Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Born: September5, 1888 Died: April17, 1975 Achievements: First Vice President and second President of India. Placed Indian philosophy on world map. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was first Vice President of India and second President of India. He was also a philosopher and introduced the thinking of western idealist philosophers into Indian thought. He was a famous teacher and his birthday is celebrated as Teacher's Day in India. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 at Tartani, Madras in a poor Brahmin family.As his father was poor Radhakrishnan supported most of his education through scholarships. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan had his early education at Gowdie School, Tiruvallur and then went to the Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati for his high school. He joined the Voorhees’s College in Vellore and later switched to the Madras Christian College. He chose Philosophy as his major subject and did his B. A. and M. A. in it. After completing his M. A. , Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, accepted an Assistant Lectureship at the Madras Presidency College in 1909.In college, he mastered the classics of Hindu philosophy, namely the Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Brahma sutra, and commentaries of Sankara, Ramunuja and Madhava. He also acquainted himself with Buddhist and Jain philosophy and philosophies of Western thinkers such as Plato, Plotinus, Kant, Bradley, and Bergson. In 1918, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was selected as Professor of Philosophy by the University of Mysore. In 1921, Radhakrishnan was nominated as Professor of Philosophy at the Calcutta University, 1921. In 1923, Dr. Radhakrishnan's book â€Å"Indian Philosophy† was published.The book was hailed as a â€Å"philosophical classic and a literary masterpiece. † Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was called to Oxford University, to deliver lectures on Hindu philosophy. He used his lectures as a platform to further India's cause for freedom. He also argued that Western philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity, were biased by theological influences from their wider culture. He showed that Indian philosophy, once translated into standard academic jargon, is worthy of being called philosophy by Western standards.He thus placed Indian Philosophy on world map. In 1931, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected Vice Chancellor of the Andhra University. In 1939, Radhakrishnan became the Vice Chancellor of the Benaras Hindu University. In 1946, he was appointed as Ambassador to UNESCO. After Independence Dr. Radhakrishnan was requested to Chair the University Education Commission in 1948. The Radhakrishnan Committee's suggestions helped mould the education system for India's needs. In 1949, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was appointed ambassador to the Soviet Union.He helped laid the foundation for a strong relationship with Soviet Union. Radhakrishnan was elected first Vice-President of India in 1952. He was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1954. After serving two terms as Vice-President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected President of India in 1962. During his tenure as President India fought wars with China and Pakistan. As President he helped see India through those trying years safely. He retired as President in 1967 and settled in Madras. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan died on April 17, 1975.

Blood Bananas: Chiquita in Colombia Essay

For Chiquita Brands International, a pioneer in the globalization of the banana industry, bananas are not only serious business, they represent an array of economic, social, environmental, political, and legal hassles. Since its founding more than a hundred years ago as United Fruit Company, Chiquita has been involved in paying bribes to Latin American government officials in exchange for preferential treatment, encouraging or supporting U.S. coups against smaller nations, putting in place dictatorships in Central America’s â€Å"banana republics,† exploiting local workers, creating an abusive monopoly, and now doing business with terrorists.1 For American multinationals, the rewards of doing business abroad are enormous, but so are the risks. Over the past decades, no place has been more hazardous than Colombia, a country that is just emerging from a deadly civil war and the effects of wide-ranging narco-terrorism. Chiquita found out the hard way. It made tens of millions in profit growing bananas in Colombia, only to emerge with its reputation splattered in blood.2 In 2004, Chiquita voluntarily admitted criminal responsibility to the U.S. Justice Department that one of its Colombian banana subsidiaries had made protection payments from 1997 through 2004 to terrorist groups. Consequently, a high-profile investigation and legal trial followed. In 2007, Chiquita entered into a plea agreement to resolve the criminal prosecution. The interactions between the Justice Department and Chiquita were very contentious, but with the settlement, Chiquita expected that it could put the past behind and refocus on developing its business. However, in 2010, the victims’ families filed a separate lawsuit against Chiquita in an American court, demanding compensation. At the same time, investigators in Bogota and on Capitol Hill were looking at other U.S. companies that may have engaged in similar practices, dealing with terrorists as part of the conduct of business. With this in mind, Fernando Aguirre, Chiquita’s CEO since 2004, reflected on how the company had arrived at this point, and what had been done to correct the course so far. He faced major challenges to the company’s competitive position in this dynamic industry. What would it take to position the company on a more positive competitive trajectory? Would this even be possible in this industry and in the business climate Chiquita faced? Chiquita Brands International: Defendant The atmosphere in the Washington D.C. courtroom on September 17, 2007, was testy, with the lawyers on both sides pointing fingers at each other. The defendant, Chiquita Brands International Inc., had already signed a plea agreement that included a US$25 million fine and a five-year probation period. In addition, Chiquita was required to hire a permanent compliance officer. The plea did not stop Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Malis from taking a shot at Chiquita. He accused the company of making millions in profits while paying off Colombian right-wing terrorist groups, including the AUC (United Self Defense Forces of Colombia), for almost seven years. He said the almost US$2 million in payments made by Chiquita â€Å"fueled violence† and â€Å"paid for weapons and ammunition to kill innocent people.†3 Copyright  © 2010 Thunderbird School of Global Management. All rights reserved. This case was prepared by Professors Andreas Schotter and Mary Teagarden, with the assistance of Monika Stoeffl, for the purpose of classroom discussion only, and not to indicate either effective or ineffective management. This document is authorized for use only in Estrategia 2013-I Preg. Montes by Juan Carlos Montes at UNIVERSITY DE LOS ANDES COLUMBIA from January 2013 to May 2013. Chiquita’s lead defense attorney, Eric Holder Jr., snapped back, accusing Malis of shading the facts, of â€Å"being a little too cute and a little too crafty,† as well as â€Å"a little deceptive.† Holder told the judge that the government was partly to blame for the company’s predicament. In 2001, the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, added Colombia’s AUC to the list of â€Å"specially designated foreign terrorist organizations† in company with mostly Middle East-based groups like Al Qaeda and Hamas. Holder argued that in 2003 Chiquita asked the U.S. Department of Justice if it should stop the payments to the terrorists. Holder said, â€Å"All the government had to do was, ‘yes, stop the payments,’ just say yes, but they never did.† Bananas are Serious Business As one of the first tropical fruits to be internationally traded, bananas are a cheap way to bring â€Å"the tropics† to North America and Europe. Over the years, bananas have become such a common, inexpensive grocery item that we often forget where they come from and how they get to us. Bananas flourish in tropical regions, such as the Caribbean and Central America, where the average temperature is 80 °F (27 °C), and the yearly rainfall is 78-98 inches (198-249 centimeters). In fact, most bananas are grown within 10 degrees north or south of the equator. Iceland is an exception, where banana plants grow in soil heated by geysers.4 Bananas do not grow on trees; instead, they are perennial plants, which grow repeatedly from the same root system. They are related to the orchid, lily, and palm families. Bananas are harvested green and ripened during the transportation process, and as soon as the banana stem is cut from the plant, ripening starts. Within 36 hours, the fruit is packed in boxes and loaded onto refrigerated ships, where the cool temperatures slow down the ripening process. The whole trip, from plantation to grocery store, takes about two weeks. The earliest recorded writings about the banana date from around 600 BC or earlier in India. There were several different varieties growing in the wild, all of which were inedible due to taste, and some varieties even made people ill. The Indian agriculturalists experimented with crossbreeding wild varieties of bananas, but while some of the resulting hybrids were edible, they were also sterile, which meant that the original plants needed to be crossbred each time someone wanted a new edible banana crop. Eventually, they came up with a hybrid that produced offshoots (suckers) that could be planted to grow into new plants full of sweet bananas. Between 400-300 BC, bananas found their way eastward with Alexander the Great and his armies. The banana appeared in Chinese literature around 200 AD and then migrated westward to Africa. From there, it likely hitched a ride in the ships of Spanish explorers to the Canary Islands, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and other parts of the western hemisphere. Along the way, other hybrid breeds were created. New varieties were also developed in China. Somehow, a Chinese banana made its way to Great Britain and became famous as the â€Å"Cavendish Banana,† named after an important English family. The Cavendish became the great granddaddy of all commercial bananas sold in the 21st century. In 2010, there were 300 different varieties of bananas worldwide, of which about 20 varieties are being grown commercially, mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In 2010, bananas were ranked third on the list of staple crops in the world after wheat and coffee, making them critical for economic and global food stability. Bananas are one of the biggest profitmakers in supermarkets. The average American eats 27 pounds of them every year. Europeans also love bananas. For example, in Sweden the per-capita consumption was 35 pounds. In Eastern Europe, consumption was growing strongly and had already reached 20 pounds per capita per annum. While bananas may simply be a humble fruit with a long history, the banana business creates serious environmental, economic, social, and political problems. Historically, the banana trade symbolized economic imperialism, injustices in the global trade market, and the exploitation of agriculture-dependent third-world countries.

