationship with every principal partner at Standard. Cooper really wanted to feel that he was prepared for the senior administration much sooner than anticipated. In the wake of accepting an intriguing telephone call, Cooper thought about how to accomplish one’s vocation objectives, and he began thinking about different choices accessible to him within the standard. He was able to cooperate with those who he found there was able to learn numerous things, which later made him succeed.  This is an inspirational story of a person determined to succeed; however, he is faced with numerous challenges. One of the recommendations is that, when one is confronted with various challenges in a new working environment, it is usually significant to have focus.  Ã‚  

The Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal - Essay Example The author made references to similar instances which apparently happened and documented through the experiment conducted by Philip G. Zimbardo, a psychology professor at Stanford University. Likewise, the reasons for the change in behavior were likewise supported through another set of experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram, which were discussed extensively in the article entitled â€Å"Perils of Obedience† published in Harper’s in 1973. Using these resources, the current discourse hereby asserts that the behavior of the American guards could be explained from the findings of experiments espoused by Zimbardo and Milgram. Analysis of the Situation To enable one to effectively respond to the question, there is a need to establish an examination of the situation that led these American soldiers to act viciously. As noted by Szegedy-Maszak (2004), â€Å"while many theories have been advanced about the forces that tragically came together at Abu Ghraib--inadequate traini ng, overzealous intelligence gathering, failure of leadership--none can adequately account for the hardening of heart necessary for such sadism† (p. 174). The article written by Jehl and Schmitt (2004) and published in The New York Times provided a more vivid scenario that presented conditions that set the stage for the apparent sadistic behavior. According to the authors, the members of the military police battalion who were sent to Iraq to serve as prison guards were untrained, unprepared, and completely inexperienced in this particular endeavor. Likewise, the Abu Ghraib prison was described as to detain as much as 7,000 prisoners, from an initial capacity of 2,000; which contributed to increasingly chaotic conditions, difficulties in overseeing, and effecively controlling security conditions. It was revealed that â€Å"in Abu Ghraib the soldiers suddenly found themselves under attack virtually every night from insurgents outside the prison† (Jehl & Schmitt: A trouble d unit, 2004, par. 19). The threat was reported to necessitate the infusion of military intelligence officers. These officers were noted to be the ultimate source of abuse. Factors that Explain the Behavior of American Guards In Zimbardo’s experiments, it was explicitly noted that abuses and atrocities actually ensued from the very power that was accorded to the students, enacting the security guards’ roles. As emphasized, from initially starting as ensuring that â€Å"they must maintain ‘law and order’ in this prison, that they were responsible for handling any trouble that might break out, and they were cautioned about the seriousness and potential dangers of the situation they were about to enter† (Zimbardo, 1973, p. 41), the presence of the following factors were actually evident and similar to the Abu Ghraib prison: (1) power to maintain law and order; (2) imminent threats from prisoners or from external sources of chaos that could endanger the ir lives; (3) the apparent need to conform to the norms of society in terms of responding to the social pressures of the prison environment; and, likewise, (4) the natural response for the application of forms of sadism, to purportedly control prisoners or make them submit to the orders given, with or without justifiable rationales. Using the experiment conducted by Milgram (1973), one could evaluate that the power of obedience was expected to have been ingrained in every individual’s being; and thereby, prison guards who are expected to be followed with regards to orders being directed to prisoners, resort to the authority and powers vested in them, to inflict whatever action is deemed necessary to enable their subjects to react and respond, as directed. As

