Tiger Beer Essay Example for Free

Tiger Beer Essay Launched in 1932, Tiger Beer became Singapores first locally brewed beer. It is a 5% abv bottled pale lager. As APBs exclusive flagship brand, it is available in more than 60 countries worldwide including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and various countries in the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. ] Distribution ? APB has breweries in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, India, Sri Lanka, Laos and Mongolia. The company has a strong market share in several countries within the Asia Pacific Region, primarily in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. ? In Malaysia, Tiger Beer is produced and marketed by Guinness Anchor Berhad (GAB). ? In the USA, Tiger Beer’s brand is well known in New York and San Francisco. ? In the UK, Tiger Beer can be found in more than 8,000 premium bars/clubs and distribution outlets in its major cities. ? Tiger Beer gained considerable popularity in Detroit in October 2006 due to the Detroit Tigers Baseball Teams entrance into the 2006 World Series. SWOT [pic] Brand position Brand Positioning as is seen from the communications of the Brand selected and their major competition Position Tiger beer as a brand and product that will allow consumers to STAND OUT with Tiger beer. The STAND OUT with Tiger beer campaign idea demonstrates how consumers can beunique, cool and contemporary. With great innovation on the product, it aims at reaching out toconsumers ¶ wants and needs. The strategy was executed mainly in the digital social space withendorsements from key opinion leaders and social influencers online. According to Synovate,perception of Tiger as a beer for good times and fun increased by 14 per cent; an additional 12per cent of consumers described the beer as one my friends approved of; and consumption among young adults increased by six per cent. Competitive Analysis Model The competition faced by Tiger Beer versus its competitors is analyzed using Porter s Five Forces Model to explain Tiger Beer competitive position and strategic advantages. [pic] Competitive Rivalry. The intensity of rivalry helps decide the extent of the value of brands and products in which will create head -to-head competition. It also determines the attractiveness of the industry. Tiger Beer is internationally renowned to be an exotic beer with high quality control. There are many other international beers such as Heineken, Carlsberg, Suntory and Tsingtao etc. With so many brands available, it will create a competitive industry. Their prices te nd to be similar and competition focuses on advertising, promotion and product development. Tiger Beer faces strong competitors and fight for higher market share through Differentitation. The traditional approach often takes to keep in terest and increase consumption is by advertising, POS materials and other promoters. Tiger Beer stands out by appealing to consumer and generates interest in its brand. Tiger Beer targets younger consumers which associate themselves with brands that are seen as cool and trendy by organizing a  µstand out with Tiger Beer ¶ campaign i. e. introduction of three designer bottles based on artistic and music themes. Tiger Beer also in touch with community of over 20,000 Tiger fans in Facebook that created more buzz and had fans share their views plus other activities in bloggers, Twitter, Flicker and YouTube. Threat of New Entrants In every industry, existing and potential competitors play a part in its profitability. The threat of new entrants is highly dependable on industry entry barriers. Newer brands such as Cheese Beer and Corn Beer have emerged. They all has managed to keep transportation cost low and hence, is able to keep beer prices at minimal. Cheese Beer The US Miller Beer Company develops beer which has the unique rich milk fragrance and light malt taste which is very delicious. It is made of the lacto -protein whey as main raw material, malts, and hops which ferments to produce the cheese beer. Corn BeerJapan launched the corn beer, a corn-based materials which is pure in taste,limpid color, low alcohol, low calorie, high in protein, vitamins and effective in human nutrition. Threat of Substitutes The threat that can subst itute a product highly depends on the price allocated to the product and its performance. This allows consumers to turn to different products to satisfy the same basic need. In the beverage industry, there are many substitutes product to Tiger Beer. Wine and hard liquor is highly available on the market. On other extreme, a substitute can be simply a Coca-Cola or a cup of coffee. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The ability to charge customers different prices with differences in the value created for those buyers usually indicates that the market is characterized by high supplier power. Tiger Beer minimize the power of suppliers through close coop eration with the raw materials suppliers and thus minimize the cost impact. Bargaining Power of Buyers With many other brands in the market, consumers have a large variety of brands to choose from. Many bars and restaurants usually carry several brands of beers. However, through effective marketing and promotion, Tiger Beer create the demand for its products and w ith that value instilled in the name, many bars and club will want to carry the brand . Entry to new market. The Indian beer market is in the focus of many players. The latest entry is the launch of Tiger beer, a fine beer brand Indians who have visited Singapore or Thailand might know already. The beer is also not totally new to the Indian beer market, as it was imported into India, but was only made available at exclusive premium outlets. India is the 10th country in the Asia Pacific region where the award-winning Tiger will be brewed, Asia Pacific Breweries Aurangabad Limited (APBAL), a subsidiary of Asia Pacific Breweries Limited (APB), said during the launch of Tiger beer in Mumbai. Tiger was first brewed in 1932, and is today available in more than 60 countries. In view of Indias growing beer market, rising disposable incomes of the consumers and favourable demographics, it is timely that we now offer Tiger as a premium option to the many discerning Indian drinkers who are becoming increasingly experimental in making an informed choice. Other brands offered by APB in India are Barons Strong Brew and Cannon 10000 which cater to the strong beer segment of the Indian beer market, whereas Tiger is positioned for those consumers who want a lower alcohol content. In additional,tiger beer expanding in Canada and successful entry into the United States. Molson, the largest beer importer in Canada, is set to market, distribute and sell the brew originating in Singapore, which is now available only in Ontario and British Columbia. Canadians consume the equivalent of 7 billion cans of beer annually. That is 33 times the size of the Singapore beer market. Positioning itself as a premium pan-Asian beer, Tiger is aiming to carve out a niche for itself in the North American market.

