MBA -International Business- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

MBA -International Business- - Essay Example Production can now be done within different nations as well as distant geographical regions by companies through the process of internationalization. This has probed the multinational corporations or individuals who intend to venture into the international trade to learn about international business. However, countries differ in institutional frameworks, social cultural as well as the political orientation. It is thus very important to learn and understand the different cultures, institutional frameworks as well as the political scope of the other countries for the sake of any beneficial interaction. They are critical determinants of the performance of the introduced business as wholesomely they form the business environment t in which the business will be operating. Differing perspectives within countries as regards to these institutional as structural set-ups would differently affect the business. The success of an industry within one country does not therefore automatically ascert ain success to the same business within another country. For instance, the United States and Brazil are nations that regularly interact in business relations. In the United States, the first impression matters a lot and is basic to the success of every business relationship. The Americans appreciate eye contacts and a firm handshake with business partners (Bowie, n.d p.1-12). In regard to understanding the intrigues surrounding the expansion of a manufacturing industry from the Western country into a member country to the BRIC block, we shall take an analysis case of a textile firm based in the U.S.A intending to expand her operations into Brazil. Brazil is a member country to the BRIC group together with the Russian republic, India as well as China (Pedro et al, 2012, p.4). This research intends to study the opportunities and challenges, associated with the cultural and political environment in Brazil and which are likely to affect a foreign textile industry there. We also intend t o study other appropriate business forms for the manufacturing plant. Lastly, we intend to survey the business environment in Brazil, through which we shall explore the opportunities available as well as the challenges that this manufacturing industry is likely to face while exploring the market within Brazil and thus have dependable conclusions and recommendations. Discussion: Administrative duties within Brazil are carried out in Brasils as it is where the elected federal officials reside, she is the 6th largest economy after she over did UK in 20111 (Lara, 2010, p.6). She has a population of approximately 180 million people with majority of the people living in urban centers. She has a modern economy with agriculture servicing about 9 percent, industry and manufacturing servicing about 37 percent and service industry servicing about 53 percent of the total GDP. Over a long time, her largest business partner has been the United States though greater trends are emerging with China and the middle-east countries taking shape in the international business scene with her. Between 1930s and 1960s Brazilian economy was dominated by import substituting industrialization. She has however, undergone through a great ideological reversal since then (Cardoso, 2009, p.5). She is now a major global participant within the global market with

Response 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response 1 - Assignment Example I would like to add that health informatics technology is specifically important in the present age when people are generally endorsing more carefree and riskier lifestyles with respect to their diet and life choices, and at the same time, are becoming increasingly forgetful of their medical conditions and history. Health informatics technology is a great addition to the ever-advancing medical technology in that the focus of nurses and clinicians will now be on the selection of the best method of treatment rather than on finding ways to retrieve accurate information from the patients. Your’s is an elaborative response to the discussion questions and the statements and assertions are supported by reliable and credible sources, which reflects depth of research and richness of intellectual response. Just a small suggestion; in my opinion, in the response to the first discussion question, the concluding sentence â€Å"a recent article†¦Ã¢â‚¬  can be relocated to the beginni ng section where other definitions of meaningful use have been discussed to give a better flow and structure to the

The Process Of Learning A Musical Instrument Education Essay

The Process Of Learning A Musical Instrument Education Essay The process of learning a musical instrument has changed a lot in the recent years, and it is all thanks to the Internet. Before websites with sufficient information on how to learn have first come to picture, young adepts of the guitar arts could only count on themselves. Finding and learning their favorite song was not just a few clicks away, and using such music software as Guitar Pro was not quite an option as it simply did not exist. The main challenge was to learn the found song using only their hearing and then transcribe it. This learning process involved good aural and transcribing skills and could only be developed by transcribing new songs. At that time books were invaluable source of knowledge. Things look way different now. There are thousands of websites with a variety of materials. But which way of learning would be more beneficial to the learner? This paper will try to examine how the various ways of learning have evolved in the past couple decades and how much influence on them has Internet, and the sources it provides, had. Here are a few examples just to illustrate advantages and disadvantages of the Internet in the learning process: there are a lot of helpful resources such as DVDs, music software, backing tracks, aural tests but on the other hand the vast accessibility poses the danger of treating the Internet as a primary source of knowledge whereas its content can sometimes be misleading because a lot of online tutors lack formal teaching qualifications. Finding information doesnt require any effort and limits the learner to thoughtless consumption of unnecessary data, additionally theres no place for research which is always crucial in the learning process. The Internet also lacks the aspect of an interaction with other musicians which is vital when it comes to developing ones musicality. There are a lot more arguments for and against the Internet as a teaching resource. In my dissertation I will test and analyze these two different learning processes in order to establish how they have evolved si nce the times when Internet teaching resources didnt exist on such a vast scale up until now. INTRODUCTION In this paper, I will discuss and assess how the guitar learning process has evolved over the past 30 years. I will present, analyse and compare two different approaches to learning guitar. For the purpose of this study, the first approach will be referred to as traditional and the second one will be known as modern, e-learning or online learning. It is crucial to understand the difference between the two. The traditional approach to learning guitar mainly dominated in the pre-Internet era of 70s and 80s, when teaching resources were very limited. However, in no way did the restricted availability of teaching materials affect students willingness to explore and learn the new instrument. It was just the specific approach towards knowledge attainment that was very different to the one that we know and are used to nowadays. Therefore my main focus will be on researching the pre-Internet times, which I refer to as the classic rock era, in order to examine and assess the guitar learning methods of that period. The modern approach to learning guitar has first come to the picture with the arrival of the Internet. The Internet revolutionised and reshaped the whole guitar learning model. Unlimited teaching resources (online lessons, videos, instructional DVDs, YouTube, digital sheet music) are just a few clicks away. Students are no longer required to leave their bedrooms to be able to attain musical knowledge. With the vast availability of technologically advanced software and equipment everyone can effortlessly learn an instrument. But is the previous sentence entirely true? Is it possible to learn an instrument and develop ones musicality without interacting with other musicians? Again, I will research the area of the e-learning process in order to determine and assess what effects, if any, it has on modern musicians and to be able to answer the above questions. To briefly summarise, there are two major problems my dissertation will address: The differences between the modern instrument learning process and the one of the classic rock era; By contrasting the two above processes I will decide which one is more beneficial to the learner; Some of the research questions this paper will examine and answer are: How important is it to learn an instrument and develop ones skills and musicality by interacting and playing with other musicians (the traditional approach)? Is the solitary way of attaining knowledge with the help of modern technology and the Internet more supportive in the learning process? Does the social aspect of group learning associated with the traditional approach play an important role in the guitar learning process? To answer these questions I will conduct a sociological analysis of this matter using available books on the importance of team work in the learning process and other necessary sources. This analysis will allow me to understand how the two contrary learning methods work under various social circumstances and will help me to determine which of the studied methods is more valuable to the music student. Furthermore I will conduct a range of adequately structured and in-depth interviews with current tutors who were either educated back in the 70s or in the modern Internet era. It will shed some light on the issues I am concerned with and will help to determine the usefulness of the two tested learning methods. Some exemplary questions I might ask are: Was the lack of teaching resources a discouraging or motivating factor in the guitar learning process?, What kind of research methods did you use to obtain the essential information required for the learning? Additionally I will write a short questionnaire for the current music students, which will be inclusive of simple but interesting questions that will attract the respondents attention. The aim of this survey will be to assess young learners views on the usefulness of the Internet as a teaching tool and to determine how the online learning translates into students ability to function in the real music world. In order to illustrate the aims and objectives of my dissertation, I will answer a few simple questions: Who will benefit from my investigation? My main aim is to determine, by analysing and comparing two well-known instrument learning approaches from two different time periods, how the beginning guitar players can get the most out of guitar lessons. In what sense will they benefit? Firstly I will combine the final dissertation outcomes together, then I will apply these findings to some problems and issues the new student faces while learning an instrument. As a conclusion, I will try to work out the best approach to learning guitar by evaluating the results of my research. In what sense will my contribution add to what is already known? To address the main dissertation question (which of the two learning methods is more beneficial?), I will conduct research that is primarily based on interviews and questionnaires. After collecting and analysing all necessary data, I will compare the significance of my findings against the already existing data and establish how my study can contribute to what is already known. What are the constraints or limitations of the study? The major limitation is the fact that it is nearly impossible to find academic books with sufficient information about guitar learning methods back in the classic rock era, therefore primary data will be collected from interviews with tutors of the 70s. The following paragraph will briefly describe the content of this dissertation: The first chapter will consist of a review of what is already known and of the main problems and issues. It will cover past research and studies from relevant books and magazines. It will also summarise what other researchers have written and published around the topic of my study. Critical judgment will be used here to present my opinions on relevant issues. The second chapter will describe and evaluate methods and techniques of research used for the purpose of this paper. As mentioned before, it will mainly consist of interviews and questionnaires. The reason for using such methods will also be justified in this section. In the third section, a comparative study of two contrary guitar learning processes along with the data obtained in the previous section will be presented. Arguments and counter-arguments will also be contrasted in this chapter. In the fourth section, dissertation findings will be interpreted. The difference between my findings and those of other people will also be presented. The last chapter will consist of a summary of main findings and conclusions. Bibliography will be included. CHAPTER 1 Traditional approach vs. modern approach Traditional approach The first chapter will consist of a review of what is already known and of the main problems and issues. It will cover past research and studies from relevant books and magazines. It will also summarise what other researchers have written and published around the topic of my study. Critical judgment will be used here to present my opinions on relevant issues. There are numerous publications available on the Internet that describe advantages and disadvantages of online and traditional learning, however, its not yet been proved which of the above-mentioned learning methods is more efficient. Although there arent enough findings that would determine superiority, equivalence or non-inferiority of one approach to another, one can argue that the modern approach is not a replacement for the traditional learning process. Undoubtedly, there are countless benefits associated with e-learning; however, there are a few aspects of it that seem to be problematic when put side by side with the traditional learning. What the modern guitar learning process certainly lacks is the ability to facilitate group interactions which are the crucial part of music education. It might be possible, with other branches of knowledge, to eliminate the interactive part of learning but when it comes to music, its highly unlikely for a music student to perform well when the collaborative factor is omitted. It is commonly known that students tend to attain knowledge most effectively when they are given the opportunity to interact with other students. Such interactions among students also help to develop strong group problem solving skills. For that reason, the importance of meeting students learning peers, exchanging ideas and sharing common musical experiences can never be underestimated. In an early stage of musical education, it is always advisable to provide young students with proper guidance from tutors. Carrying out the initial study through the face-to-face approach allows creating more controlled environment for children to be taught in. Of course, it should not be assumed that the more controlled environment and guidance are not achievable through the process of online learning, but the fact, that there is very little control, which a teacher wields on a student, might suggest the superiority of the traditional learning over e-learning. Teachers guidance is there to help students explore their limitations and objectives and also increase their motivation and provide opportunities for students to share their personal learning goals and objectives. While discussing the two tested learning methods, there is another important issue that needs to be taken into consideration. In order to fully engage in any form of Internet-based learning activity, a student must absolutely have a very high motivation. Its mainly due to the fact that the link between a student and a teacher is missing in this type of learning environment. This problem does not seem to occur with the traditional learning process, where a tutors main responsibility is to encourage and reinforce effective study habits of students. Another important aspect of the face-to-face mode, rarely achievable with other learning modes, is the students ability to recognise their strengths and limitations and understand their learning goals and objectives. A further problem, the learner faces while utilising the Internet for educational purposes, is the overwhelming amount of information and knowledge available online in an instant. Accessibility of all imaginable knowledge should predominantly be regarded as an improvement but there are also some evident disadvantages associated with it. For young music students, such vast amount of knowledge and data is simply unmanageable. Indisputably, learners taking first steps in music education need to have well-developed analytical, organisational and learning resources skills in order to be able to filter through and select the right resources for learning. Obviously, the child learning an instrument is not expected to possess such complex skills, so this is why the personal guidance from a tutor or learning peers cannot be substituted with the Internet. Modern approach It is without a doubt that the overall interest in online education has grown tremendously in recent years. However, the question that needs to be asked here is how effective online learning is compared to traditional learning. There are not many findings that could unambiguously answer this question but a very recent study, published in 2009, suggests that online learners perform slightly better than students in traditional face-to-face classrooms (Church 2009). This study was conducted by SRI International for the US Department of Education. It analysed research that compared online and conventional learning at institutions of higher education between 1996 and 2008 (Means 2009). The key finding of this study, as interpreted and presented by Jodi Church (2009) in an article entitled Is online education more effective than traditional learning?, shows that students doing partial or all course work online rank, on average, in the 59th percentile, meaning better than 59% of all those who were scored; whereas students in traditional classrooms ranked in the 50th percentile. While analysing these findings, it can be rightly assumed that traditional learning is not necessarily the best way of maintaining a learning process. For that reason, e-learning models are regarded as good educational models that constantly evolve and improve, offering music students better tools and opportunities to achieve their educational goals. But how can we define a good educational model? A good educational model must be able to provide the student with satisfactory learning environment, in which they are able to think by themselves, to be creative and original, to solve problems and to interact with their surroundings in a collaborative way. With its flexibility, accessibility and convenience; e-learning seems to be the perfect way to develop these objectives (Rashty 2001). Referring to past studies on online learning David Rashty (2001) points out that students have expressed higher satisfaction from the computer-mediated learning, and rated the learning as more effective than in the traditional framework. A further analysis of the modern approach reveals a number of characteristic features of this model, which are superior to traditional learning. These are listed below: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Active learning and its main advantages (Rashty 2001): It requires the learner to be intensely involved in the learning process, which is due to the use of a computer and a physical involvement in gathering and sending information; It requires the learner to be socially and cognitively involved in the learning process, as a direct result of the need to discuss with and respond to other online learners; It enhances and magnifies the attainment of knowledge and requires the learner to be able to organise and analyse the information; It is not time-restricted, so it allows the learner enough time for developing complex concepts and digesting the information; It allows the learner to control the learning process; It allows receiving and processing information at convenient times; It requires learners responsibility and initiative in advancing in the learning process and forwarding knowledge; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Creative thinking as an important element of online learning (Rashty 2001): Online learning (OL) improves the learners ability to seek out gaps in information, to propose, examine and improve ideas and to discuss the results; OL enhances learners creativity by encouraging him/her to take risks and to commit to tasks; OL supports learners curiosity and openness to new ideas; OL enables the learner to freely express himself/herself in an environment that is free from many psychological inhabitations existing in the traditional classroom; OL enhances the learners creative thinking processes by utilising the Internets developing technology and its tools for the purpose of gaining and processing information; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Creative thinking (Rashty 2001): There are various techniques, which have been put to use in learning through the Web which encourage the development of critical thinking. Critical thinking was intended to enable a choice of information, the ability to choose among several solutions, the ability to assess the force of a given argument, and the ability to reach decisions. The critical thinking grows stronger also following use of graphics and hypertext, which refine the hierarchy and logical structure of the concepts on the Web. The process required from the student when searching for information on the Web, which includes defining the query, carrying out the search operation, examining the results and sifting and pinpointing the question, also refines the students critical thinking. Any other operation by which the student identifies main points, searches for cause and effect, finds patterns and relationships between data, creates a timetable, examines costs versus products all these are also actions which refine the students critical thinking. eLearning also includes advantages which are not found in traditional learning, such as: time for digesting the information and responding, enhanced communication among the learners, both as regards quality and as regards urgency, knowledge being acquired and transferred among the learners themselves, the ability to conduct an open discussion, where each learner gets more of an equal standing than in a face-to-face discussion, access to information and to discussion ability, responses may be made around the clock with no restrictions, a higher motivation and involvement in the process on the part of the learners. The very use of technology for learning has been found to have a positive effect on the students commitment to the learning process. Also, use of technology creates a greater commitment on the students part to learning. The following table summarizes several opinions regarding the comparison between traditional learning and eLearning: Traditional Learning eLearning Classroom Discussions The teacher usually talks more than the student The student talks at least as much as or more than the teacher Learning Process The learning is conducted with the whole class participating; there is almost no group or individual study Most of the learning process takes place in groups or by the individual student. Subject Matter The teacher conducts the lesson according to the study program and the existing curriculum The student participates in determining the subject matter; the studying is based on various sources of information, including web data banks and net-experts located by the student. Emphases in the Learning Process The students learn what and not how; the students and the teachers are busy completing the required subject matter quota; the students are not involved in inquiry-based education and in solving problems, but rather in tasks set by the teacher. The students learn how and less what; the learning includes research study which combines searching for and collecting information from web data banks and authorities on the communications network; the learning is better connected to the real world, the subject matter is richer and includes material in different formats. Motivation The students motivation is low, and the subject matter is distant from them. The students motivation is high due to the involvement in matters that are closer to them and to the use of technology. Teachers Role The teacher is the authority The teacher directs the student to the information. Location of Learning The learning takes place within the classroom and the school The learning takes place with no fixed location Lesson Structure The teacher dictates the structure of the lesson and the division of time The structure of the lesson is affected by the group dynamics.