Authenticated Color Extended Visual Cryptography

Authenticated Color Extended Visual Cryptography Authenticated Color Extended Visual Cryptography with Perfect Reconstruction R. Sathishkumar, Gnanou Florence Sudha Abstract Visual Cryptography Scheme (VCS) is an image safeguarding scheme which encrypts the secret text based image into multiple binary images called shares, which are then transmitted to participants. These shares are then stacked over by the participants to decrypt the secret image, however with reduced quality. In Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme (EVCS), these binary shares are encoded with cover images to generate meaningful shares. In order to enhance the decoded EVCS secret image quality, Two in One Image Secret Sharing Scheme (TiOISSS) was implemented, which offers perfect retrieval of the secret image. In this proposed scheme, the TiOISSS implemented for color secret image with meaningful color shares with perfect reconstruction is proposed. This scheme uses Adaptive Halftoning technique to improve the EVCS image quality. Further, a color authenticated image and a text message are encoded in the meaningful color shares to suppress any fake shares from the intruders, thu s improving the security of the proposed scheme. Experimental results depict that the improvement in quality and security of the scheme. Index Terms Image Security, Visual Cryptography Scheme, Adaptive Halftone, Polynomial Image Secret Sharing, I. Introduction With the swift development in the networking technologies, digital data are transmitted across the world over internet. Thus, security has become a vital issue in both communication and the complex encryption gives ways to secure the information from the intruders. Image encryption has a vital role in variety of applications like telemedicine, medical image processing, military applications, etc. In the traditional way of encryption, the data will be encrypted with a security key and the decryption must be done with the same key. Hence, the security key is essential for proper decoding of the secret data. VCS is one such encryption method proposed by Naor and Shamir [1-2] to hide a secret image in the form of n noisy pictures called shares such that the secret data is retrieved by Human Visual System (HVS) by stacking the n shares. The traditional VCS is relaxed for threshold VCS in which at least any k number of shares are sufficient to decode the secret image [3-4]. The VCS has been proposed to hide the gray images by suitably halftoning it to binary images [5-7]. These schemes were proposed with noisy shares, that may invite intruders attention. R. Sathishkumar is with Department of Electronics Communication Engineering, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Institute of Engineering and Technology (PKIET), Karaikal, India. ([emailprotected]) Gnanou Florence Sudha is with Department of Electronics Communication Engineering, Pondicherry Engineering College, Puducherry, India. ([emailprotected]) By suppressing this weakness, VCS were implemented with meaningful shares from the cover images, and is referred as Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme (EVCS) [8-9]. The VCS has further been extended for natural color images. Rijmen et al [10] proposed a VCS for color secret image with pixel expansion, in which each secret color pixel is expanded into a block of 22 color sub-pixels to generate two color shares. Huo et al [11] proposed the VCS for gray-level and color images using color decomposition and halftone technology, while retaining the advantage of traditional monochrome visual cryptography. Huo et al [12-13] proposed an improved model by using binary encoding to represent the sub-pixel blocks. In [14], Huo et al adjusted the contrast to reveal the secret image with better quality, but the noisy shares reveal the secrecy of the image. Der et al [15] proposed a color VCS with an additional authentic image, but the scheme suffers from the visual quality. Polynomial image secret sharing (PISS) was implemented with perfect decoding of secret image [16]. In [17], Sian et al implemented a Two in One Image Secret Sharing Scheme (TiOISSS) wherein the vague secret image is decoded using VCS in the 1st decoding stage and the better quality secret image is decoded using PISS using computations. Peng et al [18] improved the TiOISSS using GVCS with gray PISS values in the shares. Srividhya et al [19] improved the TiOISSS image quality by applying adaptive halftoning. However, the scheme is implemented for gray images with noisy shares. In [20], TiOISSS was implemented for meaningful shares, but the lossless recovery of the decoded image was not achieved. The existing model of TiOISSS are implemented for gray images and generates noisy shares and that may invite the intruders to insert the fake shares. In this proposed scheme, existing TiOISSS [20] is extended for natural color image with RGB color decomposition method. Further, before applying PISS algorithm, the color secret image is permuted at bit level, block level and pixel level to improve the security. This scheme generates meaningful shares based on the color cover images. Additionally, a color authentication image and a textual secret message are shared to validate the authenticity of the decoded secret image. Experimental results of the proposed scheme show that the weaknesses of the existing TiOISSS schemes are attempted, color TiOISSS are implemented with the enhanced quality and improved security. This paper is organized as follows. The VCS for gray scale and color images, TiOISSS and its related works are discussed in section II. The proposed Authenticated Color VCS is discussed in section III. The experimental results are discussed in section IV. The Quality analysis and Security analysis are discussed in section V and section VI. The conclusion is presented in section VII. II. Related Works The objective of the proposed scheme is to extend the TiOISSS for color images, with improved quality and perfect reconstruction. This section discusses the related works pertaining to existing TiOISSS and its limitations. Visual Cryptography Scheme Moni Noar and Adi Shamir implemented the visual secret sharing scheme in 1994 [1], which requires computations only in the encryption stage. The decoding of secret image is done by human visual system (HVS). In (k, n) threshold visual secret sharing scheme, n noise like shares are generated. Any k or more number of shares are required to decode the secret image. With (k-1) or lesser shares, the secret cannot be reconstructed. In basic (2, 2) VCS, every binary secret image pixel is expanded into 22 sub-pixels in the 2 number of noisy shares, as per the sub-pixel coding table shown in Fig. 1. For every white pixelof the secret image, any one out of the six sub-pixels are randomly selected for both the shares. Similarly, for every black pixel of the secret image, any one out of the six sub-pixels are randomly selected for share 1, and its compliment sub-pixels for share 2. Thus, by stacking the two shares, the white pixels are decoded with 50% gray level. However, the black pixels are reconstructed with full black sub-pixels. With the individual shares which has equal percentage of white and black pixels, the secret image information is not revealed. The share size and therefore the reconstructed image are doubled due to pixel expansion. Fig. 1 Sub-pixel coding table Adaptive Halftoning Halftoning technique is a process of converting the continuous tone image to monochrome image or binary image. The VCS is generally suited for monochrome images. Many techniques like AM halftoning, FM halftoning, etc. are available for converting the gray scale image to binary image. In [16-18], Error diffusion based on FM halftoning with is implemented. But, this results in scattered white pixels in the place of darker areas of gray image. The proposed work utilizes the Adaptive Halftoning [19] where in the dynamically determined threshold for halftoning, results in better contrast for both constantly varying images and sharp transition images. The human eye perceives the tiny dots as white and denser dots as black, in the halftoned image. A gray scale image and its halftoned image is shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 a) Continous tone b) Halftone Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme (EVCS) The shares generated in the VCS bears a noise like image. Though, it may reveal no clue about the secret image, it may however raise suspicions about the secret. In order to overcome the weakness of noise like VCS shares, they are embedded with the individual cover images, thus generating the meaningful shares. The VCS with meaningful shares are referred as Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme (EVCS). The meaningful shares depict the cover image and not the secret image. However, on overlapping the meaningful shares, the secret image is decoded. Color Visual Cryptography Scheme Conventional VCS is applicable only for binary images. For grayscale image, it is to be halftoned to binary image as discussed in section II-B. In the proposed scheme, adaptive halftoning is implemented. The color image is generally constituted by either subtractive or additive models as in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 a) Subtractive model, and b) Additive model In the subtractive model, with primary color components as cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y), the other colors can be obtained with proper mixing of CMY components. The color printer is based on subtractive model. In additive model, the desired color is achieved from proper mixing different Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) color components. By mixing the RGB components of equal intensity, white color can be obtained. Computer monitor is based on additive model. The secret color image can be decomposed into Red, Green and Blue frames. The individual frames will then be a gray pattern of the corresponding color components. These frames are adaptive halftoned to obtain the binary images which can be used for generation of shares in Red, Green and Blue components. By concatenating these RGB components of each shares, the corresponding color shares are obtained. Overlapping the color shares, the color secret image is decoded. Polynomial Image Secret Sharing Scheme (PISSS) PISS scheme was first implemented [16] to hide a secret image. Though, it contradicts the advantage of VCS, by involving mathematical calculations in both encrypting and decrypting stages, it offers perfect retrieval of the secret image pixels. The PISS is implemented for TiOISSS with perfect reconstruction [20]. The polynomial in equation 1, encodes the image pixels to cipher data, which is then embedded in GVCS shares. in which are the sequential k pixels of the image and P is the prime number. In the decoding phase, the Lagrange interpolation formula in equation (2) is used to derive the polynomial coefficients, By substituting the pixel position for , where, , keeping as the variable, the polynomial coefficients is derived, Further, the decoding polynomial equation can be derived by from the polynomial coefficient and the encoded image pixels in equation (3). The original secret pixel value can be retrieved from the equation (3), by substituting the image pixel position ,. A large prime number of 251, which is within the gray pixel range, can be considered for encrypting the grayscale image. TiOISSS Two in One Image Secret Sharing Scheme (TiOISSS) [18] combines the merits of both PISS to achieve perfect reconstruction VCS to decode the vague secret image by HVS. Hence, it involves two levels of encoding and decoding phases. The encoding phase starts with generating n VCS shares and n PISS shares from the same secret image, followed by replacing the black pixels of VCS shares by the gray-valued pixels of PISS shares to generate GVCS shares, which are transmitted through n users. In the decoding phase, the GVCS shares from the users are overlapped to reconstruct the vague secret image, in the 1st stage level with just HVS. This process does not require any mathematical computations. Further, Inverse PISS is applied to the gray pixels of GVCS shares to perfectly retrieve the secret image, in the 2nd stage level of decoding. III. Proposed scheme In existing TiOISSS [19], the noisy shares were generated, which make attract the intruders to create a fake shares to forge the legitimate user. In the proposed scheme, the existing TiOISSS is modified for color images. The meaningful color EVCS shares are generated by embedding a color authentication image. The RGB components of color secret image and the cover images are extracted as in Fig. 4. The modified TiOISSS is applied for each color components to generate the corresponding the color components of GVCS shares. By concatenating the RGB components, color GVCS shares are obtained. The vague color secret image and the authentication image can be decoded, in the first decoding phase. Additionally, to provide additional authenticity, a 216 bits of textual message is embedded in the two LSBs of white pixels of all GVCS shares, which are then decoded in the 2nd phase. The RGB components of color secret image and the authentication image are then retrieved by applying Inverse PISS. The stages involved in the proposed modified color TiOISSS with the generation of meaningful EVCS shares and including an authentication image are discussed in the following sections. EVCS Share generation EVCS shares are generated from the individual RGB components of the secret color image, authentication image and the cover image. The Left half of the secret image is considered for generating the left half of VCS shares (LS1 and LS2) as in Fig. 5. By considering the authentication image, the right half of VCS shares (RS1 and RS2) are generated. For each RGB components of the secret image, the following steps are followed to generate the corresponding RGB components of the VCS shares. 1.From the left half of secret image (LS), the left half of share1 (LS1) and the left half of share2 (LS2) are generated. 2.For every black pixel of the halftoned authentication image, corresponding subpixels of left half of share 2 (LS2) with one pixel modified from white to black is placed in the corresponding subpixel location of right half of share 1 (RS1). Thus, the RS1 and LS2 will decode the vague authentication image. 3.For each black pixels of RS, the corresponding sub-pixels of the right half of share 1 (RS1) with modified location of black pixels is placed in the corresponding subpixel location of right half of share 2 (RS2). 4.VCS shares are obtained by combining the left half and the right half of each shares. To overcome the weakness of noisy shares, cover images are embedded to generate the meaningful shares. Each RGB components of the VCS shares are processed as shown in Fig. 5, with the corresponding RGB components of the cover images. For every black pixel in each cover image component, the corresponding sub-pixel location of the respective VCS share component is modified such that one white pixel converted to black. The location of the converted black pixel depends on the pixel value of the secret image in the corresponding location. Thus, the EVCS shares components are generated from the VCS shares and the cover images. GEVCS Share generation The color secret image is first decomposed into RGB components and the pixels of each component are permuted in three levels to improve the security. In the proposed scheme, the 128 bit of encryption key is used as formatted in Fig. 6 is used to perform the permutation in bit level, block level and pixel level with respective 32-bit keys. The permutation order key defines the order of permutation performed which is required in reverse permutation operation. The GVCS share order defines the share order to be processed to retrieve the embedded key from the GVCS shares. The size of the textual secret message embedded in the GVCS shares is defined in the 16-bit Secret Message length. The PISS shares are generated from the permuted color secret image as detailed in section II-E. The resultant PISS values and the authentication color image pixels are embedded into the black sub-pixels are the EVCS shares. Prior to embedding these PISS values, it is truncated by a factor ÃŽÂ ±, (ÃŽÂ ± = 1, 2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 16). This truncated value along with its remainder in GEVCS shares will be darker near to black, providing better visual quality. Thus, the truncated permuted PISS values, the color authenticated image and the textual secret message are embedded into EVCS shares to generate the GEVCS shares as detailed in the Fig.7. Decryption of the Secret image The decoding of the secret image is done in two phases. In the first phase, the two GEVCS shares are overlapped to decode the vague color secret image. To verify its authenticity, RS1 and LS2 of the GEVCS shares are superimposed to decode the authentication image. In the second phase of decoding, the encryption keys and the secret messages are extracted from the white pixels of each GEVCS shares. The PISS values are retrieved from the GEVCS shares. Inverse PISS is applied to reconstruct the secret image and the authentication image are perfectly. The process is explained in Fig.8. IV. Experimental Results The experimental results of the proposed Authenticated Color Extended TiOISSS with perfect reconstruction are discussed in this section. This scheme is implemented for truncation factor, ÃŽÂ ± = 7 and adaptive halftoning technique is applied for VCS share generation. The 256256 sized color secret image and the 256128 sized color authentication image are considered as shown in Fig. 9(a) 9(b). The color cover images of 256256 size are shown in Fig. 9(c) 9(d). The Adaptive halftoning version of the secret image and cover images are shown in Fig. 9 (e), 9(f) 9 (g). Applying VCS over the halftoned authentication and the secret image with pixel expansion, m = 4, two VCS shares of 512512 are generated and is shown in Fig. 9 (h) 9 (i). The GVCS shares generated from VCS shares by embedding PISS values as detailed in section III-B are shown in Fig. 9 (j) 9 (k). In the first level of decoding, the two GEVCS shares are overlapped to decode the vague color secret image. To verify the authenticity, LS2 and RS1 are overlapped to reveal the vague authentication image. They are shown in Fig. 9 (l) 9 (m). In the 2nd decoding phase, by applying Inverse PISS and reverse permutation over the extracted gray pixels of the GEVCS shares, the perfect reconstruction of both the color authentication image and the color secret image is decoded as shown in Fig. 9 (n) 9 (o). V. Quality Analysis The parameters like Contrast, Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) of the Authenticated Color Extended TiOISSS are analysed. Contrast Contrast which represents the visual quality of the image, is given by the normalized difference between the mean grayness of the white secret pixels and the mean grayness of black secret pixels in the decoded image. In this scheme, contrast [20] is calculated among the group of decoded pixels valued more than the threshold, (C0) and the group of decoded pixels valued lesser than the threshold, (C1) and is given by, Contrast between the color secret image and its 1st decoded secret image for adaptive halftoning technique and between the authentication image and its 1st decoded output has been tabled in Table I for various truncation factor, ÃŽÂ ±. The contrast is improved SSIM It is a measure of resemblance between two images and it is calculated for two common sized (NÃÆ'-N) windows x and yof the two images. SSIM is given by where and are the average of y and x. and are the variance of x and y, is the covariance of x and y and are two variables to stabilize the division, L is the dynamic range of the pixel values and and by default. The SSIM between the color secret image and its 1st decoded secret image for adaptive halftoning technique and between the authentication image and its 1st decoded output has been tabled in Table I for various truncation factor, ÃŽÂ ±. The SSIM is improved resulting in increased similarity between the secret image and the decoded secret image. PSNR The Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) is a measure to estimate the image quality between two images. Based on the pixel difference between the reconstructed image and the original image, PSNR is defined as where MSE denotes Mean Squared Error and s = 255, the maximum pixel value of the image. The PSNR between the color secret image and its 1st decoded secret image for adaptive halftoning technique and between the authentication image and its 1st decoded output has been tabled in Table I for various truncation factor, ÃŽÂ ±. The PSNR is higher for lesser value of the truncation factor. TABLE I Comparison of Secret Image and 1ST PHASE DECODED Secret Image Secret image vs Decoded Secret image (1st phase) Auth image vs Decoded Auth image (1st phase) ÃŽÂ ± Contrast SSIM PSNR Contrast SSIM PSNR 1 Not possible, No Truncation Not possible, No Truncation 2 0.1324 0.2556 3 0.1314 0.2446 6.7766 0.1720 0.1260 4.3907 4 0.1330 0.2452 6.5423 0.1708 0.1498 4.1201 5 0.1322 0.2380 6.5246 0.1762 0.1769 4.1499 6 0.1319 0.2352 6.4209 0.1752 0.1950 4.0422 7 0.1318 0.2328 6.3584 0.1753 0.2082 3.9912 8 0.1325 0.2348 6.3265 0.1746 0.2217 3.9447 9 0.1320 0.2322 6.3640 0.1772 0.2277 4.0184 10 0.1317 0.2316 6.3082 0.1771 0.2351 3.9738 11 0.1313 0.2292 6.3050 0.1761 0.2378 3.9582 12 0.1312 0.2291 6.2671 0.1768 0.2444 3.9383 13 0.1311 0.2307 6.2571 0.1765 0.2476 3.9250 14 0.1307 0.2286 6.2791 0.1750 0.2436 3.9232 15 0.1302 0.2280 6.2373 0.1760 0.2510 3.8964 16 0.1312 0.2322 6.2348 0.1751 0.2528 3.8830 Table II shows the comparison of meaningful shares with the corresponding cover images, which depicts that meaningful shares offers better visual quality. TABLE II Parameter Comparison for GVCS Shares vs Cover Images, for ÃŽÂ ± = 7 Proposed Scheme GEVCS 1 GEVCS 2 Contrast 0.1239 0.1746 SSIM 0.2803 0.1807 PSNR (dB) 6.1746 6.2839 Table III shows the comparison of different halftoning techniques, which shows that the adaptive halftoning offers better visual quality. TABLE III Parameter Comparison between the Secret Image and 1st decoded Secret Image, for Different Halftoning, for ÃŽÂ ± = 7 Halftoning Technique AM Halftoning FM Halftoning Adaptive Halftoning % Improvement FM vs Adaptive Contrast 0.0947 0.0988 0.1318 33.40 SSIM 0.0755 0.1823 0.2328 27.70 PSNR (dB) 6.1453 6.2268 6.3265 1.60 VI. Security Analysis The security of the proposed scheme is discussed here with the following security aspects. Authentication image for additional security With any one of the GEVCS color shares, the hackers may generate the other counterfeit shares, such that the legitimate receiver may get a bogus secret image instead of the original secret image. To overcome this weakness, a color authentication image is encoded into the GEVCS shares. In the 1st level of decoding, the vague authentication image is reconstructed and is used to validate the genuineness of the secret image, thus enhancing the security of the scheme. Further, the perfect retrieval of the authentication image is achieved by computations, in the 2nd decoding phase. Histogram of Shares Fig. 10 shows the histogram pattern of the color GEVCS share 1, for truncation factor ÃŽÂ ± = 7. It can be observed that the pixels occupy value up to 36 (i.e. 28/ÃŽÂ ±) and at 255. By choosing different values of ÃŽÂ ±, the pixel distribution of GEVCS shares can be limited accordingly. Unlike the original secret image, where pixels are distributed over the entire range, GEVCS shares are secured with limited pixel distribution, thus enhancin

