Wednesday, October 30, 2019
China's Environmental issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
China's Environmental issue - Essay Example Rapid economic development has led to reduction in land that can be cultivated. According to current studies China has lost more than 44.1 million hectares of land since the 1980s. Many jungles, fisheries and ponds have been destroyed. The majority of China’s forests and jungles are suffering from deforestation and destruction. Desertification and salinization are other major problems affecting arable land. Large areas of the Yangtze River have lost its volume. Environmental problems which have affected China’s arable land have led to scarcity of water and diminished agricultural production capacity. Serious concerns have been raised about China’s ability to feed its rising population. Soil erosion, desertification, water scarcity, deforestation are some of the major environmental problems faced by China (Edmonds, 53). China’s rising industrial capacity has led to pollution which threatens the environment. Industrial waste products make up a large portion of pollution in China. Waste products have been released into the environment without proper processing methods. Textile, mining, food, paper, oil industries are the leading producers of waste products which have been dumped into the Huang River. The lack of enforcement of environmental regulation laws had led to the spread of pollution by the industrial sector. China’s industries also lack the modern technology to process industrial waste products. China has ample resources of oil and coal. However it consumes more energy than it produces. A thriving economy has also fed the need for energy resources. This has led to the degradation of the environment. Coal is the main source of energy for China. The demand for crude oil and electricity has increased with the rise in industries. China consumes about 9 percent of the world’s oil supply. It is increasingly dependant upon foreign producers for oil and energy
Monday, October 28, 2019
Immanuel Kant by Nathalie G. Catalogo Essay Example for Free
Immanuel Kant by Nathalie G. Catalogo Essay German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is considered the most influential thinker of the Enlightenment era and one of the greatest Western philosophers of all times. His works, especially those on epistemology (theory of knowledge), aesthetics and ethics had a profound influence on later philosophers, including contemporary ones. Kant’s philosophy is often described as the golden middle between rationalism and empiricism. He didn’t accept either of both views but he gave credit to both. While rationalists argue that knowledge is a product of reason, empiricists claim that all knowledge comes from experience. Kant rejected yet adopted both, arguing that experience is purely subjective if not first processed by pure reason. Using reason while excluding experience would according to Kant produce theoretical illusion. Afterwards, Kant mainly focused on philosophical issues although he continued to write on science. Source: http://www. philosophers. co. uk/immanuel-kant. html Based on what I’ve read from the philosophy of Immanuel Kant which oftenly described as the golden middle between rationalism and empiricism, I strongly agree with the statements â€Å"experience is purely subjective if not first processed by pure reason†and â€Å"using reason while excluding experience would produce theoretical illusion. †Obviously, both statements complement each other. You will notice that experience needs reason for it not to be subjective and reason on the other hand, needs experience for it not to produce theoretical illusion. Empiricists claim that experience is equal to knowledge while rationalists argue that it is reason which is equal to knowledge. For example, for the empiricists, you have this experience that enrolling at University of Makati (UMak) needs patience and panctuality for there’s so many enrollees which causes a very long line so the process will take so much of your time. Through that experience, you gain knowledge so the next time you enroll, you already know how to handle things better. On the other hand, an example of rationalism is that, if someone teach you that one plus one is equal to two (1 + 1 = 2), you gain knowledge from the reason of mathematics. My assumption for the reason behind why Immanuel Kant adopted both of these is that it is closely related with each other and it needs each other to stand for its essence.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Panama Canal Essay -- American History
In 1885, due to the tremendous problems encountered in trying to excavate a sea-level canal, the plan was changed to include a single, temporary lock and other adjustments in order to speed up the availability of the canal for traffic. Still, it was of no use : in 1889, Lesseps' company was liquidated in order to pay back investors and banks from which the company had borrowed. The appraisal of the company's belongings - including equipment, maps, and the value of the land already excavated - was very high, and in 1894, a new company, the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama, was created in France to attempt to finish the canal. All involved thought of this as an impossible feat by the French, and ideas ran strong to sell the canal zone - possibly to the United States. France resented the loss of millions of francs (the estimated cost of the company's pursuit of the canal, including publicity and possibly a little bribery, is almost 1.5 billion francs), and subsequent trials of the heads of Lesseps' company, including Lesseps himself, began in 1893. Lesseps was condemned by the court, but never fined nor jailed. Charles de Lesseps, Ferdinand's son, and others were eventually charged with bribery, only one being sent to prison. Charles was forced to pay the fine of another defendant, but could not raise the money so fled to London until his government accepted a partial payment, nearly 5 years later. France had determined that she could not possibly complete the canal. With a lease on land in Colombia until 1903, the search was on for a buyer. Eventually, France found a friend in the United States of America. At the time, a canal in the Latin American isthmus was not a new idea to America, either. In 1887, the government sent ... ...he Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty - which was ratified by the new Panamanian Government in 1903, and by the American Senate in early 1904. Before any work could begin, the most deadly of the problems on the isthmus had to be overcome - disease. The government wasn't going to allow mortality rates like had been seen during the French reign - somewhere between ten and twenty thousand were estimated to have died at the canal zone between 1882 and 1888. For this purpose, American doctor William Gorgas was called to examine the area. The most troublesome diseases were the mosquito-carried malaria and yellow fever - the same diseases that had kept Napoleon Bonaparte from putting down the uprising in Hati in 1801 - but almost all diseases known to man were endemic. Tuberculosis, cholera, diphtheria, smallpox, bubonic plague - all were cases on file at Panama hospitals in 1904. Panama Canal Essay -- American History In 1885, due to the tremendous problems encountered in trying to excavate a sea-level canal, the plan was changed to include a single, temporary lock and other adjustments in order to speed up the availability of the canal for traffic. Still, it was of no use : in 1889, Lesseps' company was liquidated in order to pay back investors and banks from which the company had borrowed. The appraisal of the company's belongings - including equipment, maps, and the value of the land already excavated - was very high, and in 1894, a new company, the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama, was created in France to attempt to finish the canal. All involved thought of this as an impossible feat by the French, and ideas ran strong to sell the canal zone - possibly to the United States. France resented the loss of millions of francs (the estimated cost of the company's pursuit of the canal, including publicity and possibly a little bribery, is almost 1.5 billion francs), and subsequent trials of the heads of Lesseps' company, including Lesseps himself, began in 1893. Lesseps was condemned by the court, but never fined nor jailed. Charles de Lesseps, Ferdinand's son, and others were eventually charged with bribery, only one being sent to prison. Charles was forced to pay the fine of another defendant, but could not raise the money so fled to London until his government accepted a partial payment, nearly 5 years later. France had determined that she could not possibly complete the canal. With a lease on land in Colombia until 1903, the search was on for a buyer. Eventually, France found a friend in the United States of America. At the time, a canal in the Latin American isthmus was not a new idea to America, either. In 1887, the government sent ... ...he Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty - which was ratified by the new Panamanian Government in 1903, and by the American Senate in early 1904. Before any work could begin, the most deadly of the problems on the isthmus had to be overcome - disease. The government wasn't going to allow mortality rates like had been seen during the French reign - somewhere between ten and twenty thousand were estimated to have died at the canal zone between 1882 and 1888. For this purpose, American doctor William Gorgas was called to examine the area. The most troublesome diseases were the mosquito-carried malaria and yellow fever - the same diseases that had kept Napoleon Bonaparte from putting down the uprising in Hati in 1801 - but almost all diseases known to man were endemic. Tuberculosis, cholera, diphtheria, smallpox, bubonic plague - all were cases on file at Panama hospitals in 1904.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Japanese Occupation in South-east Asia Essays -- Pacific War Japanese
Japanese Occupation in South-east Asia Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Background                                                  Pg. 3 Thesis                                                       Pg. 3 Research questions                                             Pg. 3 Rationale                                                  Pg. 3 Methodology                                                  Pg. 4 Chapter 2: Literature Review                                   Pg. 5 Primary sources                                             Pg. 5 Secondary sources                                             Pg. 6 Chapter 3: Research Methodology                                   Pg. 8 Procedure                                                  Pg. 8 Types of sources                                             Pg. 8 Compiling and presenting the data                                   Pg. 8 Chapter 4: Results and findings                                   Pg. 10 Background information                                        Pg. 10 Conflict between Japan and United States                              Pg. 11 The Japanese Occupation (1942 – 1945)                              Pg. 11 Chapter 5: Discussion and interpretation                              Pg. 24 The causes or motives of Japanese Occupation                         Pg. 24 The effect of Japanese Occupation                                   Pg. 25 Propaganda                                                  Pg. 26 Chapter 6: Conclusion                                        Pg. 28 Acknowledgements                                             Pg. 29 Chapter 1: Introduction Background:      The Pacific War opened on 7 December 1941, and Japanese troops started invading other Asian countries. Singapore, which was a colony of Britain at that time, fell to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. Since then, the people in South-east Asia had great sufferings. During the Japanese Occupation, many people suffered and some even died. Finally, the Japanese surrendered after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and the nightmare was finally over. Thesis:      War does more harm than good. Research questions: †¢Ã‚     What are the main causes & motives of the Japanese Occupation †¢Ã‚     What are the main effects of Japanese Occupation to the people at that time? †¢Ã‚     What are the instruments... ...lusion The people under the Occupation suffered, and the people in Japan also suffered after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. We learned that war does not do any party good, as we can see from the end of the war. We should learn our lessons from this event, and from the causes we can learn how to prevent it. Therefore, we should place our attention on the recent US and Iraq war, and stand on the side of peacefulness. We should also educate ourselves to differentiate between propaganda and the reality. Lastly, I had proven my theory, â€Å"War does more harm than good.†Acknowledgements http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/25/pearl_harbour/hb_rise_of_japan.htm http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/25/pearl_harbour/hb_ww1.htm http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/25/pearl_harbour/hb_us_lead.htm http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/25/pearl_harbour/hb_j_agg.htm http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/25/pearl_harbour/hb_count.htm http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2130.html http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2129.html http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-posters/jap.htm http://www.s1942.org.sg/ Understanding our past, Singapore from Colony to Nation - Federal Publications