Being a Farm Kid

Hick, backwards, redneck, stupid, bumpkin. These are all fine names given to persons that work to feed and clothe the world by certain persons who have no idea what they are talking about. However, there are some people that know very well what it really means to live the life of an agriculturalist. Those that know the best are the ones that have grown up on farms. Being a farm kid means that I know everyone within five miles of where I live. It also means knowing all of their quirks, and the quirks of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. By just hearing a last name, I can usually assume the character of that person. We also have to overlook those things at times for the sake of neighborliness. Neighborliness takes on many forms, be it pulling cars out of ditches or clearing driveways after snowstorms, to taking food to a neighbor after a death or illness. Being a farm kid also means having a sense of tradition. It’s being able to stand atop a windmill tower and see, in one broad glance, the farms where my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and I, myself, grew up. A true farm kid calls areas by long gone one-room schools and pieces of property by the families that farmed the land in their parents’ youth, such as â€Å"the Teiges’ place† or â€Å"north of Liberty Center School (which closed in the 1940’s).† I can also walk through the local cemetery and know 99% of the names. Not only that, but I can also pronounce the pure German, or other nationality, names that trip up even the best telemarketer. Being a farm kid instills me with a sense of pride. A true farm kid, while maybe a little ornery, will be a good person and a responsible citizen for the simple fact that a person should be. A farm kid finds the reaction people give when they figure out his dad has a master’s degree amusi ng. It also means taking pride in agriculture. A farm kid’s blood will almost always boil at the thought of animal activists and â€Å"pure food† yuppies. Being a farm kid means being spiritual. In addition to being spiritual, the church is often the central social hub for the community and plays a big part in rural life. Be it 5th Sunday dinners, weekly church services, or Vacation Bible School, a farm kid’s life would be incomplete without church. But a farm kid’s spirituality goes much further than just words on Sunday morning. Farming brings together human and earth more than any other profession. Whether it’s watching a summer storm roll across the northern part of the county from a hilltop, or running among the rows of wheat, soybeans, or milo, farm life constantly fills a person with wonder at the power of whatever being put this silly planet together. Being a farm kid means doing work. A farm kid may spend his weekends, summer, and free t ime doing any number of tasks, from helping with harvest to clearing brush out of a pasture. We are also expected to complete these things in a timely manner and with very little complaining. Farm kids will also find themselves at play amongst machinery and chemicals. They will soon learn to be safe, though, whether it’s by being yelled at for getting to close to the chainsaw or being told that the fly liquid that goes on the calves will kill you. I also learned that shorts mean scratched up legs, but I still wear them. Being a farm kid means living a hard life. At an early age, farm kids realize that death is a fact of life, whether it’s the calf that wasn’t born right or the raccoon that got in the hen house. At times, it feels like the little valley that I call home and have, on so many occasions, been glad to see, is like an enclosure keeping me there. Farm kids also learn early about finances because farm parents don’t try hard to keep talks about m oney behind closed doors. While most kids won’t have to hear about complete financial devastation, it can be a little frightening at times. When it comes to a social life, a farm kid’s is limited, at best, due to the seclusion of the country. My curfew is always 30 minutes sooner than what my parents say because it will take me at least that long to get home. There is also the age-old question for male farm kids: â€Å"Will you return to the farm?† Most kids don’t really decide what they will do when they grow up until their junior year of high school at the earliest, but farm kids are faced with this question from the time they can talk. And it’s no easy decision. While farm life isn’t easy, it offers a way of living that defines a person. The next time you hear a person talking about hicks or rednecks, remember that farm kids are normal people. We might live a hard life, but that we enjoy it. Oh, and you’d be naked and hungry witho ut us.

Electric Commerce and Applications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Electric Commerce and Applications - Essay Example In relation to this aspect four organizations i.e. DBS Bank Ltd, United Overseas Bank Limited, Lloyds TSB and Barclays Bank have been selected from the banking sector to recognize and to compare their privacy policies in comparison to certain recognized privacy protection features. The features of privacy protection in the websites help the organizations to keep their consumers’ and members’ information safe from any kind of threat. This aspect can largely ensure that consumer confidence towards a company’ website remains intact. A few of the recognised privacy protection features include proper maintenance of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), prevention of information from being disclosed to the third party, ensuring information security, upholding accountability of collected information, ensuring accuracy of the collected information and making use of the method disabling the cookies (Locke, n.d.). The privacy protection related features are described below that are quite crucial for a website to maintain. By ensuring compliance with these features a website can largely ensure that it is able to build a strong relationship with its consumer as well as its members. Personally Identifiable Information (PII): While dealing with the online trader, the organizations generally collect the personal information of the consumers before trading. The Personally Identifiable Information (PII) includes information regarding name, contract number, address and email id (Business Link, n.d.; Real Media, 2007). Disclosure of Information to Third Party: The collected consumer information is not shared with any third person. However, it is shared only at the time when the information is required by the law for inspection.

Feasibility study of cell-phone store in Riyadh,KSA Essay

Feasibility study of cell-phone store in Riyadh,KSA - Essay Example One such small enterprise that embraced this opportunity is KSA, a cell phone store, which operates in Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh. The cell phone store has continued to grow over the years, with rates almost equivalent to cell phones’ evolution. However, this enterprise is not exempt from external pressures, which affect virtually all business in Riyadh, among other places in Saudi Arabia. These external influences constitute the Saudi Arabian business environment, and they include aspects such as political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal considerations. In technical business terms these business environment elements make up a model referred to as PESTEL framework. With the remarkable evolution of cell phones in Saudi Arabia, KSA has to evolve in a similar trend, in order to conform to the surrounding environment and adapt to the ever changing business trends. Critically evaluating its external environment and taking proper measures t o exploit available opportunities while overcoming challenges encountered; will enable KSA to benefit extensively from the constantly growing demand for up-to-date mobile phones. Additionally, strategies made after extensively considering external business factors, will enable KSA to extend its operations beyond Riyadh, to rural townships that do not have direct access to stores where they can purchase trendy mobile phones (Latham and Watkins, 2010, p.6). Riyadh Business Overview It is important to make note of the fact that use of mobile phones, not only in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but also in the entire world has grown tremendously. Cellular phones are currently considered to be a crucial part of people’s social, as well as, business lives. Being an integral part of a person’s life implies that people have to buy phones thus guaranteeing constant business opportunities for establishments like KSA. For specificity, however, it is noteworthy to mention that, Saudi Arabia is currently ranked number one in terms of market size and fast growth, in the Middle East region. This ranking particularly focuses on the Kingdom’s demand for electronics and since Riyadh, is the Kingdom’s Capital city; businesses here are bound to benefit from this remarkable growth. Additionally Riyadh provides diverse opportunities in virtually every chief economic sector, thus offering individuals a suitable platform to benefit from Saudi Arabia’s strong economy which gains significantly from religious tourism and oil investments. Riyadh has excellent infrastructure, and since the Kingdom’s economy is largely diversified through sale of processed foodstuffs, petroleum products, and diversified agricultural practices; the city is undoubtedly a hub for foreign investors thus creating additional development opportunities for the small businesses. Further, Riyadh hosts numerous international business expos and shows, providing the small businesses with an opportunity to showcase their products, hence increasing

Disabled Entrepreneurs Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Disabled Entrepreneurs - Literature review Example A disability is a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired, relative to the usual standard of an individual or group. The term is used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, mental illness and various types of chronic disease. Furthermore, people with disability make up 20% of the total population of the poorest people in the world. There are 10 million individuals with disability in the UK alone, which comprises 18% of the total population of employed individuals (Wood et al., 2012: p. 146). A large number of disabled individuals have by now built opportunities or prospects for themselves by means of entrepreneurship. The advantages of entrepreneurship for these disabled people rest largely in their self-reliance and in the chance to engage in their own business decision-making, the capability to make their own timetable and pace, and the prevention of stereotypes and discrimination that are at times observed in the practise of recruitment, leading to underemployment or unemployment. Decreased transportation difficulties offered by home-based businesses are important advantages too. Disabled individuals usually face challenges, difficulties, or barriers when trying to embark on entrepreneurial projects, particularly in obtaining the resources or capital required for business start-ups, for they do not have the adequate resources or credit to fall back on as indemnity for a loan (Parker, 2009). This paper discusses the barriers confronted by disabled entrepreneurs and the possible measures that can be implemented to help disabled people become successful entrepreneurs and gain self-sufficiency and confidence. In certain instances, they may not possess the assets, knowledge, or information needed to formulate a business plan, a successful path to economic self-reliance

Difficulties Canadians Face if they do not Have a Perfect Command of Essay

Difficulties Canadians Face if they do not Have a Perfect Command of the English Language - Essay Example A major difficulty of people in Canada who do not have a good command of English is in terms of education. Most schools in Canada use English as the medium of instruction. If one does not speak, read or write English, how can one be educated in these schools? A good education is a prerequisite for a good job in the future; thus, it is important that one learns the English language to be able to be enrolled in the Canadian schools. Seeking employment will also be difficult for residents in Canada who are not fluent in English. With the onset of globalization, most employers would require knowledge of the English language among their employees. If there were two applicants for a job and one knows English while the other does not have a command of the language, most likely, the latter will not be taken in. Having a perfect command of the English language is always a plus factor in landing a job. Canadians who do not speak English are sometimes discriminated. Their personal and civic ide ntity is threatened because they are being judged according to the language they speak. (Churchill 28). This is another difficulty which the non-English speaking residents of Canada face. ... This resulted in the low productivity and morale of the factory workers. This problem has its corresponding effect on the Canadian economy and society (Abacus 1). A possible solution to the language problem is to revise the Canadian immigration point system, making language skills a priority (Abacus 1). It does not benefit Canada to accept doctors or other professionals if they do not have a functional knowledge of either French or English. In addition, a mandatory language testing may be given to immigrants after six months of stay in the country and the finalization of their immigrant status will depend partly on the results of the test (Abacus 1). Another recommendation to lessen the difficulties of Canadians with the English language is for the government to offer free English language training courses which are accessible. The government can set up these classes in community centers. It is advisable that these classes be set up in communities where there are a large number of no n-English speaking immigrants, as well as in communities where there are a lot of Canadian residents who cannot speak the language. The question though is whether the government will be willing to allocate funds for these classes especially for the immigrants who should not be a burden to the Canadian government. If the government cannot fund the English classes, then the private sector may choose to establish these classes and make them affordable. These may be done by companies through training programs for their non-English speaking employees. This can be viewed by these corporations as an investment in human resources because in the long-run, their company will also benefit from having English speaking employees. Another suggestion to people having difficulty communicating