Automotive Spare Parts Manufacturing Supply Chain

Automotive Spare Parts Manufacturing Supply Chain Abstract This research study is objectively aimed at studying Inventory management in the global supply chain. The case study of an enterprise in the automotive spare parts manufacturing sector is presented to understand important aspects of functioning related to inventory control management in the global supply chain. The automotive industry has always been a booming industry and continuous to remain the same on a all levels i.e. local, national and global. The supply of automotive components forms a vital link and process in the automotive industry. Many business small, medium-sized and large through inventory management form a part of the global supply chain effectively. The researcher, proposes to present a case study analysis of Kapoor Automobiles (India), a medium-sized organization of repute and good market standing in the Global supply chain of automotive components. This research would throw light on the inventory management system employed by the organization, its effectiveness, shortcomings and remedial measures taken to fulfill consumer needs, retain them and grow through effective modes of Inventory control in the Global Supply Chain. The researcher, further proposes to utilize business analytical tools of primary research i.e. qualitative research and quantitative research, secondary research, S.W.O.T analysis (Strength, weakness, opportunity and threats) and P.E.S.T.L.E. analysis (Political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental) to ascertain the above mentioned objective of the research. Introduction: Kapoor Automobiles (India) was incorporated in the year 1965 in Mumbai (India). In the commencement Kapoor Automobiles (India) functioning in the capacity of a trading company for the sale and purchase of automotive rubber parts. In the year 1990, the business enterprise ventured into manufacturing activities and gradually advanced towards gaining a secure and permanent market position overseas in the automotive rubber parts replacement segment of the market. Kapoor Automobiles (India) succeeded in doing so on account of the provision of high quality services to their growing clientele. Kapoor Automobiles (India) places a high magnitude of emphasis on high quality and increased productivity to meet the global consumer demand and counter-attack competition. The Research and Development team of Kapoor Automobiles (India) focuses in continuity research on the changing consumer needs and the firm attempts to incorporate those needs in their production activities. Kapoor Automobiles (India) has been recognized as an organization of international repute by the following certification: ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Management System Certificate by French giants SGS. From humble beginnings of a small workshop, Kapoor Automobiles (India) currently has a manufacturing plant with an area of 12000 sq meters with state-of-the-art anti vibration connection technology. Here, assembly elements of rubber-metal composition are manufactured. The highlighting aspects of Kapoor Automobiles (India) are as follows: The organization has a staff of 127 production staff, 12 administrative officials and 2 rubber technicians. The products of the organization are a varied range of automotive rubber components for vehicles such as Bedford, BMC, BMW, Fiat, Hino, Isuzu, Iveco, Lada, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Renault Toyota, VW, Volvo to name a few for the purpose of exemplification. Kapoor Automobiles (India) focuses on four major production processes: Rubber mixture preparation and Preforming Metal forming and Machining Metal and pipe surface preparation. Vulcanization Kapoor Automobiles (India) has a clientele spread across the African and European continent and the Middle East. Aims and Motivations of the Research Study: The automobile industry is a global industry which is witnessing a high level of growth. The competition in this global industry necessitates a well-coordinated process of supply of the automotive parts to car manufacturers as an when there is a demand for the same. Thereby the need to have good level of inventory management in the global supply chain is of prime importance to meet the demand of the market, help the business to survive and grow in this competitive market. My motivation and aim of this research study is to comprehend all the aspects which make possible successful inventory control in global supply chain management. My area of research and analysis in this context would lay focus on the automotive parts manufacturing sector. General Objectives: This study aims at on a general or basic level understanding Global Supply Chain Management and its significance in today day and age of excessive competition. The objective is also to learn about all the factors which influence inventory control in global supply chain management in a positive and negative way especially the automotive spare parts industry. To gain knowledge about how an improvement in the smooth functioning of global supply chain management can be brought about by a good level of inventory control. Specific Aims: This research is specifically aimed at understanding the functions of Kapoor Automobiles (India) with regard to inventory control in global supply chain management. In this regard its current activities, the positive aspects, the shortcomings and how improvisation could be brought about in the process of inventory control of Kapoor Automobiles (India) for global supply chain management. Research Questions: This dissertation is aimed at answering the following questions: What is Global Chain Supply Management? What is inventory control? How does Inventory Control in Global Supply Chain Management function in context to the automotive spare parts industry? How do firms in the automotive spare parts industry effective manage inventory control as a part of Global Supply Chain Management? Kapoor Automobiles (India)s strategy of Inventory Control in Global Supply Chain Management? How could Kapoor Automobiles (India) improve on their Inventory Control in Global Supply Chain Management and compete better in the overseas market? What are the future trends perceived in the Automotive parts Inventory Control in Global Supply Chain Management? Dissertation Structure: The structure of this dissertation incorporates the following: Chapter 5 lays focus on the theoretical grounding for the research, reviewing a generous selection of literature on Supply Chain Management, Inventory control, all the aspect necessary to be taken into consideration for successful inventory control, the need of it and Global Supply Chain Management. Furthermore the literature review also brings forth the importance of good inventory control in the global supply chain management of the automotive parts industry. Chapter 6 introduces the method of study to be employed to analyze inventory control in global supply chain management of Kapoor Automobiles (India). Chapter 7 presents the studys findings and discussion which are initially presented in diagrammatic form, then discussed. Chapter 8 will collate the main findings of the study to provide solid conclusions. The limitations are given, followed by an appraisal of the projects main strengths and weakness. Recommendations for future research are also provided. Literature Review: Supply Chain Management: A Supply Chain Management activity could be understood as the management of materials, vital information and finances as they are channelized from a supplier to the manufacturers then to the wholesaler, retailer and finally the consumer. The activity of supply chain management comprises of skillful coordination and integration of the above aspects within organizations and among them. The final goal of an efficient supply chain management process is to bring about a reduction in stock with the basic ideology that products are available when needed. (Cooper, M.C., Lambert, D.M., Pagh, J. (1997) Supply chain management flows can be divided into three main flows which are as follows: The product flow The information flow The finances flow The product flow constitutes the flow of products or commodities from a supplier to a consumer. The second aspect which is information flow comprises of transmission of orders and updates on status deliveries. The third aspect is the financial flow which comprises of terms of credit, payments, consignment and title ownership arrangements. Supply Chain Management of different organization differs depending on the size and nature of the organization and the product manufactured. An effective supply chain management ensures process of obtaining supplies and components, conversion of the same in to finished products and making supply of these products to the final consumer. Supply Chain Management is the management of all these aspects aptly without delays and at a low cost fulfilling the needs of the consumer in the process. (Haag, S., Cummings, M., McCubbrey, D., Pinsonneault, A., Donovan, R. (2006) There are six key elements to a supply chain: (Ketchen Jr., G., Hult, T.M. (2006) Production Supply Inventory Location Transportation, and Information The following describes each of the elements: 1. Production The needs (Kouvelis, P.; Chambers, C.; Wang, H. (2006) and demands of the consumer is taken into account prior to production. Decisions regarding what to product, how to produce and how many units need to produced are taken. Furthermore, it is also decided upon whether to produce the whole product or certain parts should be outsourced. These vital decision regarding production activities should be made keeping in mind the volume of goods, the quality, capacity and the consumer wants and levels of satisfaction. Decision regarding operational activities should focus on equipment maintenance, scheduling and quality control. 2. Supply An organization (Larson, P.D. and Halldorsson, A. (2004), cannot produce all the components required for the manufacture of a product and the need to outsource parts arises. The organization should be cautious in the choice it makes of the supplier of components. The focus of the organization while engaging a supplier to supply components should be on quality, flexibility and the development of velocity and at the same time should maintain low costs. In summation, vital decision has to be taken to make the outsourcing partnership or activity a viable one for the manufacture and supply of the final product. 3. Inventory Important decisions (Lavassani, M. K., Movahedi B., Kumar V. (2008) regarding how much should be stocked in the organization should be taken. A proper balance should be maintained as inventory holding is an important aspect of a good supply chain management process. The consumer demands should be met up without any supply delay and hence optimum level of inventory should be decided upon and place at strategic consumer points to serve the consumer as and when the demand for the product arises. Control policies must be checked upon to maintain right levels of supply at order and reorder points. 