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Lb160 Etma 01
LB160 eTMA 01 Summary of case study on Brompton Bicycles Brompton Bicycles, estimate this year they will sell 19,000 folding bikes with profits of ? 925,000 before tax but they plan to to boost production to 50,000 bikes a year with a ? 1million production revamp and a big sales push focused overseas. The company is aware they need to see significant sales growth both in the Uk and overseas if they want to stay a competitor in the fast growing global market, but they have encountered problems such as capacity and slow production times along with patents which expired 8 years ago.Although they are still covered by copyright other competitors can copy the invention. There is also the problem of being based in London so the company does not benefit from the low wage structure of Taiwan, where 80% of bikes are made. Brompton are unwilling to relocate as they have had to train most of its 85 staff in specific skills.Brompton are competitive in other cost areas as they have kept changes to their bikes minimal over the past 20 years so have been able to invest in tools and all their previous marketing has been through word of mouth, which they do need to focus on in the future. Although competitors may compare on quality and undercut them on price, last year one competitor made 350,000 bikes, Brompton believes in engineering ethos and producing bikes which are built to last so does not want to lose sight of the quality of their bikes and become a mainstream dealer, as this would lose its appeal.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Recent Legal History of the Death Penalty in America
Recent Legal History of the Death Penalty in America While capital punishment – the death penalty – has been an integral part of the American judicial system since the colonial period, when a person could be executed for offenses like witchcraft or stealing grapes, the modern history of American execution has been shaped largely by political reaction to public opinion. According to data on capital punishment collected by the federal government’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, a total of 1,394 people were executed under sentences handed down by federal and state civilian courts from 1997 to 2014. However, there have been extended periods in recent history during which punitive death took a holiday. Voluntary Moratorium: 1967-1972 While all but 10 states allowed the death penalty in the late 1960s, and an average of 130 executions per year were being carried out, public opinion turned sharply against the death penalty. Several other nations had dropped the death penalty by the early 1960s and legal authorities in the U.S. were starting to question whether or not executions represented cruel and unusual punishments under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Public support for the death penalty reached its lowest point in 1966, when a Gallup poll showed only 42% of Americans approved of the practice. Between 1967 and 1972, the U.S. observed what amounted to a voluntary moratorium on executions as the U.S. Supreme Court wrestled with the issue. In several cases not directly testing its constitutionality, the Supreme Court modified the application and administration of the death penalty. The most significant of these cases dealt with juries in capital cases. In a 1971 case, the Supreme Court upheld the unrestricted right of juries to both determine guilt or innocence of the accused and to impose the death penalty in a single trial. Supreme Court Overturns Most Death Penalty Laws In the 1972 case of Furman v. Georgia, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision effectively striking down most federal and state death penalty laws finding them arbitrary and capricious. The court held that the death penalty laws, as written, violated the cruel and unusual punishment provision of the Eighth Amendment and the due process guarantees of the Fourteenth Amendment. As a result of Furman v. Georgia, more than 600 prisoners who had been sentenced to death between 1967 and 1972 had their death sentences commuted.  Supreme Court Upholds New Death Penalty Laws The Supreme Courts decision in Furman v. Georgia did not rule the death penalty itself to be unconstitutional, only the specific laws by which it was applied. Thus, the states quickly began to write new death penalty laws designed to comply with the courts ruling. The first of the new death penalty laws created by the states of Texas, Florida and Georgia gave the courts wider discretion in applying the death penalty for specific crimes and provided for the current bifurcated trial system, in which a first trial determines guilt or innocence and a second trial determines punishment. The Texas and Georgia laws allowed the jury to decide punishment, while Floridas law left the punishment up to the trial judge. In five related cases, the Supreme Court upheld various aspects of the new death penalty laws. These cases were: Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976)Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. 262 (1976)Proffitt v. Florida, 428 U.S. 242 (1976)Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280 (1976)Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 325 (1976) As a result of these decisions, 21 states threw out their old mandatory death penalty laws and hundreds of death row prisoners had their sentences changed to life in prison. Execution Resumes On January 17, 1977, convicted murderer Gary Gilmore told a Utah firing squad, Lets do it! and became the first prisoner since 1976 executed under the new death penalty laws. A total of 85 prisoners - 83 men and two women - in 14 U.S. states were executed during 2000. Current Status of the Death Penalty As of January 1, 2015, the death penalty was legal in 31 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have abolished the death penalty: Alaska, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Between the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 and 2015, executions have been carried out in thirty-four states. From 1997 to 2014, Texas led all death penalty-legal states, carrying out a total of 518 executions, far ahead of Oklahoma’s 111, Virginia’s 110, and Florida’s 89. Detailed statistics on executions and capital punishment can be found on the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Capital Punishment website.
Monday, October 21, 2019
French Expressions - Mood and Health
French Expressions - Mood and Health Learn some French expressions related to mood and health, both good and bad. English French Literal translation Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed? Tu tes lev du pied gauche? Did you get up on your left foot? Dont sulk! Ne fais pa la tte ! Dont do/make the head! Get well soon. Remets-toi vite. Get better quickly. Hes hard of hearing. Il est dur doreille. Hes uncomfortable. Il nest pas bien dans sa peau. Hes not good in his skin. Hes in a very good mood. Il est de trs bon humeur. Hes of very good mood. I burst out laughing. Jai clat de rire. I burst to laugh. I cant seem to wake up. Je narrive pas me rveiller. Im not managing to wake up I dont feel well. Je ne suis pas en forme. Im not in shape I feel great! Jai la frite !Jai la patate ! I have the French fry!I have the potato! Im all choked up. Jai la gorge serre. My throat is tight. Im bathed in sweat. Je suis en nage. Im swimming. Im beat! Je suis crev!Je suis bout de force! Im burst!Im at the end of force! Im bored to death. Je mennuie mourir Im bored to dying. Im out of breath. Je suis hors dhaleine. I was ready to drop. Les jambes mentraient dans le corps. My legs were going into my body. My head is spinning. Jai la tte qui tourne. I have the head that spins. You look well. Tu as bonne mine. You have good look. Youre soaked to the skin! Tu es tremp comme une soupe!Tu es tremp jusquaux os! Youre soaked like a soup!Youre soaked to the bones!
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Do You Know Your Student Rights
Do You Know Your Student Rights Did you know that college students have more freedoms than high schoolers? And, not just access to better parties and more free food. While you have the same rights to equality and non-discrimination that you had in high school, you have more protections for what you say, what you keep in your dorm, and who can arrest you. In honor of Human Rights Day, here are some of the lesser-known legal protections that you have as a college student. It might just inspire you to go out and take advantage of your newfound freedom. Your College Is Obliged to Keep Its Word Whatever a college prints or says is true, is really so. In the case of Andrà © v. Pace University (1996), the court found in favor of the complainant since she did not receive the advertised level of instruction as stated in the course catalog. The right to college integrity isn’t limited to written publications. Any person with the authority to make a verbal contract (such as a dean, admissions officer, recruiter, or academic counselor), is required to fulfill the terms. Such was the case in Healy vs. Larsson (1974). The complainant was awarded a degree based on a track of courses laid out verbally by his academic advisor, even though they didn’t meet the degree requirements. Protection From Search and Seizure The next time someone demands to see what’s in your dorm room, tell them they don’t have the right – because they don’t. In the 1971 case of Piazzola v. Watkins, the court found that college students don’t give up their right to unlawful search as seizure simply by signing a dorm room contract. In addition, only evidence found by a police officer with a legal warrant to search is admissible in court – and that doesn’t include campus cops. So, unless it’s a city or state police officer with a warrant, you don’t have to let anyone search your room. Control of Your Privacy Under the Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), you have the same general privacy protections as any other citizen. However, if you are dependent on your parents’ taxes, your college has the right to send your grades directly to them. In addition, colleges have the right to publish information like your name, phone number, and address in a school directory (without your express permission) unless you specifically request for them not to publish that information. Right to Safety As a student, you have the right to be kept safe from campus injuries caused by facilities, other students, or foreseeable crime circumstances. For example, in the case of Miller v. State (1984), a college student was raped at knife point in her dorm because the school had failed to lock the doors for the night. She won her case, showing that the college has a special duty to protect its students, especially in areas where they make a claim that a student should be safe. Freedom of Speech and Demonstration Under the First Amendment, students are free to share their opinions through physical demonstrations, online activities, or through student groups. Papish v. University of Missouri (1973) clarified this language to include any speech that doesn’t interfere with the rights of other students or the school operation. This right especially protects students who are making statements on the school’s public message boards, intranet, or group publications. In Rosenberger v. University of Virginia(1995) the school was found at fault for refusing to distribute student group funds to a group that created a pro-Christian publication. Due Process If you are involved in a disciplinary action, you have the right to due process. That means you have the right to legal counsel, to view evidence against you, and to have a fair trial. The case of Texas Lightsey v. King (1983) showed that it is unconstitutional, for example, to expel a student for cheating when a disciplinary council finds him or her innocent of the act. So, if you get in trouble, make sure you get the fair trial you deserve. Summary From safety to scheduling, you have way more freedom than you think. Make sure you know your rights before you let your college take any away from you. It’s up to you to stand up and fight for your freedom to share your opinions, protect your privacy, and ensure that your college is everything you think it should be. Have your student rights ever been violated? Please share your stories and opinions in the comments below