Assignment list Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

List - Assignment Example The shopper describes that her love for shoes attracted her to a certain pair of shows that matched her mothers’ favorite, Prada. The price tag on the pair of shoes was $519.99 at the time of purchase and did not include offers as some other versions have. The shopper emphasizes that the only reason that attracted her to the shoes is because they looked so beautiful and she could not pass the chance of acquiring such exquisite pair of shoes. For this shopper it is evident that emotion played a major role in making the decision to purchase the pair of shoes. The association of the shoe design and brand with her mother’s attraction to the same shows that the shopper was acting emotionally rather than analytic. The shopper does not mention having been attracted to the pair of shoes by its perceived quality or the need to purchase the shoes. Shopper 2: International trends affect a range of individuals and especially customers that follow these trends. Shopper 2 bought the Samsung Galaxy Note4 at an online price of an unlocked device of $770. For a phone, the shopper feels like he spent too much but the same time explains that the decision to buy the Note 4 was a result of long hours or analysis of the functionality of different makes and brands. Since the shopper is an academic researcher, the choice to buy the costly device did not have any emotional attachment to it. The lack of emotional attachment is associated with the fact that the shopper had been sampling different devices and eventually settled for the Galaxy Note 4. 2. Think of a recent purchase that you believe included a significant amount of risk for you. What type(s) of risk were involved? How did you attempt to minimize risk? (If you did not attempt to minimize your risk, explain your thinking.) One of the most recent purchases did not involve a product; it rather involved buying a service. In order to be efficient in moving from work to school and then back home requires some form of

Are counter-intelligence and counter-espionage priorities mainly Essay

Are counter-intelligence and counter-espionage priorities mainly during major state-against-state geopolitical confrontations, a - Essay Example David Lonsdale has talked about this phenomenon by evoking the consequences of information technology.2 There have been a number of changes happening in the geopolitical relations that have changed the way, counter-espionage and counterintelligence operations are carried out. The changes have also transformed the time and space in which such acts are relevant. It was in this backdrop that in 1991, US had declared that new challenges were surfacing before the US counterintelligence, and had developed a National Security Strategy which said: Growing international economic competition and potential regional instabilities vastly broaden the scope of the potential intelligence threat. Our traditional openness, combined with recent changes in immigration laws and the sheer volume of information flow in the United States, affords great access to sensitive information and facilities as well as to individuals who may be targets for intelligence collection.3 Similarly, the formation of Europol in European Union was a step towards ensuring effective counterintelligence coordination within the EU nations.4 UK has also included US â€Å"among the prioritized country for a cooperation treaty with Europol.†5 All this refocusing and redesigning of intelligence activities represent a broader understanding of the changes that happen around. Counterintelligence operations have thus become more a round the clock activity than being a response to some existing or potential security threats. Researchers have been talking about the need for establishing an â€Å"international intelligence model†¦[which can]†¦establish shared concepts and procedures in the exchange of intelligence and common national and international intelligence work.†6 International counterespionage and counterintelligence activities and theories have to be discussed in the broader context of geopolitics. The term, ‘geopolitics’, is often used to understand international politic s and foreign policy matters.7 Henry Kissinger had equaled this concept with â€Å"global equilibrium and permanent national interests in the world balance of power.†8 Thus this concept is viewed as a prerequisite for maintaining global peace and well being. But usually, counterintelligence and counterespionage practices have also a trait to create global tensions as well. When these activities infringes upon the privacy and freedom of the citizens, criticism is bound to rise. For example, in the 1970s, FBI in America had pursued callous persecution of the Black radical activists and the American Indian Movement in the name of national security.9 Bruneau and Tollefson have also explained this aspect of counterintelligence by saying that, â€Å"counterintelligence and security intelligence activities have the greatest negative implications for democracy because of their covert surveillance of their citizenry.†10 Also, when the counterintelligence activity of a hostile n ation or agency is unearthed and the propagators are prosecuted, the hostilities may get enhanced. An interesting explanation on intelligence and counterintelligence has been that â€Å"one side’s intelligence failure is likely to be another side’s counterintelligence success. Conversely, an intelligence coup by one country implies a

Globalization as a Catalyst for Inaquality, Volatility and Division Essay

Globalization as a Catalyst for Inaquality, Volatility and Division - Essay Example Globalization is on the other hand blamed for the increase in the rich poor gap, environmental pollution and the threat to respect for human rights. The interconnectedness of the many countries of the world is multifaceted and multifarious. Some of the problems of globalization derive from economics while others do not. It is important to note though that whatever the cause of globalization, it has an impact on the reality of human life across the globe. Culture Clash Increasing globalization has led to the clash of many cultures across the globe which has proved to be detrimental in some instances. Trade agreements and international corporations are known to lead to a degradation of the environment, and diminish state sovereignty. The more developed countries have a culture of continuing growth which they wrongly assume the other countries have whereas they do not (Buckman, 2004:32). Many of the developing countries of the world contain an abundance of labor whereas the countries of the West have technological knowhow. An increase in globalization leads to multinationals spreading to developing countries. Since there is a large population in developing countries, demand for work is high which lead to increasing low wages and worker welfare. Globalization has led to the invention of technological inventions such as the internet and TV. These technological inventions are capable of eroding or destroying the culture of people. Since most of these technological inventions such as TV and radio are more oriented to Western lifestyles and culture, they would increase the instance of Western values and culture being adopted by other people around the globe at the expense of the erosion of their own local cultures. While popular opinion may not rate culture and identity very highly in terms of influencing economic conditions, a deeper study of culture shows the reverse is actually true. Globalization has led to the spread of Western economic systems wherein paid employ ment is becoming the norm all over the world. Some cultures especially in the developing world depended upon subsistence farming for their economic sustenance (Velmeyer, 2004: 76-87). Globalization has made many able bodied people to leave the farms and go to town to look for paid employment which has resulted to increasing cases of food shortages as a result of lack of Agricultural labor. Trade Liberalization Globalization has led to increase trade linearization and the removing of trade barriers. While trade linearization has been hailed as a good thing by economic experts, it presents some challenges which have resulted to feuds in the international community. Trade liberalization has been seen by many in the developing world as increasing poverty and inequality in these countries rather than helping them attain economic independence and wealth. This has been compounded by the International bodies such as IMF and Worlds Bank. Most of the international bodies such as World Bank an d the WTO have been accused of only making rules that favor the most developed countries. A good example is the refusal by the developed rich countries of Europe and the USA to offer incentives to developing countries through preferential trade agreements preferring to give aid instead. International bodies have also been accused of interfering in the internal affairs of countries in which they offer financial aid. For instance the World Bank in 1990 froze aid to Kenya until the Kenya

American Airlines Essay Example for Free

American Airlines Essay 1. Issues 2. American Airlines objectives 3. The airline industry 4. Market 5. Consumer needs 6. Brand image 7. Distribution system 8. Pricing 9. Marketing related strategies 10. Assumptions and risks 1- Issues The main issue of this case is the lack of profits of the airline industry, an industry that should be more than profitable due to the large amount of customers, the necessity of using airlines services and the high prices charged by most of these airlines. What we are going to deal with is, why is this happening? And how is American airlines dealing with this problem?. To be able to discuss how American airlines wants to regain profitability, we must identify and analyse different issues such as, the companys background, the airline industry as a whole, the demand for air travel, the marketing strategies, the distribution systems, pricing policies etc. 2- American Airlines objectives American Airlines prime objective is to bring back value to air travel, through stimulating business travel, lowering prices etc. So in other words American Airlines main objective is to become as profitable as possible. To understand better the companys objectives we first have to focus on the companys background, this way we will find out why the airline is not as profitable as it should, and what kind of a change is needed. American Airlines had been the largest airline in the United States for a long time. In 1990 and 1991 due to a recession and the Gulf War, demand for air travel dropped drastically, for this reason, fare wars started and all the airlines incurred massive losses. 3- The Airline industry and the market The airline industry is large, specially in the United States, mainly due to the Deregulation of the industry. In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Board was created to control the growth of the air transportation industry. This board had the authority to control entry, exit, prices and methods of competition. In the late 1970 this structure was found inefficient and in 1978 deregulation took place. Due to the deregulation of the industry competition intensified, prices dropped, and the number of people travelling increased. Many new companies  emerged and regional airlines saw deregulation as an opportunity to expand. Due to the rise in competition, by 1986 mergers started to take place and in 1987 64.8% of the market was controlled by the four largest airlines. The demand for air travel is determined mainly by price, studies revealed that half of the leisure travellers and on quarter of business travellers did not have a preference for a particular airline, which means that prices determined the preference. So the strategy to compete for customers consisted mainly in pricing and flight schedules. The demand for flights varies depending on the season or the business cycle therefore airlines have to develop different pricing strategies and offers depending on the season or the business cycle period. An other determinant for demand is technology, the new telecommunication possibilities have made air travelling unnecessary in some cases, which of course has affected airlines revenues. 4- Consumer needs. Consumer needs are clear, what airline consumers need is basically god prices and good flight schedules. These are the basic needs, apart from these ones we could also point out other needs such as big, comfortable seats for long flights, good service on board, good food, punctual departures, check-in facilities, movie channels, etc. All these are consumer needs, but studies have shown that demand is mainly determined by price and a flight schedules, the rest just add value to these two, therefore companies must focus on ways to lower prices and provide good flight timetables. There are two types of travellers, business travellers and leisure travellers, these two of course have different needs, for the first ones price is not so important because usually the company pays for it on the other hand punctuality and flight schedules are very important to them. For leisure travellers the most important thing is usually price, and the rest comes after that. But as I said before consumer needs can be summarised in these to price and schedules. 5- Brand image American Airlines brand image is good, due to its successful background and its new marketing strategies. In 1991 American Airlines was the biggest airline in the United States, and the reason for it is that this airline was pioneer in many fields gaining competitive advantage over the other airlines. When deregulation took part in 1978, American transformed in  such a way that it became the industrys market share leader. American had also pioneered several policies that affected the industrys structure and standard practices. In the late 1960s, American introduced the first computerised airline reservation system, which revolutionised the marketing and distribution of the travel industry. American also introduced the super saver fares in 1977, which was the first programme of deep discounts for leisure travellers, and in 1981, American launched the first frequent-flier programme, which created brand loyalty towards the airline. American Airlines is constantly developing new strategies, and introducing new technologies, and this is why its brand image is so high. Some of the new innovations that American Airlines is introducing are, the any time fares for business, new plan ahead for leisure, lower first class fares, etc. 6- The distribution system The main distribution system for air travel is the travel agent, which provides not only the flight ticket, but also supplementary services such as car rentals, hotels, excursions, etc. Airlines ask the agents to make reservations and deliver tickets. There is a difference in the distribution of tickets for business travellers and leisure travellers. Leisure travellers deal always with the agent, but for business travellers sometimes the airlines make deals directly with the companies. Airlines also make special offers to large corporate buyers, like price discount for frequent flier travellers, or quantity discounts. Nowadays there are other distribution systems, such as on line booking, and airlines home delivery tickets. 7- Pricing After the deregulation, pricing policies changed drastically, airlines started to offer a wide variety of fares discounted below the regular price. These discount were accompanied by several restrictions such as advanced booking, no refund, no changing dates, etc. Therefore people unwilling to meet these restrictions paid a higher price. At American Airlines management was viewed as selling the right seat to the right person, this means that they search for ways to find out who is willing to pay a higher price, and how can they make him pay a higher price. By 1991, the industrys pricing structure had become enormously complex. Americans flights involved maintaining 500,000 fares. By late 1991 93% of the tickets  were sold at one kind of a discount or another. And the average discount was 63%. Due to the complex pricing structure American developed the value pricing plan. This plan consisted in: First for any given flight there would be only four different fares. Second, all fares would be mileage-related, and finally, the new fares were set below the levels of comparable existing fares so lower prices would be available to more business and leisure travellers. 8- Marketing related strategies Some the marketing strategies carried out by American Airlines have been: -Computerised reservation Systems: This system changed the industrys marketing and distribution systems. This system stored information about, flights, seats availability and fares. Which made the booking and distribution a lot easier. CRS systems gave American Airlines a great competitive advantage over the other airlines, as booking fees by CRS enabled American to earn substantial amounts from its competitors. -Hubbing: With hubbing, flights from various origins on spokes of the network are channelled through an intermediate location, where they change planes and are re-routed to their final destination. This way the airline can serve more locations with fewer planes. -Frequent Flyer programmes: These programmes provide discounts or bonuses to frequent travellers. The value of the bonuses increase as the mileage flown increase, the bonuses can take various forms such as, fare reductions, upgrades to better classes or even free tickets. 9- Assumptions and risks In my opinion all of this strategies are brilliant, the only risk I see is in hubbing, customers sometimes dont want spend additional time changing planes, there is the risk of missing connecting planes, luggage may get lost, etc. In the rest of the strategies I dont see any risks what so ever.