4. Location Strategic decisions (Movahedi B., Kumar V. (2008) regarding location of the production plant, facilities of stocking and distribution should be made to ensure that the consumer avails the product when he demands without any delay. When the parts or components are light in weight and market driven, manufacturing units should be located near the final consumer. In heavy industries, sources of raw materials should be taken in consideration while deciding where the manufacturing plant should be located. Tax and tariff issues should be looked into while making strategic decisions. 5. Transportation In context (Mentzer, J.T. et al. (2001) to fulfilling consumer demands, decisions related to transportation and inventory are quite closely connected. Utility of air transport is quick but expensive in comparison to water or road transport but makes the product available in a short span of time to the consumer. Water or road transport means being in possession of high levels of in-house stock to meet immediate consumer demands. Depending upon the demand the product generates, the cost of the product and the stock available decision relating to transportation should be made. 6. Information A (Simchi-Levi D.,Kaminsky P., Simchi-levi E. (2007) supply chain management in order to be effective focuses on acquiring information for point of final consumption and connecting the information resources all through the entire chain to bring an effective flow. A good organization of information is required to bring in innovation in operation. Connecting computers through networks and having the information flow streamlined helps consolidate knowledge and helps in creating velocity for the products. Account management software, product configurators, enterprise resource planning systems, and global communications are important factors to be considered. Pragmatic Applications Today the market scenario (de Kok, A.G., S.C. Graves (Editors) 2003) demands fast delivery of goods. By high levels of stocking, many organizations try to fulfill this market demand. The organizations are at times unable to produce goods as and when the market demands and hence maintains high stocks. If processes are analyzed in the supply chain then the causes and solutions could be found to bring reduction in throughput time. Reducing the time in the chain of events right from the moment the consumer places to the order to the delivery for the same could help a company gain a competitive edge without the need to have large stocks. Need for an effective Supply Chain Management: There is a high degree (Stock, J.R., D.M. Lambert. 2001) of competition in the business scenario today which demands that an organization in order to have a competitive advantage should utilize its resources to do what it is good at and indulge in outsourcing those processes that are not significant from an overall objective of the organization. SCM enable an organization to restructure its complete operation focusing on core competencies and outsourcing certain processes which would help the organization gain apt market positioning. Furthermore, is important to make the right decisions of partners, resources and manpower. The organization should understand which process or pattern could reduce wastages and raise levels of competence. For the sake of exemplification, the Japanese (Coyle, J.J., E.J. Bardi, C.J. 2002) car industry manufactures small cars by capitalizing on its available resources. The Japanese car industry effectively utilizes supply chain management to maximize core competencies and create niche market positioning. Toyota Motor Corporation, a Japanese company, is stated to be the number one auto car maker overpowering Ford and General Motors of the United States. Value Advantage Supply Chain Management (Bowersox, D.J., D.J. Closs, M.B. Cooper. 2002) has made provision for business nowadays to not just have benefits of productivity alone but also on value advantage. Productivity advantage provides a lower cost profile and the value advantage gives the product an extra plus over competitive offerings.Through maximizing added value there is cost reduction and more innovation can be brought to the product and process. Mass manufacturing offers productivity advantage and through mass customization, consumers are given the value advantage. For illustrative purposes, the Toyota Production System practiced in Toyota, evaluates (Ballou, R.H. 2003) its supply chain and determines what is value added activities and what is not value added activities. Inventory Holding: Advantages: The aspect which proves to be an (Silver, E.A., D.F. Pyke, R. Peterson 1998) advantage with regards to high inventory holding is that it acts as a buffer to the company when market demands are high. If prices are expected to rise then high stocking results in capital advantage or gain. The risk of supply shortage is overcome by high inventory. Market shortage of goods is also met with by high inventory. Disadvantages: High cost warehouse management is the main disadvantage of having large inventory of finished products. There could be a possible capital loss to the business if the prices fall in the market in future. Cash is bound in carrying stocks and there is a risk of loss on account of degradation, defects and write-offs. Lack of proper management of inventory could lead to losses too. It should be noted that though inventory assists in operations, it is an asset that ties up funds i.e. working capital and the related opportunity cost. Other disadvantages: Stock could be stolen, lost or forgotten Might be dangerous to store Might involve high cost to store particularly in terms of value. There is a possibility of replication or duplication at several different points e.g. retail stores, hospitals, builders, merchants. There are additional costs such as administrative and insurance costs Techniques to purchase stock and manage inventory efficiently It is vital for any (Blackburn, J.D. 1990) business organization to learn to manage inventory with efficiency thereby making possible a company to stock inventory sufficiently to meet the consumer needs. Lack of sufficient stock leads to delays and causes disrepute to the business. On the contrary, large inventory block organizational funds. A business which is primarily retail makes money only on the sale of stock and maintenance of stocks involves the following costs: Charges of Interest on any loans taken to buy goods. Charges for storage space. Transportation costs for stock movement and for its display. Cost of time involved in stock management. Cost involved in stolen of damaged stocks. Payroll expenses. Substantial amounts of an organizations funds could be blocked in inventory. Apt management of inventory essentially leads to high profits and lower costs. Purchase the right products Employ market research to make the identification of right products for the right market. Analysis of sales charts of previous financial years. Identify needs of consumers and create those products to satisfy needs. Analysis of economy forecast in the periods to come and make a determination of how market would function or react. Draw comparison between you and your competitors sales. Make the right decisions based on experience regarding what to products to buy and at what quantity. Buying Correct Quantities In order to meet the varying market demand, it is necessary to maintain the right quantity of inventory. In the process of maintaining the right quantity of inventory care should be taken to not have overstocking of obsolete products. (Gilmore, J.H., B.J. Pine. 2000) To do this you must: Have knowledge of the right product to order Order the right quantity of the product Have knowledge of the right time to order the product Have knowledge of product arrival Have knowledge about the right quantity of product to stock during the business cycle Have knowledge of when reorders need no submission Have knowledge of when products should not be stocked This knowledge is acquired by analysis and experience: Ensuring suppliers have market repute and would supply products in needed quantities. Making a study of lead times for the purpose of supply and delivery to make possible ordering at the apt time, or determining the delivery time for the consumers is more products have to be ordered. Overbuying should be avoided just to take advantage of special supplier deals. Re-check buying plans weekly and amend as needed. If the stock is being sold or being utilized faster than expected, look to source more products as soon as the trend is identified and in existence. Make a note of required stock levels (minimum, maximum and at the point to re-order). Success of Inventory Control: The regular and periodic (Stalk, G., T.H. Hout. 2003) evaluations of key performance indicators in companies help determine the success of an inventory system. The basic group of indicators reveals how well the inventory system fulfills the business needs and does it exceed the customer expectations. The inventory system should have the capability of accounting for that exists at the finished goods inventory with the inclusion of what was manufactured in the latest production cycle. This process makes it possible to bring forward units for consumer orders in at the right time without delays and help companies shorten the lead-time and thus building repute in the process. An efficient system makes it possible to maintain a good balance between the stock that is in possession and the stock that is required to operate the business efficiently. Global Supply Chain Management: For many business (De Geus, A., (1998) organizations, Global Supply Chain Management has become increasing important as there has been an increase in offshore sourcing and globalization. As global supply chain management involves many countries thereby the issues or difficulties to be tackled are many too. Primarily the overall costs need to be considered. Though labor cost could be minimal, cost of space, tariffs and other costs needs to considered with doing business abroad. The exchange (Drucker, P. (1988), rate too needs to be factored. The companys lead-time could positively or negatively affect depending on the productivity of the employees overseas and the shipping time involved. There could be time lags on account of custom clearance time and other governmental red tape. (Gersick, C. J. G. (1991). Supplier selection is also another important aspect of global supply chain management. Extensive research should be carried out by the company to help make the right choice. Logisti cal issues such as deciding the number of plants and their locations to surface and have to be worked out carefully. (Romanelli, E. and Tushman, M. L. (I994) Assembler-supplier relationships in the global auto industry For the last two decades, there has been a change in the relationship between assemblers and suppliers. Initially there has been a shift from supply of individual components to supply of complete function such as corners, systems, modules or sub-assemblies. (Sadler, D. (1998) a supplier who is first-tier assembles parts and makes a supply of them as complete units (such as dashboards, rear axle assemblies, body panels and seats). Operations earlier carried out in-house by the assembler, such as the manufacture of seats and exhaust systems, are moved on to the first-tier supplier. Second, component producers have taken an further role in the creating design of components and systems (Humphrey, J. and M. Salerno (2000) First-tier component producers assert more involvement with their consumers and have transited to providing black box parts or systems. While the assembler gives overall performance specifications and