The Road Not Taken Analysis :: Free Essays

Line 1 In this line Frost introduces the elements of his primary metaphor, the diverging roads. Back to Poem Lines 2-3 Here the speaker expresses his regret at his human limitations, that he must make a choice. Yet, the choice is not easy, since "long I stood" before coming to a decision. Back to Poem Lines 4-5 He examines the path as best he can, but his vision is limited because the path bends and is covered over. These lines indicate that although the speaker would like to acquire more information, he is prevented from doing so because of the nature of his environment. Back to Poem Lines 6-8 In these lines, the speaker seems to indicate that the second path is a more attractive choice because no one has taken it lately. However, he seems to feel ambivalent, since he also describes the path as "just as fair" as the first rather than more fair. Back to Poem Lines 9-12 Although the poet breaks the stanza after line 10, the central idea continues into the third stanza, creating a structural link between these parts of the poem. Here, the speaker states that the paths are "really about the same." Neither path has been traveled lately. Although he’s searching for a clear logical reason to decide on one path over another, that reason is unavailable. Back to Poem Lines 13-15 The speaker makes his decision, trying to persuade himself that he will eventually satisfy his desire to travel both paths, but simultaneously admitting that such a hope is unrealistic. Notice the exclamation mark after line 13; such a punctuation mark conveys excitement, but that excitement is quickly undercut by his admission in the following lines. Back to Poem Lines 16-20 In this stanza, the tone clearly shifts. This is the only stanza which also begins with a new sentence, indicating a stronger break from the previous ideas.