A Turning Point Essay -- Personal Narrative Essay

A Turning Point A melting pot of Asian and European culture, a land of scientific growth and opportunity, and a place grown rich with custom and tradition, Singapore is a country unlike any other. Traveling to Singapore for the Second APEC Youth Science Festival, I encountered an environment where people of different backgrounds come together, a fusion of ideas and insight, and a piece of artwork painted rich with the colors of each individual culture. Upon my return to the United States, I brought with me an enhanced cultural awareness, a greater understanding of the international scientific community, a wealth of knowledge, as well as numerous life-long friendships. The cultural benefits of the APEC Youth Science Festival are innumerable. Having virtually no previous understanding of Asian customs and traditions, I found the various cultural performances educational and truly amazing. A breathtaking musical presentation by Korean drummers and a colorful parade of traditional Indonesian costumes were two of the more memorable performances. Throughout the cultural presentations, I was in awe of the distinct differences that became increasingly apparent between each of the individual Asian cultures. My favorite part of the trip was my overnight stay with a Sri Lankan family. With my family I visited Little India, one of the liveliest districts in Singapore where traditional Indian culture is ... ... New Zealand, I have developed a vast network in just two weeks. Sharing ideas and insight, culture, and new experiences has brought us all together despite our differences. Together we did everything including riding "The Venturer" at the Singapore Science Center, researching Nepal Virus, and traveling on a Night Safari. I am amazed at how much I have learned in two weeks, and I know I will cherish this experience for a lifetime. In the future I hope only to enhance my cultural awareness, work to promote international scientific collaboration, express my appreciation for the vital work done by organizations such as APEC, and stay in close contact with the wonderful friends I made in two amazing weeks overseas.

Compare and Contrast the Roles of Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff Essay

In the play ‘Macbeth’ we notice that the roles of Lady Macbeth and Macduff are very different. In the one scene that Lady Macduff is in we see that she is portrayed as a stereotypical woman of the Jacobean era. She was defined principally as a mother, was reliant on her husband and helpless when he is absent. At the beginning of the play we see these properties in Lady Macbeth. However she specifically called on the ‘spirits’ to repress her femininity thus taking away these properties to make her ruthless enough to kill Duncan. I feel that both of the characters seem quite strong but in different ways. Lady Macduff copes fine without her husband but Lady Macbeth is strong in different way. In Act 1 Scene 5 we see the relationship that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth had. It is noticeable that their relationship in this scene is much like that of what we would expect a couple of their era to be like. Lady Macbeth stays at home while the husband is out at work. We Lady Macbeth receives the letter from Macbeth we see the how strong their relationship is. I think is mainly because Lady Macbeth immediately understands the full implications of what was written in the letter and in a way her response is uncompromising. She will not let anything get in their way; her husband must get what he has been promised. It is also interesting that the letter written by Macbeth would mean he would have had complete trust in his wife. If the letter was shown to anybody else it interpreted as treasonous. It also suggests their affection and love for each other: â€Å"my dearest partner of greatness†.

Mesoamerican civilization

In the civilization of the North and South America people, farming started later than the Afroeurasian. But the American civilization started on its own as opposed to the dependence of lending and borrowing of ideas from one community as was witnessed in the Afroeurasian civilization.The argument about the Mesoamerican civilization has been as a result of single culture (known as ‘mother culture’), while others claim that it was through learning and copying from others that the civilization developed, i.e. ‘sister culture’. The civilization arguments has to a larger extend been linked to the Olmec influence.   This is because the Olmec has been considered as the earliest civilization groups in the Mesoamerica.Hence some of its earliest civilization practices can only be found within the heartland of Olmec while others are beyond the heartland of Olmec. Some of the artifacts that are only found in the heartland of Olmec include colosal heads, earthen platfo rm and monolith alters.   There have also been cases where other Olmec style artifacts have been found in other different areas.There are objects that have been considered to be of Olmec – traditions in areas that are out side the heartland of Olmec appearing together with the traditional objects of that place.   For instance, at Las Socas, objects created in local tradition contain Olmec iconography (Reilly, p 371).This indicates that the traditional of Olmec was flowing from the Olmec heartland towards other areas and not vice versa.   In this case the argument of Olmec to be of the â€Å"mother culture† arises.   Michael D Doe is one of the proponents who argue that the Olmecs had a mother culture. â€Å"There is now little doubt that all later civilization †¦ whether Mexican or Maya, ultimately rest on an Olmec base,† (Coe, 2002, pp 62).Those advocating for ‘sister culture’ feel that the Olmec civilization took place simultaneously with the other places.   The argument is based on the fact that Olmec was only among the earliest equal civilizers.   Flannery and Marcus have agued that it is only through competitive interactive that civilization can take place.   â€Å"It is adoptive autonomy and frequ3ent competitive interaction of such chiefdoms that speed up evolution and eventually make useful technologies and sociopolitical strategic available to all regions†, (Flannery & Marcus, 2000. pp. 33).Therefore, looking at both the arguments of the mother culture and sister culture, it is not right to agree that the Olmecs civilization was a mother culture.   For instance, according to Pool (N.d),The Olmecs of San Lorenzo were only a handful of societies in the Americas that had achieved comparable degree of social and political integration by the end of the second millennium B.C. On the other hand, sociopolitical complexity varied among Olmec societies within the Gulf coast region, the intensity and effects of interaction with the Olmecs varied across Mesoamerica, and other Formative societies made significant contribution to the developemtn of a distinctively Mesoamerica civilization tradition, (Pp 2).The use of the term formative (preclassic) was developed by Gordon Wiley and & Philip Philips (1955, 1958), â€Å"Where it indicated the village agricultural threshold and/or sedentary life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pool, Pp.8).The formative period has various prehispanic historical changes taking place.   Before 200 B.C. most of the inhabitants lived in small bands that were characterized by several mobility and their main activity being hunting and gathering.   Then came the development of a lot of urban centers by 300 A.D.   These urban centers came about because with time, the mobility was reduced and the group settled into larger groups and thus staying at one place for longer period than before.The increased settlement was influenced by the fact that people have increased domes tication of crops and had also indicated the storage facilities.   â€Å"In the initial formative period (2000-2500 B.C.)†¦The processes of domestication and sedentarization combined to foster the spread of settled farming villages over much of the area that was becoming Mesoamerica,† (Pool, pp.8).The early societies of America shared the hunting and gathering activities with the other societies across the boarders.   These behaviors changed among the communities, as they become more settled and avoided movements.   This lead to the emergence of social hierarchies, centralized governments, and various religious concepts.   Their neighbours adopted the practices that emerged from one culture to another, including the OlmecsLike all other complex societies of the America, the Olmecs also depended on this hunting & gathering, domestication of food and animal as well as fishing for their daily needs.   These activities enabled them to build strong social and politi cal hierarchies that integrated many other small communities.Mesoamerican ReligionIn pre classical periods of the Mesoamerican people religion developed due to the influence of the seasonal cycles, â€Å"In their world –view, the development of the corn plant was one of the principle archetypes.   Another intrinsically tied to the former was the archetype of the alternating powers of fire and water, derived from the division of the year into two seasons, then dry and rainy seasons†, (Obafemi & Olupona, 2004, Pp 199).The Mayan community of the Mesoamerica developed their religion because of the belief that there was a relationship that existed between the human being and the supernatural power.   They nurtured and developed this belief to the extend of giving human sacrifices to the gods.   High priests of the Mayan religion performed the human sacrifices.   The key aspect of this religion was the great importance it gave to the agriculture and the time timeless of the harvests. â€Å"The Mayan religious calendar Ezolkin comprised of only 200 days and two cycles each comprises of weeks spanning 30 days and 20 days.   Another calendar called tun comprised of 360 days and five added unlucky days†The Mayan believed in the cycles of rails and to the harvest of the produce.   They considered the agriculture product to be a gift from God.   To the Mayans, human beings were supposed to be attuned to the cyclical changes so that they can obtain more benefits from them.The offering of sacrifices, of both human and animal was meant to appease the gods.   Songs and dances as well as competitions accompanied the sacrifices.   There was no separation of civil and religious life. Therefore, the kings acted as both rulers and principal intermediaries between human beings and gods. The other reason that was behind sacrifices was that, many gods needed human support which if was not forthcoming; they may weaken and eventually die.Life afte r death was determined by the position that a person held before the demise. Therefore if a person held a high status position on earth, that position will still be held even after death. While those with lower positions held again the same positions.About the universe, the Mayas believed that the universe would continue to be created and destroyed continuously.   The cycle for the destruction would be taking place after a period of about 5000 years.   The destruction and creation would be the exact duplicate of the previous one.   They perceived the earth to be the back of the giant caiman that was floating in the pool, with the exposed part being flat with four comers.   Above the earth, was the human with 13 levels (7 going up, and 6 going down), (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580499_2/Pre-Columbian_Religions.html). This was of the same oscillation as the rising setting of the sun.The Maya gods and goddesses formed a family (pantheon), each having four color aspe cts.   The religious followers believed in deities in heaven, but also having counterparts on earth and vice versa.   The deities also comprised of counterparts of the opposite sex.   â€Å"For example the supreme celestial god Itzama, the aged patron of culture and learning.   Kinich Ahau, the sun god, may have been a youthful aspect of Itzama in addition to being his son†, (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580499_2/Pre-Columbian_Religions.html).Like the Mayan, the Aztec believed in the destruction and creation of the universe, but that had multiple differences. They believed to be living in the fifth and final universe, which they considered to be the fifth sun. In this case, they believed that there would be no sixth universe after the fifth destruction, and that there was escape or avoiding of this destruction but it could only have been delayed. The sun was considered to be a warrior that fought a continuous unending war against darkness. Therefore, as long as the sun was still fighting, the fifth universe could not be destroyed. To make sure that the sun continued with the fights, they offered blood it through sacrifices. The sacrifices were especially of human who were war captives.Befitting their central role as allies of the sun, the Aztecs thought they lived at the center of the universe. Their earth was divided into four quadrants, each with typical Mesoamerica color-direction symbolism, though the specific pairings of colors and directions were different from those of the Mayas. The four quarters met at the main temple (Templo Mayor) of Tenochtitlan the Aztec capital. This temple was also the point where supernatural forces from the heavens and the underworld came together. The heavens were composed of 13 ascending levels. The sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars traveled through the lower levels. The upper levels were the homes of winds, storms, colors, and remote gods. The underworld contained 9 levels, all descending, u npleasant, and dangerous, (http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/nativeamericans/precolumbionrel4.htm).The pantheon of the gods and goddesses of the Aztec were more complex and performing different overlapping functions at different ceremonial functions. The gods were related to different practices. For instance, the Tlaloc was the rain god. There were also the gods that were related to the agricultural produce and deities related to fertility.BibliographyCoe, M.D (2002): Mexico: from the Olmecs to the Aztecs, London, Thames and Hudson.Flannery, K. & Marcus, J. (2000); A Formative Mexico Chiefdoms and the myth of theMother culture; a Journal of Anthropological Archeology, Vols. 19. Issues 1.History of Religion Manna Religion Retrieved on 2nd Nov. 2007 fromhttp://www.clearleadinc.com/site/religion.htmlObafemi J. & Olupona K. (2004):   Beyond Primitivism Indigenous Religious Traditions andModernity, Routledge, ISBN 041527 320X.Pool A. Christopher (N.d):   Olmec Archeology and Earl y Mesoamerica, Retrieved on 2nd Nov2007 from  http://assets.cambridge.org/97805217/88823/excerpt/9780521788823_excerpt.pdfReilly III, F. Kent, (N.d) â€Å"Art, Cultures and Relationship in the Olmec world in AmericansCivilization of Mesoamerican: A Recorder, Blackwell publishing Ltd..