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Post Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
Post - Assignment Example This way, it will be possible to make accurate assumptions that will impact on planning positively because assumptions have influence on planning (Bush, 2005). I perfectly agree with the position you took on the purposes of EOP, especially when it comes to the aspect of planning. I would agree with you that planning is an important tool for achieving efficiency and for avoiding waste (Dudo, Dunwoody & Scheufele, 2011). Very often, emergency workers approach emergency events with virtually no idea about outcomes to expect. This happens when there is poor planning towards such events. Having an EOP can therefore help in ensuring that emergency workers abreast themselves with possibilities of emergency outcomes so that they can make the right preparations to them. An additional insight that I will like to add to your point is that whiles preparing emergency operations plans, it is important to take much inspiration from past events. I believe that it is based on past events that the right planning can be made to achieve efficiency. While you were opining on the questions/issues that must be addressed by an EOP, you made very important points which I agree with very perfectly. One of these was the point you made about the community. I agree with well that the community has a role to play in emergency management and that it is always very important to ask questions about the roles that the community can play in times of emergency. Once the role of the community is clearly defined, it will be possible to get the very best from them in times of emergency. The situation where community members interrupt the work of the emergency workers will also be avoided. This is because there will be distinctions between what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to you. With all the lessons above, it can be conclude
Friday, October 18, 2019
Spectrophotomertry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Spectrophotomertry - Essay Example 2. INTRODUCTION Spectrophotometry is the study of numeric calculation of the magnitude of reflection and transmittance of different materials on the basis of the incident wave length. A spectrophotometer is a device which is used to measure the values of transmittance and reflection. Spectrophotometry is used in different fields and sciences like chemistry, biochemistry, physics and materials etc. Spectrophotometry also covers the subject of spectrum and its intensity, and other related issues with changing thicknesses. This report is actually based on the application of spectrophotometry. Dektak 3 ST is used in this experiment. It is a surface profile interpreting mechanism, adequately well on to the area of measuring surface grain or texture and capable of measuring change in thickness even in microns. A diamond tip stylus is used to identify the sample characteristics. The device is enough responsive to record all surface variations. The parametric measurement through Dektak 3 ST includes area, slope, radius measurement, step height, unevenness and roughness on a sample profile. A set of data plotting and video imaging can also be retrieved by using Dektak 3 ST. All thin films on which the spectroscopic analysis is made are actually made up of tin oxide. Tin oxide is a colorless transparent, amphoteric and inorganic material. Tin oxide is widely used in ceramics and majorly in ceramics glazing. Tin oxide is also used in the production of glasses and enamels. 3. EXPERIMENT The experiment is comprised of two phases, the first one proceeds with enkd-8000 machine and the second one proceeds with Dektak 3ST. In the beginning of the phase 1 of the experiment three glasses of tin dioxide having three different thicknesses are considered. The entire glass top surfaces of all are determined with the help of voltmeter. Then every glass is taken individually and analyzed in enkd-8000 machine. During the analysis of every glass, the file is clicked with the scanning opt ion from 400 nm wavelength to 900 nm wavelength. After the selection of the wavelength the machine will take some time to analyze. Then after analysis is switched on in which performance summary information is selected. The selection will yield the CIE color space for the first glass. Now the whole process is being repeated for second and third glasses. All three analyses are made on P polarization When our analysis for P polarization is completed then any sample is selected for S polarization so a conclusion can be drawn by varying polarization. This is how the phase 1 of the experiment is completed. Considering the phase 2 of the experiment, all same three glasses of tin dioxide are used. Every glass is taken and then masked individually from the isolation tap then after zinc powder is being applied, then afterwards Hydrochloric acid is used for application on the applied zinc powder. Finally the hydrochloric acid is scrapped out and then samples are washed out. After this process if the glasses appear clean then apply acetone on it then again wash it with the help of water and then glass is being dried out. The same process is repeated for all three glasses. Dektak3ST machine is used to measure the thickness of all the samples of three glasses. The samples are positioned in the machine one by one. The run option is clicked by the mouse, and then scan option is clicked
What are the benefits and weakness of using focus groups Essay
What are the benefits and weakness of using focus groups - Essay Example Assuming these to be correct, structured group discussion is a relevant procedure to obtain people’s opinions, feelings and perceptions, although the interactions between group members have to be borne in mind. (Blankenship, Breen, G.E. and Dutka, A., 1999, 61) The information obtained can be about what each person feels and thinks, but it can also be influenced by a phenomenon such as ‘groupthink’, through which people conform to what others believe. In judging the popularity and the effectiveness of focus groups, it is important to assess the advantages of the method as well as its limitations. In adult education, focus groups perhaps offer a more concrete opportunity for participants and researchers to learn from the process (Field, 2000, 330), being a powerful way of engaging with professionals, policy makers and end-users. The benefits of using such an iterative process in which ‘people’s views and understandings are shared, debated, challenged and changed’ (Field 2000, 325) are more important than the potential disadvantages. Morgan (1999, 142) notes that the majority of the published articles about focus groups refers to the use of this method along with other methods, such as individual in-depth interviews or with surveys. In the research process, focus groups can be used at different points: at the preliminary or exploratory stage of a study; a preparation for decisions about the precise objectives and design of the study; for the collection of the main data; in the closing period of a study to interpret findings, or to generate further perspecti ves for research. Use of focus groups can be seen in applied research as a strategy for collecting data, especially when doing qualitative research to tap peoples subjective experiences (Sullivan, 2001, 23) Focus groups do not invade peoples privacy in order to come to
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Myocardial Infarction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Myocardial Infarction - Research Paper Example The infarction site depends on which vessels are involved. For example, if a blockage occurs in a circumflex coronary artery, this leads to lateral MI while blockage of a right coronary artery can lead to right-sided heart failures (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans For Myocardial infarction). There are many predisposing factors to the higher number of MI cases. Some of these factors can be controlled while others cannot. These factors are; age, gender, positive family history of MI, high blood pressure, obesity, high levels of cholesterol, lack of physical activity, diabetes, stress, hypertension, increased serum triglycerides, excessive intake of saturated fats, salt and carbohydrates (Salim). Other risk factors include sedentary life, increased homocysteine and C -resistance proteins and use of drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans for myocardial infarction; (Haffner).About 20% of patients with MI have diabetes (Salim). The symptoms of M I includes; arm, epigastric and chest pain, breath shortness, diaphoresis, clammy skin dizziness, nausea, vomiting, angina frequency, fatigue, presence of pericardial friction rub, systolic murmurs, bradycardia, hypertension, absence of jugular vein distension, activity intolerance, decreased cardiac output, anxiety, among other symptoms (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans for Myocardial infarction). Nursing process in Myocardial infarction. The nursing process is a very important thinking tool and involves a number of stages. Assessment This stage involves collecting and recording of data so as to obtain the necessary information which will help a nurse or a clinician to predict, detect, prevent, manage and eliminate health problems and associated risk factors. During the assessment, the nurse should be able to clarify the expected outcomes and the advantages of the care. These outcomes should be measurable. The nurse should also be able to choose intervention strategies to be u sed in achieving the desired results and promoting patients health (Afaro) Diagnosis Diagnosis is very important as it helps in analyzing and synthesis of data so as to facilitate drawing of conclusions. Diagnosis can be achieved through physical examination of symptoms. Other diagnostic tests which can be used include, detection of elevated levels of homocysteine and C- resistance proteins, electrocardiogram, use of cardiac troponin to differentiate between MI and injury of skeletal muscles. This can also be achieved by looking at the family history to identify if there is the positive relationship. During diagnosis, the nurse should identify patterns and produce a list of suspected problems and also rule out the presence of other health issues. Identification of symptoms is important as this may help the nurse to refer the case to more qualified personnel if need be (Afaro). The nurse should be able to clarify actual and potential health issues and the associated risk factors.