Historical Origins of Social Work Essay Example for Free

Historical Origins of Social Work Essay Essay: In what ways do the historical origins of social work influence the current profession in Ireland? In order to provide an in-depth discussion on how the historical origins of social work have influenced the current nature of the profession in Ireland, it is important for me to provide a specific understanding of what the term denotes. Defined by Smale, Tuson and Statham (2000; 5), ‘social work is about the interventions made to change social situations so that people who need support or are at risk can have their needs met more appropriately than if no intervention were made’. Morales and Sheafor (1977) state that ‘professional social workers are dedicated to service for the welfare and self-realisation of human beings; to the disciplined use of scientific knowledge regarding human and societal behaviour, to the development of resources to meet individual, group, national and international needs and aspirations; and to the achievement of social justice’. Many individuals, other than field social workers and including all those who work in residential, day care and domiciliary care, otherwise known as social care or care workers are all involved in different types of social work. The Emergence of Social Work According to Sheldon and Macdonald (2009, p.19), ‘the term ‘social work’ was first used in Britain at the end of the nineteenth century’. During this era, people practiced social work in an attempt to establish more realistic ways of overcoming social distress as opposed to relying on traditional forms of charity work and philanthropy. Skehill (1999) and Darling (1972) state that Irish social work shares many traditional aspirations of social work elsewhere, such as in Britain and Finland and has been influenced by such countries. However, it is also shaped by the particular nature of Ireland’s society and by key political processes within the country over the past centuries. Albeit Ireland ‘industrialising’ at a different rate in comparison to England and elsewhere, key features of modern society such as: the growth in expert knowledge in relation to individuals and the family, the emanation of new expert professionals and the emergence of a liberal form of government do appear to have had an impact on shaping Irish social work (Skehill, 1999). Earlier forms of social work in Ireland evolved from religious motives which included the giving of alms and the giving of service. Skehill (1999) highlights that the relationship between the  religious bodies and their concern with the provision of charitable relief is of great importance, with the rivalry between Catholic and Protestant charities being the most significant aspect of the religious base of charities in the 19th century. Down through the years, Ireland has been a place where individuals have been ‘inspired by a sense of vocation and largely guided by intuition’ (Darling, 1972; 24). Such individuals have endeavoured to alleviate the pain and suffering of the casualties within our society. An example of such heroic bodies in Ireland includes ‘Mary Aikenhead, daughter of a Cork doctor and founder of the Order of Irish Sisters of Charity, who began prison visiting in Dublin 1821’ (Darling, 1972; 24). The 19th century is ‘characterised by a whole plethora of charitable activities relating to education, health and welfare’ (Skehill, 1990). In England, social work began with the identification, categorisation and organisation of various charities, which is most evident in the work of the Charitable Organisation Society. The COS evolved in 1869 and was primarily known as the Society for Organising Charitable Relief and Repressing Mendicity. This charitable body had a specific aim of attempting to address the disconnectedness between philanthropic organisations and bring these bodies together under some coherent umbrella (Skehill, 199). Over the same period of time (19th century), no such major body for social work existed in Ireland, however at the beginning of the 20th century the Irish state saw an attempt to standardise charity within the country. Notably, the nature of social work in Ireland is highlighted by the ‘link between philanthropy and its broader cultural and political discursive field, the relations between religion and charity, the gendered nature of practices, and the individualistic approach to soc ial problems’ (Skehill, 1990). Although, social work progressed to a greater extent in the 20th century, one could argue that some of the most defining characteristics of its current shape in society could be accredited to its earlier presence in the 19th century (Skehill, 1990). For example, social work in Ireland continues to be a practice that is primarily interested in assisting the less well off in society, with families and children being a key target for social work intervention and practice remaining individualistic. Also, the profession has continued to function traditionally based on caring for and overlooking the clients of its service (Skehill, 1990). Because of this, it  is important to look at certain aspects of philanthropy in 19th century Ireland in order to explore the charitable works’ contribution to the present day social work strategy (Skehill, 1990). Although social work began to emerge in the 19th century, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that a coherent strategy o f social work developed (Skehill, 1990). What is significant about social work in the early 20th century is that it continued to be characterised by continuities in voluntary charity work and developed towards a more ‘strategic and structured practice of professional social work’ (Skehill, 1990; 61). However, throughout this era, social work also expanded due to a dual process of development between interacting strands of cultural, political, intellectual and institutional progression. This dual process of development includes ‘the emergence of training and education for social workers and the continued expansion of untrained social work’ within charitable bodies (Skehill, 1990; 97). The pattern of social work training that established in the 20th century persisted in the following decades, with the continuation of an individual focus, home visiting, in-depth inquiries and concentration on the poor, women and children remaining to be at the core of its’ practice. In Ireland, the health and welfare service continued to develop in the mid-20th century and as a result, had a crucial influence on the evolution of social work within this period. There was a decrease in the influence of the Catholic Church, professional training and employment for social workers increased and the State developed a greater role in the provision of social services which led to increasing opportunities for the development of social work. According to Darling (1971), formal social work training in Ireland began in 1899, when Reverend R.M. Gwynn established an association in Trinity College Dublin, with a primary aim of promoting the study of poverty. ‘The establishment of the Civic Institute of Ireland in 1914 marks a significant step in the evolution of social work in Ireland’ (Skehill, 1999; 91). The main aim of this society was the ‘study and investigation of all questions and problems affecting the lives of the Irish public in their capacity as citizens or as inhabitants of a city, urban or rural area of Ireland’ (Civic Institute of Ireland, 1914 in Skehill, 1999; 91). Bibliography * Considine, M. and Dukelow, F. (2009) Irish Social Policy: A critical introduction, Dublin: Gill Macmillan Ltd. * Sheldon, B. and MacDonald, G. (2009) Textbook of Social Work, London: Routledge. * Skehill, C. (1999a): The Nature of Social Work in Ireland, a Historical Perspective, Lewiston, USA: Edwin Mellen Press. * Morales, A. and Sheafor, B.W. 1977. Social Work: A Profession of Many Faces. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Inc. * Darling, V. (1971) ‘Social Work in the Republic of Ireland’. Social studies, Irish Journal of Sociology, 1(1)24-37. *