How To Write A Good Precis Essays

How To Write A Good Precis Essays How To Write A Good Precis Paper How To Write A Good Precis Paper Nowadays, precis is a common thing in the educational sphere. Students are required to write such work as it shows their level of the understanding and creativity. In other words, the rhetorical prà ©cis is a summary of the original piece that should comprise the main point and problem. An author should be aware of the primary source and submit the information that conveys its plot. Another key thing to know is that you have to follow the rigid to complete this mission successfully. How to write a precis? Pay attention to the information below as we dedicated it to the main points and steps of the precis you have to write. Moreover, you can develop your skills and broaden erudition as we have collected up to date and credible facts. Hope you will enjoy. How to write a precis? Let’s start with the structure and specificity of this task Present the original work Dedicate the first sentence and paragraph to the introduction of the author and title of the work. Also, you have to include the genre and publication date. Such thing will prove readers that they have free access to the original text. Moreover, it will help them get acquaintance with it. To make the beginning more interesting, we highly recommend you to include some facts about the author and his/her contribution to the development of literature. Do not write the wordage and boring biography as it will annoy the readers. It is better to include some interesting information that will attract the target audience. You have to use the verbs that illustrate the author position or action, for instance, assert, argue, prove, disprove, and explains the main idea. Despite the fact that the original work may not contain the thesis and topic sentence, your task is to read the source carefully and do the thesis about the basic author’s claim and point. Describe the way author supports the thesis As a rule, the second or third sentence should illustrate how the author develops the thesis. It is an essential thing as such information helps readers compare your and author position. We highly recommend you to focus attention on the main methods that the author used rather than the direct details. Your task is to convey the main concept of the author’s position in the main content. That is a kind of forbidden thing to restate his/her assumptions. Common knowledge is that audience can read the source by themselves and get acquainted with the author’s position. That is why do not duplicate the information. Try to be creative and present new interpretation of the known material. Be sure that it is far more interesting to read the personal opinion of the writer rather than the borrowed author’s thoughts. This is the smallest part of how to write a precis. Present the aim of the writing The third sentence should convey the primary purpose of the original writing. The main reason for it is that the reader has to be aware of the role and practical implementation of the work. When you write the prà ©cis, your purpose should differ from the thesis as you have to show the author’s motive of the piece. The target audience will also compare whether your aim coincides the original. Use the phrase â€Å"in order to† as it will hint reader which sentence is devoted to the purpose. It will make the precis structure clear and precise. Identify the intended audience The fourth and last sentence aims to show the audience and reveal the author’s relationship. As a rule, the original paper doesn’t include the data of the intended audience. It is your essential task as you have to research and conclude how the author chooses readers. It is easy to identify with the help of language, references, and structure. Use your analytical thinking and make a wise choice. The core of good precis writing Now it is a high time to speak about some steps that will show how to write a precis. Let’s get started and find out some precis essay example. Arm yourself with patience You have to read the original work one more time and realize whether each key idea is understandable for you. If it is crucial make some notes to be aware of each important point of the piece. There are moments that after re-reading the inspiration comes and writer has new ideas. Scan the paper with eyes without reading and try to divide it into several sections, for instance, heading, subheadings, and the main portion of information. Clear up the unknown terms and phrases with the help of the article and encyclopedia. Such method will improve your knowledge and allow to broaden the erudition. After scanning, read the work one more time and decide which of sections you will use in your writing. Highlight the key ideas but do not copy them. Try to create an original paper that is why rephrase the crucial statements, do not copy them. Clarify the details before start progress. Do not be lazy and read the work several times as the information can be unfamiliar to you. There are moments when the students skip this crucial stage and write the facts that don’t coincide the original paper. To avoid such â€Å"disaster† read and learn all that is important for writing. After each time you re-read the paper compare your notes and add some facts that you have missed. At the first glimpse, it seems unreasonable, but we ensure you that it will make your paper professional. Make a summary of each section Now you can summarize your notes and single out the necessary information for each section. Do not make it wordage as it is a type of outline. Each sentence should be logically-built and comprise the supporting evidence and major facts. Do not include minor facts as they can distract your attention. Even if the details are interesting, we invoke you not to submit them. Try not to return to original paper and summarize the writing using your notes. It will help you avoid plagiarism and make the paper rich in your thoughts. Try to tell your professor about the uniqueness of paper. Restate the thesis Rewrite the thesis without changing the main meaning. You have to borrow only the main idea from the author and restate it in your own words. When you determine the author sentence, reflect the purpose as well. Single out which crucial arguments should be highlighted. Start writing your precis. Combine the evidence, arguments, and other key information that should restate the thesis. Do not forget about the title and subheadings as they should start each section. Follow the four-sentence structure and submit precise facts. It will make the paper qualitative and well-structured. Do not forget to state the purpose. Review and proofread This step is crucial as you have to polish your paper and fix all misspellings, punctuation and grammar mistakes. Pay attention to your content as it should convey the main thought and idea of the writing. It is a forbidden thing to lose the original meaning and aim of the paper. Check your language, voice, and tone. They should be similar to authors. Try to check the language used in the paper. Additional pieces of advice about how to write a precis Follow the length requirements. In the most cases, the precis is not wordage piece that consists of 100-200 words. The winning method is to use the four-sentence outline that presents the main information. In case of longer writing, you should find more evidence and facts to make the paper diverse. You need to re-read an original work and find new facts that are essential for the paper. Your task is to expand the paragraphs and topic sentence. Do not forget that the longer structure doesn’t mean adding minor facts. It is a type of challenge where you have to brainstorm more paragraphs. Use the present tense. Do not make the structure of the paper convoluted. Try to be precise that is why we highly recommend you to use present tense throughout all paragraphs. Moreover, try to avoid passive voice and use active. Of course, there is moment when you describe some scientific research or experiment, and it is impossible to rephrase passive voice; do not worry it is a common case. All author’s assumptions, positions, and thoughts should be in the present. Do not write â€Å"He stated,† it is better to use â€Å"He states.† Be sure that you will attract more readers. Avoid quotation It may sound funny, but quotations will mess up your paper. It is better to summarize each sentence and even the direct speech. Everybody will agree that target audience appreciates such things. It is essential to title the work as such thing attracts readers a lot. Leave your own opinions You should know the strict requirements of the paper. In our case, it is precis that is why you cannot evaluate the paper and submit your attitude to the author. You are not the original creator that is why your task is just to except the existed information. It is not your duty to deny or support the claims. In connection with the fact that it is a type of summary, your task is to restate the piece without your feedbacks and testimonials. Hope you understand the main essence of the good prà ©cis. The effectiveness and quality of the paper depend on you. Make the best final result. Do you still hesitate how to write a precis?