information about the interface with the remaining aspect of the car, the supplier designs a solution using its own technology, often taking in a basic design to the customers specific requirements.3 This shift has facilitated car assemblers to transfer R D costs to component manufacturers and to take advantage from the speci alized technological skills of these producers. Conclusion As supply chains have moved from a cost focus to a customer focus and now currently to a strategic focus, the need to think strategically about the supply chain has never been more important. The success of a strategy is only as good as the companys ability to fully and properly execute it. A great supply chain strategy, linked with operational excellence, can provide success for not only the company in question but also its partners and customers. Methodology: This chapter will essentially focus on the method employed for the conduct of research and analysis. The reasons governing the techniques chosen would be furnished. Furthermore, the chosen method of analysis of data compiled and the ethical consideration therein would be discussed. Primary Research: Ethical Considerations: The researcher is of the conviction that no research should be carried out without attention being paid to the implications which are of ethical nature. On ethical grounds, the researcher presented in all clarity to the participants or volunteers for this research study that the research was purely for academic reasons and the data compiled and analyzed would be utilized for the purpose of Academic projects and would not be in any manner shared with any other individuals other than Academicians evaluating the research conducted nor would the data collected be employed for commercial usage. The researcher provided this indemnification and hence the participants agreed to volunteer vital information regarding Kapoor Automobiles policies of Inventory holding and Global supply chain management. Furthermore the participants were informed of the fact that no participation fee would be levied or charged. Face to Face Interviews: Face to face interviews were conducted with the C.E.O. of Kapoor Automobiles (India) and the Board of Directors of the company to gain an understanding into the overall aspects of the functioning of the organization and to also gain information about their modes of Inventory control in their Global Supply Chain Management activities. Information about this was provided it in depth and the research succeeded in getting a clear practical picture of their operations. The researcher failed to acquire figurative data relating to inventory control as the C.E.O and the Board of Directors expressed confidentiality issues. The interviews too were conducted in an informal manner as they the participants (C.E.O and Board of Directors) insisted on anonymity and the researcher assured them of the same. For gaining an understanding of the production process and actual physical inventory control process, rubber technicians and warehouse supervisor of Kapoor Automobiles (India) were interviewed and productive insight was gained by the researcher. Time and Access: Limitations emerged in the form of lack of time and access in the case of certain Board of Directors of Kapoor Automobiles. Of the 8 Board of directors, 2 of them could not be accessed as they were overseas to conduct negotiations of Kapoor Automobiles (India) and hence they could not be interviewed. Some of the available Board of Directors could not spare sufficient time of the interviews as they had to attend to the day to day management affairs of the organizations. Though the time they made available was limited, their input were undoubted valuable. The C.E.O. expressed inability to even provide approximations of figurative data citing confidentiality issued and hence the researcher failed to have access to any figurative data whatsoever. Secondary Research: The techniques of secondary research employed by the researcher were essentially gaining vital data from the online library provided by Cardiff Business School. This library of the Cardiff Business School was of immense utility as all the theories relating to Inventory Control and Global Supply Chain Management were available in abundance and facilitated a process of ease in understanding and compiling the much required theories and data. The search engines of Mintel and Ebsco proved to be of immense use to the researcher. Besides the above mentioned source, the researcher referred to several books written by experts in the field of Inventory control and Global Supply Chain Management to acquire multiple perspectives on the area of research and analysis. The information gained was significant and hence employed by the researcher in his research study. Findings and Analysis: Introduction: Employing the primary research techniques, the researcher learnt through face to face interviews of the C.E.O and Board of Directors of Kapoor Automobiles (India) that the organization being medium-sized, financially they are not in a position to have high levels of inventory to meet unforeseen demands of the consumers in the Global Supply Chain Management process. Kapoor Automobiles (India) initially commenced as a very small business outfit carrying out its production, stocking and distribution activities from a very small workshop. Kapoor Automobiles (India) grew successfully over a period of time and now possess a large production and warehousing unit in comparison to what they had when the business commenced and this is owing to the fact that business leaders at Kapoor Automobiles (India) formulate the apt strategy to meet demand of consumers spread across the continents of Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Financial constraints necessitate Kapoor Automobiles (India) to follow t he Just-in-time inventory management process. Just-in-time (JIT) could be defined as a strategy of inventory management. This methodology focuses on bringing about an improvement in the firms return on investment by bring down or reducing the in-process inventory and related carrying costs. Just-In-Time production method is also termed as Toyota Production System. In order to fulfill objectives of Just-In-Time, this inventory management method is reliant on Kanban or signals emerging between different points in the link, which indicate the production department as to when the next batch should be produced. Initially, Kapoor Automobiles (India) was following this method on account of financial constraints which did not permit holding large inventory but now Kapoor Automobiles (India) prefers this method as the market trend is changing in continuity on account of new technological developments at regular and short intervals and this required constant change in product and the production methods and the other obvious reason as stated by Kapoor Automobiles (India) is the fact that they are yet a medium sized enterprise and would not be in a position to have large inventory. They further stated that large inventory for the Global Supply Chain Management process could lead to financial losses as the inventory could go obsolete as the automobile industry is a progressive and booming industry and there is a requirement of constant modification in the spare parts or components utilized for the manufacture of automobiles. Conclusively, Kapoor Automobiles (India) have stated that Just-In-Time inventory management system helps them reduce the in-process inventory costs and other related costs and hence is the most preferred mode of inventory management. They further state that their organization is in a state of growth in continuity and they objective aim at converting Kapoor Automobiles (India) which is currently a medium sized organization into a large sized organization and when Kapoor Automobiles (India) attains this objective they would continue to function utilizing Just-In-time inventory management system to meet the demands of their clients in the Global Chain as the product features and demands related to it are changing continuously and maintaini

The use of the loose coupling theory

The use of the loose coupling theory Loose coupling theory proposes that different parts of an organization are loosely related to one another. This can be understood as that different divisions of an organization are loosely coupled with one another, i.e. activities in the higher education department are loosely coupled to those in the English department activities in one department have a minimal impact, or take a long time to show up, in the other. The main thesis of his article is to argue that there are seven pros and corresponding cons of loose couplings. According to Weick (1976), loose coupling is a cognitive response to an environment of constant change, in which connections, networks, diffusion, imitation, and social comparison are less prevalent. The loose coupling systems (LCSs) are uncoordinated and have greater differentiation among components, high degrees of specialization among workers, and low predictability of future action, including change. In general, loosely coupled systems probably are cheaper t o coordinate, but are very difficult to systematically change. The goal of Weicks article is to show that all organizations do not function with tight linkages some organizations, like educational systems, are more loose, which may create more difficult problems for researchers. The loosely coupled approach has a strong parallel in more recent approaches to viewing organizations as complex systems, which has attracted considerable interest among management and organizational theorists. Birnbaum argues that complex systems such as collegial or bureaucratic institution models provide insights to the analysis of LCSs. Complex systems are bottom-up phenomena, also defined as systems comprising large numbers of agents in highly connected webs, can display both high levels of order and disorder. Importantly, order in complex systems is usually a result of micro-structuring processes that provide for robust self-organization. This form of order is not dependent on hierarchical control but is distributed, and it can lead to system-wide stability (or instability). Complex systems do well when they engage in a search for healthier and better-off states, otherwise searches are directed from the top down, and system will likely settle into only moderately fit states. Al so systems must be relatively free to interact with other systems until good fitting strategies are found. Complex systems have slow response times not because they are any slower than simpler systems in detecting environmental threats and opportunities, but because the process of adjustment takes longer. Educational systems demonstrate considerable robustness and resilience in the face of both environmental and intended change, thus the key is to focus on relationships and the building of similar behavior based around trust. Weick (1976) notes that more loosely coupled organizations offer advantages in complex environments. More autonomous groups may be more sensitive to environmental change, and offer more simultaneously adaptation to conflicting demands at the institutional level. If problems develop in one part of the system, it can be sealed off from the rest of the system. Efforts to create a less loosely coupled system or to control and centralize have not altered the overall complex system, which still