The Department of Defense Better Buying Power Essay
The Department of Defense Better Buying Power - Essay Example d goods, which was aimed at gaining extra value for the American taxpayer by increasing productivity and efficiency in defense spending (Parrish, 2012). The first phase of the BBP planned to cut spending by $487 billion for the entire DOD in ten years, and the lessons learnt since its implementation have been incorporated into creating BBP 2.0, which was initiated in 2013. Since the implementation of the first phase in 2010 and the second in 2013, there are numerous examples of acquisition executives adhering to the BBP initiative. According to Kendall (2014), the initiative has been a qualified success with evidence suggesting that the practices and policies of BBP have taken hold and opportunity for improvement still abounds. BBP refers to DODs plan to use best practices in strengthening its buying power, improving the productivity and efficiency of the department, and to give the war-fighter value-added and affordable military capability. The initiative consists of essential principles of military acquisitions that seek to attain improved efficiency by promoting competition, doing away with bureaucratic and unproductive acquisition processes, and controlling costs. As a result, the DOD expects that the overall outcome of the initiative will be the improvement of tradecraft in service acquisition. While it should also, provide incentives to improve government and military industry innovation and productivity. BBP 2.0 was a further initiative created to improve on BBP 1.0, seeking to build on the DODs commitment towards continually improving their acquisition practices. Some of the plans put into place that show the initiative’s progress include the Defense Acquisition Board’s affordability analysis, which seeks to facilitate decision making on defense investments. For instance, opportunities for smaller entrepreneurs have been given additional focus and attention, while military services are now using cost-estimates as standard practice. Majority of
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Myocardial Infarction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Myocardial Infarction - Research Paper Example The infarction site depends on which vessels are involved. For example, if a blockage occurs in a circumflex coronary artery, this leads to lateral MI while blockage of a right coronary artery can lead to right-sided heart failures (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans For Myocardial infarction). There are many predisposing factors to the higher number of MI cases. Some of these factors can be controlled while others cannot. These factors are; age, gender, positive family history of MI, high blood pressure, obesity, high levels of cholesterol, lack of physical activity, diabetes, stress, hypertension, increased serum triglycerides, excessive intake of saturated fats, salt and carbohydrates (Salim). Other risk factors include sedentary life, increased homocysteine and C -resistance proteins and use of drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans for myocardial infarction; (Haffner).About 20% of patients with MI have diabetes (Salim). The symptoms of M I includes; arm, epigastric and chest pain, breath shortness, diaphoresis, clammy skin dizziness, nausea, vomiting, angina frequency, fatigue, presence of pericardial friction rub, systolic murmurs, bradycardia, hypertension, absence of jugular vein distension, activity intolerance, decreased cardiac output, anxiety, among other symptoms (Life nurses forum: Nursing care plans for Myocardial infarction). Nursing process in Myocardial infarction. The nursing process is a very important thinking tool and involves a number of stages. Assessment This stage involves collecting and recording of data so as to obtain the necessary information which will help a nurse or a clinician to predict, detect, prevent, manage and eliminate health problems and associated risk factors. During the assessment, the nurse should be able to clarify the expected outcomes and the advantages of the care. These outcomes should be measurable. The nurse should also be able to choose intervention strategies to be u sed in achieving the desired results and promoting patients health (Afaro) Diagnosis Diagnosis is very important as it helps in analyzing and synthesis of data so as to facilitate drawing of conclusions. Diagnosis can be achieved through physical examination of symptoms. Other diagnostic tests which can be used include, detection of elevated levels of homocysteine and C- resistance proteins, electrocardiogram, use of cardiac troponin to differentiate between MI and injury of skeletal muscles. This can also be achieved by looking at the family history to identify if there is the positive relationship. During diagnosis, the nurse should identify patterns and produce a list of suspected problems and also rule out the presence of other health issues. Identification of symptoms is important as this may help the nurse to refer the case to more qualified personnel if need be (Afaro). The nurse should be able to clarify actual and potential health issues and the associated risk factors.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Pot Holes Everywhere Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Pot Holes Everywhere - Essay Example This is because they have the infrastructure and the capacity. However, the benefits and cost implications for this company is not stated. The relationship between the companies DelDot the Ministry of Transport is not explicit. The proposed solution is an ideal solution to the problem according to how it has been presented in the executive summary. However, it has not stated how the app will be picking up new potholes and updates them to the system. This may be a great danger because users may not be keen on potholes as they depend on the app. The other challenge is what if there are many potholes at a given location that cannot be captured in the system. This project is not feasible because of the technology involved. It is not also feasible because weather patterns changes and results into potholes frequently; capturing each and every pothole is a challenge. There are areas that there is poor internet reception. How will they resolve the problem? The market aspect is also a challenge, if the transport department does not approve the app by DelDot will not have the market. They may also design their own app. Generally, this executive summary desires a lot. The summary is well written but the technology is not well written. Carabello, Blase A., and FAHA Kanu Chatterjee. "ACC/AHA 2006 practice guidelines for the management of patients with valvular heart disease: executive summary." Journal of the American College of Cardiology 48.3
Communications Character Conflict Essay Essay Example for Free
Communications Character Conflict Essay Essay â€Å"I can’t believe you, all your gifts, all your powers, and you.. you squander them for your own personal gain. (Hal Stewart) ‘Yes! (Megamind) ‘No! I’m the villain! †this is the main conflict between characters’ Megamind and Hal Stewart in the hit motion picture Megamind. Megamind defeats the cities beloved super hero â€Å"Metro Man†, they had been enemies since grade school and Megamind has always been the bad guy causing trouble and Metro Man was always saving the day and the people from the evils of Megeminds treachery. But soon after this deafeat Megamind realizes he misses the way things used to be, there was no more excitement and rush of being the villain in an epic good vs. evil battle. So, Megamind has devised a way that he can give any normal human being all the gifts and powers that Metro Man himself possessed. He settles on a young man named Hal Stewart, a cameraman for a news station, which he filmed the news girl who he claimed to be in love with, but everyone thought she was with Metro Man because he was always saving her. So Megamind gives Hal all the super powers, and gives him a new identity of â€Å"Titan†. However, to Megminds Dismay, Hal starts abusing his powers and begins stealing from banks, and using his powers to get equipment, video games etc.. This is a great example of unproductive conflict. Instead of creating a new evil versus good scenario with Hal or â€Å"Titan†, Hal just commandeers the whole city and puts them all at his mercy. It has many negative impacts the two characters, their relationship, and the situation. The aggression between them and the situation in general becomes increases greatly and turns even hostile because of the flaws in their communication. Megamind has certain qualities about the way he communicates that it often gets him into trouble. In fact pretty much every idea he comes up with in the process, he always seems to get either seriously injured, or suffers in some other way, all because of his communicational handicap. Some of the functions of communication Megamind uses, is he begins a relationship with a character named Hal Stewart to achieve a specific goal premeditated so he could accomplish what he wished to have done. What he wanted done was to turn Hal into a super hero and give him all the powers that the late Metro Man possessed, so that he could resume his role as the villain once again, since he defeated the last super hero he longed for the epic battle of â€Å"Good vs. Evil. †First of all, Hal isn’t the brightest pick to turn someone into a super hero, but Megamind is determined he is the perfect pick after a misunderstood first impression of Hal. Megaminds best friend even shows in many ways, he does not approve of Hal as being the one who has the traits of being a good super hero, most of the ways non verbal. Megamind even changes his own identity as Hal’s â€Å"Space Dad†, for the purpose of guiding Hal into fulfilling his destiny as the city’s new found super hero â€Å"Titan†. So Megamind actually is affecting the situation and their relationship as two different important character’s in Hal’s life and will play play big parts in his decisions. Hal Stewart, aka â€Å"Titan†aka â€Å"Cameraman†, is a very interesting character because of how he expresses his own communicational traits, it is entertaining. His perception of what a â€Å"super hero†means, and what sort of privileges or advantages he believes comes with being â€Å"Titan†are affected by the culture he lives in. Some of his expectations, the most important towards the story and the one that makes the most dramatic influence is; the super hero always gets the girl. This thinking of Hal’s is a mindlessness perception and also selective perception of how he sees a super hero. Obviously he does not get the girl he claims he’s in love with, because the thing he is mindlessness about is that just because you can fly and have huge muscles doesn’t mean you will always get girl, its about what’s underneath, not on the surface, which I believe is the lesson â€Å"Life†is trying to teach him. Another misperception he has is what should be accomplished with the incredible new â€Å"gifts†that he has recently required. Instead of catching bad guys, and making sure justice stands within the city and her people, Hal actually robs banks, and other equipment, video games etc.. nd is determined that the powers mean â€Å"get rich, and get rich quick†. These are all things that Megamind does not anticipate before hand and turns into being the exact opposite of what he wanted, all because Hal’s misunderstanding, and the communicational barriers of Megamind. Although, there isn’t a whole lot of competent communicati on going on with Megamind and Hal, in the end he still gets an incredibly large amount accomplished. The things that were bigger then even his beloved epic good vs. evil battles. He grew in more important ways, he grew as a specimen, and became a happier person, which ultimately should be eternal goal of communication and the functions and steps that are not only necessary and basically impossible to accomplish anything without them, competent or incompetent, things still move forward and things get done. In the end Megamind finds his true purpose and a higher purpose, along the way falling in love and discovering a more meaningful life all thanks to communication, and the culture which helps him perceive and judge.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Assessing The Marketing Plan Of Accenture Commerce Essay
Assessing The Marketing Plan Of Accenture Commerce Essay Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. It boasts of a unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the worlds most successful companies,. The main aim of the company is to collaborate with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. Thus this company is a good company for study. Here I am analyzing their market strategy and how they could increase their customer base round the world. Keller, K (1998) Competitor Analysis One of the major competitors of Accenture is IBM company. The financial and company statistic of both have been compared below. Both are into similar business and specially compete in the area of consultancy to key corporate clients. DIRECT COMPETITOR COMPARISON ACN Pvt1 Pvt2 IBM Industry Market Cap: 27.28B N/A N/A 167.26B 111.07M Employ ees: 176,000 N/A N/A 410,830 810 Rev. Growth (ttm): -11.20% N/A N/A 0.80% 16.10% Revenue (ttm): 22.45B N/A N/A 95.76B 192.40M Gross Margin (ttm): 30.01% N/A N/A 45.73% 36.21% EBITDA (ttm): 3.32B N/A N/A 23.66B 12.47M Oper. Margins (ttm): 12.59% N/A N/A 19.49% 6.97% Net Income (ttm): 1.55B N/A N/A 13.43B N/A EPS (ttm): 2.375 N/A N/A 10.009 0.12 PE (ttm): 18.03 N/A N/A 12.86 18.81 PEG (ttm): 1.16 N/A N/A 1.3 1.06 PS (ttm): 1.22 N/A N/A 1.75 0.83 Pvt1= Deloitte Consulting LLP(privately held) Pvt2= HP Enterprise Services(privately held) IBM= International Business Machines Corp. Industry= Management Services Direct customer contact has made Accenture one of the most successful companies of the1990s Accenture is following the strategy of what called Direct business Model. The meaning of their model is -It is actually get to have a relationship with the customer, and that creates valuable information, which, in turn, allows them to leverage their relationships with both supplier and customers. Along with that information with technology, and they have the infrastructure to revolutionize the fundamental business models of major global components. Keller, K (1998) Accenture competitive strategies are speed to market; superior customer services; a dynamic commitment to producing consistently high quality, custom-made systems that provide the highest performance and the relevant technology to their customers; and an early exploitation of the Internet. The companys extraordinary growth and profitability en route to becoming the second largest