Event Facilities and Management

There are no sporting events that rival the scale and profile of the Olympic Games (Faulner, Spurr, Chalip, Brown 2000). Its substantial impact on economic and social aspects of national and international levels, international event tourism, marketing strategies, provides plenty of points for study and insight. Moreover, officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics is primarily a major international multi-sport event, which required plenty of technical, marketing, and event planning.Hosted by the People's Republic of China however, the sporting event was also or perhaps translated into, a national economic strategy and was subject into an international political debate and public scrutiny. Clamor against the games were rampant and widespread, various political issues hounded event organizers and sponsors. Nonetheless, the Games were participated by 11,208 athletes from 205 countries in 302 athletic events. Interest of the PRC to host Olympics is quite c lear. Aside from the new jobs that could be created in the tourism industry, worldwide publicity of the Games will change the way the rest of the world views China.Thus, the Beijing Olympics is a good case study for large events that requires vast logistical management and planning, and present prospects for future State-sponsorship of large special events. Costs of the Games fell largely on Government funds, on the grounds of tourism benefits. To justify spending of the national purse and to thwart cynicism among the public is relevant in pursuing State-sponsored special events (Burgan, Mules, 2000). Evaluating on the benefits of a special event is relevant not only for accountability reasons but to guide future public fund spending; as well as the feasibility of sponsoring mega-events.This paper will provide some insights and analyses on the impacts of the Beijing Olympics, and marketing strategies utilized. Long-term economic impacts of the Games in China are not yet evident. Alt hough some sectors may have benefited from a momentary influx of tourists, hard industries suffered losses due to factory closures to ease air pollution. Social impacts however, tell two sides. While national pride rode high upon the ability of the Chinese economy and technology, there are sectors who suffered from the feat.Mass dislocations and disruption of everyday lives also took toll on the national mood. Internationally, China proved itself as an economic giant, despite negative propaganda and calls to boycott the Games. Marketing for the event is another interesting aspect of the event. Done amid considerable negative publicity, political turmoil, the global financial crisis, and inexperience of the Chinese government in international marketing, marketing for the games fared well. An effective marketing strategy or fortunate circumstances may have contributed to its achievement.With increasing frequency, hosting of international events has been used as a platform for States t o bolster economic and development activities (Burgan, Mules, 2000). The potential for national development, media attention, tourism, community involvement and national pride, the Olympic Games calls for a systematic research and analysis. Impacts To fairly analyze and gauge the impacts of the Beijing Olympics, assessment will include economic and non-economic values of the event; covering preparations, actual outcomes, and potential benefits.The costs of the event is estimated to have reached an astounding $40 billion–exceeding the elaborate 2004 Athens Olympics by $25 billion–with costs lying heavily on investments on infrastructure and improvements on transport systems to keep up with the expected influx of spectators and tourists. Event organizers renovated and constructed 37 Games venues and 66 training centers, the largest of which are the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Indoor Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Center, Olympic Green Convention Center , and the Beijing Wukesong Culture and Sports Center.Expenditure on the Beijing Olympics depended largely on government spending: government-owned banks, local government, and institutions funded more than half of total costs. Subject to criticisms by locals and economists around the globe, China’s willingness to spend public money seemed to be fueled by its determination to prove itself among the most important nations. However, it could be argued that there are also substantial cultural returns and international exposure benefits of hosting the Games.The targets being inflow of consumers outside China, producer surplus could be a more appropriate and descriptive measure to determine success. Producer surplus is derived from the increase in production levels due to a special event, which are assumed to be taken from the opportunity cost of producers (Burgan, Mules 2000). In this case, influx of outside tourism should be placed in high priority. The Games were set to accommod ate 2 million tourists–from this number, 500,000 were projected to come from overseas.However, turnout during the Games were below expectations. Hotel occupancy was only at 70% in 5-stars and below 50% in 4-stars, surprisingly even lesser than hotel occupancy at 2007 of the same month. Despite these numbers, the organizers insisted that the 6. 8 million tickets printed were sold out. This could be explained, speculatively, at the low number of foreign tourists: the heightened security, negative propaganda, and strict visa acquisition could all factor in the failure to attract foreigner spending.Considering the amount of money, planning, and logistical requirements of the Beijing Olympics, event tourism through the Beijing Olympics did not meet its ? 8 billion profit from actual event. Nevertheless, impact of an event does not bank solely on fiscal benefits in a cost-benefit evaluation (Dwyer, Mellor, Mistillies, Mules 2000). Other non-tangible benefits are also taken into acc ount.

Interview with Teenagers Essay

Interviewing teenagers turned out to be rather interesting. It’s very relevant the difference in my time of growing up a teen, to now. Teens these days have way more issues to worry about being that drugs, sex, and pregnancy are more tangible then the past. With media using tv, radio, magazines and music to tell teens how they â€Å"need† to be, it’s not hard to believe all the increase in teen violence, depression, and suicide. During the course of this paper I will be discussing the interview that I gave too four teen girls. Each of them came from different backgrounds and had very different, but yet the same answers to being a teen in today’s society. Jasmine Small, Ashley Leivas, Shavon McCorvey, and Emily Morales were the four teens that I chose to interview. Each of these girls comes from different backgrounds. Jasmine grew up without a father, Ashley grew up in foster care, Shavon had both parents present in her household, and Emily was taken from her mother as a child and was raised by her aunt. Just off of me knowing their background it was prevalent that the answers were going to be different and interesting in the same. In the beginning I made sure to discuss the purpose of this interview and notified them that they could stop me at any time for questions, or if the interview becomes too personal. After having done that all of the girls seemed to be relieved, and at that moment my interview began. What do you like about being a teenager was the first question asked all the girls. All of the girls agreed that having friends and having fun, and hanging out were the highlights of their youth. They all had their group of friends and all liked to go to the mall, movies, and â€Å"kick-backs† (parties). When I asked if school was significant to them they all laughed and said that they like school but it wasn’t too important to them. When asked about their dislikes they all had different answers. Jasmine answered that her dislike was going to school. She felt as if she didn’t learn anything, as if school was useless. Ashley disliked the fact that there is a lot of drama as far as people gossiping inside of school. She explained how many people perceived her as a person that likes to fight, and is promiscuous, when she is the exact opposite. She has issues that she’s dealing with and doesn’t seem to get along with other girl which is why she finds herself in a lot of altercations. Shavon’s dislike was growing up in Lancaster, she was born and raised in Los Angeles and was recently brought out here two years ago. She just wished that she had control over where she lived. Emily didn’t have an answer to this question she was having a difficult time with trying to determine what was a huge dislike. She couldn’t think of any so we moved on. Who is the most important thing in your life right now was an interesting question that I couldn’t wait to ask. Each answer was unique and heartwarming. Jasmines was her mother, she was very happy about having such a good mother who did all she could for children. She had not one bad thing to say about her mother. Ashley’s was her brother; her brother was the only biological family member that she had. She had seven other family members but all were split up in foster care in different states. Shavon’s was her sister; she was very close to her sister and shared everything with her. Emily’s was her cousin, whom she considered as a sister, she was close with her, and like Shavon, shared everything with her. They all had their individual stories on how close they were with their important person, and how they couldn’t imagine life without them. Of all the questions I believe that the question, if you could change one thing about your life what would it be and why, was the most important question. It showed that the girls all seemed to have some issues with growing up whether it be peer pressure or living without certain family members. Jasmine said that she would have her father in her life. She felt as if she had her father she would be a different person. She really wanted to have a relationship with her father. Ashley main thing she would change is to have a mother that cared and wasn’t on drugs. She said that she is very appreciative of her foster mother, but she would love to have known her real mother. Shavon’s change would be for her to move back to Los Angeles. She said that since she has moved to Lancaster everything has changed and that she is being mistreated at school. She began to explain that she left behind a lot of friends and didn’t seem to fit in. Emily, like Ashley, wanted her biological mother back. Unlike Ashley, Emily lived with her mother god enough to remember her before she was taken out her home. She remembered her mother for the good things that she did and not the drugs, like everyone else portrayed her mother as. During this interview it was very evident the issues that teens these days face. Later on in the interview we talked about peer pressure and if it affected them. They all stressed that peer pressure is hard not to fall into and that do have plenty of friends who are weak minded and whom have become pregnant or is having unprotected sex. They all are very smart and know how to say no when peer pressure arises. Being that I’m not that far in age many other the issues that they face, I did to growing up. There aren’t many differences except that everything is more prevalent as far as sex and pregnancy.