remains loosely coupled. The concept of LCS is crucial to Rhoades argument about strategic activity. While Weicks strengths and challenges related to LCSs are positioned in difficulties to change organizations systematically, Rhoades approach calls for development of strategic activity through managerialism. Rhoades emphasizes that managerialism and market approaches are two sets of ideas that recently have influenced educational decision-making processes. The problem with these ideas, especially in loosely tight educational organizations, is that although it provided some change, it may not provide a basis for future improvement in education, especially in student learning. Within this model there is an assumption that there is a tight coupling between education policy (e.g. curriculum) and how teachers teach. Where improved performance is sought it is pursued through the manipulation of formal mechanisms such as rules, procedures, rewards or changed evaluation. Bureaucratic hierarchies have however been in creasingly criticized for being non-responsive and inefficient means for organizing public administration. With respect to education, they have certainly proven resistant to change. Managerial initiative is important to Rhoades in moving the universities forward, which is in contrast with loose couplings assumption where planned change has a low predictability as is unlikely to be successful within loose coupling environment. Loose coupling concept also poses some problems for leaders who want to change their organizations. Pfeffer and Salancik (1978) were well aware of this problem of change in loosely coupled systems. They argued that administrators could get around it by finding ways to tighten the coupling patters in their organizations, such as reorganization and stabilization of exchange relationships. The idea was to reduce internal and external variability in the system so that it could be more easily controlled. Thus, loosely coupled organizations can embrace change because its impact is limited. For instance, the English department can change without any punishment if no other departments are affected by its changes the loosely coupled organization as a whole isolates and neutralizes disturbance; however, change is slow. External as well as internal influences are absorbed by this organizational structure. So, the individual departments are not themselves typically difficult to change; rather, the problem lies in getting the entire organization to change, in diffusing the change across the networks. Birnbaum (1988) clearly articulates that to strengthen academic leadership, one must reform structures, adopt more rationalized management systems, and increase the power of executive leadership to make faster, more efficient, and more effective decisions, but for leadership to be effective within LCS, communication has to be present as a sense of general openness in institutional governance and climate. Leaders create organized disorder in which dynamic things happen at multiple locales within the system, thus creating a new behavior rather than controlling organizational activities. Also, the application of data to interaction permits information to influence preferences and possibilities, and that leads to decisions grounded in reality. It is not only about collection, analysis, and dissemination of data, but also about different constituents being interested in that data a nd how it interacts (Birnbaum, 1988). The interaction leads not only to positive administrative decision-making, but also to being rational and looking for consensus among loosely coupled units. Complex organizations cannot function effectively over the long term without leaders to coordinate the activities, represent them, and symbolize the institutional purpose (Birnbaum, 1988). As to administrative decision-making, Weick (1976) notices that LCSs are difficult to change systematically, thus any decision-making change that has to be discussed will encounter a problem of systematic change. The issue with implementation of any administrative change will always come down to the fact that teaching is isolated work and improving instruction is strictly a matter of individual initiative. Thus, the problem with administrative decision-making in LCS is that colleges do not show any collective impact on student learning. The problem with it is also that decision-making is explicitly and directly concerned with the instructional core of education by arguing that educational institutions and their faculty and staff need to be accountable for student learning. Moreover, loose coupling implies that the source of an effect may be located at a considerable distance in time or organizational structure from the effect itself, thus amplification of non-linear cycles makes it p ossible for an insignificant decision to have a major effect as it moves through the system over time (Birnbaum, 1988, p. 71). Birnbaum describes this as butterfly effect and indicates that cause and effect are difficult to predict or determine in loose coupling model. Moreover, circular systems that he describes may also imply about administrative decision-making. He encourages thinking in circles as thinking of unintended consequences that may arise with complexity of how things interact. Although, institutional prestige, faculty morale, student enrollment, and sense of community are crucial for this model, the feedback loops are missing from this model as well as culture of the organization. Also, local adaptations will not always assist with generating efficient responses to system-wide challenges in a decision-making process. Loose coupling implies slow diffusion of central initiatives. As a consequence, the administrator would have to start projects earlier, start more project s, start projects in a greater variety of places, and even talk more frequently about those projects that have been started. The perspective of educational systems as being loosely coupled seems to be weak at explaining one major decision making fact that approaches to schooling have remained remarkably uniform across geography and time. If education systems are loosely coupled, diverse practices should emerge in response to differing local needs and differing ideas about education. Loose coupling can account for the diversity of ways in which units implement different decisions; for instance, the RCM is the way to find innovative options to strengthen individual units where the center does not correlate with units (Rhoades, 2000). In order to improve administrative decision-making, the administrator should emphasize the role of interaction among an organizations members, as well as collaboration and negotiation as methods to determine how decisions should be carried. 2. The Mode 2 knowledge production model is perhaps the most well-known term used to indicate the impact of changes for the university sector. Gibbons et. al.(1994) in the mid-1990s presented their Mode 2 theory saying that university researchers, who previously most often worked on internal disciplinary Mode 1 problems, were now more inclined to involve themselves closely in industrial and governmental research collaborations. Economical factors were seen to be the drivers, as closer relations between university research and industry developed to meet competition from the growing economies. This trend prompted new organizations such as think tanks or hybrid organizations, which often were places where the new front research was to be found. Gibbons et. al. referred to these as Mode 2 organizations, seeing them as generic for the whole research landscape. It seems that Mode 2 model especially in research area was a result of a general economic development towards post-industrialism. Moreover, mode 2 knowledge production model is application-based, and can be explored in an interdisciplinary fashion. As such, the emergence of Mode 2 production would not eclipse Mode 1 methods entirely. In a resource-seeking environment, Mode 2 would likely be more attractive to outside funding agencies and investors due to its application-based principles. Mode 2 may not lead to increased social accountability rather than being held to social values, Mode 2 knowledge would respond to market values, thus will privilege certain kinds of knowledge over others. In this sense, Mode 2 is related to academic capitalism that proposes market-relevant knowledge production. From an academic capitalism perspective, Mode 2 can have a tendency to focus on disciplines with well-known possibilities for commercial use, i.e. technology and medicine, whereas other disciplines may be mostly ignored. By the same token, since both concepts are normative, the system of norms may be well affected especially among traditional researchers within social sciences. In this area, internal interests for research questions seem to be far away from industrys interest for commercial products or the governments interest for useful results. However, one can make an argument supporting Mode 2 and somehow against the notions of academic capitalism. It has to be noticed that Mode 2 would not push research outside of the university, but rather that applied science and the facilities for training researchers would make university-industry relations stronger. For instance, the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 and related intellectual property legislation profoundly affected the commercial poten tial of government-sponsored research and still allowed research to be conducted within the realm of universities walls. Thus, technology transfer was quite symbolic and the Act was a step toward developing a social exchange between university science and society. In this sense, Mode 2 can be seen as a positive engine that transformed the public research model. Moreover, knowledge production is crucial because knowledge society seen through the lens of academic capitalism would focus more on the activities of higher education institutions in the two countries in a particular regional sphere. Thus, the argument may take us to propositions of globalization and internationalization. A critique that may arise from academic capitalism proponents is the fact that there is no support for a merger of interests between researchers and industry. Researchers at the institutes (or centers of excellence) instead devote their precious time to a shorter research perspective that is strictly coming from the industry or directed toward it. This process was seen as influenced by reductions in state-support, an explanation quite close to the one put forward by Slaughter Leslie (1997). Thus, Mode 2 may jeopardize a strictly public focus of research universities when these start heavily getting involved with the industry. Even though Mode 2 involves multidisciplinary teams brought together for short periods of time to work on specific problems in the real world, this concept, from strictly academic capitalism critique, may not show any organizational diversity, which is at the core of academic capitalism. Also, academic capitalism may criticize Mode 2 as a concept of political i deology rather than a descriptive theory that academic capitalism claims to be. As for similarities, both concepts apply that there are three major actors in science university, industry and government and these extend beyond their former specific areas and change their former roles in closer collaborations for the benefit of