consultants in the world. Accenture used different marketing strategies to sell there services around the world making them the most successful company in the world. Through its build-to-order manufacturing capability, Accenture has been able to cut many of the risks of the business. The company can persists on lower inventories and take advantage of price cuts more quickly than competitors. Selling service directly to customers also reduces costs by eliminating dealer markup. Brooks, I and Weatherston, J. (1997) Market Analysis Accentures pinnacle to market leadership is the result of a persistent focus on delivering the best customer experience by straight away selling products and services online and through catalogs.They put a great deal of emphasis on understanding what drives the customer satisfaction, whether it was response times on the telephone, quality of products, valuable features, or the ease of experience in using the product. Engaging the entire company from service providing to sales to support staff in the process of understanding customer requirements became is a constant focus of management, energy, training, and employee education.Accenture Computer Corp. has used the Internet to trim costs and boost sales, both of which were becoming increasingly difficult to do in the saturated consultancy market of the late 1990s. It made possible for customers who previously had placed custom orders via the telephone to place them on Accentures Web site. Customers selected configuration options, ge t price quotes, and order both single and multiple systems. The site also allowed purchasers to view their order status, and it offered support services to Accenture owners. Given below is how Accenture has been operating in the market in the year 2009 . Environmental Analysis Accenture helps organizations create and implement breakthrough operational and transformational solutions. This is critical for any company today. There are many environmental factors which become crucial in the environment in which Accenture is operating. The economical environment has a crucial impact on consumer behaviour. This factor becomes all the more relevant t in the recession period. Security of a good job and a regular income to spend on goods are factors that effect consumer behaviour. Marketing and advertising do influence consumers in helping them to purchase a particular product or service. Brassington, F and Pettitt, S, (2000), Peoples social class will also effect their behaviour. The role of society is critical. Be it the profession based influence like Actors, Doctors, engineers, low grade staff, and mothers and fathers also effect the purchase decision. Also being parents affects consumers buying habits based on the age of the children, the nature of job .Say if you are a highly paid official you could buy consultancy more easily than a lower class of corporate consumer. Also many other characters influence the consumer buying decision. The persons personality be it extrovert (out going and spends on luxury and fun) and introvert traits (keeps to themselves and purchases with online or mail order) again has an impact on the types of purchases made. Brassington, F and Pettitt, S, (2000), Customer Analysis One study which is vital when studying the consumers of Accenture are the reference groups in the corporate clientele. Reference groups are close groups of people consumers may look up towards to that have an impact on consumer behaviour. They could be celebrities like Brad Pitt or your immediate family members. Other influential people like Opinion leaders are those people that you look up to as you honor their views and judgments and these views may impact consumer decisions. Also the type of consumer need of Accenture consumers can be explained by the motivation theory of Maslow. Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs theory was targeted to explain what motivated individuals in life to achieve. This was explained in the form of a hierarchy. He explains that consumers aim to meet basic psychological needs of hunger and thirst. When this has been fulfilled they then go up to the next stage of the hierarchy, safety needs, here their key needs are job security ,home security and the emphasis that an income will be available to them regularly. Booms, B.H. and Bitner, M.J. (1981) Social needs come in the third level of the hierarchy, the need to attachment to someone ,to be loved is a normal human desire and people do work for this belonging. Esteem need is the ext in the hierarchy and means the need for status and recognition among peers in the society, status of people, the recognition to have a good job title and be known are all needs that add to the symbol of status. Self-actualization or the realization that an individual has reached his potential in life is the top most in the need pyramid. The need of self-actualisation is critical to the individual, as he only know when he has reached the point of self-fulfillment. This concept helps an Accenture trying to sell a product or service to a consumer. it is known to all that marketing is about fulfilling needs and providing benefits, Maslows need concept suggests that needs differ as move along our path of striving for self-actualisation. Accenture customers are also looking for the status and self esteem need to be fulfilled among the higher class purchasing services . Maslows concept is useful for firms as it helps to understand and work for consumer needs and wants. Internal Analysis Accentures corporate philosophy is elite and quite different from many a companies. The same has helped it form a goodwill among prospective customers. Below are the core elements of the Soul of Accenture as they state their corporate culture summary heading: Customers: They believe in creating loyal customers by providing a superior experience at a great value. They are committed to direct relationships, providing the best products and services based on standards-based technology, and outperforming the competition with value and a superior customer experience. Blythe, J. (2001) The Accenture Team: They believe our continued success lies in teamwork and the opportunity each team member has to learn, develop and grow. They are committed to being a meritocracy, and to developing, retaining and attracting the best people, reflective of our worldwide marketplace. Direct Relationships: They believe in being direct in all they do. They are committed to behaving ethically; responding to customer needs in a timely and reasonable manner; fostering open communications and building effective relationships with customers, partners, suppliers and each other; and operating without inefficient hierarchy and bureaucracy. Global Citizenship: Booms, B.H. and Bitner, M.J. (1981) They believe in participating responsibly in the global marketplace. They are committed to understanding and respecting the laws, values and cultures wherever they do business; profitably growing in all markets; promoting a healthy business climate globally; and contributing positively in every community they call home, both personally and organizationally. Winning: They have a passion for winning in everything they do. They are committed to operational excellence, superior customer experience, leading in the global markets they serve, being known as a great company and great place to work, and providing superior shareholder value over time. Blythe, J. (2001) (Source Accenture.com) SWOT analysis: Strengths: One of the best consultancy providers.   It has been more than fifty years in the market.  A wide range of coverage in corporate clientele areas..  Promotions are very strong and effective Weakness: Pricing is a little high Has a premium range of services Customers service is to be worked upon Opportunities: Wide world wide coverage . USP is the hold of loyal consumers Provide new services for new corporate companies Growing consultancy services Prominence in the mind of the key consumers Recovery from recession of the customers. Baker, M. (2000) Threats:   Recession, has decrease disposable income in people Other competitors like IBM. Changing mindset of customers Lack of loyalty of brand among this segment consumers. Marketing Plan Phase 2 (Objectives and Strategy Development) : Executive Summary The strategic management literature is far from clear in explaining how firms choose to formulate strategy and implement it. Indeed, there are many different schools of strategic management that help to explain the manner in which firms engage in strategic decision-making and action. These include the design, planning, positioning, learning, entrepreneurial, cognitive, power, and cultural school, to name just a few. There is no right school of strategic management that should be followed, but different firms tend to subscribe to different schools depending on the industry in which they compete and the nature of the firm. The planning school is appropriate for such firms because of the nature of the industry in which they compete. At the same time, significant investments are required to back up any strategic or tactical decision made by such companies. In addition, the futures of the consultancy companies are highly changeable and unknown, with factors such as prices fluctuating grea tly. As a result, these firms tend to adopt principals from the planning school of strategy because these help the firm to focus on the external environment in which it competes and devising strategies based on such an environment. As such, when examining what guides the strategy of a firm like Accenture, it is also important to examine the school of strategic management that best explains its choice of strategy. In Accentures case, this is the positioning school, as discussed next. Brassington Frances and Pettitt Stephen (2006) Marketing Objectives The positioning school of strategic management views the strategy process as an analytical one in nature . Whilst many scholars have written about this school, the dominant proponent has been Porter (1980, 1985). In this regard, the purpose of firm strategy is to establish a position within the industry that is profitable. According to Porter (1980, 1985) this requires a firm to examine the industry within which it competes in terms of the five forces: the intensity of the rivalry amongst competing firms, the threat of substitute products and services, the threat of new entrants, and the relative bargaining power of buyers and suppliers. On this basis, it is possible for firms to select on of three generic strategies overall low cost, differentiation or focus that help it to capitalise on a position within the industry that provides for above-average industry profitability. In order to know which of these strategies is the most appropriate for a firm, it is necessary to look at its various parts. In this respect, taking a broader and deeper picture of the firm is important in understanding the context within which it competes because as Porter (1980, 1985) notes: competitive advantage cannot be understood by looking at a firm as a whole. It stems from the many discrete activities a firm performs in designing, producing, marketing, delivering, and supporting its product . As such, the value chain is an important way of assessing the Accenture primary activities its inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and service as well as its support activities firm infrastructure, human resources management, technology development, and procurement and assess areas of independence and mutual dependence. Accenture is a low cost provider, but also manages to use its design of the supply chain to provide a differentiated offering. The estimated earning od Accenture as doen by analyst has been shown in the table below: Earnings Est Current Qtr Feb-10 Next Qtr May-10 Current Year Aug-10 Next Year Aug-11 Avg. Estimate 0.61 0.71 2.70 3.01 No. of Analysts 19 18 21 20 Low Estimate 0.59 0.67 2.61 2.78 High Estimate 0.68 0.75 2.79 3.26 Year Ago EPS 0.63 0.68 2.68 2.70 Targeting and Positioning Segmentation: Accenture concentrating on upper-end customers. They have different segments and different USPs. While there are many possible avenues to exploit in terms of sales opportunities for these companies, the market is highly segmented in such a way that it is important for Accenture to engage in target marketing. This is the point where the particular companies must decide whether they will individually follow a niche market or a full-line strategy. Accenture thus caters to a vast market that too individually. Brassington Frances and Pettitt Stephen (2006) Branding: Accenture is a well known brand. Although its sales have been falling but it has been one of the key players in the consultancy market. Its name and use of service is associated with many a known names in its market. It is the leading brand in the world, with a focus on performance and international presence. Positioning analysis: Accenture sees positioning as a key factor in growing the brand in developing markets of Asia like China, Korea, and Malaysia. Moreover, Accenture already had marketing tie-ups in Asian market segments. Competition: While Accenture build product lines and marketing campaigns the major competition is from IBM. Thus the promotion strategies of these two companies being similar, the joint advertising and promotion cost are sure to be reduced as of their independent cost. They can target a wide range of segments which includes consultancy and solutions for the corporate client. While both these brands make use of a differentiation strategy to attract its customers, IBM concentrates its efforts on a broad cost strategy approach. The differentiation strategy of the Accenture can be seen in action by examining the various productions of this company. In looking towards the future, the company seems to place into a position to steadily increase its market share and brand value to better compete in the consultancy business and to help in transformations of clients. Hoyer, W.D. and MacInnis, D.J. (2001) Segmentation: Accenture can now really focus on premium service full of design and innovation-the kind of service people with too much money like to buy. Accenture have their own USPs. Growth Strategies (if the objectives set refer to growth/improvement of current position) BCG analysis Here I would say that Accenture is in the cash cow position. Thus it should now harvest its product that is the Accenture company should now stop investing money in mass promotions of Accenture and wait for the right time for the market to take up dynamism. Hoyer, W.D. and MacInnis, D.J. (2001) Thus it is suggested that Accenture should not just get back and wait for this cash cow to give returns. It has been listed as a cash cow because the amount of revenue which can come from this product