Technical Analysis of elite male soccer players by position and success Essays

Technical Analysis of elite male soccer players by position and success Essays Technical Analysis of elite male soccer players by position and success Paper Technical Analysis of elite male soccer players by position and success Paper Since the early work of Reep and Benjamin (1968), many aspects of association football have been utilised by researchers within notational analysis. Several researchers (Reilly and Holmes, 1983; Luhtanen, 1988; Dufour, 1993) have however identified the lack of literature existing detailing the exact technical demands with regard to their relative successful performance between specific positions of play. The purpose of the investigation was to deliver such a technical analysis of playing positions within elite level International football at the European Championships 2004. The data were gathered by a specifically designed notation system which collected qualitative data based on the relative successful execution of techniques performed, post event. Players were grouped into positional classes as goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders or strikers. A comparison was also made between the technical distributions of both a successful and unsuccessful team. The Chi Squared statistical test was used to compare differences between the frequency distributions and the differences in technical ratings between positions and the successful and unsuccessful teams. Significance was accepted at the (p0.05) level (Vincent, 1999). Significant differences (p0.05) were found between the frequency distributions of all 3 outfield positions, but no significant differences (p0.05) were found between the accumulated means of technique ratings across all of the performance indicators. Individual variable analysis however showed significant differences (p0.05) occurred between specific performance indicators across positions. No significant differences (p0.05) were discovered between either the frequency distribution or the technical rating of outfield players between successful and unsuccessful teams. A significant difference (p0.05) was however apparent between the frequency distribution of goalkeepers actions between successful and unsuccessful teams. The study implicates that coaches must be selective of which players play within certain positions and that training sessions must be accurate to the specific needs of individuals and their position within a team. 1.0 Introduction The process of hand notation is an important tool, which can be used to inform the coaching process. Hand notation is a cheap, simple, accurate but time consuming method of notation (Hughes and Franks, 2004). It provides a coach with an objective view of the key elements of a performance. Notational analysis can provide many aspects of information to a coach. Hughes (1998) defined the 5 purposes of notational analysis: 1. Analysis of Movement; 2. Educational use for both coaches and players; 3. Tactical Evaluation; 4. Development of a data base/modelling; 5. Technical Evaluation. Due to its structure of incorporating individual techniques within a team framework, association football provides a notational analyst with an ideal field for analysis. Within association football, the use of notational analysis enables coaches to improve aspects of their own teams play, at both an individual or collective level and also to interpret the actions of any future opposition. Reilly and Thomas (1976) adapted a methodology in order to analyse players movement, or more specifically work rate within different positional roles in a first division football team. Observations were made over the course of a season, incorporating a total of 51 competitive games, both home and away. Players movements throughout a game were subdivided into several distinct movement classifications. This allowed the individual movement characteristics of different positional roles to be established and therefore for accurate training strategies to be incorporated. The use of feedback was identified by Franks (1997). Feedback can have an educational use for both players and coaches, as it is an important component of the coaching process. Franks stated that any improvement in performance is a consequence of task related feedback. Feedback can be provided before, during and after a skilled performance to both specific individuals and to whole teams alike. A tactical evaluation of association football was achieved by Yamanaka et al., (1997) who performed a computerised notational analysis of 8 games in the 1994 World Cup Asian Qualifying matches. The respective playing patterns of the teams were analysed, with a particular emphasis upon the Japanese national team. This was achieved by entering 32 actions of players in relation to an 18 cell division of the pitch. From the data it was found statistically significant that Japan used dribbling more as a tactic (p0.05), used more passes (p0.01) and more frequently used a clearing kick (p0.05). Garganta (1998) suggested how the development of a soccer data base/model can be considered as a mediator between a theoretical and an empirical field. He states that it is important to understand a soccer teams organisation and to observe a whole teams actions. Garganta explained how game modelling is acquiring greater importance in order to analyse performance trends and to prioritise any such problems of the training process. A technical evaluation was achieved by Partridge et al., (1993). A specialised computer analysis system was developed, using 38 key events entered in real time by a trained analyst. The system was used to provide a comprehensive technical evaluation of performance by comparing the results of 2 distinct levels of performance, the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the 1990 World Collegiate Soccer Championships. From the results it can be inferred that collegiate coaches must be selective when presenting World Cup teams as an appropriate model of performance as many differences do occur, which makes any comparison invalid. At International football level, where games are decided by small margins, the team that is superior in physiological and motor abilities will have the advantage (Reilly and Holmes, 1983). This places a high emphasis on a team at the elite level possessing high levels of technical ability. Within the literature, there are very few examples of technical analysis, in particular skill analysis involving association football. In this respect, the following study is innovative in two ways: i) By analysing at the exact technical requirements of each position ii) By using qualitative data within a quantitative system. 1.1 Aim of Study The aim of this study is to analyse every individuals technical ability that competes in the European Football Championships of 2004. This measure will be based on a subjectively drawn continuum that analyses a players technical movement throughout the game. It will be investigated if technical differences occur between player positions and between successful and unsuccessful teams. Data will be gathered from matches within the European Championships of 2004, which were held in Portugal. This tournament has been chosen as it provides an ideal environment for a comparison to be made between elite level players competing in an elite sporting environment. Data will be collected using a hand notation system, in the form of a table. The table will consist of six columns: player number; technique performed; technique rating, pitch position, time of action and any outcome (if applicable). 1.2 Hypothesis The hypothesis states that there is a significant difference in the distribution of technique between the different playing positions and between successful and unsuccessful teams at the European Championships 2004. 1.3 Assumptions Certain assumptions are considered during this study. It is assumed that all players selected are of international standard and that all players are competing in the tournament to win. 1.4 Limitations Limitations of the study that depict the nature and length of the investigation include the word limit imposed and the submission date. Variations from the tournament itself may also not give the data a true reflection of reality. Incidents such as injury to key players, conditions and the environment may impact on the manner in which a team or certain individuals perform. As the matches were all recorded from terrestrial television, some data cannot be collected due to its absence from the showing of action replays and other inappropriate footage (Winkler, 1996). The choice of some camera positions and angles also makes some forms of player identification difficult. 1.5 De-Limitations A de-limitation from our research design is that it is impossible to make broad generalisations from our data. The obtained data is so specific to the tournament and elite level players that any such generalisation would be inaccurate and invalid. The analysis is also produced in a very subjective manner using operational definitions and a likert scale, which may also not be universally agreed by people other than the researchers. 1.6 Definition of Terms Technique: The method of performance of an individual against a normative scale. Player Position: An individuals role and function within a teams structure. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Notational Analysis in Football Some of the earliest analysis of association football was carried out by Reep and Benjamin (1968). They analysed over 3000 competitive games from 1953 to 1967 within top division English football and World Cup matches using a simple hand notation system. The position of players actions, the amount of passes before goals and the way in which possession was gained were all notated. From this extensive analysis it was reported that: i. 80% of goals resulted from 3 passes or less ii. 50% of goals result from regaining possession in the final attacking 1/4 iii. It takes 10 shots to score 1 goal Many coaches and managers throughout the English game saw these results as an immediate formula for success. The transfer of these findings into a game situation saw the arrival and development of the traditional long ball game within British soccer. The work of Reep and Benjamin was later taken on further by Bate (1988) in an attempt to disprove a modern day notion that maintaining possession of the ball was the key to accomplishment. From analysing games in the English 3rd division, right up to World Cup level competition, Bate concluded that in order to be a success, teams must portray the following characteristics in their play: i. Play the ball forward as often as possible ii. Reduce the number of square and backwards passes iii. Increase the number of forward passes and forward runs iv. Play the ball into the space behind the defenders as early as possible From Bates (1988) analysis, it can be seen that the determinants of success across a wide range of football were relatively unchanged for a long period of time and that the notion of possession football was not the key to success. Further characteristics of successful play were noted by Winkler (1996). He stated that good teams are capable of defending their own goal well as well as creating more goal scoring opportunities than the opposition. His findings were however contradictory to the research of both Reep and Benjamin (1968) and Bate (1988) by suggesting that successful teams should keep possession of the ball for longer, as opposed to getting the ball as forward as quickly as possible. More recently Luhtanen et al., (2001) adapted a methodology from Luhtanen (1993) to study selected offensive and defensive variables of individuals within the European Championships of 1996 and 2000. The study aimed to examine if any correlation occurred between performance and final position reached in the tournaments. A computerised notation system was used to notate over 2000 actions per game. The actions of the individuals could then be calculated to give means for each of the teams per selected variable. France, who were the winners of Euro 2000 were found to be the highest ranked nation in passing, receiving the ball, running with the ball and tackling. Luhtanen et al. (2001) concluded that this consistent high ranking suggested that France were worthy winners of the tournament. The winners of Euro 1996 however, Germany, were not found to be the highest ranked in any selected variable. Luhtanen et al. (2001) explained this concept by stating that the Germans performed very ordi narily throughout the tournament, and a great deal of luck brought them success. The selection of performance indicators for use in the study may however have only been conducive to certain patterns and styles of play. Although these may have highlighted the attacking nature of Frances performance, they do not take into account factors such as levels of team cohesion and team organisational structure. It may have been high levels of factors such as these which brought the Germans success, not merely luck, as was stated in the review. Luhtanen et al., (2001) summarised that comparisons between team performances across tournaments or time spans couldnt be made absolute due to the numerous changes in team selections, opposition, tactics used and managerial changes. 2.2 Factors determining success within association football Vast amounts of literature are apparent concerning the various aspects of a teams performance, especially those, which bring success. Hughes et al., (1988) developed a methodology to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful teams from the 1986 World Cup by examining the main characteristics of play when in possession of the ball. Successful teams were defined as those teams who progressed to the semi final stages, whereas unsuccessful teams were those who were eliminated after the 1st group stage. Analysis was conducted using 24 performance variables. It was found that successful teams have more touches in possession, had more shots at goal from within the penalty area and approached the final sixth of the pitch by playing predominantly in the central areas. Unsuccessful teams dribbled more and played the ball to the wide areas in their own defensive zones more frequently. The findings of Hughes et al., (1988) study were contradicted by Ali (1988) who conducted a statistical analysis of patterns of play in 18 Scottish Premier Division matches. It was concluded that attacks which proceeded along either wing were more successful, rather than those which were played more centrally. Teams using low pass combination moves combined with centrally based attacks were the factors deciding success in Bishovets et al., (1993) study of 52 World Cup matches. This manner of performance was related to winning teams have a more consistent and reliable understanding between players. Pearce and Hughes (2001) conducted analysis of the perceived successful impact of substitutions in the 2000 European Championships. Data was gathered in the 15 minutes preceding a substitution and in the 15 minutes afterwards. Each performance variable was evaluated and ranked depending on its value of influence. This allowed a show of ratings along a continuum to be created, both of the individual substitute and of the teams performance following the substitutes introduction. Although it was found that 15 minutes of analysis did not produce enough data, midfield was seen to be the most hazardous player position in which to introduce a substitute, due to the high work intensities required immediately by the incoming player. The idea of coding actions according to their difficulty and their success can also been seen in Rico and Bangsbo (1997) study of Denmarks performance in the 1992 European Championships. Actions were noted according to the amount of pressure applied on the performer and conclusions were drawn from the results. The decline of Denmarks passing in their final 3 games was put down to the increased pressure and closeness of the score line related to the latter stages of the tournament. Dooan et al., (1996) conducted a further study to determine the factors, which promote success within soccer. The importance of playing at a high tempo was recognised, due to the constant opponent and time pressures that are placed upon performers. He aimed to compare the efficiency of pass in elite versus non-elite Turkish performers. All passes were recorded as either positive or negative, according to their perceived degree of difficulty and success. It was concluded, as expected that speed, fluency and intensity of pass are all more apparent for elite performers. A further technical study on elite Turkish footballers was reported by Eniseler et al., (1996). The researchers found that Galatasarys failure in European football competition was due to technical and tactical inadequacies as well as a lack of physical conditioning. This method of performance profiling also included recording variables as either positive or negative, according to their execution. A tactical and technical inadequacy leading to failure was also reported by Acar (1996) who analysed the performance of teams playing in derby matches, using both computer and hand notation. The stated research has all described the relative success of play in relation to entire team performances. A team is defined as a system in that a group of players interact in a dynamic fashion concerning a single purpose (Pinto, 1998). Despite a team participating as a homogenous unit, it is also vital to remember that the different individuals comprising a single team make it heterogeneous at the same time (Pinto, 1998). 2.3 Evaluation of Individuals Performance Success in football is very much judged on a teams ability to win matches (Luhtanen et al., 2001). The study of individuals performance can be regarded as invaluable as it is in essence these individuals which comprise any team. Success at any level collectively cannot be achieved without the performance of individuals within this team unit. A great deal of individual analysis has been conducted on the physical demands of football competition and the necessary physiological state for optimum performance (Reilly and Thomas, 1976; Bangsbo, 1997; ODonoghue et al., 2001). Wells and Reilly (2002) attempted to research into the demands of playing position within womens soccer also taking into account performance variables. However the only performance variable measured was kicking distance. This variable seems very irrelevant to determining successful performance within a game situation, particularly within elite level International football. The lack of literature relating to the importance of individuals levels of skill was identified by Reilly and Holmes (1983). Reilly applied 2 methods in order to investigate the notion of skill distribution within soccer. Match analysis of 6 non professional games was carried out looking at skill performances as either successful or unsuccessful. In addition to this analysis, a group of 40 adolescent males, from a variety of outfield positions performed a cross section of skills tests. From the 2 tests, Reilly concluded that significantly: i. Success rate of each skill depends upon pitch location ii. Defensive area provides highest skill success rate iii. Midfield players show more superior test scores to defenders Reilly explained that as the space available from the opponents goal increases, the time available on the ball also increases. This explains why the most successful skills are performed in the defensive area, where less pressure is applied. It was also suggested that a common trend is to place the most poorly equipped players in defensive roles, hence the defenders performing worst on the skills test. James at al., (2002) recognised the importance of studying individuals within a team. He stated that this level of deeper analysis allows a much finer grained overall team examination. In a study of the same team over 21 matches, across various competition types, the analysis aimed to identify the different roles individuals may take across differing circumstances. It was noted that in European competition players played more defensively and played passes involving much less risk. Dufour (1993) completed a technical analysis of outfield players, summarising the percentage of time spent in each action category. For an outfield player it was reported that on the ball playing time was divided into: 50.6% Intercepting, 22.4% Passing, 18.7% Controlling ball, 4.5% Tackling, 2.4% Shooting and 1.4% other activities. Although this analysis enabled a template of the aspects contributing to an outfield players role, no specification was made relating to playing position, taking into account the obvious differences which occur between the outfield positions. The lack of individual analysis relating to the highly specialised position of a goalkeeper was identified by Wooster and Hughes (2001). Goalkeepers were seen as vitally important, as they provide the last line of defence and the first line of attack for any team. From studying 1126 goalkeeper distributions at Euro 2000 with a hand notation system, it was concluded that successful goalkeepers used an equal distribution of kicks and throws, with variety which enabled possession to be maintained in the attacking third of the field. 24% of the 67 goals scored within the tournament all originated from successful goalkeeper distribution. Researchers have also used other methods, other than standardised hand and computer notation systems in order to investigate the performance of individuals. A qualitative analysis of individual movement patterns was performed by Grehaigne et al., (2001). A players effective play space was considered by drawing polygonal lines to create an individuals players action zone. This action zone represented the areas in which 80% of the players activities were performed. Graphic modelling and statistical calculations were used by Chernenjakov and Dimitrov (1988) to help detail individual players performances. By entering specific data into a computer, it allowed players to be arranged in order of their playing effectiveness. Erdmann (1993) described how due to the imprecise, subjective and ambiguous nature of qualitative observations, all quantitative analysis should be performed based upon mechanical properties. Erdmann introduced how by looking at the Kinematics of movement, such as the displacement, velocity and acceleration of movements, individual performance profiles could be built. 2.4 Use of Match Analysis by Coaches As stated by Coghlan (1990) there is enormous pressure on football mangers throughout the world to succeed. In an attempt to bring about such success, notational analysis is being increasingly used within the modern game (Partridge and Franks, 1997). It can help to provide coaches with detailed analysis of observations that would otherwise be missed (Coghlan, 1990). Many coaches now consider information derived from such technological advances to be invaluable (Liebermann et al., 2002). With the pace of the modern day game, team strategies and tactics should be based on something more substantial than opinion (Bate, 1988). Match analysis enables accurate, objective and relevant feedback to be applied to a coach or a performer about past performances (Franks and McGarry, 1996). Due to coaches being active, biased observers of their teams performances, their observations are often not accurate. In a study by Franks and Miller (1986), International level coaches were only able to recollect 30% of the key elements which determined performance with the use of their memory alone (cited in Franks and McGarry, 1996). The presentation of accurate results takes away any subjective views and opinions and allows a coach to build up a portfolio of all future opponents in order to prepare to play against them (Pollard et al., 1988). Olsen and Larsen (1997) showed how the outcome of analysis can be a tool for evaluation and for the development of team tactics. The system responsible for such analysis must however be valid, accurate and easy to use, without large tables of complicated figures and graphs (Gerisch and Reichelt, 1993). Such simple but detailed analysis systems have enabled Norway to maximise its limited resources and to compete on the International football arena (p.220). Franks and Goodman (1986) stated that an objective quantification of critical events during a game is critical for a complete post match analysis. The generated analysis must be used by coaches to instigate an observable change in behaviour, and so an improvement in performance. Liebermann et al., (2002) and Franks and McGarry (1996) reinforced this notion by stating that appropriately timed feedback can significantly improve motor skill acquisition and performance. Reporting to the results of both qualitative and quantitative feedback to a performer can increase performance (Partridge and Franks, 1997). Following matches, a subject was shown analysis results, and video clips from relevant expert performances which related to his previous performance. Over the course of 6 games, the subjects performance across 15 measured variables did improve. This performance increase was directly related to the analysis procedures the player was subjected to between performances. 2.5 Individual Roles Within a Team Framework Although a team unit is comprised of 11 individuals, all 11 players must assume certain roles and functions in order to make such a team unit a success. Subconsciously, players and coaches alike have a universal knowledge of which technical components are required in order to play in each position within association football. There is however very little research to either reinforce or question these concepts. Having an exact technical analysis of the precise playing requirements of each position would allow accurate training schedules and more accurate player profiles to be established. Many coaching publications state the necessary credentials to play in certain positions within soccer (Smith, 1973; Cook, 1982). These publications are however based upon opinion, as opposed to exact epidemiological research. Much ambiguity does exist between these opinions and the reported differences. Wiemeyer (2003) in interviewing 14 coaches, across varying participation levels in order to establish positional technical demands emphases this. In only one case did all coaches agree of the exact functions of a position.