economic development of society, thus academic capitalism partly confirms the claims of rising Mode 2. From the perspective of institutional theory, Mode 2 is a problem related to institutional structures. From an institutional theory standpoint, there are templates for organizing institutions that are implicitly understood and translated to new members of an organization. Moreover, these templates are interpretive schema, underlying values and assumptions, similar to mental models (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983; Scott, 1995). Templates of institutional behavior create resistance to change. One concept within the institutional theory that has regularly been applied to higher education institutions to explain change is institutional isomorphism (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983), which suggests that institutions do not change as a result of a competitive market, external pressures or efficiency, but rather through the force of homogenization, striving to be like other types of colleges perceived to be elite. Mode 2 contrasts with institutional theory in the sense of the concept of change because influence of market and other external forces (such as NGOs or TNOs) create a high degree of heterogeneity among institutions. Institutional isomorphism also suggests that institutions tend not to be distinctive in their identity development or image, while Mode 2 emphasizes on organizations that do not have to necessarily conform to the rules and belief systems prevailing in the existing environment. For instance, older and well-established universities with strong cultures will have more specific power to resist change, while other institutions may be more vulnerable to market ideas. Since universities are complex and conflicted organizations, the institutional isomorphism that is projected by institutional theory may be one of the limitations of this theory to encourage distinctiveness and diversity of HED institutions. A critique that might arise from the institutional theory perspective is that the institutions have to learn to share their resources (physical, intellectual and  ¬Ã‚ nancial) with other kinds of knowledge producing institutions. According to Janson (2002), this task may be very difficult to accomplish considering that universities have held the monopoly among knowledge producers. Mode 2 is a threat to this status quo by encouraging alliances as well as collaborative relationships with other knowledge producers. Another critique from an IT standpoint is that Mode 2 would change standards of evaluation and accreditation as well as success and progression that would encourage more of a multidisciplinary context. For IT proponents, disciplinary boundaries are important, thus not only is traditional career path model being challenged by Mode 2, but also the nature of the undergraduate curriculum. Mode 2 is not the only knowledge production model that is challenging the more traditiona l, basic sciences model, but globalization and internationalization as well. According to Gibbons (1994), knowledge is transdisciplinary, problem-oriented, application-based, team-driven, multi-sited, partnership-based, socially useful, heterogeneous, quality controlled, re ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ective and responsive, and less hierarchical than disciplinary knowledge of the kind produced in universities, that is being characterized as typically centered on disciplines, with academic hierarchies, more norm-concentrated, authoritative in regards to social behavior as well as concerned with homogeneity. Another critique is that it will be hard to protect academia from worldwide economic trends as well as production of knowledge in purely economic terms. Because Mode 2 is strictly defined in economic terms, all institutions may have a tendency for duplication and may follow one economic trend in order to survive. Scott (1995) indicates that, in order to survive, organizations must conform to the rules and belief systems prevailing in the environment because institutional isomorphism, both structural and procedural, will earn the organization legitimacy (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983; Meyer and Rowan, 1977). The institutional theory claims that change is less likely to happen within or among organizations, while Mode 2 encourages change especially toward the private sector being more entrepreneurial and challenging the traditional values found especially in higher education institutions. While institutional theory supports traditional values of HED institutions, Mode 2 encourages growth o f those hybrid organizations that capitalize on connections to teaching, research, and service. 4. The most important differentiation is that the concepts of globalization and internationalization that are characterized by glonacal agency heuristic (GAH) are situated above the level of nation-state. GAH as a method of thought focuses on institutions, positions, agency, and structure at three levels: national, local, and global. The concept focuses on colleges and universities (and units and faculty within them) as global agents, encouraging studies of activity and stratification regionally and internationally. However, it is not a method of positioning yourself relative to others. Globalization is not universal, because it does not feel the same for everyone, thus it is not inevitable. In this respect, globalization is uneven and asymmetrical. Moreover, the pressure that it is felt as an institution most of the time mediates. For instance, even if the pressure comes from a national or global context, the local arena may be able to mediate things. For instance, Raytheon company has a heavy involvement on the University of Arizona, however does not have hardly any on Pima Community College. On the other hand, the PCC has a pressure from auto repair industry in cooperation with Jim Click to have mechanics to fix cars. Thus, GAH provides a different response of institutions to globalization. It seems that for GAH there is no separation between globalization and internationalization because both are a total of complex interactions of human and institutional agencies at local, national, and global levels. Marginson and Rhoades (2002) define two types of agency: human agency and institutional agency. For them, it is all about positioning things not individuals. For instance, a supranational agency such as the World Bank has an im pact in developing countries, and the whole impact is being driven by market forces; thus individuals do not shape the globalization process. It takes a lot of agencies to understand what is going on and understand and find a point of where we could resist the impact. According to GAH there is limited analysis of the complex agencies and processes that define them; no global dimension to analyze yet. Thus, with it more comparative studies need to be conducted to know human agency better and also local dimensions institutions and agents. While depicting GAH, the authors base their concept on Clarks description of academic profession that is structured by a triangle, in which market-state is a starting point, from which everything spills over to disciplines and professions as well to government and management. Knight (2004) replies to this issue with the process of internationalization that is supposed to be happening on a continuum basis. Her concept of internationalization is chara cterized similar to Clarks description as a triangle, in which interactions may be of hexagonal shape, but the whole process of internationalization will happen on a continuum basis. For Knight, globalization/internationalization is binary and is an omnipresent force that institutions have to respond to. It is similar to the Newtonian account of action and reaction. However, unlike Marginson and Rhoades, she is interested in institutions approaches (the ways in which they internationalize) and their rationale (why you are doing it explanations and goals), and how they interconnect (by preparing students to exist in global society or bringing in faculty from around the world). Thus, reciprocity is of important value to this concept. It is up to you how you are changing the world. So in that sense, Knight disagrees with Marginson and Rhoades that there is opportunity for everyone to progress. It is worth mentioning that the concept of internationalization is often confused with globalization (Altbach, 2004). The main difference is that globalization may not be unalterable, but internationalization is a process involving many choices. Globalization tends to concentrate wealth, knowledge, and power in those already possessing these elements, thus diminishing the importance of peripheries. International academic mobility similarly favors well-developed education systems and institutions, thereby compounding existing inequalities. Initiatives and programs, coming largely from the north, are focused on the south. The key here is that Altbach summarizes programs and activities relevant to the American study abroad tradition while Knight emphasizes on internationalization as a process. For Knight, internationalization is a two-way street that serves important needs. For Altbach, the concept is focused largely on the south-north spectrum, where students move primarily from south to north, where north controls the process. In this sense, Altbachs approach is based on radical dependency theory that relies on neo-colonialism core. Also, I got an impression that Knights concept of internationalization is not focused on economic (mostly financial) ends. Instead, internationalization is supposed to enhance research, knowledge, and cultural understanding. For instance, one of the initiatives may include study-abroad experiences or enrichment of curriculum through offering a major in international studies or other area studies. Deeply in the core, it does not seem that the process is intended to bring financial profits, but strategically implemented will enhance competitiveness and institutional prestige. However, the process itself, if not controlled, may focus too much on institutional strategies and policies while excluding national governments. In the same aspect, I could sense a tint of skepticism in Altbachs approach in regards to an economic trend of globali zation. Even though he acknowledges the trend and claims it is inevitable, he emphasizes on negative aspects of internationalization as a process that will further diminish the intellectual as well as cultural sides within the developing countries. In addition, Knights definition of internationalization seems to limit itself to the teaching function of the institution by concentrating on the expansion of international curriculum. Although both articles of Altbach and Knight are written in the same year, it seems that Altbach hardly mentions supranational organizations while Knight already acknowledges the new trend proclaiming that not only institutions and national policy makers alone are driving the internationalization, but supranational organizations as well. The tendency for Knight is to look at challenges that globalization presents us from an insider perspective how institutions as well as individuals react to globalization through internationalization, while Altbachs approach can be seen from the outsider perspective that acknowledges institutions, but not the processes and individuals within.