is now saturates. Another strategy that it can follow is that it should make this brand and launch it in the Asian market where recession hasnt taken such a big toll. There it can be launched as a question mark and will need high amount of promotions and distribution to be established in a new country. This is a strategy that Accenture should take on to survive in a global market like that of today. This is by far the only way in which it can cover up the market saturation the company has reached at present. Ansoffs Matrix:  According to the Ansoffs Matrix there are four major strategies that Accenture can follow. However the strategy that is recommended is Product /service development. This strategy is recommended for Accenture as they have still got basic problems with their product that is differentiation form competitors.. This is to be improved. Aaker, D and Joachimsthaler, E (2000) Innovation in technology needs to be added to these products to bring in more business in the current markets. Global Customer wants value for money that is cheaper prices and good quality. Also in this field new technology and luring the customer with the same is very important a suggested to Accenture. PESTLE Analysis PESTLE Analysis or survey of the marketing environment include history of firm, macro/micro factors that are relevant including a stakeholder analysis . It is critical to understand the toothpaste too through these points of strategy. This classification distinguishes between: Political factors. These refer to government policy such as the degree of intervention in the economy. What goods and services does a government want to provide? The liberalization by the government has of course helped out the business in consultancy companies to survive in recession too. Economic factors. These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. These include higher interest rates may deter investment because it costs more a strong currency may make exporting more difficult because it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency inflation may provoke higher wage demands from employees and raise costs higher national income growth may boost demand for a firms products It is seen in recession times that many delegate have been shown the pink slip.. But the same phenomenon has also lead those who could start purchasing this product to deter and not buy it due to the conservative nature that has seeped in the consumer after recession round the world specially to the consultancy business sector.. Social factors. Changes in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. For example the consumer of the Accenture service may vary form one country to another. Technological factors: new technologies create new products and new processes. Online shopping, bar coding and computer aided design are all improvements to the way we do business as a result of better technology. As far as Accenture is concerned, it will have to incorporate these in its portfolio of services too for the ease of the customers. Environmental factors: environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries including farming, tourism and FMCG. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a significant issue for firms to consider. Legal factors: these are related to the legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years world has been many significant legal changes that have affected firms behaviour. Legal changes in a country can affect a firms costs (e.g. if new systems and procedures have to be developed) and demand (e.g. if the law affects the likelihood of customers buying the good or using the service).Thus the same are critical in the analysis of Accenture. Aaker, David and Joachimsthaler, E. (1999). Selection of Competitive Advantage As far as the competitive advantages is concerned Accenture has to work on the following areas in 2010 The company is loosing its growth in the market The company is apprehensive to spread to other countries The stress of the company has always been consultancy no other service The company has priced its product at a very high price as compared to the near competitors. Also the fact that competitors like IBM are present in the market ,it becomes all the more important to bring up a very strong competitive advantages. Accenture should do this by a good supply chain management across the world. Understanding the strategic choices of Accenture is important in supply chain management (SCM) because it helps to establish the focus on the companys activities. Indeed, SCM reflects the management of the interconnections of organizations that relate to each other through upstream and downstream linkages between the processes that produce value to the ultimate consumer in the form of products and services. SCM is a critical component of this. Through SCM Accenture can examine ways of being more efficient, especially for an overall low cost strategy, and well as adding more value to end customers, important for a differentiated strategy. In the case of Accenture that adopt an overall low cost strategy, the goal is to increase sales volume whilst also reducing unit costs because this helps to improve the margin achieved by the firm. Over time, a firm can capitalise on economic of scale through investment in infrastructure, as well as learning curve effects and perhaps more effective purchasing decisions, supply chain efficiencies and better logistics management. When adopting such a strategy, it may also be pertinent to not simply optimise individual links within the supply chain, but examine how efficiencies can be made across the supply network since it can easily be possible for a distant supplier in the supply network to disrupt the entire supply chain . Nonetheless, many efficiencies are likely to be found in the immed iate supply chain because the firm has greater control over this part of the supply network . Marketing Mix Programme As far as the pricing of Accenture is concerned ,it is little on the premium side. As compared to IBM it should reduce its prizing to competitive level. Whilst controlling costs is still important, focus is placed on the Accenture intangible assets and its ability to leverage these within the value chain. Product wise Accenture has a good range of services to offer backed up by a good customer care. More so it could forward integrate to technology making in various fields to expand business and profits. In the case of Accenture pursuing a differentiated strategy, these aim to focus on those aspects of their products or service provision that add most value in the eyes of the consumer. A critical component of this strategy is to understand which parts of the supply network should be kept in-house and which should be outsourced, or perhaps even acquired. In-house activities are those that add greatest value to the firm and where its has particular competence, whilst the outsourcing of supply chain activities should take place for more peripheral activities within a Accenture value chain. In reality, just as Accenture do not always follow one of the three generic strategies, but a hybrid corporate strategy, so should they look for a hybrid approach to business. The key point, however, is that there is alignment between Accenture corporate strategy and its marketing mix approach Theory building in MARKETING MIX based strategic research has focused on two areas: international marketing mix management (MARKETING MIX) and decision-making in stock management. MARKETING MIX research has focused on the potentially virtuous and vicious cycles that are evident in Accenture . The overall analysis of this is that Accenture were generally facing reinforcing loops that led to either successful or unsuccessful MARKETING MIX. One of the major issues in MARKETING MIX is service management, with the general problem that individuals do not understand the feedback mechanisms that lead to failure in the marketing system. Accenture tend to focus on inventory management, demand amplification, marketing mix re-engineering, and marketing mix design .This work is particularly appropriate to the bullwhip effect and the marketing mix redesign that has been taking place at Accenture . The notion of the bullwhip effect in marketing mix which is followed by Accenture came from work by Procter Gamble, a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company that had a large, complex international marketing mix. During the process of managing their marketing mix, the company noticed that as information went up the marketing mix, the distortion of that information increased. The market negative effect is the term used to describe this effect. It results from a lack of synchronization between members of a marketing mix, which is amplified the greater the number of members and the larger the number of defaults in the slae system linkages through which information passes. The problems that Accenture face is that since supply characteristics do not match demand characteristics, inventory starts to accumulate at the different stages of the marketing mix. Accenture is striving with the problem of delivery and supply and demand mismatch since 2004. Marketing mix management is the oversig ht of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. A marketing mix is the group of organizations, people, technology, information and resources consisted in transferring the product or good from the producer to the end consumer.. Supply chain helps in the marketing mix in moving the raw material to the manufacturer , the final good or ready product to the wholesaler and from their to the consumer.. It is important to have glance at the component of the marketing mix management to understand the relevance of integration planning and management of the same. . There are six key elements of the company that are critical to any business: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Production à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supply à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Inventory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Location à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Transportation, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Information. Accenture try to deal with the dangers of the marketing defaults through the forecasting of demand. This is important because demand is rarely stable. Such variability often means that Accenture need to keep a degree of safety stock; effectively an inventory buffer. The further up the supply chain towards raw material producer, the greater the observed demand, and therefore the greater the safety stock that is required. When demand rises in a given period, downstream suppliers increase their orders, whilst during falling demand, the converse occurs. Since fluctuations in demand are more pronounced up the supply chain, this increases the size of the oscillations faced through the supply chain. This is something that Accenture has to manage. No consumer should go unattended. There are a number of factors that contribute to the negative marketing mix effect. First, forecast errors can easily occur simply because Accenture are unaware how demand many change over time. Even for goods that have a common demand pattern there can be instances where demand suddenly changes because of unknown factors. Second, there can be an overreaction to backlogs in supply of service by the company. In the diagram below of the companys supply chain; the arrows are for supplier-relationship management, internal SCM and customer-relationship management . A supply chain starts with ecological and biological regulation of natural resources. This is then taken on to supply of raw material, many production links before one moves to several layers of storage facilities of various size and remote geographical locations. Then on it finally reaches the consumer. Here the service to be delivered although is the price which also has to be followed up for customer care after sale. Thus this as a whole can improve the sales of the company to bring in an effective marketing mix strategy for Accenture.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Economic Boom of the 1920s Essay -- essays research papers
The Economic Boom of the 1920s After the First World War America was a completely different country. The twenties was a very unusual time period in American History. The twenties were a time of fun and partying. There are many reasons why it was called the Roaring Twenties. Most of the American people were living a great life and were able to afford luxury items, even though this didn't apply to every one many believed that it was excellent and exciting a time of great hopes. In the twenties, industry took a very big step. It nearly doubled. Not only did industry grow so did science, fads, laws, beliefs, arts, social lives changed, sports and the various different news from around the globe. The twenties were a jam-packed decade. The work week had dropped from 60 to 48 hours. For the first time, the Americans considered play as important as work. The weekend family outing and vacation had become things workers expected it. Huge numbers of people had radios went to the movies and owned a car. Jazz was also introduced in the 20's At this time women were needed in society and men began to accept them. The car and train industry was the largest industry there was. The assembly line made mass production possible, and the industry boomed. "The Economic Boom". America was now a very powerful envy of many countries. America had High production and low unemployment Henry Ford's assembly line in Detroit was the largest one in the country. When Ford first started making cars, the only car he made was a black Model-T. Almost everybody in the United States had a car. Three-out-of-four families owned one or more cars. With the assembly line they made a lot more cars in one day than they did before. Instead of payin... ...iets had changed and they ate less starch and the farmers had a lot of left food over unable to sell. They would of sold hem abroad but there was no point for the reason that tariffs would be placed on them. The price for wheat had fallen. They would have to abandon their farmland and move to the rural areas. Over 600,000 farmers went bankrupt within 5 years. Person who disliked the boom- "It was also an era of pettiness, ignorance and poverty" I believe that the Economic boom in America was a good thing and that the good points out weighed the bad. Yet there were some very bad issues. The Technology, Industry, Music, Architecture, Arts and science advanced to a great extent and many things became available to every human. The old equipment was soon adapted, and is used today. The quality of living conditions slightly improved but America was still far from perfect.