The Lakota Sioux essays

The Lakota Sioux essays The Sioux were a tribe of Native Americans who lived in the Great Plains. They flourished for hundreds if not thousands of years, before they were decimated and re-settled by White Men in after a long series of wars in the 1800s. The Sioux were a very religious people. Like almost (if not) all Native Americans, they were Polytheistic-although, unlike other polytheistic tribes, they did believe in one supreme power. They called the supreme power Wakan Tanka, the great spirit, who includes all the other gods combined, most notably Wi, the sun, Skan, the sky and judge of everyone, and Maka the earth. Other famous and important powers are The buffalo, the four winds, bear, the four directions, Hanwi the the moon, Iktomi the trickster, and Tate the wind. The Sioux had many rituals. Examples are the sun dance and heyokas. Heyokas were people who dreamed of thunder or a legendary thunderbird. Heyokas would do everything backwards-including riding horses. They interpreted dreams. They basically were religious clowns. If and when they want to quit this role, they would rid themselves of it by sticking their hand in a steaming kettle and drawing a chunk of meat out from it. The sun dance was a 12 day prayer to the sun. The first four days all the men wore red skirts and put sage wreaths in their hair. While gazing at the sun and blowing eagle bone whistles, they danced around the Sacred Pole, which was a cottonwood tree. They then stuck sticks attached to the Sacred Pole into their chests. At the end, people who didnt want to become holy men pulled the sticks out of their chests. If they wanted to become holy men, they were lifted by the sticks in the air until their flesh ripped. if you survived, you were considered a holy man. The Sioux religion also had many legends. Among them is the white Buffalo woman, a legend that is intended to explain how various Sioux customs developed. The daughter of wi the s...

What You Need to Know About Susan B. Anthony

What You Need to Know About Susan B. Anthony Working closely with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony was a primary organizer, speaker, and writer for the 19th century womens rights movement in the United States, especially the first phases of the long struggle for womens vote, the womens suffrage movement or woman suffrage movement. Susan B. Anthony Biography To learn more about the life of Susan B. Anthony, consult the biography of Anthony on this site: Susan B. Anthony Fun Facts 13 Surprising Facts About Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony Pictures In this gallery are pictures of Susan B. Anthony and several related to her life. Susan B. Anthony Pictures Susan B. Anthonys Contributions to History Susan B. Anthonys work with the womens suffrage movement is an integral part of that movements history, as she and Stanton were central to that work. General accounts of the suffrage movement for the last half of the 19th century and first few years of the 20th century thus are excellent resources about Susan B. Anthonys contributions to history: The Long Road to Suffrage - a description of the woman suffrage movement from Seneca Falls to 1920 Womens Suffrage Events - a timeline of events in the history of the womens suffrage movement in America, starting with Susan B. Anthonys stand in 1837 for equal pay for women teachers. One particular incident which featured Susan B. Anthony was her attempt to vote and subsequent trial for that offense.   The trial is considered a landmark in American womens history: United States v. Susan B. Anthony National Woman Suffrage Association: Susan B. Anthony (with Elizabeth Cady Stanton) headed up this wing of the split womens suffrage movement, 1869 - 1890. Susan B. Anthony Quotes This collection of Susan B. Anthony quotes will give a flavor of her speeches and writings: Susan B. Anthony Quotes About Susan B. Anthony - Contemporary Accounts Contemporary sources writings from the time someone was alive may not include some of the analysis which historians later developed about particular individuals, but they do provide us with personal details about a persons life, and a perspective on how that individual was perceived while she was alive.   This site includes several contemporary sources about Susan B. Anthony: In these excerpts from The History of Woman Suffrage Volume 1, Elizabeth Cady Stanton describes Susan B. Anthonys entrance into the new movement for womens rights, the beginning of a lifelong friendship between the two women:Reminiscences by Elizabeth Cady StantonIn Reminiscences of Famous Women, Harriet Townsend described her own memory of Susan B. Anthony:Susan B. Anthony by Harriet A. TownsendWhen Susan B. Anthony died in 1906, she was well-known for her work in the womens suffrage movement.   This contemporary obituary says a lot about how she was known and how the media and general public thought of her at the time of her death:Susan B. Anthony Obituary - 1906 Susan B. Anthony in Context To understand Susan B. Anthonys contribution to the womens suffrage movement, these additional resources may be helpful: Timelines: Womens Suffrage Events - a timeline of events in the history of the womens suffrage movement in America, starting with Susan B. Anthonys stand in 1837 for equal pay for women teachers. American Woman Suffrage Timeline - Winning the Vote - a timeline of the state-by-state legal changes on the long road to the vote for American womenOverviews: The Long Road to Suffrage - a description of the woman suffrage movement from Seneca Falls to 1920Key Events in the Womens Suffrage Movement Seneca Falls Womens Rights Convention - 1848 - Though Susan B. Anthony did not attend this event, it was key in initiating the active movement for the vote that Anthony participated in for the rest of her life. Womens Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment: this amendment to the constitution split the womens suffrage movement, and later served as a basis for winning womens rights Suffrage Turning Points 1913 - 1917: the March on Washington in 1913 through the reintroduction of the Susan B. Anthony am endment August 26, 1920 - after Susan B. Anthonys death, the womens suffrage amendment to the U.S. Constitution finally was ratified, including women as full voting citizens Related Individuals Elizabeth Cady Stanton - Stanton and Anthony were friends and cooperated closely in their work in the womens suffrage movement.   Womens Suffrage Biographies - find biographies and other resources of other key activists in the womens suffrage movementMore articles and other resources about the womens suffrage movement: Womens Suffrage - what you need to know about the womens suffrage movement Test Your Knowledge Check out how much you know about the womens suffrage movement with this online quiz: Womens Suffrage Quiz Susan B. Anthony - in Print, in Films The following list includes books by Susan B. Anthony (some with recent analysis and commentary by editors), books about Susan B. Anthony, and books for children and young adults about Susan B. Anthony: Susan B. Anthony Books In 1999, a documentary on Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and their suffrage work premiered. Not for Ourselves Alone