Factors Affecting Changes in Urban Temperature

Factors Affecting Changes in Urban Temperature 1.1 Urban Climatology Urban climatology is a branch of  climatology  that examines interactions between the urban  area and the weather conditions around it, their impacts on each other, and the different spatial and temporal scales at which these interactions occur. There are many differences between the urban and rural climates; these differences generally include the quality of the air as well as the wind and rainfall patterns. However, the most observable difference is the  Urban Heat Island  (UHI) effect which represents the temperature difference between the rural and urban sites. This field’s main implementation is its use for optimal urban design and planning of cities [21]. Urban areas have a significant effect on the overlying air due to a variations in the nature of surface cover (urban form) and emissions of heat, water vapor and materials that are involved human activities (urban function). Although the urban-rural differences have been recognized for a long period of time, only recently urban climatology has started collecting actual urban observations, developing urban models and validating these models using the required data. 1.1.1 Urban Heat Island Effect Urban warming, also called ‘Urban Heat Island’ effect (UHI), is a well-established phenomenon. The intensity of the UHI has been measured essentially as being the temperature difference between rural and urban locations. Many studies have been conducted in order to quantify the UHI in large cities, mainly in Europe and other areas [16]. This phenomenon is considered as a representation of all the microclimatic differences caused by man-made modifications of the urban surface (Landsberg, 1981). The Urban Heat Island effect was first identified in 1820 by Luke Howard who noticed that in London, urban temperatures were higher by 3.7 °F at night and lower by 0.34 °F during the day compared to the rural surroundings. The intensity of Heat island varies depending on the density of the urban area, with the highest values of UHI being found in the most densely built areas. Moreover, in cities located in the high-latitude region, and having relatively cold weather, heat islan ds are considered as an advantage since it contributes to a reduction in heating loads; however, in cities located in mid- and low-latitude regions, heat islands are a major source of outdoor thermal discomfort for the urban population, and indoor thermal discomfort of buildings’ occupants (and consequently higher indoor cooling loads), especially in the summer period [22]. On the other hand, there is a phenomenon called the urban cool island (UCI) which is an opposite effect to the UHI, where urban areas are found to be colder than the rural arid (desert) surrounding environments. The UCI is the highest during the daytime, where the effect of increased shading (from buildings) and evapotranspiration (from artificial, man-made water bodies and vegetation) in urban areas contributes to some reduction in local temperatures compared to the unshaded rural arid surroundings. This phenomenon is mainly found in countries where rural areas are primarily deserts, such as the case of the UAE [19]. As a matter of fact, the UHI intensity is influenced by the location of the urban, as well as by the climate regime, season and synoptic patterns [36]. Evidently, UHI shows higher intensities during the summer season due to the larger amounts of solar radiation received by the surface and leading to higher absorption and release of heat through urban structures compared to the winter period [37]. 1.1.1.1 Factors Affecting Urban Temperature Generation of UHI UHI is the results of the interactions among several factors which can be classified as controllable and uncontrollable factors as shown in Fig.4. Figure 4. Generation of Urban Heat Island (UHI) [xx] The uncontrollable factors of UHI include climatic variables (synoptic scale) and weather conditions (local scale) such as air speed and cloud covers. Some studies show that the UHI is negatively correlated with wind speed and cloud cover (Kim and Baik, 2005; Oke, 1982). The controllable factors include urban design and structure related variables such as vegetation, building construction material, and sky view factor and population related variables such as anthropogenic heat sources (power plants, automobiles, air-conditioners). The main source of heat produced and enclosed in an area originates from the sun which emits this heat in the form of solar radiation. The major energy conservation and heat transfer processes (through conduction, convection and radiation) have a dominant role in the heat exchange within an urban area. The structures that are located in the canopy layer level, such as walls, roofs and green spaces absorb and reflect solar radiation in different ways. The ab sorption and storage of solar radiation (in the form of heat energy) occurs from sunrise till sunset, then the environment starts cooling down. The stored heat energy in urban structures is then released to the surrounding environment, based on the sky view factor and the building material of these urban structures. An urban area is typically characterized by a decreased sky view (due to the presence of obstructing buildings), as a result, the ability of heat release by long-wave radiation is reduced in all cities, leading to high heat storage in building surfaces. Surface absorptivity, which is a thermal property of any material, represents the fraction of total incident light that is effectively absorbed by a surface, and is believed to be high in cities and is considered to be one of the main reasons of UHI. Moreover, as a result of the lack of vegetation in most of the cities, latent heat due to evapotranspiration is also reduced in these areas. Convective heat removal and trans fer by wind are also found to be negatively affected by the high roughness of structures in urban areas. In addition, air pollutants that are found in polluted urban areas, are able to capture and re-radiate long wave radiation and obstruct the resulting radiative surface cooling. This leads to the formation of a greenhouse-like effect, causing UHI. Furthermore, the magnitude of UHI has been positively correlated with the size of the urban population of a city in some studies (Hung et al., 2005), while it was found to have be independent of urban population density in other studies (Kim and Baik, 2004). Hung et al. (2005) have found a maximum UHI of 8 °C in the city of Bangkok where the population is of 11 million, while they have observed a maximum UHI of 7 °C in the city of Shanghai where the population density reaches 12.55 million. The population affects heat generation in 2 ways: directly, as an increased density of people results in increased human metabolisms; and indirec tly, as an increased population is typically correlated with a higher number of buildings and vehicles, as well as an increased industrial activity and pollutants concentration [18]. To summarize the factors affecting the UHI, Oke et al.[7] indicates the following key factors: a decrease in radiative heat loss (canyon effect), an increase in thermal storage within the buildings of the urban areas, the release of anthropogenic heat, the reduction of evaporative cooling and turbulent heat transfer in street canyons, in addition to some other minor factors [4]. Following is a list of the factors affecting urban temperature City Scale (S: Site Area in meter square) The UHI is believed to be more intense in large cities where the cumulative effect of the urban warming of numerous street canyons is combined and increases the intensity of the UHI compared to cities of a smaller scale. Thermal Properties of the Construction Material (surface absorptivity (m) and albedo) of Buildings and of the Street Surface Material A study that was conducted in Singapore in order to investigate the most important factors causing the UHI, found that the buildings’ facade materials and colors had a significant impact on the local climate by increasing the temperature in the center of a canyon by up to 2.5 °C, in the case where the facade material had high surface absorptivity (Rajagopalan et al, 2008) [22]. Geometry Orientation of the urban area, includes Building Density (FA/S), Aspect Ratio (the ratio of the Height of Building over the Width of Street), and the Orientation of the street canyon, relative to the incident solar radiation. Urban geometry has a major role in the heat build-up in urban areas. Urban canyon can be designed in a way that improves natural ventilation within the city, hence enhancing heat release. Moreover, the orientation of a street canyon has the key role in determining the quantity of solar radiation that the canyon surfaces receive [22]. As the aspect ratio increases, shading increases, and air temperatures subsequently decrease, especially during some hours of the day [31]. Vegetation The evapotranspiration process from vegetation is another means of urban surfaces cooling, especially in mid and low latitudes having warm arid climatic conditions. Urban areas having abundant impervious surfaces have usually more runoff water than their rural surroundings. The runoff water quickly drains and less surface water becomes available for evapotranspiration in the long run, consequently influencing the urban surface energy balance. This results in a decreased evapotranspiration rate in urban areas which is a main contributor in higher daytime temperatures [22]. Anthropogenic Heat (population density, Number of cars, HVAC system): It mainly originates from heat emissions coming from vehicles and air conditioners. Even though indoor cooling (using air conditioners) improves the indoor thermal comfort of residents in a building, the waste heat dissipated into the outside environment negatively affects the outdoor urban thermal environment. Studies show that air conditioners can cause significant heat accumulation (Chow et al, 2000). Nevertheless, this issue is currently addressed by implementing central air-conditioning systems in many commercial buildings of major cities. Using this method, the heat dissipation takes place using cooling towers (Kikegawa et al, 2003; Kolokotroni et al, 2006) [22].

Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation Essay -- Business, Aerospa

Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation is a leading provider of Aerospace hardware. They specialize in the design and development in imaging and precision attitude control. Ball Aerospace and DigitalGlobe have been working together since the mid 90’s and Ball has been a key partner in meeting the increased demand for earth imaging and enhancing the geospatial information market. With the success of QuickBird, which was launched in 2001, images as small as 2 feet can be identified. Because of this, the two Companies merged their technologies and started working towards higher resolution capabilities in the aerospace industry. That is how WorldView 1 and WorldView 2 were designed and built. They launched in 2007 and 2009 respectively and are currently in a low earth orbit. Once again DigitalGlobe will be the customer for an additional WorldView (3) , which was awarded to Ball Aerospace and ITT in August of 2010 and the expectations of the satellite are much greater th an the previous two WorldView spacecrafts (De Selding, 2010). Ball is currently in the production phase of WorldView 3, which has an anticipated launch date of 2014-2015. Once complete, it will have the highest resolution camera on a remote sensing satellite in the commercial sector. WorldView 3 is expected to provide DigitalGlobe with higher resolution images much quicker than WorldView 1 or 2. This can be largely attributed to emerging technology and modifications made to the two previous WorldView satellite designs. With minimal changes in design, WorldView 3 can provide images to several government and commercial customers to help with things such as: national defense, land mapping and natural relief. After WorldView 1 was launched in 2007, it ... ...e imagery and also national defense purposes. The impact of all three WorldView satellites has been phenomenal to satellite technologies around the world. Arial views of the earth have come to great lengths in providing customers with fast, clear images. WorldView 1 and 2 has been able to provide commercial businesses and the government with a new technology that can capture images very close to the ground and with high resolution. The demand for the high resolution imagery is so great; DigitalGlobe is already in preliminary discussions about adding a fourth satellite (WorldView 4) to its constellation. The remote sensing spacecraft industry will continue to be an emerging technology for years to come. I would venture to say the aerospace industry in general could also be viewed as an emerging technology as competition in the industry continues to grow.

Gladiator Essay -- essays papers

Gladiator Directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator is an epic tale of honor, love, loyalty and power. If you could only see two movies a year make Gladiator one of them. It is full of action, adventure, drama, deceit and love. Russell Crowe plays the Roman General, Maximus, who heads the Roman Army in their conquers of Europe and Africa under the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Maximus has served Rome for â€Å" two years, 264 days and this morning,† and is anxiously awaiting his release by the emperor so that he may go home and be with his dearly missed wife and son. But Maximus is more than a general to Aurelius, he is the son he should of had and the needed successor to the emperor. Aurelius has known that his true son, the devious, cold, and twisted Commodus, played by Joaqui...