Friday, October 11, 2019
The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve :: Article Review, Jim Collins
Level 5 Leader Author Jim Collins (2005) in his article, Level 5 Leadership: The triumph of humility and fierce resolve (Collins, 2005), presents a compelling evidence for the need to have what he describes as â€Å"Level 5 leadership†at the helm, in order for organizations to reach high performance status (Collins, 2005). Collins stated that â€Å"Level 5†refers to the highest level in a hierarchy of executive capabilities that were identified during our research (Collins, 2005, p. 138). However, the original intent of Collins research was based on his pursuit to identify if a good company can become a great company (Collins, 2005). How Collins reached the concept of the Level 5 Leader can be linked to his research methods and findings. With 22 research associates at hand, Collins (2005) â€Å"set out to answer one, question: Can a good company becomes a great company and, if so, how?†(Collins, 2005, p. 139). To identify the companies he would research it appeared that Collins needed to make certain the organizations level of success was identified from a credible source. To achieve this, Collins selected to investigate companies noted as Fortune 500 companies from 1965 to 1995 (Collins, 2005) . In doing so, his foundational research approach was established. Through more analysis the final group described as good- to- great companies was narrowed down to 11 companies. â€Å"Those that made the cut averaged cumulative stock returns 6.5 times the general stock market for the 15 years after the point of transformation†(Collins, 2005, p. 139). In his attempt to rule out any issues with sustainability, the research identified companies that had obvious change, but the change did not last (Collins, 2005). These companies ended up being cut from the final group. Collins included both qualitative and quantitative method for this research to get through the final stretch (Collins, 2005). The researchers analyzed data, reports, and conducted interviews (Collins, 2005). Eleven companies meet the standards of a good to great company (Collins, 2005). The article noted that, â€Å"Level 5 easily made it into the framework as one of the strongest, most consistent contrasts between the good-to-great and the comparison companies†(Collins, 2005, p. 139). Meaning that, the organizations identified as good-to-great had leaders at the helm that met Collins definition of a Level 5 Leader. He describes then as a leader who â€Å"Builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical combination of personally plus professional will†(Collins, 2005, p.
Formative and Summative Assessment Essay
Assessment is a term that includes all of the various methods used to determine the extent of an individual’s achievement. In teaching and learning situation, assessment refers to the methods used to determine achievement of learning outcomes. Similarly in professional contexts, assessment is concerned with the achievement of professional standards or competence.(Aranda & Yates,2009). Assessment also provides a number of major benefits including: †¢ Grading: assessment may be used to define achievement and to measure the students’ preparedness for professional challenges. †¢ Motivation: assessment may focus on real learning by creating an opportunity that carries with it the rewards of completion or grades. †¢ learning process: assessment activities can guide individuals to learn and relearn subject content efficiently. †¢ Feedback: assessment provides opportunities for individuals to monitor the quality of their performance and identify areas for improvement. PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT It is easy to become so immersed in the job of teaching that we lose sight the exact purpose of a assessment. There is then the possibility that we are overlooking another form of assessment which might be more appropriate. We actually assess students for quite a range of different reasons – motivation, creating learning opportunities, to give feedback (to both students and staff), to grade, and as a quality assurance mechanism (both for internal and external systems). Because all too often we do not disentangle these functions of assessment, without having really thought it through assessments are frequently trying to do all these things, to varying degrees.(Oxford Brookes University,2011). In fact it is arguable that while it is desirable for assessments meeting the first three of these functions to be conducted as often as possible, the final two do not need to be done anywhere near so frequently; it is simply important that they are done somewhere. The implications of this are that while an essay question, where all the answers are double marked and the marks count towards the students’ final grades, may fulfil all these functions, for all assessments to be this rigorous would be prohibitively expensive in staff time, while a peer-assessed seminar presentation, which does not count towards the students’ final grades but is simply a course requirement, could fulfil the first three functions and may not even require a tutor to be present. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Formative assessment is typically contrasted with summative assessment. The former supports teachers and students in decision-making during educational and learning processes, while the latter occurs at the end of a learning unit and determines if the content being taught was retained.(Wikipedia,2013). Formative assessment is not distinguished by the format of assessment, but by how the information is used. The same test may act as either formative or summative. However, some methods of assessment are better suited to one or the other purpose. CHARACTERISTICS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT During formative assessment, learning is the shared goal of both teacher and student and alterations to the teaching and learning process take place as needed to further the goal. This allows both the teacher and the student the opportunity for assessment and improvement as an ongoing process instead of an end product. Formative assessments are assessments for learning, rather than assessments of learning, according to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Focused Formative assessments are focused on the learning process as well as the learning progress. While other assessments may only focus on the end result, formative assessments check the students progress consistently so that adjustments can be made to reach learning goals. Ongoing A formative assessment is consistent and ongoing throughout the learning process. It differs from assessments that focus on the end result. Ongoing assessments give both teachers and students the chance to make adjustments to teaching and learning strategies so learning ultimately takes place. Immediate While other forms of assessment focus on the end result, formative assessments provide immediate feedback to both teachers and students due to ongoing assessment practices. The immediate feedback teachers and students experience can be used to motivate and further learning. LIMITATIONS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS Although offering many benefits, effective formative assessment can be difficult to achieve at scale. It may be logistically impossible to provide detailed descriptive feedback for each student in a large class. Even with a smaller number of students to deal with, formative assessment is time-consuming as it requires significant, ongoing dedication and effort from the teacher to sustain. This is especially true when combined with the summative assessments teachers are required to complete. The layered accountability chain in education  student to teacher, teacher to school, school to district, etc.  creates systemic pressure for student performance to be objectively and comparatively measurable at each level. Formative assessment, by definition, doesn’t easily provide that kind of accountability. This explains why, although the advantages of formative assessment have been repeatedly articulated since the distinction between it and summative assessment was first made in 1967, empirical studies continue to show that very few teachers consistently make use of it in actual practice. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT Summative assessment measures attainment and allows for the recording of the learning progress. It usually takes the form of tests and examinations, though it is becoming increasingly common for summative assessment to include other tasks such as a project completed during the school year. This move away from assessments based on a single examination gives learners the opportunity to perform to the best of their ability. Not all learners perform well under examination pressure. Furthermore,examinations do not always lend themselves to eliciting the range of language structures and uses that have been the objective of teaching CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT The results of summative assessment allow us to determine the degree to which learners have attained specific learning objectives. Such a decision may have an important consequence on learners’ future prospects. It is therefore crucial that not only is the assessment valid, but that the results obtained are reliable. Validity relates to whether the assessment tasks assess what they intend to assess. Reliability, on the other hand, refers to the results obtained and whether these would be the same if the same learners took the assessment on another occasion provided that no further learning had taken place and regardless of who marked the assessment if more than one person was involved in the process. (Summative assessment,2005). Whether summative assessment is norm-or criterion-referenced will be determined by the purpose of the assessment. If we need to select the best candidates to, for example, continue with their education, then norm-referencing would be appropriate. However, if we are interested in whether candidates have mastered certain skills, then we would not get the required information through norm-referencing.(Meason) For example, when assessing airline pilots we are interested in whether they can fly a plane safely to a very high level of proficiency. Knowing which trainees were the best would not suffice since it is possible that no trainee of a given group would have reached the required standard to safely fly a plane LIMITATIONS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT Students can face anxiety in preparation for a test, an anxiety that grows as the perception of the test’s significance grows. Summative tests advise schools to commit to prolonged pretesting procedures and preparation classes, which can increase student anxiety.(Spiral). In addition, some students simply do not test well, and the result is a testing procedure that fails to adequately assess the real talents of individual students, while a formative assessment would allow a teacher to evaluate these conditions and better assess a student’s ability Summative assessments fan have an overall negative impact on student self-esteem, resulting from the perception of inferiority that standardized tests can give test-takers. Students who perform poorly on standardized tests were found to suffer from lower self-esteem in situations where these same students had not previously exhibited signs of self-esteem problems.(Boggiano,1992). Even students who perform average or well on standardized tests can suffer from the failure to meet their own higher expectations. The result can be a reduction in educational motivation.