The Conflict between Boston Charter Schools and School Districts

The Conflict between Boston Charter Schools and School Districts Introduction: Where the Conflict Begins Charter schools have been an integral part of an education system in a range of states for quite a while. However, with the evolution of pedagogy, the development of new learning theories and teaching approaches, the necessity for teachers to adopt new approaches has emerged.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Conflict between Boston Charter Schools and School Districts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, charter schools are currently experiencing the necessity to grow and expand, yet this growth is halted by the lack of financial support from school districts. It should be born in mind that the emergence of the so-called charter schools is by no means an accident. The establishment of the charter school system was a response to the flaws of the U.S. education system, and an introduction of the model, that could authorise and build capacity in the education system of the state. A closer look at the way in which the Boston charter schools are organised will reveal that the existing system presuppose a complete independency in terms of defining the program and the teaching strategies required for addressing the needs of the target students (i.e., the necessity to assist ESL students and the students, who lack financial support from their families) (Peyser para. 1–6). Conflict Analysis: History, Participants and Environment The conflict between charter schools and school districts is not new; in fact, the history of confrontations between the local authorities and the people representing corresponding education establishments has been going on since the day that the two phenomena emerged. However, charter schools being a rather recent and specific innovation in the history of education, the dilemma regarding the freedom, which schools should be provided with, has taken a new turn. Among the key participants, Boston charter schools and the l ocal school districts must be mentioned. Neither of the opponents is willing to compromise, the schools demanding that they should be given the right to expand, and the school district authorities refusing to provide financial support from the establishments that they have practically no control over.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The environment, in which the conflict has been brewing for several years, is quite specific. Boston is a unique city with a rather rich history; however, as far as its economic success is concerned, the number of people coming from a low income background is quite high. Therefore, the school district does not consider investing into the development of the Boston charter schools a rational step and prefers to disregard the demands of the Boston charter school teachers. Dispute Resolution: A â€Å"Portfolio† School System The signific ance of the conflict specified above is tremendous. While the confrontation between the parties involved into it is not as severe as military conflicts are (Harvard Business Review 69), it still causes a lot of concern and leads to a variety of questions, including the possible changes to the financial support for Boston public schools, which may suffer as a result of budget cuts that may be made by the school district. Therefore, it goes without saying that the method for addressing the situation must satisfy the needs and meet the demands of both charter and public schools, as well as the school district. The â€Å"portfolio† system, which has been suggested in order to address the problem specified above, truly is an original solution customised uniquely for the benefit of both Boston charter schools and local school districts. The solution suggested by the people concerned about the issue seems perfect; it hurts neither of the parties and at the same time works for the be nefit of charter schools. The very title for the new type of schools represents a perfect solution to the problem and the satisfactory result for all the parties involved, since it presupposes that the control over the new type of charter schools will be split in equal proportions between school districts and heads of the charter schools. As a result, it will be possible for school districts to track down the financial transactions, which charter schools make, and check what charter schools’ administration spends the finances provided by the school district on. This is the power divide strategy that will help all those involved benefit (Melamed 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Conflict between Boston Charter Schools and School Districts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the conflict management perspective, the solution to the confrontation between charter schools and school districts is impeccable. Though it does involve a compromise and demands it from each of the parties, it rewards a positive response with an opportunity for charter schools to expand and for school districts to control the financial transactions of the Boston schools, therefore, making the process of budget distribution much easier. This, however, raises the question whether BATNA could be developed in case the school district refuses to compromise. Interpreted as the best alternative to a negotiated solution, BATNA actually does not require that a negotiation with the opponent should be carried out: â€Å"BATNAs are critical to negotiation because you cannot make a wise decision about whether to accept a negotiated agreement unless you know what your alternatives are† (Sprangler 1). The incorporation of BATNA in the set of tools for addressing the problem, however, invites the question concerning the future communication between the school district and Boston charter schools. Methods Implementation : The Negotiation Process While the solution described above seems quite obvious and presupposes that reasonable compromises should be made by both opponents, it would be too optimistic to assume that the negotiation process is going to be carried out impeccably and that the discussion procedure is going to flow smoothly. Instead, it can be expected that the participants of the negotiation will be unwilling to accept their part of the compromise and refuse to make the final step towards reconciliation and the improvement of their relationships. Therefore, the negotiation process must be thought through outstandingly well. Recognizing their mistakes will be the first step towards improving the situation for the Boston school district and the local charter schools. The process is not going to be easy, though, According to what Dunning’s research has shown, people traditionally fail to come to terms due to the inability to recognise their own mistakes:Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"Recent research we have conducted, however, suggests that people are not adept at spotting the limits of their knowledge and expertise† (Dunning, Johnson, Ehrlinger and Kruger 83). As a rule, the unwillingness to admit the obvious failure can be explained by the fear of being socially ostracised and labelled as incompetent. Herein the key to solving the conflict lies; it is essential to help the parties involved realise that their ability to recognise their fault redeems them as people, who are capable of telling the right solution from the wrong one. As Dunning put it, â€Å"If poor performers are given the skills necessary to distinguish correct from incorrect answers, then they would be in a position to recognise their own incompetence† (Dunning et al. 85). The negotiation process, therefore, must be steered towards the compromising approach. In other words, the emphasis must be put onto developing a compromising strategy instead of focusing on the competitive one. It would also be a good idea to steer the discussion to a more comfortable analysis of the financial changes with the help of accommodative approach. Mediation Process: In Search for a Compromise Though it is desirable that the opponents in question, i.e., school district members and the people representing charter schools, should attempt at solving the issue on their own. Unless both sides of the conflict recognize the necessity to reconcile and find points of contact, there will be no point in addressing the situation. However, it could be argued that with the introduction of a third party, which will represent and entirely objective point of view, the process of negotiation will take place faster and more smoothly. Therefore, it will be reasonable to suggest that the mediation process should be facilitated by the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Education. As a third party that is not interested in the outcomes of the negotiation, yet is a major authority in the field of ed ucation, it will be a perfect mediator for resolving the specified conflict. It can be suggested that charter schools should provide additional opportunities for students; thus, it will be possible to provide the schools with the status that they need. For instance, creating courses for the students, who are willing to study specific subjects in depth, could be a way to solve the problem In addition, it is desirable that the Massachusetts charter schools should design a flexible system of upgrade based on the concept of economic and financial sustainability. Thus, the costs will be reduced impressively, and the school districts will see the potential that charter schools and their students have. Finally, it will be a good idea to arrange basketball and soccer facilities in several charter schools so that major school sport related events could be held there. Attracting participants from other schools will help raise the money that will be used as the means to upgrade charter schools to the necessary level. Key Stakeholders and Major Factors: Evaluating the Situation When it comes to defining the major stakeholders involved into the conflict, one is most likely to mention teachers of Boston charter schools and the members of the Boston school districts. Indeed, these are the sides of the conflict that remain in the spotlight most of the time; they are the main participants, and they are involved in most of the discussions concerning the issue in question. True, the Boston charter schools and the Boston school districts are obviously two essential stakeholders in the specified conflict. However, there are other stakeholders that deserve to be mentioned. First and foremost, students of the Boston charter schools must be recognised as the key stakeholders, since their future academic life, as well as their career and success in the business world, hinges on the decision that the local authorities make in order to address the situation. Naturally, such a great depe ndence on the outcome of the conflict makes the Boston charter school students the key stakeholders. However, it would be wrong to disregard the aforementioned opponents when listing the major stakeholders. The choice that the Boston school district will make will obviously affect the school staff as well, as the latter will have to alter the teaching approaches, as well as introduce new teaching strategies in order to meet new requirements. Indeed, expansion of an education establishment presupposes that the diversity rates in charter schools are going to increase significantly, which will call for designing additional strategies for meeting the needs of children with various ethnic backgrounds, gifted children, children with disabilities, etc. Moreover, the rise in the amount of students will also entail the necessity to hire more staff and, thus, to reconsider the school budget and the current schedule. Needless to say, the school districts are also highly dependent on the soluti on that will be chosen in order to address the situation. Using the budget funds for expanding charter schools means that the school district will have to cut costs for other issues concerning financial support of schools; therefore, it is in the interests of the school districts to address the issue in such a way that the costs should be minimised. Thus, the members of the school districts must also be viewed as the key stakeholders in the conflict in question. As far as the factors are concerned, there are key financial, economic and social issues that may hinder the process of conflict resolution. The financial issues top the list of the key factors. Because of the need to re-establish the current principle of a charter school operation, the costs for the innovation are going to be impressive. Carving the money out of the budget means that public schools will be left without the required support. The fact that charter schools are practically independent from school districts in t erms of their education policy, in contrast to public ones, investing into the development of charter schools hardly seems reasonable for the Boston school districts. More to the point, the fact that students from low income families, as well as students belonging to ethnic and national minorities, make most of the student population in charter schools in Boston, does not add any credibility to the plea of the heads of Boston charter schools. Though the issue specified above seems to be financial, it, in fact, should be deemed as a social one, and related to the discrimination problems within the modern society. Conclusion: Revisiting the Principles of the Education System Though the solution, which requires responsibilities distribution and power divide between school districts and school authorities, requires that major concessions should be made by both parties, mutual compromise is the only way to settle the conflict. Moreover, the specified strategy seems the only rational appr oach to be taken in this situation. Once both sides of the conflict are secure about their control over the issue, they will be able to come to terms. The mediation process, which is the key towards reaching a compromise, must be based on the principles of cooperation and presuppose that the charter schools should use their key assets to solve the conflict. At present, to reach a compromise, charter schools need to prove that they are worth investing in. Dunning, David, Kerry Johnson, Joyce Ehrlinger and Justin Kruger. â€Å"Why People Fail to Recognize Their Own Incompetence.† Current Directions in Psychological Science 12.1 (2014), 83–87. Print. Harvard Business Review. Extreme Negotiations. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review. 2010. 67–75. Print. Melamed, James. Maximizing Mediation. 2014. Web. https://www.mediate.com/pfriendly.cfm?id=97. Peyser, James A. â€Å"Boston and the Charter School Cap.† Education Next 14.1 (2014), para. 1–6. Web. http s://www.educationnext.org/boston-and-the-charter-school-cap/. Sprangler, Brad. â€Å"Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA).† Beyond Intractability. 2012. Web. https://www.beyondintractability.org/.

Creating a Genealogy Blog

Creating a Genealogy Blog Using a Blog to Write About Family History A blog, short for Web log, is basically a very easy-to-use Web site. No need to worry too much about creativity or code. Instead a blog is basically an online journal you just open it up and start to write which makes it a great medium for documenting your family history search and sharing it with the world. A Typical Blog Blogs share a common format, which makes it easy for readers to quickly skim for interesting or pertinent information. It its basic form, a typical blog contains: short, informational entries - generally arranged in reverse chronological ordera time and/or date for each postlinks to other blogs or Web sites for additional contentarchives of all previously posted content, sometimes arranged into categories Blogs dont have to be all text either. Most blog software makes it easy to add photos, charts, etc. to illustrate your posts. 1. Determine Your Purpose What do you want to communicate with your blog? A genealogy or family history blog can be used for many reasons to tell family stories, to document your research steps, to share your findings, to collaborate with family members or to display photos. Some genealogists have even created a blog to share daily entries from an ancestors diary, or to post family recipes. 2. Select a Blogging Platform The best way to understand the ease of blogging is to just jump right in. If you dont want to invest a lot of money in this at first, there are quite a few free blogging services on the Web, including Blogger, LiveJournal and WordPress. There are even blog hosting options geared specifically for genealogists, such as on the social networking site GenealogyWise. Alternatively, you can sign up for a hosted blogging service, such as TypePad, or pay for a standard hosted Web site and upload your own blogging software. 3. Select the Format Theme for Your Blog The best things about blogs is that they are very simple to use, but you will have to make some decisions about how you want your blog to look. color scheme and style - most blog software offers a set of pre-designed templates, so this is simply a matter of choosing the one you likecategories - Many blogs use categories to define the general theme of each post, making it easy to find all posts on a particular topic. Basically categories are an organizational scheme. You may choose to categorize by surname or by locality. Or you can categorize by topic - census, cemetery, deaths, etc. Or you can choose not to categorize your blog posts at all.your content team - if you want your blog to be a collaborative effort, then youll need to select which people you plan to give access to post to your blogcomments - If you want others to be able to post responses to your information, then you can open up comments on your blog. This makes it easy for other researchers to get in touch with you or add new information, but can sometimes attract a few crazies as well. You can always close comments if they dont work well for you. If you arent sure about some of this, dont worry. These are all decisions that can be changed and tweaked as you go. 4. Write Your First Blog Post Now that we have the preliminaries out of the way, it is time to create your first post. If you dont do a lot of writing, this will probably be the most difficult part of blogging. Break yourself into blogging gently by keeping your first posts short and sweet. Browse other family history blogs for inspiration. But try to write at least one new post every few days. 5. Publicize Your Blog Once you have a few posts on your blog, youll need an audience. Begin with an email to friends and family to let them know about your blog. If youre using a blogging service, then make sure that you turn on the ping option. This alerts the major blog directories every time you make a new post. You can also do this through sites such as Ping-O-matic. Youll also definitely want to join GeneaBloggers, where youll find yourself in good company among over 2,000 other genealogy bloggers. Consider participating in a few blog carnivals as well, such as the Carnival of Genealogy. 6. Keep it Fresh Starting a blog is the hard part, but your jobs not done yet. A blog is something you have to keep up with. You dont have to write every day, but you do need to add to it on a regular basis or people wont come back to read it. Vary what you write about to keep yourself interested. One day you can post some photos from a cemetery visit, and the next you can talk about a great new database you found online. The interactive, ongoing nature of a blog is one of the reasons it is such a good medium for genealogists - it keeps you thinking about, searching for and sharing your family history! Kimberly Powell, About.coms Genealogy Guide since 2000, is a professional genealogist and the author of Everything Family Tree, 2nd Edition (2006) and The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy (2008). Click here for more information on Kimberly Powell.