Plagiarism and Computers :: Cheating Education Essays

Plagiarism and Computers missing works cited What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is defined in the dictionary as "appropriating as one’s own the writing, ideas, etc. of another". Plagiarism.org goes into more detail when it defines plagiarism as "the improper use, or failure to attribute, another person's writing or ideas (intellectual property). It can be as subtle as the inadvertent neglect to include quotes or references when citing another source or as blatantly unethical as knowingly copying an entire paper verbatim and claiming it as your own work." I believe they make this longer definition on a web page because plagiarism has become a bigger problem since the creation of the Internet. The Internet is a fast easy way to cheat on papers and ideas. It is incredibly simple to download entire term papers for free or for a small fee. Sometimes you don’t have to pay for a complete essay. Sometimes submitting your own essay is all you need to do to gain someone else’s work. Term paper mills have become a popular activity among high school and college students. If you look up forgery-encouraging web pages, it is easy to see that there are many options for getting effortless information and material off of the Internet. What are the Consequences? The consequences of appropriation can be severe. Even on this paper’s guidelines, the punishment for plagiarism is either failing the class or dismissal from the university, depending on the severity of the piracy. In several of my classes, forgery results in failing the work that you plagiarized for. Many teachers do not appropriately check for fraudulence in work. They don’t feel that they have the time for checking each paper individually for copied information. I can understand how this would seem more work than it is worth in most instances, but catching a few plagiarists per class and publicly punishing them would help maintain class integrity. The rest of the class would be forewarned against further cheating. Boston University has filed a lawsuit against a few of the Internet term paper companies. There is no guarantee that the university will win the lawsuit. It is quite a bit like the lawsuit Metallica filed against the piracy of the web program Napster. There was a lot of publicity about Napster because it was a file-sharing program that some artists claimed hurt their album sales. The sharing of music on the Internet paired with the new technology of CD burners can have an impact on the music market because people will burn their own CDs rather than paying the ridiculously high prices for them.

Gender determination Essay

When an individual is born, he or she has male or female sexual organs and this determines the sex of that individual and consequently how the society expects that person to behave. Gender is different however, in that it transcends the simple biological explanation of why one is a boy and another is a girl. This paper will focus on what makes one a girl putting aside the fact that one was born one. It will also look at the possibility of an individual being born a girl but changing to become a boy. How and why this is done is also part of the discussion. Gender is described as â€Å"the socially constructed roles, behaviour, activities and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women† (http://www. who. int). This means that to be masculine or feminine depends on a society and not only on the sexual organs that one is born with. Once an individual is born, the society teaches him or her how to behave according to the expectations that specific society has for an individual belonging to his or her particular sex. Every society has some roles that are assigned to male and female members of the society and this determines whether one is male or female. The question then becomes whether one is born with his or her gender or this is learned from the society that one grows in. In my own case, attending a girl’s school determined my becoming feminine and thus becoming a girl despite the fact that I was born a girl. In the school, only girls were around and thus were the only role models that I had. This meant that I only had other girls to emulate in my behaviour and my peers were also girls so together we all aspired to be better girls. The teachers we had were also keen on ensuring that we were trained on how girls should behave in certain occasions and also which aspects were to be admired in a girl and which were abhorrent in a female. This shows that one can be trained to become feminine or masculine but it is important to note that it is not always so. This can be demonstrated by the number of girls who would get into trouble with the teachers for playing truant yet this was supposed to be an undesirable trait for girls and hence was dissuaded. These girls were given the same training as all their peers yet tended to behave differently causing one to question whether gender is completely determined by the society (Morrow 1991). Despite the question that is posed above, it is clear that girls who are educated in girl’s only schools are usually more feminine than those who attend mixed schools. This is because those in mixed schools are not controlled as much as those in girls only schools. The environment they are reared in leans more towards femininity and thus tends to discourage any behaviour that is seen to be masculine. The lack of an alternative form of behaviour leads to their feminine behaviour although some will try deviate by doing what they think others are doing elsewhere (Askew & Davey 2005). This then leads to the question whether or not one can change from being a girl into a boy? Apart from the biological way, culture has two different ways of changing an individual’s gender. This can either be done by changing the culture one has been brought up in or by being brought up in an environment that emphasises the behaviour of the opposite sex (Watney 1994). Since gender is determined by the roles that a society assigns to each sex, ones gender can change depending on the culture one finds him or herself in at a particular time. Roles assigned to the sexes by different cultures differs and are interchanged whereby roles assigned to women in one culture may be assigned to men in another culture. In this way a male in one culture may be seen to be feminine in another thus changing a male into a female or vice versa. Another way that one can change ones gender is by rearing a girl in a male environment. The girl tends to adopt the masculine behaviours exhibited by her male counter parts as has been witnessed by the women who venture into fields assumed to be the male domain. This is in politics and business where women who succeed in these environments are seen to be more masculine than feminine thus changing their gender to becoming more male than female (Miller, Lewy & Peckham1997). In conclusion, it is correct to say that an individual’s gender is not only determined by his or her sex but also by the culture that they have grown in. the roles that a culture assigns to an individual are used to determine femininity and masculinity of members of the society. It is possible for ones gender to be changed depending on which community one is in. Roles assigned depending on an individuals sex change according to the society. Furthermore, the environment one is in influences the behaviour one has thus influencing the gender that one belongs to. Reference 1. Askew J. & Davey M. 2005, Sex Acts: Practices of Femininity and Masculinity, Archives of Sexual Behaviour Vol. 34, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks 2. Gender, World health organization retrieved on 13th April 2009 from http://www. who. int/topics/gender/en 3. Miller J. B. , Lewy J. & Peckham E. 1997, Context Effects on Self-Perceptions of Feminine and Masculine Quantities, Sex: A Journal of Research Vol. 37 4. Morrow F. 1991, Unleashing Our Unknown Selves: An Inquiry into the Future of Femininity and Masculinity, Praeger Publishers 5. Watney S. 1994, Aphrodite of the Future, Artforum International Vol. 32

Bp Oil Spill

Television if full of advertisement and propaganda. As well as the internet with advertisement popups and clips on the sides of every webpage. Propaganda is information put out by an organization or government to promote and idea or cause. Many of these are misleading and bias, trying to make you believe in the same things they do and convince you to participate in whatever cause they are in. Think about some of the commercials you seen on television such as news reports, movies, political ads, and recall ads. The most memorable to me are recall ads such as lawyers making announcements for medicines and compensation. As well as when election time comes around and all of the runners are putting their names out there. Also, every day, watching the news on new crimes going on in the world and previews for my next favorite movie. Those are all different techniques of propaganda. The purpose of me writing this essay is to show you the propaganda in a simple informative commercial or newscast. My main focus will be on the BP oil spill. The first sociology theory I will compare with is symbolic interactionism. Symbolic interactionism is the use of symbols or face to face interaction. The way that this relates to the BP oil spill is the way that the owner of the company, Kenneth R. Fineburg, said that he was going to help and compensate the victims of the oil spill. Commercials and speeches were made about his plans to pay back for the damage and loss of wages that his company had caused the Gulf of Mexico and victims. The second theory will be functionalism. Functionalism is the relationship between parts of society. In this situation, the society came together and fought to be compensated to get their lost wages back. Claiming they have mortgages, bills, car payments, and children to pay for and they have not been working in 8 months. Citizens of the affected area appeared on news cast and commercials were made explaining their situations, trying to reach out to someone that they needed help. The last theory is the conflict theory. Conflict theory means competition of scarce resources or the elite control the poor and weak. This relates to this situation as the big man, Mr. Fineburg, having the money and resources to help the people out with their lost wages. As, well his colleagues were trying to tell him that he was over compensating the victims. They had all of the control over whether or not the victims were going to be able to get paid and bailed out of this mess that one man was responsible for. In conclusion, propaganda was used in ways to reach out to people about the real problems going on in the Gulf of Mexico during the time of the BP oil spill. I used the 3 main theories of sociology to compare how each of them relates to the oil spill. The rich over powering the poor, how society came together to get help, and the interaction between the people when the word needed to be put out. RESOURCE Schwartz, J. (2011, February 17). Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog. Retrieved from http://gulfofmexicooilspillblog. com/2011/02/17/gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-blog-bp-propaganda/ Bp Oil Spill BP OIL SPILL Under the Deepwater Horizon, an offshore drilling ring of British Petroleum (BP) caused an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident occurred on April 20th 2010, where equipment failed and caused the explosion sinking the ring, and causing the death of 11 workers and more than 17 workers injured. The British based energy company also faced other problems at the site of the oil spill. More than 40 million gallons (estimated data) of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico.Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a very serious threat for the wildlife as it causes water pollution. The oil spill effected many coastal areas in the US, like the Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. The oil spill disaster strongly damaged wildlife cycle in the Gulf of Mexico, and many species were thrown into extinction. Similarly, thousands of businesses were thrown into extinction. Many people has questioned the ethical decisions and core value system that BP used to cut corners with the acc ident; namely, the race to maximize profits at all costs.We are all aware that one of the main causes that let to the disaster were the result of bad decisions, in which a less expensive option (whether to run a test or use a particular kind casing pipe, for example) would save lives. There has been â€Å"zero dollars spent on research concerning how to handle oil spills for off-shore drilling by BP despite the company's NET profits – above and beyond all salaries, bonuses, or overhead costs- of more than $59 BILLION† (â€Å"The Rachel Maddow Show† on MSNBC, aired at 7 p. m.EST on June 28, Monday). The paperwork submitted to the U. S. Minerals Management Services (MMS) by BP in 2008 was 582 pages long, supposedly covering all of BP's operations in the Gulf of Mexico. However, they omitted their ability to deal with oil spills in a worst-case scenario just to get their permits for drilling. Another very unethical act by BP was when President Obama was scheduled t o visit Louisiana back than, BP hurriedly â€Å"hired† temporary workers and handed out gear (paper haz-mat uniforms, etc. , but told these temps not to talk to anyone. As soon as all the TV cameras and the president's motorcade left the area, these â€Å"for show only† hires immediately stopped working (a local government official took photos and attempted to question a few, who advised him they were â€Å"not supposed to talk to anyone, on BP's orders†). They did not come back on the following day or any day thereafter.On the zero dollars spent for developing back-up systems, BP informed â€Å"The Rachel Maddow Show's† representative that they â€Å"rely† on an organization which they claimed â€Å"does spill research† even though the investigators from the show discovered the organization named by BP does not receive any money from BP nor do they do research for ways to stop oil spills. In other words, BP was unethical and lied again. Thi s British Petroleum is listed as the fourth wealthiest corporation in the entire world, and yet they lie about the extent of their spill.They fudged figures and information (against the law) in order to get a license to drill in American waters, they did not even bother to change the batteries for the system they claimed was their â€Å"back-up†. BP, as most oil companies (and other business), are aimed at making as much money as possible. In this case because of the big cover up the media did, BP was forced to fix the problem, and it is a problem that its costing them major money, both through clean up and lost product. BP has so far committed $42 billion to cleaning up.I really hope that BP (and other companies) learned the lesson, that cutting corners and cost reduction is not the only point that organizations should focus on. It is not safe to cut corners and presume that things will not happen. Make ethical decision, have back up plans, and ‘worst case scenarioâ₠¬â„¢ preparation. If BP would be more ethical and do the right things either by using the latest safety precautions when drilling (not cutting corners, and reducing costs), and moving faster and more dynamically when the disaster occurred, they could have avoided billions in cleanup and damages that they faced and are still facing now.The BP oil spill has offered a moment for reflection for leaders around the world about their most basic beliefs. To many people, the BP oil spill has brought home the idea that future corporate leaders must develop personal ethical standards for making decisions that go beyond just a financial calculation. There are plenty of business practices that are legal, but fall short in being ethical. But I believe being ethical does pay off, slowly and steadily. You may lose some opportunities, but your reputation and self-perception is invaluable.