(Hammond). EXAMPLES OF FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT FROM TEACHING AND LEARNING PERSPECTIVE CONCLUSION In my view,both types of assessments are better,that is a balanced assessment.A balanced assessment system in one in which a variety of assessments are used for a variety of purposes and communications about results facilitates student involvement and ownership of learning.Formative assessment can be vital importance in helping the teacher and students determine the quality of learning that is taking place and can allow them to forecast the results of summative tests some time in advance of the summative testing.Such results can be used as the basis for altering the teaching learning situation early enough to change the immediate as well as alter the forecast. Learning is a process which can be observed and evaluated as it is taking place.Formative evaluation can be used to make the process more effective long before the summative evaluation.Recognition of the interaction among formative evaluation teaching and learning and summative evaluation can do much to improve teaching and lea rning before it is too late. REFERENCES Aranda S,Yates P.An Overview of assessment.Canberra: (EdCaN),Australia;(2009).Retrieved from: www.edcan.org/pdf/edCanOverview.pdf Boggiano A,Pittman T. Achievement and Motivation: A Social-Developmental Perspective.(Eds).(1992).Cambridge Press.New York. Hammond,K.eHow.Education.Summative assessment weaknesses.Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8568251_summative-assessment-weaknesses.html Meason C.eHow.Education.Characteristics of Formative assessment.Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6732311_characteristics-formative-assessment.html Oxford Brookes University.(2011).Purpose of Assessment.Retrieved from: www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/resources/assessment/purposes.htm Spira M.eHow.Education.Disadvantages of Formative Assessment.Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8502289_advantages-disadvantages-formative-assessment.html Stiggins,R.,Arter,J.,Chappuis,S.(2008).Classroom assessment for student learning.Educational Testing Service.Retrieved from: http://www.bcsd.org/district.cfm?subpage=55380 ‎Summative assessment.(2005).Retrieved from http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/eng/tba_eng_sec/web/3_1w.htm Spira M.eHow.Education.Disadvantages of Formative Assessment.Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8502289_advantages-disadvantages-formative-assessmen
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Homosexuality and the American Baptist Church
Homosexuality in the Baptist Church: Homosexuality is one of the most debated issues among Christians today, regardless of the denomination of their church. Some churches view homosexuality as a sin and have no tolerance for it, while other denominations are more accepting and consider it a non-sin. Even though some denominations have taken a stand on homosexuality, there seems to much discord within the governing bodies of the churches regarding this issue. It has moved from a topic rarely discussed and considered very personal and private, to a mainstream topic of conversation.Although there has been a growing acceptance among certain Christian denominations regarding homosexuals, the American Baptist Church has remained firm in its position towards homosexuality. The American Baptist Churches descended from the Northern Baptist Convention that was founded in 1907. The church has approximately 1. 5 million members and 5800 congregations that are scattered through 34 regions of the United States. The American Baptist Church members are following the century long traditions of soul freedom, which allows the independence of individual members of the church to form their own beliefs.They also support congregational freedom, which allows each church the autonomy to develop its own policies. In order to understand the position that the American Baptist Church takes on homosexuality, it is important to examine their general religious beliefs. According to a website of the First Baptist Church in Scituate, MA , they believe that salvation and eternal life are granted to all those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They believe that both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are the divinely inspired word of God. The Bible is to be interpreted responsibly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.Baptists hold the Scriptures and the Old and New Testaments as their final authority. This has become the basis for the viewpoint that the American Baptist Church ha s developed on the issue of homosexuality. The American Baptists also have some strong convictions about the type of person they are supposed to be. Again, according to the First Baptist Church website, these include a redeemed person that claims a personal relationship with God, a biblical person that seeks guidance in understanding the Scripture, and a worshipping person that shares an open and public confession of faith.American Baptists are also supposed to be a mission person that invites others to follow Christ and an inclusive person, who embraces different races, ethnicity, and genders, and also accepts that there are individual differences of conviction and theology. This inclusion also covers those who are from a variety of backgrounds and they are to find unity in diversity and diversity in unity. These convictions have become a source of division among some of the member churches within this denomination, as they are supposed to embrace and accept those with individual d ifferences, yet they are not accepting of homosexuals.According to the religious tolerance website, The American Baptist Church has been actively responding to issues pertaining to homosexuality as far back as 1987. In June of 1987, a statement of concern regarding homosexuality was defeated by church delegates at their Biennial Meeting. They decided that â€Å"Scriptures repeatedly depict homosexuality as a social and moral evil and the unrepentant homosexual has no claim to full acceptance in the Christian community. †So at that time, they decided that they just did not want to deal with the issue.Four years later, in June of 1991, the delegates of the Biennial Meeting were forced to deal with the topic of homosexuality again. They adopted a statement that rejected the homosexual lifestyle, homosexual marriage, ordination of homosexual clergy, and the establishment of gay churches and gay caucuses On the other hand, their statement also included that the church should love and minister to the homosexual, but condemn the sin of the practice of homosexuality. They were taking the stance of hate the sin, love the sinner.They also established a Commission on Human Sexuality Resources to provide clarification and guidance for a Christian understanding of God’s gift of sexuality. By June of 1992 the General Board of the American Baptist Church was being pressured by some of their member churches to accept the practice of homosexuality within their denomination. A resolution called â€Å"Homosexuality and the Church†, which identified Gods plan for the fulfillment of sexual union to be one man and one woman in heterosexual, monogamous, and lifelong marriage, was narrowly defeated.The resolution further stated that â€Å"the redeeming love of Christ†is available to practicing homosexuals as it is to all who turn to him in faith and repentance. Then a few months later, in October 1992, the General Board was again approached and was force d to vote regarding the issues of homosexuality in their church. They finally agreed to issue a one sentence standing that was called â€Å"American Baptist Resolution on Homosexuality†. The sentence briefly stated â€Å"We affirm that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. This started the ball rolling and in June of 1993 the General Board next came up with another resolution that was called â€Å"American Baptist Resolution Calling for Dialogue on Human Sexuality†. That resolution states â€Å"that there exists a variety of understandings throughout our denomination on issues of human sexuality such as homosexuality†and encourages discussions regarding those particular issues. American Baptists were also encouraged to seek unity and avoid divisiveness.This resolution might as well have stated â€Å"there exists a variety of misunderstandings†and even though it encouraged discussions, their viewpoint was already establi shed. 1995 was an important year for the American Baptist Churches and their stand on homosexuals. In June 1995, the Granville Baptist Church in Granville, Ohio was expelled from the The Columbus Baptist Association because the church supported full participation of homosexuals. Then in September, the Pacific Southwest Region of the American Baptist Churches, which represented more the 300 churches, began defecting over the issue of homosexuality.The leaders of the region cited underlying issues regarding interpretation of the Scriptures and church discipline. As a result of the defection, The General Board of the American Baptist Churches created a commission â€Å"to find ways to deal constructively with issues around which there has been considerable disagreement. †In other words, they realized that the homosexuality issue was starting to destroy their denomination and they needed to get serious about resolving the problems.After various resolutions, committees, and amend ments over the next ten years, The General Board of the American Baptist Churches finally made some decisions in 2005. At that time they voted to amend their own document â€Å"We Are American Baptists†by adding a statement to the section â€Å"A Biblical People: Who submit to the teaching of Scripture that God’s design for sexual intimacy places it within the context of marriage between one man and one woman, and acknowledge that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Biblical teaching. This represents their final stand on homosexuality, which is that they believe it is wrong and is not in line with the teachings of their church. Although every denomination believes in the Bible as their â€Å"guiding light†, they all interpret it in a different way and can put their own spin on different passages. The American Baptist Church relies on their interpretation of the Bible to support the position that they have taken on homosexuality. There are passag es in the Bible that are known as the â€Å"clobber passages†, because they are used to beat up homosexuals.Leviticus 18:22, 20:13 is a typical passage that is thought to support the anti-gay stance. It states â€Å"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination†(Leviticus 18:22). There is also an important passage in the New Testament that condemns homosexual behavior. â€Å"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their own error. †(Romans 1:24-27). However, later on there is a passa ge about judging others, so therefore you should prepare to be judged – so it is really a contradiction to think that the passage is condemning homosexuals. The arguments that support homosexuality within Christianity are widespread.They include the fact that we are all God’s children and he created us the way he wanted. So if he made some people homosexual, then that was his choice and it should be accepted. The Bible does not really give any straightforward help in guiding Christians regarding the entire problem of homosexuality. It is up to each person to develop their own opinion based upon their knowledge, experiences, and influences of their chosen religion. The ongoing problem between homosexuality and Christianity will probably be around for a long time. â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 1 ]. American Baptist Churches in the USA.Accessed October 14. http. //religioustoleran ce. org_abc1. htm [ 2 ]. American Baptist Beliefs. Accessed October 14. http://firstbaptistcituate. com/americanbaptistbeliefs. aspx [ 3 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 4 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 5 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 6 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. ttp://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 7 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 8 ]. Moll,, Rob. 2005. â€Å"American Baptist Exodus†. Christianity Today. November 23, 2005 [ 9 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 10 ]. Hays, Richard. 1991. â€Å"Awaiting the Redemption of Our Bodies†. Sojourners. November 11. P 17-21 [ 11 ]. Hays, Richard. 1991. â€Å"Awaiting the Redemption of Our Bodies†. Sojourners. November 11. P 17-21
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