Foreign Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Foreign Ethics - Coursework Example The rural parents view children as an investment because they provide labor for agricultural production. The children are also a resource because they help in taking care of their siblings. Since the families cannot afford to employ nannies, the elder children have to look after their younger siblings. Besides, parents expect the children to support them financially during their old age (Kiriti & Tisdell 2013). Things are, however, different in the U.S. There are no parents who opt to have many children. Most parents limit to one or two children. It is widely regarded as unethical for couples to have many children because most parents are economically stable. A couple with several children cannot afford to give each of them appropriate parental attention (AAP 2015). In addition, giving birth in large numbers would add more people to the already populated country. Kiriti, T., & Tisdell, C. (2013). Family size, economics and child gender preference: A case study in the Nyeri district of Kenya. Social Economics International Journal of Social Economics, 492-509. Retrieved July 3, 2015, from http://www.uq.edu.au/rsmg/docs/ClemWPapers/SEPD/WP

Intelligence Collection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Intelligence Collection - Essay Example The subsequent retrieval operations in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist rebels was the result of intense diplomatic negotiations to allow access but the importance of this request was to gather additional incriminating evidence as to who really shot down the airplane. An implication of materials and biologic collection techniques was to detect any traces of chemicals used in the shooting down of that plane using a missile (BBC News Europe para. 4). Chemical evidence as to what type of missile it was (a Buk or SA-11 version) can complement eyewitness accounts on the ground (HUMINT) as well as data from the radar systems in the flight path (COMINT). Part 2. Materiel Acquisition – the value of acquiring sensitive materials like that of what happened during a mid-air collision between a Chinese fighter jet and an American spy plane is to gain intelligence about what materials were used on the manufacture of the plane (sensitive or light-weight metals or other materials that deflect radar) or the extremely sophisticated electronic systems and avionics used on the spy plane. It allows China access to all these materials and be able to study them later in their own laboratories. The particular spy plane was made by the firm of defense contractor Lockheed and forced to land in Hainan Island after being damaged. But the plane was eventually returned to the U.S. in its dismantled form already (Eckert, 2002). Its value in intelligence was allow the Chinese to study as they cannot have it due to arms

Dans quelle mesure peuton dire que les in&#233galities de salaire Essay

Dans quelle mesure peuton dire que les inégalities de salaire existent toujours pour les femmes en France - Essay Example Au contraire, l'tude montre un cart d'entre 6% (ouvriers) et 68% (chefs d'entreprise) dans les salaires mensuels nets, moyennant 37% tous temps de travail confondus, et 24% pour les postes temps complets. La catgorie avec le moins d'carts est la catgorie des employs (entre 6 et 8%). Les moins bien payes touchent 91% du niveau de salaire des hommes, alors que les 10% les mieux rmunres n'en peroivent que 75% (Observatoire des ingalits 2006). En ce qui concerne la fonction publique, les plus rcentes tudes publies par l'INSEE (2004) montrent un cart de 20% dans le salaire annuel nets pour les postes temps complets. Tandis que les femmes cadres et des employes et ouvrires qui travaillent dans le secteur public gagnent nettement moins que les hommes (entre 20 et 25%), des professionnelles gagnent presque le mme salaire que leurs collgues masculins (20,400 contre 21,900). Ses statistiques sont controverses de par le fait que les vraies diffrences sont difficiles cerner. Dans certaines instances, le statut complexe de la femme franaise entre mre de famille et travailleur rendre difficile la tache de comparaison. L'volution des lois sur le travail (le SMIC par exemple) a fait que les femmes d'aujourd'hui gagnent plus que ses surs d'il y a un demi-sicle (Clark 2000, p.77), mais 80% des salaris qui gagnent le SMIC et moins sont des femmes (Maurin 2000). Cela ne dmontre pas une ingalit de salaire mais une ingalit dans le systme du travail. La culture franaise insiste sur la place primordiale de la femme la maison, en assurant la stabilit de la vie de famille. Puisque des femmes doivent penser aux enfants, soit elles ne poursuivent pas des tudes au-del du baccalaurat-qui leur donne accs qu'aux postes mal pays-o elles ne travaillent qu' temps partiel. Ces ingalits se rvlent par une infriorit de salaire dans des statistiques globales, mais ce qui est plus important retenir c'est que les horaires infrieurs effectus par les femmes ne sont pas reflts par les tudes, donc on ne peut que supposer un cart plus important que ceux reporter par des statistiques officielles. D'autre lment qui rend compliqu la question d'ingalits de salaire est la diffrence des qualifications entre hommes et femmes et leur concentration dans des diffrents secteurs et filires. Les femmes sont plutt concentres dans des filires avec des salaires bas (Gregory et Tidd 2000, p. 36), par exemple, elles sont plutt dans l'administration (secrtaires, rceptionnistes) et l'enseignement (surtout dans la maternelle). SelonMargaret Maruani, sociologue et directrice de recherche au CNRS, cela est la faute de l'ducation, ou les filles sont traditionnellement orientes vers des filires fminines tandis que des garons le sont vers des filires dites nobles telles que sciences conomiques (Maurin 2000). En outre des secteurs de salaire infrieur, les mres gravitent aussi vers les botes relativement petites et intimes (Gregory et Tidd 2000, p.36). En tudiant des secteurs quivalents, on trouve qu'en gnral les femmes occupent des postes moins qualifis que des hommes mme si maintenant elles ont plus d'accs aux mtiers qualifis (Maurin 2000). Mme quand elles se trouvent parmi les cadres suprieurs, son statut et par la suite son salaire n'est pas forcment la mme que ses collgues masculins. Maruani

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a Wind Power Production Research Paper

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a Wind Power Production Project in Turkana Area of Kenya; East Africa - Research Paper Example The project under consideration will constitute a wind farm situated at the South Eastern end of Lake Turkana. This area is mostly uninhabited, rocky and arid desert area. The geographical conditions are unique with daily temperature fluctuations generating strong, predictable wind streams between Lake Turkana and the desert hinterland. Although there is no significant source of water, power or coal, the area can be termed as an enormous natural heat engine. This is due to the wind circulation system coming as a result of the difference in temperatures of the sun-baked land region and the cooler waters of the lake. The heating of the land air causes rising of hot air, which is promptly replaced by the cool air from the Lake blowing as wind throughout the area until it cools down. Contrary to what happens in the oilfield where depletion occurs, the blowing goes on as long as the as the sun shines. The projected area effectively acts as a funnel whereby the wind streams are accelerated to speed up to 15m/s. This ascertains the positivity of the resource to driving turbines for power production. The power deficit in Kenya is a serious problem and the production of electric energy using wind, will boost the production to high. The modelling done estimates that wind power installation with capacities of close to 300 megawatts would be required to increase the power production by 20%. The wind farm will include 365 V53 turbines with hub heights of 44 meters to produce clean electricity into the national grid system. 1.2. Project Timelines The project under consideration is scheduled to take five years to completion though in three phases. The first phase of two years will incorporate ground work and research findings on the viability of this project in the Turkwel region, followed by installation phase of two years, which also see the pre trial use being done. The last one year phase will be the commissioning stage. Timescale of change Environmental Parameter Geologi cal aspect Will not change and will remain stable. Can be more than 50 years Favorable air replenishment and cut down on GHGs. Varies seasonally The population of migratory bird from Lake Turkana will be affected to the south Eastern side. 1.3. Project Location The Lake Turkana project will constitute a wind farm situated 8 Km South East of Lake Turkana in Marsabit County Loyiangalani district of Kenya. The exact position of the proposed plant is between two mount ranges; Southwest of Mt Kulal and Northeast of Mt. Nyiru. The Map Showing the location of the project is exhibited in Annex 1. 1.3.1. Soil Capacity The area has basically a clay based soil meaning the area is more alkaline with the surrounding rocks being predominantly volcanic. The area has undergone tremendous natural degradation in form soil erosion. The soil in the area has been affected by the overgrazing of the pastoralists communities. Lack of vegetation and cutting down of the few trees and shrubs make the area pro ne to soil destruction processes. The construction of the project will result into increased soil erosion during installation of turbines and road construction. This combined with strong winds and occasional rains may lead to acute and chronic erosions. 1.3.2. Ground Water The area consists of efficient aquifers of ground waters that can be utilised for the construction purposes. This is through the drilling of boreholes and provides sufficient project water and avoids competition with the locals. After construction, the extra boreholes will be made available to the local communities. 1.3.3. Surface Water The water quantity and quality is a critical issue and its availability in the project area, is generally low and constitutes one of the major challenges in the region. The

Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Nursing - Research Paper Example The literature on oral care hygiene protocols encompasses techniques such as tooth brushing and use of chlorhexidine rinse (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2015). As argued by Green (2014), a methodology that involves two case studies is used in qualitative research to determine the research questions that guide discussions and interviews concentrating on the research. The aim of this proposed research is to find out the most effective intervention to reduce ventilator associated pneumonia in adult ICU patients applying the oral care hygiene protocols. The theoretical framework is utilized in this research to come up with the following questions that are used to direct the deliberations and interviews that are centered on the study. The questions state what is the most effective intervention to reduce ventilator associated pneumonia in adult ICU patients? Performing oral care (use of toothbrush)? Or the use of an antiseptic agent (chlorhexidine)? In the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia, other theories that exist include the application of a ventilator bundle care. Ventilator bundle care stops bacterial translocation and aspiration to the lower respiratory tract in ICU adults undergoing mechanical ventilation (Broaddus et al., 2015). The common theme between application of oral care hygiene protocols and ventilator bundle care is that they both prevent or reduce the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU. Tooth brushing technique used in a patient undergoing mechanical ventilation three times a day has been shown to be operative in the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia. In addition, the use of 0.12% solution chlorhexidine oral swab twice daily is assumed to have a significant change on the reduction of ventilator associated pneumonia. The oral care hygiene is critical