To prepare a business plan based on opening a pub in Canterbury Essay

To prepare a business plan based on opening a pub in Canterbury - Essay Example Looking into the characteristics and thought processes of the people still holds as the most significant factor to be looked into by the individuals in the field of sales and marketing. The large scope of market can pose a hindrance to a successful marketing strategy in terms of over generalized definition of the target or niche market. The Bigskymind is a full service pub/bar located at the heart of Eastern Kent, Canterbury. The pub/bar has a full menu of middle and reasonable price "comfort" food, drinks and spirits but based upon time honoured recipes and mixes from around the world. The pub also features performances from local bands from Canterbury. This business plan is created in order to provide comprehensive information to the future investors from prestigious financial institutions that would want to invest in the business. This plan will present the company's vision and strategic plans in order to achieve profitability in the chosen location. The Bigskymind will offer easily reached and reasonably priced high quality food, drinks and spirits, and entertainment to the thousands of residents and customers in Canterbury. In time, The Bigkymind will institute itself as a "target" of choice to the many clients of the greater city area of Canterbury, as well as numerous tourists. The pub will offer a "total, high-quality" evening experience for those looking for fun and relaxation after a hard day work. Not only will customers be able to drink on the pub's high spirits and comforting drinks, they will enjoy the performance of the bands every night. The pub's mission is simple; it will offer a complete stylish, fab and relaxing drinks to the regular customers. The price of the products will be very affordable that will motivate the customers to return on many occasions. The main market of the pub will be young professionals who have worked for very long hours. The Key to Success Factors Product quality The foods are o high quality based on the recipes around the world such as appetizers, side dishes and main dishes. The drinks are beers from 100 cities globally (there will be a 100 beers from 100 cities bar), wines, and spirits drinks mixes. The house specialty drink will be bigskymindmix that will have five alcohol based drinks like vodka, tequila gold, brandy, lambanog (a drink from the Philippines) and lime. Service Quality Since the pub business is under the service industry and also can be considered to be in the tourism industry, service quality should be provided by the management and employees. The satisfaction of the customer will be the top priority of the company. The importance of quality in customer service should be recognized by Bigskymind. The company will prioritize quality in customer services, resulting to positive business outcome. Customer satisfaction, loyalty, employee satisfaction and profit growth are

The South Carolina nullification crisis, under President Andrew Essay - 1

The South Carolina nullification crisis, under President Andrew Jackson, split the Democratic Party in two - Essay Example The Existential Fallacy is passed because there is no particular conclusion from two universal premises. This argument passes all six tests for validity. It passes the Equivocation Fallacy because there are only three terms used in the exact same way. It passes the Fallacy of the Undistributed Middle because the middle term is distributed in the second premise. It passes the Illicit Major and Illicit Minor Fallacies because the major term is distributed in the first premise and in the conclusion. The argument passes the Fallacy of Exclusive Premises because there are not two negative premises. It passes the Affirmative Conclusion from a Negative Premise Fallacy because the conclusion is negative. Finally, it passes the Existential Fallacy because there is no particular conclusion from two universal conclusions. This argument is valid based on the fact that it passes all six tests for validity. The Equivocation Fallacy is passed because there are only three terms used in the same way. The Fallacy of the Undistributed Middle Term is passes because the middle term is distributed in the first premise. The Fallacies of the Illicit Major or Illicit Minor are passed because any term distributed in the conclusion is distributed in the premises. ... No protective tariffss(d) could be nullifiedp(d). Mood, Figure, and Latin Name: EAE-2 Cesare Venn Diagram: This argument is valid based on the fact that it passes all six tests for validity. The Equivocation Fallacy is passed because there are only three terms used in the same way. The Fallacy of the Undistributed Middle Term is passes because the middle term is distributed in the first premise. The Fallacies of the Illicit Major or Illicit Minor are passed because any term distributed in the conclusion is distributed in the premises. It passes the Affirmative Conclusion from Negative Premises Fallacy because the conclusion is negative so there is no affirmative conclusion. The Existential Fallacy is passed because there is no particular conclusion from two universal premises. Third Argument: No nullifiersm(d) supported protective tariffsp(d). Some South Carolinianss(u) were nullifiersm(u). Some South Carolinianss(u) did not support protective tariffsp(d). Mood, Figure, and Latin Name: EIO-1 Ferio Venn Diagram: This argument is valid because it passes all six of the tests for validity. It passes the Equivocation Fallacy because there are only three terms used in the same sense. The Fallacy of the Undistributed Middle is passed because the middle term is distributed in the first premise. It passes the Fallacies of the Illicit Major and Illicit Minor because the major term is distributed in the conclusion and in the first premise. The Fallacy of Exclusive Premises is passed because there are not two negative premises. The Affirmative Conclusion from Negative Premises is passed because the conclusion is negative. It passes the Existential Fallacy because there is no particular conclusion from two

Labor Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Labor Economics - Research Paper Example No matter how effective the human resource managers are in the selection and recruitment process, it appears that they still have to invest in employee training to optimize employee productivity. The essence of this article is to carry out an analysis of the two sources of employee knowledge and to provide a fact-based reaction on the same. Employee training refers to the provision of extra education to employees after the recruitment process as a way of enhancing their productivity by equipping them with knowledge that is relevant to the organizational activities. On the other hand, on-school training refers to the kind of knowledge that potential employees gain in school depending on the subjects and the topics they pursue in part of their career specialization. Most economists have failed to reach a concession on which of the two is more effective or which would be more beneficial to the organization in terms of profit turnover. Dostie (2008) is one of the researchers who have eng aged in an empirical research to investigate the effectiveness of the two sources of employee knowledge. The findings of her research indicate that there is a particular advantage in obtaining employees with proper school training rather than investing on on-job-training. It is indisputable to appreciate that each of the two types of training has its pros and cons and as it seems both are important to the firm. In supporting school training, Dostie (2008) points out that the subjects provided in school are optimized and are best suited for diversified for job opportunities. Consequently, employees will have a good background that will enhance their productivity while in the employment sector. In addition, employees who have adequate training will require little adapting to various work environments much quicker and hence reach the expected production rate almost after they are assimilated in the company. However, the major weakness in school trained employees is that they have littl e diversified knowledge while companies have specific operational activities that may be unique from one organization to the other. In short, although school training outputs an effective labor force, they may have shortfalls in terms of specialization and work orientation. On the other hand, the on-job-training is efficient in orienting new employees to the specific tasks that they are supposed to undertake in an organization. The strength of worker training lies in its ability to model the employees to fit their job description more efficiently and quickly whose cumulative effect is to improve their productivity. However, Dostie (2008) points out that employee training consume a lot of company capital that cannot be recovered by the impact of the process on employee productivity. From this point of view, on-job-training may have a negative impact on the turnover value of the company, which is contrary to the company’s aim of effecting this strategy (Goux & Maurin 12). In es sence, employee productivity can only be measured from their net contribution to the revenue turnover of the firm at the end of the fiscal year rather than their gross production rate. The main goal of any organization is to achieve maximum profits by optimizing employee productivity and minimizing the expenditure in terms of either salary or other priced business operations. The graph below

DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTION TO A SMOKER Essay

DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTION TO A SMOKER COMMUNITY - Essay Example different methods of giving information, I would like to convey to them the possible health difficulties that they will most likely face and ultimately, persuade them to drop the habit. The group that I have specified are my friends who are heavy smokers and who seem to ignore the dangers posed by their habits, I would like to enlighten them on the dangers that they imbue on themselves with smoking. For this study, I will identify six resources that will greatly help in illustrating how dangerous smoking is. Mostly, it will be through the form of websites, journals, case studies and videos that greatly focus on the oral health problems that stem from smoking tobacco. First is an Australian Dental Journal (1999) with the title of the article being ‘Dentist’s attitudes and practices towards smoking’, which in a nutshell aims to identify the importance of the oral health guardians in the dissemination of information and to the persuasion of dropping the smoking habit. (1) To further deepen the study on this article, the researchers used a survey among dentists and their interaction with patients on smoking. The aim was to establish the dentists’ current practice regarding discussing smoking with patients, to explore dentists’ perceptions of the barriers to discussing smoking with patients and to explore dentists’ interest in discussing smoking with patients. During the study, the reasons why smokers cannot stop the habit was identified. (1) Now, regarding my view if this study is effective in persuading smokers to stop smoking, it certainly is. To whom do we entrust our oral health care better than our dentists? If they advise patients on the situation of their oral health, they would most probably listen. And given their knowledge on the situation, it would really be foolhardy for patients to ignore their diagnosis. Another published article about the dangers of smoking tobacco is: ‘Tobacco or Oral Health’ made as a guide to health

Argument...........Church and State should not be separate Essay

Argument...........Church and State should not be separate - Essay Example In the very early years of the American nation, the First Amendment as part of the Bill of Rights was considered to be a wall of separation between the church and the state. Prior to the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791, it was thought to be otherwise, that is, religious freedom means integration of church and state. It was Thomas Jefferson who first expounded that the First Amendment is intended to mean separation and hence as a solid constitutional principle (Hamburger 109). Discussion History is replete with justifications why there was a need for the Church to separate from the State. Prior to the 1800s, perhaps the most valid argument for a separation was their argument for a Church to be pure, that it should not be sullied with worldly affairs of the state. Only a fringe minority of Europeans and Americans saw fit for a separation because it was by then viewed by this small group as a sure way to purify the church beyond what was thought ordinarily to be possible; this gr oup also distrusted the clergy for its abuses (ibid. 21). But the general direction of this short paper will be to argue otherwise, that the Church and the State are better off not separate. In this discussion, I will argue why both are better off joined than being separate which goes against the conventional wisdom held by many for years.