Computer Engineer :: essays research papers

Introduction and History Computer engineering is a very time consuming, challenging job. To be a good computer engineer you need years of experience and collage education. Computer engineers provide information and data processing for certain computer firms and organizations. They conduct research, design computers, and discover and use new principles and ideas of applying computers. I am going to tell you specific facts about the careers of computer engineers like payment, education needed, skills, responsibilities of the job, job outlook, and benefits of the job. Computer engineering started about 5,000 years ago in China when they invented the abacus. The abacus is a manual calculator in which you move beads back and forth on rods to add or subtract. Other inventors of simple computers include Blaise Pascal who came up with the arithmetic machine for his father’s work. Also Charles Babbage produced the Analytical Engine, which combined math calculations from one problem and applied it to solve other complex problems. The Analytical Engine is similar to today’s computers. Occupation’s Duties A computer engineer has certain duties and responsibilities depending on the location and size of the firm he or she works for. Also the duties vary between job levels. If you work at a small firm, you will be set up on the firing line immediately and will be expected to make your boss money or you’ll be fired. Also in a smaller firm you’ll probably spend hours of pain-staking time trying to solve a problem that other engineers probably went over before. In larger firms, you’ll be hired probably as a junior computer engineer and work your way up to senor and maybe manager of engineers. If you enjoy challenging work and problem solving, your best place to be is in a small firm. If you enjoy problem solving but not to the severe degree as in a small firm, then your place is in a larger firm. Overall, the responsibilities and duties are basically the same. These duties include preparing cost benefit analysis on programs, determining copter soft and hardware needs, and debugging computers to eliminate errors. Benefits The benefits of being a computer engineer are unique to those people who like having challenges put in-front of them to solve. This job puts you in challenging positions that you have to problem solve to get out of. Also computer engineers have the ability to fix or even their own computers. Computer engineers get paid vacations, holidays, and sick days.

F.Scott Fitzgerald and George Orwell Essay -- comic books, marvel comi

A nation’s legacy is created by the people, for the people. The legacy fashioned by a nation is known as its cultural heritage which is defined by the withstanding creations of a society (â€Å"Cultural Heritage† Web). A civilization’s cultural heritage allows future generations to learn of the past and the present generation to express what is current. Written documents and literature are important aspects of a nation’s cultural heritage because of the various perspectives and opinions expressed (Kirk Web). The American society has a long history expressed by thousands of tangible artifacts and intangible stories, but some creations receive more respect as a part of our heritage than others. Literature, for example, allows us to gain a better understanding of the country, people, and feelings of the times. The classics are revered for its formal presentation and its withstanding presence, while other written pieces are cast aside. Comic books may not be considered in the same realm as the great novels of F.Scott Fitzgerald and George Orwell; some don’t even consider comics literary works but there is a viable argument to justify their presence as culturally important pieces of literature. Similar to the great novels of our time, comics express the difficulties of human nature and are timeless works (Kalstein Web). The content of these short stories can be used as primary sources of popular culture as they are filled with historical references and have been influential in guiding the thoughts of the nation through their patriotic content over time, leaving an impactful mark in history. Marvel Comics, an American publisher, is recognized for its release of many popular heroes. The writers of this publishing firm are known to be highly... ...t Superhero: Metaphors, Narratives, and Geopolitics. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 2012. Project MUSE. Web. 13 December 2013. Dittmer, Jason and Soren Larsen. â€Å"Aboriginality and the Artic North in Canadian Nationalist Superhero Comics, 1940-2004†. Historical Geography Volume 38 (2010): pages 52-69. Web. 13 December 2013. Kirk, Ashley. "The Importance of Historicism and Context in Literature." Web blog post. Words on a Page. N.p. 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. Kalstein, Nicole. "Comic Books: A New Kind of Literature." Examiner. N.p. 25 May 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. Scott, Cord. â€Å"Comics and Conflict: War and Patriotically Themed Comics in American Cultural History from World War II through the Iraq War.† Dissertations. Loyola University, Chicago. 2011. Web. 3 December 2013. "What Is Cultural Heritage." Culture in Development. N.p. n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.

Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies at the cognitive level of analysis Essay

Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies at the cognitive level of analysis There are plenty of ethical considerations connected to research studies at the SCLOA, for example the right to withdraw, deception, knowledgeable agreement and excessive stress or harm. For example, Festinger’s â€Å"When Prophecy Fails† observation of a doomsday cult has ethical invasions of deception as well as knowledgeable agreement. Festinger and his group of researchers invade a doomsday cult that thought that the world would come to an end on December 21st and aimed to see how they would react when it wouldn’t end. By pretending to be one of them, Festinger violated the ethical thought of asking for their authorization and consequently, since it was a secret observation, he also cheated them. They were incredibly upset when he said who he really was; to be an undercover researcher. It is most likely that Festinger would not have been able to earn a full understanding of the cult’s behaviour and how it played into the social recognise theory if he had not cheated them, as he was observing them on their normal day without any effects influencing their behaviour. However, he cheated on ethics. This is a matter with other observations at this level of analysis as being secret that tricks them and is unethical if they aren’t in a public place, during undisguised influences their natural behaviour that is precisely what you are trying to study. Milgram’s study on people’s willingness to do authority also is an invasion of ethics in terms of cheating, but also with excessive stress or harm and even the right to withdraw. Members that participated were asked to ask a number of questions to someone they were only able to hear and to give a number of electric shocks every time the other person, who was normally only a tape recording, would give an answer to the question incorrectly. The voltage of the shock would be increased per incorrect answer. Although the members that  participated delivering the shocks weren’t able to actually hurt someone, they still became more and more stressed every time the person on the reco rding would sound more hurt or even stop saying something. The whole point of this experiment was to be able to see how far someone would go when carry out authority so some people, when forced by a calm researcher, would deliver shocks that were marked as lethal. When the experiment was over, the people who had done it all the way to the strongest shocks were questioned and told that they hadn’t actually harmed anyone. Nonetheless, they were still tricked and were stressed by the cries of pain or silence that showed that the person was dead. Moreover, the long-term effects of this study on the members that participated, is that they know that they are capable of hurting someone or even killing them, which may traumatize them. Nonetheless, the experiment was controlled, and so was artificial and lacked ecological acceptance. Also, it was done on other people who had sound like they had mental health problems, so this experiment can be easily generalized and used for the SCLOA as it studies how others influence one’s behaviour. As mentioned before, however, Milgram had some problems with the right to pull back, which Zimbardo’s â€Å"Prison Study† also had. Milgram made it able for people to leave if they became uncomfortable; nonetheless, his aim for this study made him to become more uncertain and made them continuously to stay. This is not the case with Zimbardo’s study. In his study, he randomly chose mentally healthy members that participated to the role of a prison guard or a prisoner to search the role of dispositional and situational factors in behaviour. Nonetheless, over the course of this study, Zimbardo and his members that participated became so involved in their roles that they were made to that not only the prisoners were humiliated, physically punished and felt violated and in danger, at some moments they were forcedly undressed and given a piece of clothing that covered little of their private parts; however, they weren’t able to be let out of the study. Only one member that participated with the role of a prisoner was released because of a severe state, but the others members that participated who screamed and cried to be released, couldn’t be released. On top of the excessive stress and harm inflicted on the prisoners and   guards, who might have been traumatized by their actions during this study, none of them could leave the experiment. The researcher was not Zimbardo himself, he became absorbed in his own role as the prison officer, and consequently he is biased when analysing his own study. Overall, this was an unethical study, even though; fortunately the members that participated were questioned and offered psychological counselling because of the long-term effects. It is obvious that deception, knowledgeable agreement, the right to withdraw and undue excessive stress or harm are ethical considerations at the SCLOA. It is frequently hard to keep away of such ethical violations at this level, though, as in order to study someones behaviour and how we are influenced by others in their natural state, the existence of a researcher may affect this behaviour. Therefore, questioning is important in sensitive ethically risky studies such as Festinger’s, Milgram’s and Zimbardo’s studies. However, when studying someone’s behaviour, a researcher must stay a secret, for example, not becoming affected by the group, and keep paying attention to the rights of the members that participate; being denied the right to withdraw has no excuse.

Math for Elementary Teachers Essay

Math for Elementary Teachers II is the second part in a two part series. The mathematical concepts that were focused on throughout the second part of Math for Elementary Teachers were on measurement, geometry, probability, and data analysis. Just like part one of Math for Elementary Teachers, part two also address the relationship of the course concepts to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards for K-8 instruction. The first two weeks of this course, the main concepts that were explored was data analysis and probability. When learning about data analysis, A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers taught students that data analysis is the measures of Central Tendency, Statistics, and Variation. During data analysis students also reviewed that different ways data can be presented; bar graphs, circle graphs, line graphs, or scatter plots. Probability taught theorem and tree diagrams/geometry probabilities. Both of these mathematical concepts were cover throughout chapters 9 and 10 of A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers. The mathematical concepts covered during week three and four was Introduction to Geometry. During these two weeks, the concepts of geometry that were covered were; angles, basic notation, geometry in three dimensions, and polygons. These mathematical concepts of geometry were covered throughout chapter 11. Mathematical concepts covered during week five and six was Applications of Geometry. During these two weeks, the main concepts of application of geometry that were taught were rotational symmetry, lines of symmetry, similar triangles, similar igures, lines and linear equations, tessellation patterns, translations, rotations, reflections, and glide reflections. These mathematical concepts of Applications of Geometry were covered throughout chapters 12 and 14. Mathematical concepts covered during week seven and eight was Applications of Measurement. During these two weeks, the main concepts of application of measurement that were covered were; areas of polygons and circles, distance formula, equation of a circle, linear measure, mass, Pythagorean theorem, surface areas, temperature, and volume. These mathematical concepts of Applications of Measurement were covered throughout chapter 13. The concepts learned throughout this course are relevant to the characteristics of a professional mathematics teacher based off of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. Based off the lessons for Data Analysis and Probability, Introduction to Geometry, Applications of Geometry, and Applications of Measurement in this course and under the NCTM standards the curriculum meets the expectations that the National Council required professional mathematic teachers to have. The curriculum of Data Analysis and Probability in this course meets NCTM standards and expectations by represent data using concrete objects, pictures, and graphs, collect data using observations, surveys, and experiments, represent data using tables and graphs such as a line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs, describe parts of the data and the set of data as a whole to determine what the data show, and describe the shape and important features of a set of data and compare related data sets (The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2012). The curriculum for Introduction to Geometry and Applications of Geometry in this course meets NCTM standards and expectation by recognize, name, build, draw, compare, and sort two-and-three dimensional shapes, find the distance between points along horizontal and vertical lines of a coordinate system, and predict and describe the results of sliding, flipping, and turning two-dimensional shapes (The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2012). The curriculum for Applications of Measurement in this course meets NCTM standards and expectation by recognize the attributes of length, volume, weight, area and time, understand the need for measuring with standard units, develop strategies for estimating the perimeters, areas, and volumes of irregular shapes, and develop strategies to determine the surface areas and volumes of rectangular solids (The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2012). When starting the first part of Math for Elementary Teachers, the idea that I had in mind was that these two courses were going to be about learning the basic mathematical concepts, counting, adding, subtracting, and learning shapes. However, now that I have completed the first part of Math for Elementary Teachers and am getting ready to the last week of the second part, my ideas and philosophy about teaching elementary students mathematical concepts changed. Teaching elementary children about Data Analysis and Probability, Geometry, and Applications of Measurement can become overwhelming for young children because these are concepts that they gave never learned about. Elementary children are used to understanding the basic mathematical concepts. I believe that when it is time to start learning about other mathematical concepts it is important to make learning fun for the younger children. I will stand my philosophy of adjusting the lesson plans to create fun hands on activities that will help my students learn and remember all the different mathematical concepts. I also believe that it is important to go that extra mile to provide students with the best mathematical education there is and by getting the parents involved to help students at home by suggesting different websites or by sending home activity books. I can honestly say, that the recommended changes to the practice of mathematics that have been instruction based off my experiences in both Mat for Elementary Teachers I and Math for Elementary Teachers II is that these two courses should be longer than nine weeks long. There is so much information that needs to be learned, and for a lot of students that are taking these courses it has been many years since they have learned these concepts. Another issue that I was not pleased with was at the start of this course having to take MyMathLab Orientation again. With these being a two part class and having to use MyMathLab during the first part of this course, it seemed pointless having to do another orientation for MyMathLab, but then again m most students should know how to use MyMathLab seeing as thy have other courses that require them to use MyMathLab. In total with the entire math course that are required for an Associate degree in Elementary Education 36 weeks is spent using MyMathLab.