The death penalty is not a deterrent Research Paper - 1

The death penalty is not a deterrent - Research Paper Example Pillsbury argued that it is the violence of our crimes that is the problem and not the number of crimes. And in dealing with the American homicide problem, we need to approach it squarely with all the help we can muster from social scientists, lawyers, police officers, community leader and activists, even novelists and movie makers. Each of these people provides a different perspective on what makes people commit crime, and each provides a different solution in dealing with the criminal who committed the crime. (Pillsbury 3) A police officer who apprehended the criminal may want conviction and incarceration. The psychiatrist may ask for psychiatric treatment, while a social reformer may ask that the offender be given family support which he/she lacked when the crime was committed. Each professional or actor in the justice system may want a different approach. But this will hold only for as long as each respects the other. The criminal, after a psychiatric treatment, may find himself a promoter of social reform, but not capital punishment. This paper will provide an answer to the question whether the criminal deserves punishment and not the death penalty. Is capital punishment a deterrent to a convict’s commission of another crime? Or is it a deterrent for others to commit a crime? Literature Review Proponents of the death penalty provide four fundamental rationales in imposing it: ‘deterrence, instrumental perspective, retribution, and incapacitation’ (Lambert and Clarke, qtd. in Elechi, Lambert and Ventura 110). Proponents argue that people can be stopped from committing crimes by imposing severe sanctions and executing criminals deters others who planned to commit crimes from doing so. Proponents also advocate that the death penalty is an ‘effective deterrent than life imprisonment’ (Elechi et al 110). Retribution is vengeance (Mitchell 480). Statistics about homicide rates in conjunction with execution rates Since 1999 the mu rder rate has remained unchanged despite the decline of death sentences, executions, and the size of death row. (â€Å"Death Penalty Information Center† para. 1) In the so-called execution capital of the nation, Texas, executions go up the same thing with homicide. For example in Bexar, San Antonio, with a population of about 1.4 million, the murder rate is 14.91, executions registered at 18 and executions per 1,000 murders are 4.3; in El Paso, a population of .7 million, the murder rate is 6.60, execution 1; in Tarrant (Ft. Worth), population of 1.5, murder rate is 12.78, executions 22, and executions per 1,000 are 6.5; in Dallas, a population of 2.2 million, the murder rate is 19.33, executions 26, and executions per 1000 murders are 3.1. The hiatus in executions during 1972 to 1976 was brought about by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Furman v. Georgia, which states that capital punishment in America was cruel and unusual punishment. (â€Å"Mortal Justice: The Demogra phy of the Death Penalty† 40) Statistics about homicide rates in conjunction with life imprisonment States, which do not have the death penalty and only have life imprisonment, have reported lower murder rates. In 2010, the murder rate in death penalty states was 5.00, while the murder rate in non-death penalty states was 4.01 or a difference of 25%. In other words, death penalty or life imprisonment has no deterrence on violent crimes like murder. The murder rate is calculated by dividing the total

Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Nursing - Research Paper Example The literature on oral care hygiene protocols encompasses techniques such as tooth brushing and use of chlorhexidine rinse (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2015). As argued by Green (2014), a methodology that involves two case studies is used in qualitative research to determine the research questions that guide discussions and interviews concentrating on the research. The aim of this proposed research is to find out the most effective intervention to reduce ventilator associated pneumonia in adult ICU patients applying the oral care hygiene protocols. The theoretical framework is utilized in this research to come up with the following questions that are used to direct the deliberations and interviews that are centered on the study. The questions state what is the most effective intervention to reduce ventilator associated pneumonia in adult ICU patients? Performing oral care (use of toothbrush)? Or the use of an antiseptic agent (chlorhexidine)? In the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia, other theories that exist include the application of a ventilator bundle care. Ventilator bundle care stops bacterial translocation and aspiration to the lower respiratory tract in ICU adults undergoing mechanical ventilation (Broaddus et al., 2015). The common theme between application of oral care hygiene protocols and ventilator bundle care is that they both prevent or reduce the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU. Tooth brushing technique used in a patient undergoing mechanical ventilation three times a day has been shown to be operative in the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia. In addition, the use of 0.12% solution chlorhexidine oral swab twice daily is assumed to have a significant change on the reduction of ventilator associated pneumonia. The oral care hygiene is critical

Nurse Practioner Admission Essay Essay Example for Free

Nurse Practioner Admission Essay Essay Since graduating in 2008 with my diploma in nursing, I have had many personal and clinical experiences. The challenges I have faced have facilitated my competency as a nurse and increased my desire to continue my education in nursing. My introduction to emergency room nursing was during my senior year as a nursing student, as a patient care technician. Even though some days were trying and there was a lot of learning to be had, I almost immediately knew this is where I belonged. I have continued my career in the emergency department, where I have been working as a registered nurse for 5 years. During my career I have performed in many different roles, including patient care technician, new graduate nurse, staff nurse, triage nurse, preceptor and mentor for students and new employees, and even the role of charge nurse. The challenges of working in a high volume emergency department, caring for a diverse and complex patient population have been abundant. Emergency nursing is my passion and I am driven by the opportunity to expand my knowledge base and nursing practice. Now that I have fulfilled my goal of completing my bachelors in nursing, I aim to challenge myself further by obtaining a master’s of science in nursing. The independence and autonomy required to provide high complexity care is crucial in an emergency setting and these traits are what draw me to the role of a nurse practitioner. My experiences as an emergency room nurse have enhanced my knowledge and ability to manage and care for critically acute, as well as chronically ill patients varying in ages from infant to elderly, with different cultural and religious backgrounds. Becoming a nurse practitioner will allow me to continue providing care to varying populations, with a variety of health issues, while still giving me the opportunity to make a difference in people’s health and overall well-being. My professional goal is to use my studies and skills to become the most competent clinician I can be, while maintaining one of the most important qualities, compassion. Becoming a nurse practitioner who treats the whole person and not just a medical condition is very important to me. The diversity of the emergency room has taught me that providing excellent care is much more complex than treating an illness. Each patient has unique needs and the ability of the healthcare provider to tailor their approach in assessing and treating each patient is crucial in providing optimal care. Follow through is an aspect of nursing that I look forward to in the role of nurse practitioner, as the setting I currently work does not often allow for this. In the emergency room, we stabilize patients and then they are moved to another department or unit; we infrequently know the final outcome or see the end result of our care. Building on existing skills and the opportunity to implement new ones, such as this, to better serve and assist the same patient population is what pushes me to continue my education in nursing. I thrive in situations that are challenging and intense, which the nurse practitioner program will prove to be. The lifelong reward of a career that has meaning and value to me is worth the sacrifices. I am confident with my experience, the skills I have developed and the challenges I have faced, not only in my career but in life, I am capable of succeeding in almost any situation and I look forward to the challenges and success of becoming a nurse practitioner.