Gender Study on Working and Stay-at-home Mothers Research Paper

Gender Study on Working and Stay-at-home Mothers - Research Paper Example In addition, it portrays the effects of gender in the society. Further, it denotes the perception of children towards the differences existing between their parents. Working mothers This refers to mothers who associate themselves with various income generating activities. They have lesser dependence on either their spouses or their parents. They involve both the married working mothers and single working mothers. They dedicate much of their time to work living only few hours to be with their families. Some ambiguous questions emerge from some individuals as to why, when, and what their intention is behind them (mothers) working (Lippa 2005). One of the main reasons behind mothers working for pay is to be independent. Another reason may be their (working mothers’) desire to live a live where they have total control of their finances. In addition, the work of mothers does not end up at work. More than half of the total number of working moms are those with families. Therefore, it is their (moms) obligation to hurry from work to home to provide for their families. Further, they have some customary duties to perform at their homes. For instance, they must get home earlier before their husbands so that they make several preparations concerning their meals. They also have to know the progress of their children. On the side of single working mothers, they find themselves having a full responsibility at home. They must strive to make ends meet, as they also have to avail the commodities the children require. Some children demand their mothers to provide for their necessities, which may be costly. Therefore, there is a need for single mothers to work harder to earn enough for their expenditure. They should ensure there is a surplus in their accounts. This means that they should make better calculations concerning their income and total expenses. Further, they need to make several adjustments on the total expenses. Through this, they will be able to manage their family requirements, as they eliminate the tertiary demands. In addition, single-working mothers have an extra task of time management. They search for ways of creating more time to deal with personal issues. Bearing in mind that they are the families’ sole breadwinner, they ensure they work towards the success of their business operations. They also make a good choice when it comes to friendship. They choose friends who are hard working and those who motivate other people not to despair in their work. The success of single mothers is a great joy to their families. They also bring to light less efforts for handling a family. This is a great encouragement to the single mothers not at work. Thereafter, they have an appraising hand from the entire society. Stay-at-home mothers A Housewife is another name referring to a stay-at-home mother. Most of their work is within the homestead. They do not get any remuneration for the tasks they undertake. Their main work is to ensure that they raise their kids and control their families. Stay-at-home mothers perform many tasks each day. They act as their children’s instructors, first aiders, doctors, and nannies. Some mothers are also the chefs of their homes and their children’s playmate. Further, they have a total control on the finances they use everyday . If they would require any pay, they may earn more than those working outside the homestead may earn. This is in respect to the different tasks they perform. They decide to be housewives because of their husbands’ potential to provide for the families. Difference between working mothers and stay-at-home mothe

Argument...........Church and State should not be separate Essay

Argument...........Church and State should not be separate - Essay Example In the very early years of the American nation, the First Amendment as part of the Bill of Rights was considered to be a wall of separation between the church and the state. Prior to the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791, it was thought to be otherwise, that is, religious freedom means integration of church and state. It was Thomas Jefferson who first expounded that the First Amendment is intended to mean separation and hence as a solid constitutional principle (Hamburger 109). Discussion History is replete with justifications why there was a need for the Church to separate from the State. Prior to the 1800s, perhaps the most valid argument for a separation was their argument for a Church to be pure, that it should not be sullied with worldly affairs of the state. Only a fringe minority of Europeans and Americans saw fit for a separation because it was by then viewed by this small group as a sure way to purify the church beyond what was thought ordinarily to be possible; this gr oup also distrusted the clergy for its abuses (ibid. 21). But the general direction of this short paper will be to argue otherwise, that the Church and the State are better off not separate. In this discussion, I will argue why both are better off joined than being separate which goes against the conventional wisdom held by many for years.

Motivation of Psychology Graduate Essay Example for Free

Motivation of Psychology Graduate Essay The researchers aim to determine the coping strategies and level of motivation of selected Psychology graduates with regards to their personal problems in District One Laguna. Specifically, the researchers seek to establish answer to the following questions. 1. What is the level of motivation of the psychology graduates with regards to their personal problems? 2. What are the coping strategies employed by the psychology graduates with regards to their personal problems? 3. Is there a significant relationship between the coping strategies and level of motivation of selected Psychology graduates with regards to their personal problems? 4. What are the factors affecting the level of motivation of selected Psychology graduates in district one Laguna? 5. How do the Psychology graduates employ their major academic subjects they studied in dealing with their personal problems? 6. Is their course Psychology helpful to keep their selves motivated? 7. Do Psychology graduates have an advantage in terms of coping stressful life events? 8. Do Psychology graduates still implement what they have studied after graduating? 9. What is the major difficulty that they have encountered in their personal lives?

U.S. automobile industry.