Compare and Contrast the Marketing Strategies of Li Ning

English Language Centre Cover Sheet | Draft| X| Course Work Submission| Put an X in the box to show whether this is a draft or a credit-bearing coursework assignment Full Name (in pinyin)| | Yinqin Wang| English Name (optional)| | | ID Number| 1101133| Class (e. g. Y2_EEE_A1)| Y2_BAD_A2| Programme| Business Administration| Module Code| EAP105|Assignment Title| Compare and contrast the marketing strategies of Li Ning domestically and internationally| Submission Deadline| 22 October 2012 before 20:00| EAP Tutor’s Name| Jacqueline Banki| Final Word Count| 1057| I certify that: * I have read and understood the University’s definitions of COLLUSION and PLAGIARISM (available on p. 31 of the current Academic Student Handbook of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and in the 2011 ELC Student Handbook Appendix 2, 4, and 5).With reference to these definitions, I certify that: * I have not colluded with any other student in the preparation and production of this work; * thi s document has been written solely by me and in my own words except where I have clearly indicated and acknowledged that I have quoted or used figures from published or unpublished sources (including the web); * where appropriate, I have provided an honest statement of the contributions made to my work by other people including technical and other support staff.I understand that unauthorised collusion and the incorporation of material from other works without acknowledgement (plagiarism) are serious disciplinary offences. By uploading my assignment onto ICE, I formally declare that all the above statements are true. Scoring – For Teachers Use (teachers may change descriptor labels below as needed)| Marker| Initials| C| O| G| V| R| Final Mark| First – red pen| | | | | | | | Second – green pen| | | | | | | | Third (if needed)| | | | | | | | For Academic Office Use| Other Penalties|Date Received| Days Late| Late Penalty| Marker Initials| Format (Y/N)| Plagiarism Co de| Collusion Code| | | | 1. | | | | | | | 2. | | | | Compare and contrast the marketing strategies of Li Ning domestically and internationally With Chinese economy developing rapidly recent years and the huge success of 2008 Beijing Olympics, Chinese sportswear market has emerged a blooming scene. Not only the mighty foreign brands such as Nike and Adidas win the favor of Chinese people, which took 10. 5% and 7. % of mainland sportswear transactions respectively in 2011, the domestic brands such as Li Ning and Anta also occupy large market share (China Daily, 2012). Li Ning, the Chinese domestic sportswear brand which bears the name of renowned Chinese gymnastic athlete Li Ning, acts a leading role in Chinese sportswear market. Only secondly to Adidas, Li Ning possesses 7. 2% market share and keeps expanding (China Daily, 2012). Not satisfied with its immense domestic achievement, Li Ning strives for more enormous stage and switches its target to international market since 2011.Not ably, on the one hand, the domestic marketing strategies of Li Ning, such as opening and streamlining numerous retail stores, are somehow quite different from the international strategies like using e-commerce approach. On the other hand, the strategies domestically and internationally also share several similarities like attaching importance to branding. The emphasis of this essay is to compare and contrasts the domestic and international marketing strategies of Li Ning. Although to some extent few of these strategies are alike, Li Ning has largely followed diverse approaches domestically and internationally.To begin with, there are some similarities between the market strategies of Li Ning domestically and internationally, such as investing more in branding to cultivate its long-term competitiveness. Specifically, both domestic and international strategies take steps to sponsor famed athletes or sports team to advertise the high quality and advanced functionality of its products, which aims to make people hold a favorable impression of Li Ning. For instance, in 2012 London Olympics, various overseas medal candidates like Spain’s basketball team were signed with Li Ning (Brandchannel, 2012).Also, Li Ning grasped Chinese top gold medal forecasts in multifarious sports events like ping pong and badminton, which includes Lin Dan and Wu Mingxia who enjoy the high popularity among Chinese people (Brandchannel, 2012). Especially, the athletes who are sponsored by Li Ning are inspired to publicize Li Ning not only by wearing its products. For example, immediately after Lin Dan won the gold though the spectacular final game, the logo of Li Ning at the jersey of Lin was tugged to display a gesture of appreciations, which makes the effect of advertising cracking (Brandchannel, 2012).Furthermore, domestic strategies are also similar to international strategies in targeting young generations. Domestically, Li Ning replaced old logo and slogan to make the brand mor e abut to the generation born after 1990s as well as establishes new â€Å"sixth-generation stores† which attracting young clients (China Daily, 2011). World widely, Li Ning also focuses on young people because they are unbiased to Chinese brands, accustomed to shopping online and generally spend so much time surfing the Internet, which opportunely corresponds to the e-commerce strategy of Li Ning (Ad Age, 2011).Although the domestic and international strategies share some similarities, they nevertheless employ fundamentally different approaches in a number of key areas, such as using different channels to sell products. In other words, the strategies domestically direct to sell inventories mainly in solid shops, whereas the international strategies prefer using e-commerce, event marketing and digital media. In detail, numerous retail shops spread all over China are owned by Li Ning.Also, confronted the cooling Chinese economy in recent times, in order to raise the efficiency of entity sales, the company adopts measures that streamlining the network of the retail stores and entering lower tiers cities to speed eliminating premium brands by merger and acquisition(China Daily, 2012). When it turns to worldwide, to shun retail channels, Li Ning established its appropriative e-commerce sites as the only passageway to its products and released a delicate teaser video heavily on its Facebook page and twitter account (Voight, 2012).Also, microsites and events are relied to induce online buzz (Voight, 2012). In addition, the domestic and international strategies are dissimilar in the slogan and the images they are intended to shape. Domestically, Li Ning created a new slogan â€Å"make the change† to indicate that greatness is not undying, only changes can be perpetual, which not only nettles the slogan of Nike â€Å"Live through your greatness†, but also remodels the impression of Chinese people on Li Ning as a more high-end brand (Brandchannel, 2012).Internationally, the slogan â€Å"straight out of new China† demonstrates that its products leverage its rich Chinese culture and are diverse from the cheap, rough made-in-China goods as old perception considered (Voight, 2012). Furthermore, with regards to new marketing segments need to be expanded, Li Ning focus on Children garment domestically while women market segment internationally. Cooperated with local children garment firm Paclantic to design more attractive children sports and leisure clothing, the clothes could be sold in the franchised stores and affiliated shops of Li Ning in China (Wang, 2012).Nevertheless, the market segment of women who do not need intramuscular figures and desire equal positions with men are attached importance to by the international strategies of Li Ning (Warc, 2011). In summary, this essay has made comparisons and contrasts between the marketing strategies of Li Ning domestically and internationally. The domestic strategies, like th e international ones, have strong sponsor awareness and also aim to attract younger generations.Despite that the international and domestic strategies have to some degree implemented similar strategies; essentially approaches are adopted in crucial areas, such as using different slogans, selling products by different channels and expanding different market segments. Although the e-commerce method ingeniously avoids complex retail channels internationally and the notion to achieve long-term profits domestically seem to be reasonable, Li Ning may ot achieve so many profits as they expected, because its vague brand positioning might cause the confusion and misconstrue of domestic people and its international consumers may despise Li Ning for its imitative logo and slogan which have some resemblance to Nike and Adidas. It is suggested that Li Ning should slow down its expansion and invest more to raise the quality and make some innovations instead of having large inventories discounted as a result of expanding too fast. Also, to have explicit brand positioning is crucial.Nonetheless, as Li Ning keeps adjusting corresponded to the changing situation and creating new products, it is too early to definitively judge whether Li Ning will have a promising future. References list Ad Age (2011). China's Li-Ning Takes on Nike, Adidas With U. S. E-Commerce Site. [online]  New York: Ad Age. Available from: http://adage. com/article/cmo-interviews/china-s-li-ning-takes-nike-u-s-e-commerce-site/231642/. (Accessed 12 October 2012) Brandchannel (2012). London 2012: Success as Li-Ning ‘Makes a Change' in Olympics Strategy. [online] New York: brandchannel. Available from: http://www. randchannel. com/home/post/2012/08/13/London-2012-Li-Ning-081312. aspx. (Accessed: 12 October 2012) China Daily (2011). Li Ning expects business to slow. [online] Beijing: China Daily. Available from: http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/bizchina/2011-01/18/content_11874065. htm. (Accessed: 12 Octo ber 2012) China Daily (2012). China's sportswear brands nurse Olympics hangover. [online] Beijing: China Daily. Available from: http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/business/londongames/2012-07/02/content_15542591. htm. (Accessed: 12 October 