Effectiveness Of Information Technology On Supply Chain Management

Effectiveness Of Information Technology On Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management is the concept known as the management of the materials and the information across all the partners within an industry including customers customers and suppliers suppliers. Supply Chain Management introduces the initiatives for competitive advantages to companies and it reinforces the use of technology for more accurate and faster communication among supply chain partners. The field of supply chain management has become tremendously important to companies in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. The term supply chain refers to the entire network of companies that work together to design, produce, deliver, and service products ( Hausman, 2001) Generally speaking, the supply chain is the sequence of enterprises from suppliers to end customers. The National Research Council refers to it is an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..association of customers and suppliers who, working together yet in their own best interest, buy, convert, distribute and sell goods and services among themselves resulting in the creation of a specific end product ( National Resource Council, 2000) According to the Mentzer Supply chain management is defined as the systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain, for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole. (Mentzer et al.,2001 in www.emeraldinsight.com) Companies cannot work for themselves and are hence automatically part of at least one supply chain. The key participants are the manufacturers and their respective suppliers that collaborate to create and support the end-product as well as the customers that purchase the latter. A typical supply chain comprises the following layers.( Werner, 2002) Primary producer Multiple tiers suppliers Ones own company Intermediary trade in the form of wholesale and retail End-users A supply chain is the process of moving goods from the customer order through the raw materials stage, supply, production, and distribution of products to the customer. All organisation have supply chains of varying degrees, depending upon the size of the organisation and the type of product manufactured. These networks obtain supplies and components, change these materials into finished products and then distribute them to the customer. Managing the chain of events in this process is what is known as supply chain management. ( Ligus, 1999) The bullwhip effect is a major cause of supply chains problems. It describes how small fluctuations in demand at the customer level are amplified as orders pass up the supply chain through distributors, manufacturer, and suppliers. As an example consider disposable diapers. Babies generally consume diapers at a more or less consistent rate when aggregated over a large group of customers. Nevertheless, order fluctuations invariably become considerably larger as one moves upstream in this supply chain. Consequences of the bullwhip effect can be severe, including excess and fluctuating inventories, shortages and stock outs, longer lead times, higher transportation and manufacturing costs, and mistrust between supply chain partners.(Fisher, 1997) The Supply Chain Operation Model (SCOR) was designed to enable companies to communicate, compare and learn from competitors both within and outside of their industry. It only measures supply chain performance but also effectiveness of supply chain reengineering. Further it has the ability to test and plan future process improvements. The SCOR is a process reference model. Process reference models integrate the well-known concepts of business process reengineering, benchmarking, and process measurement into a cross functional framework( SCC,2001) The evaluation of supply chain management information technology enables companies to integrate activities and organisations that were previously separate. Inside a larger organisation the key element for forging new efficient processes is sharing data between functions in real time. The objective is to eliminate administrative tasks that were develop when information could only be shared by sending documents between these areas. ( Eloranta, E Holmstrom, J et al., 2001) Information technologies are no longer considered as nice to have instead it is believed that is a must. Whoever uses the information technologies effectively in managing his business will have more chance to succeed in todays world. Capturing the necessary data is one part of the race but filtering and changing the data into information effectively is the most important concept. Companies produce vast amounts of data everyday but they require advance tools to manipulate the data to reach the informative data which helps to manage their business. The purpose of this research is to introduce the supply chain management concept and initiatives; and point the information technologies used in this area to achieve the expected benefits from the management of a supply chain. It emphasis how information technologies effect supply chain management and how can it be used to manage the supply chain more effectively. In this piece of work, the basics of Supply chain management and the initiatives of the supply chain management are being described. The effects of information technologies, as the inevitable backbone of the supply chain management, will be explained in detail. 3. Rationale for Chosen Topic: Companies strive to improve market share, grow corporate profit, and gain strategic advantage. In order to achieve these goals, supply chain competency must be placed at the heart of a companys business model. Firms realize that the competition is driven by customer demand. Effective supply chain management can offer customers high quality products and services with low prices. Effective SCM can help lower production and distribution costs through seamless cooperation between business partners in their supply chain. The big retail chains have fought to a standstill in price wars over the last decade. Now they are realising that the lending edge IT is an invaluable weapon in the battle for market share ( Masters) 4. Research Questions: Formulating a series of questions adds clarity to the research process. Therefore, the fundamental questions for the proposed research topic are: What are the benefits of IT on management of supply chain? What are the effects of IT system on supply chain management? What are the benefits of vendor managed inventory in supply chain management? 5. Research Objectives: The research objectives explain the purpose of the research and define standards for what the researcher is going to do. The objectives specify the information needed to accomplish the research process. The aim of this research is to gain a better understanding of supply chain management and how affect IT on management of Supply Chain by analyzing the vendor managed inventory (VMI). This VMI concept will be introduced and its benefits to supply chain management 6. Literature Review: Information is crucial to supply chain performance because it provides the foundation on which supply chain processes execute transactions and managers make decisions. Without information, a manager will not know what customer want, how much inventory in stock, and when more products should be produced and shipped. In short, without information a manager can only make a decision blindly. Therefore, information makes the supply chain visible to a manager. Given the role of information in a supply chains success, managers must understand how information is gathered and analysed. This is where IT comes into play. IT consists of the hardware and software throughout a supply chain that gathers, analyses, and acts on information. It serves as the eyes and ears of management in a supply chain, capturing and analysing the information necessary to make a good decision. Using IT systems to capture and analyse information can have a significant impact on a firms performance. For example, a major manufacturer of computer work-stations and serves found that much of the information on customer demand was not being used to set production schedules and inventory levels. The manufacturing group lacked this demand information, which forced them to make inventory and production decisions blindly. By installing a supply chain software system, the company was able to gather and analyse data to produce recommended stocking levels. Using the IT system enabled the company to cut its inventory in half because managers could now make decisions based on information rather than educated guesses. Large impacts like this underscore the importance of IT as a driver of supply chain performance. (Chopra, S. and Meindl, P., 2001) An efficient way to improve the effectiveness of SCM is to use Information Technology (IT). IT-solutions improve the integration with other actors in the supply chain and make the business processes more effective. This is done by reorganizing the processes and automating the information-flow between the businesses involved (Wu et al., 2004). Information technology has developed in a very fast pace in the area of supply chain management. This has generated new tools and solutions to handle the information sharing between different actors in supply networks. These types of supply chain technologies are of great current interest which is indicated by a research made by AMR Research Inc. The research indicates that nearly $15 billion been spent on SCM software since 1999 in the US alone (Ruppel, 2004). The most typical role of IT in SCM is reducing the friction in transaction between supply chains partners through cost-effective information flow. Conversely, IT is more importantly viewed to have a role in supporting the collaboration and coordination of supply chains through information sharing. Present IT as one of the key cures for bullwhip effect in supply chains. IT can be used for decision support. In this instance the analytical power of computers is used to provide assistance to managerial decisions. (www.emeraldinsight.com) Supply chain management is a vital part of the search for competitive advantage, today there is a wide range of software technologies that help to provide lean and efficient supply chains. All of which enable data, which might previously have been seen half way around the world by mail, to be delivered almost instantly with little cost or effort. (Johannson, M., 2003) A fast development of information technology has given the information flow within the supply chain a more central role than before. IT is a very important component within supply chain management and the development of IT has created many new opportunities for managing the supply chain. (Paulsson, U., Nilsson, C-H., Tryggestad, K., 2000) The internet is seen as the next big supply chain opportunity as it has gained increased reliability and security over recent years. As businesses have gained experience of this technology they are now able to take full advantage of sales automation through the internet. (Johannson, M., 2003) The supply chain absorbs as much as 60 to 80 percent of a sales dollar. Therefore it is of great importance to evaluate and analyze how the supply chain activities can be done more efficiently. This thesis focuses towards these types of activities, when a real-time IT-Logistics solution is implemented within the supply chain. This is done by many companies and the supply chain is becoming more and more essential to the firms competitive strategy. (Ballou, R. H., 2004) Information Technology (IT) is playing an increasingly critical role in the success or failure of the supply chain. IT ranks highly as the essential ingredient and backbone for the success of supply chain integration.(Barut, M., Faisst, W., and Kanet, J.J., 2002). IT has become one of the keys to operating success. It is impossible to achieve an effective supply chain without IT. Since suppliers are located all over the world, it is essential to integrate the activities both inside and outside of an organization. This requires an integrated information system (IS) for sharing information on various value-adding activities along the supply chain. (Gunasekaran, A. and Ngai, E.W.T., 2004) As customer demand steadily increases the importance of the application of information technology became clear, However success is not guaranteed by the technology itself, but by its application. (Eloranta, E Holmstrom, J., 2001) Over time, there have been numerous initiatives that have attempted to create efficiency and effectiveness through integration of supply chain activities and process. They have been identified by names such as quick response, electronic data interchange ( EDI), short cycle manufacturing, vendor-manage inventory (VMI), continuous-replenishment planning ( CRP), and efficient consumer response (ECR). (Coyle, J.J, Bardi, E.J., Langley, C.J., 2003) Electronic Data interchange ( EDI) allows companies to place instantaneous, paperless purchase orders with suppliers. EDI is not only efficient, but it also decreases the time needed to get products to customers as transaction can occur more quickly and accurately than when they are paper based. (Chopra, S. and Meindl, P., 2001) Prior to installing EDI many retail outlets would place orders for goods during stock out situations. For manufacturers this meant unpredictable peaks and falls in the order process, therefore making it difficult to establish a manufacturing cycle for their products. Retailers would stock up at the beginning of the season and face increasing stockholding costs plus the risk of having to mark down products at the end of the season to make way for new products. (Stafford, J., 1997) Continuous Replenishment Program (CRP) is an efficient replenishment concept within the Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) arena. It focuses on improving the flow of products in the supply chain, both forward to the customer and eventually the end customer, and backward to the supplier.(Ahlerup, T., 2001) Vendor manage inventory process can be defined as A mechanism where the supplier creates the purchase orders based on the demand information exchanged by the retailer/ customer To say this is a simple terms, VMI is a backward replenishment model where the supplier does the demand creation and demand fulfilment. In this model, instead of the customer managing his inventory and deciding how much to fulfil and when, the supplier does. The Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) concept is one type of joint chain scheduling which takes care of the customers demand. This leads to increased flexibility for the supplier and efficient replenishment for the customer. (Vollmann, T. E., et al 2005) In order to make this work, it is necessary to have compatible systems that can support several standards of information flows from different actors. According to Vollmann this can be done through an open IT-architecture with a common platform for all actors within the network. VMI also helps by conveying customer demand data to the manufacturer, who can then plan production accordingly. This helps improve manufacturer forecasts and better match manufacturer production with customer demand. (Chopra, S. and Meindl, P., 2001) Vendor managed inventory (VMI) is a technique that allows suppliers to be empowered by managing inventories of agreed-upon items. VMI is now a widely practiced initiative in the retail industry. For example, Procter and Gamble (PG) and Wal-Mart have developed well-functioned VMI systems. A Web-based VMI system, in which the suppliers monitor inventory information via the Internet and replenish the items according to a predetermined contract, will improve customer service, reduce inventory buffers, reduce administrative costs, and reduce uncertainty for the supplier. The literature review identifies that IT is expected to have a pivotal role in managing supply chains, now and in the future. In fact it seems that the use of IT is crucial, especially in fast-moving industries, and particularly for managing contemporary supply networks. Moreover, the close relationship of the concept of SCM and IT sometimes makes it hard to assess which one contributes benefits. For example implementing a VMI model with EDI information transmission can lead to substantial reduction of inventories and at the same time increase material availability. 7. Research Methodology: The research design phase starts with the election of research methodology for the proposed study. The objectives of the study, the availability of information, cost of obtaining data, and appropriateness of the topic determines the research methodology used for the study. As the research is exploratory in nature, Qualitative research will be deemed more appropriate by choosing a case study, exploration of question of what the benefits of IT in SCM are. For the purpose of this investigation many different forms of primary research will be gathered by doing email and telephone interview. The goal is to understand the current state of IT implementations in SCM and what practical benefit they have recognised in SCM. Through the gathering of this primary research the information is mainly qualitative, this type of research does not involve numbers and figures or analysis of part performance but rather finding out peoples opinions and feelings, this type research also becomes increasingly important as a way of trying to predict further into the future. ( Dooley, D. Dransfield, et.al.1999) I will also use secondary data from the previous researcher, surveys and some contemporary issues. Secondary information will be used as a starting point for the further primary research, therefore it will be used in a majority of the research, this is due to the limitation of primary research and there is also a great deal of valuable information available through secondary research that the researcher fell need to be included, as it provides a good foundation for which to compare primary information and will therefore ensure validity. 8. Data Collection Methods: The data collection or gathering process is the stage in which the researcher collects data about the proposed topic. In this study, primary and secondary data collection method will be used to identify the nature of the problem. The articles from the business journals, the business books and other publicized material will be investigated to present the ideas of different academics on the issue of managing strategic change. Their findings on the issue will be included and research process and the comparison of opposite ideas will be based on the ideas of these academics. Athens Online Journals, University Libraries, Barnet Libraries, City Business Library , and British Library will be used to collect the required articles and books for the investigation. 9. Data Analysis: This is the stage where the researcher accomplishes several procedures to transform the data into useful information which helps answering the management problem and phenomenon. The proposed data analysis approach is qualitative data analysis method for this research. Data obtained through email surveys and telephone interview, various text books, journals and articles will be critically analysed by using a structured and systematic approach. The first aim here is to approach to the concept systematically and rigorously by doing so. The second aim is to establish a relationship between different ideas and structure them to reach to a conclusion. 10. Resource Requirements: The library facilities will be helpful to find sources such as published copies, course books, journals and samples. Internet is the most powerful source to gather information about companies, published copies, journals, samples, literature and secondary data. The other researches about the same subjects will be obtained through Internet websites and library.