U.S. automobile industry. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Car is great invention of human development. After more than two centuries of development and innovation, automotive products remain irreplaceable in the transportation. Automobile industry is always one of the most important industries of each country and the world in general. The U.S. automobile industry was born in the beginning of 19th century, contributes a huge amount in GDP of American as well as one of the domination industries in American particularly and globe generally. This project provides an overall and comprehensive view about the U.S. automobile industry. Through application of appropriate strategic analysis tools, this topic focus on analyze four following parts: Firstly, the overall current macro-environment of this industry is provided, especially the key forces driving change in the U.S. automobile industry. Secondly, using the Michael Porter model to analyze the competitive environment or also called task or industry environment, the strengths and extent of competitive forces, which affect the attractiveness of the U.S. automobile industry. Next, map of the key strategic group in the U.S. automobile industry and analysis of the competitors in a main strategic group. Finally, based on the analysis of both environments, this report offers comments of the key opportunities and threats facing by the firm in the U.S. automobile industry and its attractiveness of the present incumbents and potential new entrants. I. INTRODUCTION The United States, with its total current resident is about 308 million, is the third most populous country in the world. It is the second largest country in Western Hemisphere, and the third or fourth largest in the world by total area. With an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of US $14.4 trillion (a quarter of nominal global GDP and a fifth of global GDP at purchasing power parity), the U.S. economy continuingly occupies the most important position in global economy. Based on these advantages, the U.S. automobile market is one of the third largest markets, after China and Japan, both of manufacturing and consumption. The U.S. automobile industry has long historic development from the early decades of the 19th. There were over 1800 automobile manufacturers in the United States in the past. Although very few can survive and only a few new ones were started after that period, they are on the top automakers of the world. Moreover, it attracts most of the biggest foreign automakers to locate factories and invest, such as Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mitsubishi, etc. Recently, the automobile industry dramatically down caused the shortage resource and the current economic crisis. The U.S. automobile cannot avoid this trend. However, the general industry and Big Three U.S. automakers General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford recover gradually whereby the timely auto industry bailout and restructuring of the President Barack Obamas government. II. THE CURRENT MACRO-ENVIRONMENT OF THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY There are many external forces that can affect an industrys performance and hence to know well about the environment is the best way for improving the strength as well as reducing the weaknesses of companies in the field. This analysis of Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, Political and legal forces that affect the automobile manufacturing industry will be presented as follows. 1. Socio-cultural forces It cannot be deny that in todays society, people are judged on the type of cars they drive. Anyone who drives a nice and expensive vehicle is thought to be wealthy and success. People will find them-selves more valuable and feel better when they drive a nice and new car and therefore, car manufacturers target their markets by these thoughts. For example, with Mercedes-Benz, the producer launched three types of cars, which represent the brands value: luxury, safety, innovation. They are A-Class, F400-Carving and C-Class which being able to appeal the significant diversity of Mercedes-Benz in conquering the customers. Another thought provoking issue of the socio cultural is the environmental concerns for the need of fuel-efficient vehicles. Many environmentalists are worried about the impact that the gas cars have on the environment. The lower amount of gas emission emits into the air, the better the environment becomes. Therefore this problem also is taken into consideration by specialists of automobile companies. 2. Technological forces The U.S. is the worlds largest producer and consumer of motor vehicles with production of 16 million units every year. To increase its scale, the U.S automotive industry continues to experience technological change by investing on research and develop projects every year. These plan aim at finding out clean and renewable energy resources so that car can be used in the most efficient way. In addition to this, improving the quality of engine, making new more functions, changing technical innovation and styles for cars are also the objects that car-manufacturers want to bring to customers. Getting success as today, automobile industry should consider Internet as an important and useful instrument that make the business easier and more convenient. Thanks to its functions, the business of automobile industry becomes more efficiency and lower cost by e-booking, payment, connecting suppliers and customers online. For example, Ford, GM, and Daimler Chrysler created a global online exchange for suppliers and the original equipment manufacturers. 3. Economic forces In the past, the automobile manufacturing industry is regarded as one of the largest and vital industries within the U.S due to its great contributing to this economy in employment and productivity. Reports indicate that motor vehicle production represents over 5 % of the U.S. private sector GDP. However, because of the global crisis and the increase in oil price, 2008 and 2009 are the most difficult periods for automobile companies all over the world. In US, the number of cars sold is significantly reduced to be lower than 30% in 2008 and predicted 50% in 2009, making many automobile companies got into trouble, especially big ones like General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. 19.4 billion aid from the U.S. government with 9.5 billion from Canada government can not help General Motors avoid from breaking in 1/6/2009. The car consumption of Ford Corporation also decreased significantly, they had to close four plants in the U.S. and thousands of workers to leave work until now. The head of corporate manufacturing automotive components Continental (Germany) Karl-Thomas Neumann is predicted, the crisis in the automobile industry could take up to the next 5 years. This means that over 50 million people live based on the automobile industry will have to face unemployment in this period. 4. Ecological forces After the crisis, major technology trends that automobile production corporations want to aim at are comfortable, friendly environment with consumption of fuel savings cars. In present, Hybrid vehicles with fuel economy of fuel consumption at 35 km per liter gasoline are taken into consideration and eventually moving to the car model that does not use fuel as crude oil is development direction of the automobile industry in the near future. Besides, Pollution Prevention Project will be carried out regularly with the hope of finding innovative ways to keep our environment healthier and cleaner. 5. Political and legal forces Since the 1960s, the U.S. government has issued regulations that affect the production and consumption of cars in this country. Accordingly, almost all of the provisions are about environmental related problems and the safety of the drivers as well as passengers. The first National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act that forced manufacturers to improve the safety for the passengers, the driver visibility, and the braking of the car were approved in 1966. After that, there was also growing concern for the environment, many Acts were introduced in order to set standards for automobile pollution and decrease in automobile emission such as The Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act, Clean Air Act. Then, after the oil crisis in the 1970s, The Energy Policy and Conservation Act stated that all automobiles must meet a certain mileage per gallon to ensure that the amount of energy could be saved as much as possible. III. THE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT In todays fierce competitive environment, the firms need to achieve competitive advantages for competing, existing and growing. Accordingly, the firms must recognize the environment that powerfully influences the firms. In American automobile industry, the automobile manufacturers have realized the environments influence to automotive industry. At the same time, they must look at the main sources of competitive forces and how high or low competitive force is. As stated by Wheelen and Hunger (2008, p. 83) about the six sources of competition in Porters Five Forces model. This framework is used to identify the opportunities and threats for entering in to a particular industry. It is featured as follow: Rivalry amongst existing firms in the industry The American automobile industry includes three major manufacturers, General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler. On the other hand, it has also two Japanese biggest competitors, Honda and Toyota. Now we will discuss about how strong each competitive force is and which they affect on the attractiveness of the American automotive industry. 1. The threat of new entrants-Barriers to entry New entrants can threaten the market share of existing competitors. One reason new entrants pose such a threat is that they bring additional production capacity, reducing the attractiveness. (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskinsson, 2008). The threat of new entrants is low in the American automobile industry because of some main reasons. First, the American automobile industry now is mature and it has attained economies of scale. Although Honda and Toyota have invested heavily in America to produce cars, now the crisis in the auto industry and the slow sluggish state of the global economy lead to small demand; therefore, new entrants are not interested to enter this sector. Besides, this heavy industry requires a significant amount of capital for producing automobiles as well as research and development new designs. It also demands modern technologies, management and marketing skills. Besides, establishing the intermediaries for distributing the products is not the simply problem in America. The firms must look for the dealership to sell their automobiles. These entry barriers are substantial that make it difficult for new automakers. Accordingly, it is not easy for any new entrants to enter the American automobile industry. 2. Bargaining power of suppliers According to Hill and Jones (2008), the bargaining power of suppliers is the suppliers ability to raise input prices or the costs of the industry by providing poor quality inputs or poor services. In the automobile industry, the bargaining power of suppliers is low. The auto manufactures need several components from suppliers. Moreover, there are many suppliers in this sector. We can see that suppliers in the U.S automobile industry have little power. Therefore, the auto manufacturers have many options for bargaining prices and deliveries. If suppliers do not meet some main qualifications such as quality and delivery, the auto manufacturers can switch to other suppliers. Besides, the automakers can have many opportunities to force down input price as well as demand higher quality inputs. 3. Bargaining power of buyers Wheelen and Hunger (2008) mentioned that buyers could have an effect on an industry through their ability to force down price, bargain for high quality or more services. Thus, powerful buyers should be viewed as a threat of the industry. The bargaining power of the buyers in the American automobile industry is high. Nowadays, customers easily get information and have many options in choosing brands and models of cars between auto suppliers. Some of qualifications that they based on in choosing cars are quality, price, appearance, efficient, and so on. Because of the variety of lifestyle, customers purchase the cars in different ways. Besides, the switching costs are low in automobile industry. As a result, the buyers can play off the supplying company against each other to force down price. Whats more, a buyer has the potential to integrate backward by producing the product itself as a bargaining tool. Ford and General Motor have used the threat of manufacturing a component themselves instead of buying it from suppliers. 4. The threat of substitute products Hitt, Ireland and Hoskinsson (2008) pointed out that substitute products are goods or services from outside a given industry that perform similar or the same functions as a products that the industry produce. The threat of substitute products in U.S automobile industry is medium. Although people can travel by several public transportation means such as subways, trains, buses, the need of automobiles is inevitable in todays modern life. Traveling by automobiles bring conveniences and dependences for people whenever and wherever they want to go. Moreover, in using subways, trains, buses, the switching costs are high in considering of time, money and convenience. The cost of fuel consumption, the maintenance costs, the annual insurance fee, and so on in using automobiles may be higher than traveling by public transportation means. Thus, we can see that the threat of substitute products is depend on personal preference and it can be seen mild in automobile industry. 5. Rivalry among existing firms in the industry Rivalry refers to the competitive struggle between companies in an industry to gain market share from each other (Hill and Jones, 2008). Rivalry among competitors is extremely intense in the American automobile industry. There are few competitors in this sector and they are roughly equal in size. We can consider that American automobile industry is a consolidated industry because a small number of large automobile companies dominate this industry. They are General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler. In todays economic recession with slow market growth, each auto company watches each other carefully and fights to take market share from each other. They compete with each other by offering long-term warranties to customers. Besides, the rivalry among existing firms is high in this industry because of not much differentiation opportunities. General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler produce automobiles and sport utility vehicles. They evaluate about the price, quality, product design, and after-sales services and support of each other in competing to gain market share. Overall, the competition between American automakers can strengthen the attractiveness of automobile market as well as improve the product quality and after-sales services in automobile industry. 6. Relative power of other stakeholders The US government has low power over the automobile industry. General Motors, Fords have plants outside the United States, where U.S laws are not applicable. Forces driven by market demand are the only forces that significantly affect profit potential of auto industry. Accordingly, the relative power of other stakeholders ability to affect profit potential is low. After analyzing the Porters Five Forces model in the American automobile industry, we can see that the threat of new entrants is low through high entry barriers. The rivalry among existing firms is extremely intense because of few automakers in this sector. The overall impact from buyers bargaining power to the industrys attractiveness is high because customers have many options. Suppliers have limited bargaining power in this industry. The threat of substitute products is moderate and the relative power of other stakeholders is low. IV. MAPPING OF THE KEY STRATEGIC GROUPS AND ANALYSIS OF THE COMPETITORS According to Anthony Henry (2007) and Gregory, Lumpkin Marilyn (2002), the purpose of strategic group mapping is help organization identify their directly competitors, recognize mobility barriers, indicate the direction in which their strategies are moving to determine industry competition and analyze trends in the general and competitive environment. Automotive industry is one of the most complicated industries in which the giant corporations own many brands and focus on many different market sectors. The price of the product in the automotive industry is not only depended the cost but also related to the brand image of the firm. Those are the reason why this report chose the brand image and product ranger as the two variances for the two dimensions. Base on two dimensions as mentioned above, five strategic groups are formed. These groups are mainly formed base on the difference of brand image. However, the criterion of product ranger is very useful when mentioning about the luxury and extreme luxury group. The first group includes firms that have the brand image as low class / low price (Hyundai, Kia, Tata†¦). However, this group is the second highest wide range of product cluster. All most of those firms are defender. The short-term strategy of the companies mostly is cost orientation. The strategy of these organizations is try to clear the image of the low class, low quality brand and endeavor to enter to the second group which is middle class brands. The way that Hyundai try to do is build a new image of a quality brand when they offer an extensive warranty (7 years, 100,000 miles) (Gregory at all, 2002) The second group is the most powerful cluster. They have the most wide range of product which cover all most of segment of the automotive market exclude S-segment (Appendix I car classification). Majority of them are analyzers type. Toyota is a typical example. They have a wide range of current traditional engine product, which can give it a stable fundamental for them to innovate in the other sector. On the other sector, Toyota innovate the new generation hybrid engine (Toyota Prius), which is the solution in the world of traditional energy shortage nowadays. In the future, as the competitors in the same strategic group, Honda and Ford are going to introduce the new generation hybrid cars to compete with Toyota. To reach to the higher class of customers, these firms that stick with the image of middle class car try not to introduce a new high-class line but create a new higher-class brand or purchase an existence higher-class brand. With this purpose, Toyota creates Lexus, Nissan owns Infiniti, Volkswagen has Audi, Bentley and Bugatty etc. The third group is the high-class cluster. The price is higher than the middle-class mainly because the brand image and the performance of engine. In this group, the ranger of product is narrower than the middle class group because of the focus on the higher income group. To reach the higher class of customer, those firms also implicate the same strategy with the second group, which create new brands or purchase new ones. For example, BMW owns Rolls Royce. The fourth and fifth group is the luxury and extremely luxury car. Those two groups differ between each other not only on the price but also on the target customer although they are seemed in the same position when we mention in the ranger of product. The fourth group mainly focuses on the sport car, which has the high speed and hi-end technology. The target customers are young successful businessperson and celebrities. On the other section, the target customers of fifth group are people have the high state in the society, successful executives and of very rich. Because of the difference in the target customer and brand history image, the barrier of motivation is very high between those two groups. The group that this report focus on is the middle class which is the most profitable and innovative group in the automotive industry FORD Henry Ford in June 16, 1903 founded Ford Motors Company, which would go on to become one of the most profitable and largest companies in the world. As known one of the largest family-controlled companies, Ford family has been continuous controlling this company for over 100 years. The company locates the head-quarter in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. Ford is currently the fourth-largest automaker in the world and the third in US based on number of vehicle sold annually which records 1,602,011 in the U.S. market and 5,407,000 in the global market. In 2008, Ford employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Well-known brand and history Product diversification Offering hybrid and environmental friendly cars Good marketing plan: Bold Moves Sponsoring and financing for big event. Product has a good review: quality, reliability, moderate price. Firestone tire recalls. CEO Jacques Nasser and Chairman Bill Ford Jr. cannot get along. Their overseas allocation and outsourcing creates fewer jobs in America. Their products are getting lower quality due to use cheap ways to make them. HONDA Soichiro Honda found the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu in October 1946, to develop and produce small 2-cycle motorbike engines. Two years later, Honda Motor Company, Ltd. was born, and in 1959, Honda opened its first storefront in Los Angeles with six industrious employees. Today, Honda employs nearly 27,000 people in all 50 states. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Good brand in producing high quality products from cars to motorcycles to lawn mowers. One of the largest manufacturers of motorcycles in the world Awards for initial quality and customer satisfaction Pioneer in engineering low emissions internal combustion and hybrid technology. Higher price for non-luxury vehicles. Non-attractive in truck product. High technology cost cause over-price for consumer. MITSUBISHI MOTOR Basically, Mitsubishi Motors is one member of Mitsubishi group was found on April 22, 1970, and was based on the successful introduction of the first Galant. Until now, MMC has 33,202 employees and 12,761 non-consolidated employees, as of March 2008. The Mitsubishi brand was introduced to the American market for the first time in 1971. Until now, they employ about 18,500 employees across United States. Nearly two-thirds of the Mitsubishi vehicles are sold in the U.S; particularly this number is 58,963 in the end of 2008. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES 4th largest automaker in Japan Restructuring Recovery plan. Strong brand awareness. Member of Mitsubishi Group. Poor model awareness. Loss of RD engineers. Weak uncertain leadership. Eclipse brand strongly associated with Female buyers. History of product recalls TOYOTA Toyota Motors Corporation was established on 28 August 1937 as independent company, headquarter is being located in Toyota city, Japan. The founder of Toyota was Kiichiro Toyoda. Nowadays, Toyota is basing 26 factories to produce vehicles, and marketing distribution in more than 170 countries in the world. In 2008, Toyota passed General Motors to become the No1 automaker in USA and the worlds largest automaker in global sales for the first time in history. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Well-trained employees. Strong leadership. Global organization, with a strong international position in 170 countries worldwide. High financial strength. Strong brand image based on quality, environmental friendly (greener), customized range. The largest automaker. Well culture-friendly, family†¦ encourages employees. Product diversification, developing the hybrid- motor product ranges. Japanese car manufacturer seen as a foreign importer. Quality issues due to rge-scale re-call made in 2005. Most products targeted to the US and Japan only shifting attention to the Chinese market. VOLKSWAGEN Founded by Ferdinand Porsche on May 28, 1937 as â€Å"Grsellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH† and renamed as â€Å"Volkswagenwerk GmbH† in 1938, from a small car company, nowadays Volkswagen becomes the largest automobile maker in the world by vehicle production (Autocar, 2009) STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Aggressive and talent leadership High financial strength. The largest automaker. High reputation German quality engine Cost-control with the purchasing list Non-stop requirement for the new project Special production testing process (manager attend the test drives) Lower position than Toyota and Honda in the market share Bad public image because of GM sue Not good relationship with their investors V. THE COMMENTATION VI. CONCLUSION Automobile industry is one of the most important industries contributed the U.S. worldwide dominated position. However, this industry now is facing the worst crisis of the car industry in the past decades. The most urgent task is recovering this crisis. Moreover, finding out the new developed trend is the main strategic for whole the industry.