2012) Voight, J. (2012). Video Is Lifeblood of Li-Ning's ‘New China' Sneaker Launch. online] Charlotte: ClickZ. Available from: http://www. clickz. com/clickz/news/2166538/video-lifeblood-li-nings-china-snea ker-launch. (Accessed: 12 October 2012) Warc (2011). Li-Ning plans global push. [online] London: Warc. Available from: http://www. warc. com/Content/News/Li-Ning_plans_global_push. content? ID=e7907838-2cd7-4859-ae44-f1695abdbd52;q. ( Accessed: 12 October 2012) Wang, W. (2012). Li Ning rejoins race in children's wear market. [online] Beijing: China Daily. Available from: http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/business/2012-05/12/content_15276320. htm. (Accessed: 12 October 2012) Compare and Contrast the Marketing Strategies of Li Ning Compare and contrast the marketing strategies of Li Ning domestically and internationally With the development of Chinese economy, sports industry has become one of the new industries in china, which has large market size and high growth rate (Qinqin, n. d. ). In Chinese sports area, Li Ning brand, built by famous gymnast Li Ning (Enright, 2012), is the market leader and owns about 8000 hypostatic shops domestically (Zhang,2011). Similar to some international famous brands like Nike and Adidas, Li Ning intends to enhance influence by exploring international market (Sauer, 2012).For this reason, the essay will compare and contrast the marketing strategies of Li Ning domestically and internationally. A close look at the sources available, it seems that the topic could be analyzed from the internal aspect such as sales methods, promotion and the external aspect such as consumption concept and competition. The essay will compare and analyze Li Ning’s marketing strategies by the in ternal and external aspects’ factors. From the internal perspective, there are two main sales strategies should be considered as follows: sales methods and promotion.In regard to sales methods, Li Ning implements entity sales and e-commerce sales at home and abroad simultaneously (Anon, 2011a, Voight, 2012 and Zhang, 2011). Nevertheless, the focus of sales methods might be different considering the contrasting name reputation domestically and internationally. Li Ning, named after china’s gold-medaling gymnast, is very famous in china, especially after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (Enright, 2012). As typical local brand with high name reputation, Li Ning chooses entity sales as its main way of sale domestically and there are almost 8000 hypostatic shops in china (Zhang, 2011).Whereas the name Li Ning perhaps unfamiliar in the West. For instance, the marketing firm tested the brand with U. S. customers and the result shows that brand awareness was almost 0% (Enright , 2012). Rather than seeing it as a bad thing, Li Ning sees it as a launch point to â€Å"upgrade the brand image and win recognition from consumers† (Zhang, 2011). What is why â€Å"Li-Ning is planning to concentrate on the new online portal before opening more brick-and-mortar stores† in U. S. market (Anon, 2011a). In order to achieve more name reputation and higher sales, Li Ning fixes much attention n another sales strategy, promotion, as well. Both foreign and domestic, Li Ning has been paying much attention to Olympic Games and sports super stars (Anon, 2011b and Sauer, 2012). At home, since 1992 in Barcelona, China’s Olympic terms have chosen Li Ning as a fixture and the brand still counts on gold-medal terms such as Chinese ping pong, shooting gymnastics and badminton teams (Anon, 2011b). Overseas, Li Ning was the 30th Olympic Games sponsorship in 2012 (Sauer, 2012) and invited NBA All-Star teams players to speak for it (Anon, 2011b).Moreover, according to different national culture, Li Ning even used different slogans to appeal to the nationalist fervor. For instance, where the word â€Å"you† was used by Nike in America, Li Ning chose the slogan â€Å"we can† domestically and â€Å"the moment† for international audience (Anon, 2011b). On the other hand, in external aspect, Li Ning has taken a series of measures to deal with two social problems: target groups and fierce competition (Anon, 2011a, Ranasinghe, 2012 and Zhang, 2011). With the rapid development of internationalization, various views on Chinese goods have been published.In china, instead of praising highly local brand, Chinese customers are worried about the Chinese sports brand’s store quality is not equal to the brand's quantity (Zhang, 2011), preferring internationally famous brands like Nike and Adidas (Ranadinghe, 2012) and transforming the cost from sports to food and beverage (Ranasinghe, 2012). On abroad, although some older consumers usually think of China-made products as fakes or knockoffs, younger consumers do not see Chinese products as second-class or counterfeits (Enright, 2012).Regarding the situation, in recent years, Li Ning has been trying to make the brand more youthful and upmarket (Anon, 2011b). For the new strategy, Li Ning not only created a new logo and new slogans but also launched many new products with a better outlook and quality, which aimed to appeal to domestic and foreign younger generation (Zhang, 2011). Furthermore, Li Ning has managed to expand to different areas at home and internationally as well (Anon, 2011a, Anon 2011b and Wen, 2012).In view of China’s family planning policy, Li Ning has rejoined the battle of children’s garments by cooperated with another company in Tianjin (Wen, 2012). In consideration of the case that many foreign customers have great curiosity about eastern culture (Voight, 2012); Li Ning puts brand international feeling over oriental theme (Zhan g, 2012). For example, in March 2012, Li Ning promoted a pair of men’s basketball shoes with the Chinese dragon pattern which was a limited edition on Facebook, and then the tremendous crowds to Li Ning’s website led it to collapse (Voight, 2012).In addition, Women have become another one of the main target groups of Li Ning overseas (Anon, 2011a). Next, the second problem Li Ning is facing is the large-scale competition with local brands and international brands domestically and internationally (Anon, 2011a et al). The fierce competition â€Å"not only has it been forced to scale back its plans for world domination, but it also now finds itself at risk in its home market against domestic rivals like Peak and 361 °, but also with global heavy hitters Nike and Adidas† (Sauer, 2012).The difference is that language might be the main barrier Li Ning needs to face in international market (Zhang, 2012). With a view to the situation, on the one hand, Li Ning decided to slow the pace of new openings and close some inefficient stores to curtail expense and store energy (Ranasinghe, 2012); on the other hand, Li Ning would enter the second-tier cities to achieve next phase of growth (Anon, 2012). To sum up, in internal aspect, Li Ning chooses both entity sales and e-commerce sales at home and abroad. Different focuses are determined due to large name reputation difference.To achieve more popularity, Li Ning focuses on Olympic Games and sports super stars with different slogans. Furthermore, in external aspect, facing the customers’ different consumption views on Chinese brands domestically and internationally, Li Ning transforms its attention to younger people and set new different target groups both domestic and foreign. Li Ning has been facing increased competition with global names and local rivals, and what is why Li Ning determines to slow the pace of new openings and enter the second-tier cities.In future, Li Ning could make greater br eakthrough by implementing brand strategy, constructing international brand image, developing technology innovation and improving enterprises’ core competitiveness (Zhang, 2012). References: Anon. (2011a) Li-Ning plans global push [online] London Warc. Available from: http://www. warc. com/Content/News/Li-Ning_plans_global_push. content? ID=e7907838-2cd7-4859-ae44-f1695abdbd52= (Accessed: 3 October 2012). Anon. (2011b) China's Li-Ning Takes on Nike, Adidas With U.S. E-Commerce Site [online] New York Ad Age. Available from: http://adage. com/article/cmo-interviews/china-s-li-ning-takes-nike-u-s-e-commerce-site/231642/ (Accessed: 3 October 2012) Anon. (2012) China's sportswear brands nurse Olympics hangover [online] China Chinadaily. Available from: http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/business/londongames/2012-07/02/content_15542591. htm (Accessed: 3 October 2012). Enright, A. (2012) Li-Ning makes its U. S. debut [online] Chicago Internetretailer.Available from: http://www. interne tretailer. com/2012/01/16/li-ning-makes-its-us-debut (Accessed: 3 October 2012). Qinqin, D. (n. d. ) Comparative analysis of Chinese and Western Sporting Goods Enterprises’ Growth Pattern. Wuhan, China: Dept. of Sports Economics & Management, Wuhan Inst. of P. E. Ranasinghe, D. (2012) No Medals for China’s Sportswear Firms [online] US CNBC. Accessed from: http://www. cnbc. com/id/48454835/No_Medals_for_China_s_Sportswear_Firms (Accessed: 3 October 2012). Sauer, A. 2012) London 2012: Success as Li-Ning ‘Makes a Change' in Olympics Strategy [online] London Brandchannel. Available from: http://www. warc. com/Content/News/Li Ning_plans_global_push. content? ID=e7907838-2cd7-4859-ae44-f1695abdbd52= (Accessed: 3 October 2012). Voight, J. (2012) Video Is Lifeblood of Li-Ning's ‘New China' Sneaker Launch [online] New York Clickz. Available from: http://www. clickz. com/clickz/news/2166538/video-lifeblood-li-nings-china-sneaker-launch (Accessed: 3 October 2012). Wen , W. 2012) Li Ning rejoins race in children's wear market [online] China Chinadaily. Available from: http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/business/2012-05/12/content_15276320. htm (Accessed: 3 October 2012). Zhang, D. (2011) Li-Ning sportswear looks to win overseas [online] London BBC. Available from: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-12665597 (Accessed: 3 October 2012). Zhang, X. (2012) ‘Marketing Plan for Li-Ning Product Expansion in UK’, Lecture Notes in Information Technology, Vol(14), Wuhan, China: Dept. of Sports Economics & Management, Wuhan Inst. of P. E.