HCM387-0802A-01 Management Principles in Health Care - Phase 1 Essay

HCM387-0802A-01 Management Principles in Health Care - Phase 1 Discussion Board - Essay Example t a diverse group of people fosters an environment conducive to creativity, productivity and high performance that affords each individual the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Proper facilitation and administration provides leverage to the diversity of a healthcare organizations as a competitive advantage in the global aspect that they face and to make the country a better place to live and prosper for immigrants such as the Irish. Healthcare organizations want to promote the development of growth and diversity by strengthening our existing relationships and building new collaborative relationships between the existing immigrant workforce and the diverse community that they serve. These relationships between immigrants and nationals will position their country as a country of choice as they continuously expand their business and industries and foster an environment where the indifferences of the people are appreciated and utilized to the advantage of the nation as a whole. Valuing diversity is implicit in some healthcare organizations’ reputation as an advocate of democracy to the extent that they live up to this advocacy and treat each individual fairly, progressively, responsively, and respectfully. Americans help their nation become the country of choice. There are so many dimensions to diversity, both visible and invisible, that makes some companies fundamentally unique, and yet alike, and the employees are different in age, education, ethnicity, family status, gender, gender identity, physical abilities, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status. These are just few examples of the dimensions that Americans differ. Just as many threads create a fabric, many dimensions create diversity. The fabric of diversity in healthcare organizations has many threads- many dimensions. At the same time, they carry within themselves certain cultural or artistic traditions, experiences, family customs and life lessons that contribute to who they are,

Video game industry Essay Example for Free

Video game industry Essay Whenever I look out from my window at home, nothing but memories come back to me. When the time that me and my friends playing together with many kind of Filipino games like â€Å"Patintero†, â€Å"Langit Lupa†, â€Å"Black123† and many more. I was about 7 years old when I was always want to go outside to play with my friends from morning up to afternoon. My only break was when my Mom calling me saying that â€Å"we’re gonna eat our lunch† so I need to come back home as soon as possible. When I’m with my friends, my life has been always happier than when I am inside of our house. I really loved to be outside and play with my friends because it gives me fulfillment of my childhood life. As I become aware that my street has become barren from children playing outside, those memories soon fade away into silence. The truth of the matter is that video games have affected the children who play them. Although video games have been quite influential on our generation, video games have had a lot of negative effects on the children of today. Children have become obsessed with video games. Since 1980’s, the video game industry has expanded so much in the market, it is only getting larger with the growth of technology. And although these games provide much entertainment, it does not come without a cost. Since the rise of video games, more children have become more obese, more violent and less social.

Overview Of Domestic Violence Criminology Essay

Overview Of Domestic Violence Criminology Essay Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, or intimate partner violence, is any threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between adults who are or have been in a relationship (Saunders Barron, 2004). HM Prison Service has employed the following definition of DV: Actual, attempted, or threatened physical harm perpetrated by a man or woman against someone with whom he or she has, or has had, an intimate, sexual relationship (Kropp, Hart, Webster, Eaves, 1999). Psychological abuse has not been included in this definition because of the complexities surrounding this term. However, as other theories include this form of abuse, it will be discussed within this review. Domestic abuse accounts for 14% of all violent crimes and has more repeat victims than any other offence. Repeat victimisation accounts for two-thirds of domestic abuse incidents, and a fifth of victims have been abused on three occasions or more (Walker, Flatley, Kershaw, Moon, 2009). Spousal abuse takes place throughout society, regardless of gender, age, sexuality, race, location, or affluence; however, victims of domestic assault are more likely to be women (National Crime Victimization Survey, 2007). Children can also be severely affected by what they witness and often show the highest levels of behavioural and emotional disturbance (OKeefe, 1994). In addition, they may be accidentally injured due to being embroiled in the violence perpetrated towards their mother, they could be subjected to intentional abuse by the male perpetrator, or they may receive physical abuse from their over-stressed mother (Abrahams, 1994). Furthermore, there is a strong correlation between child abuse and DV, in that those who are abused as children are more likely to become perpetrators of abuse as adults (Walby Allen, 2004). DV can be psychological, physical, or sexual (Department of Health, 2005). Psychological abuse can include isolation from loved ones, blackmail of harm to others if they should convey contentment or self-sufficiency, humiliation, controlling what they can and cannot do, withholding information from them, restricting their finances and access to resources, or belittling them and making them feel embarrassed. Physical abuse involves contact with the intention of causing injury, pain, or intimidation (Shipway, 2004). Sexual abuse is prevalent in assaultive relationships with between a third and half of abused women being raped by their partners on at least one occasion (Myhill Allen, 2002). Sexual assault is considered to be any occasion during which force is used to acquire engagement in unwanted, degrading, or unsafe, sexual activity. Women who are assaulted both sexually and physically are also at increased risk of being seriously or fatally injured (Stark Flitcraft, 1996). Regardless of the form of abuse, it often occurs on more than one occasion. DV is generally a pattern of controlling and abusive behaviour, which a perpetrator uses to gain power over a partner (Walby, 2004). A range of studies, which follow, have examined the physical and emotional consequences of being subjected to abuse by an intimate partner. The female victims of male partner violence often experience psychological difficulties (Foa, Cascardi, Zoellner Feeny, 2000) including features of trauma (Kemp, Green, Hovanitz Rawlings, 1995). They struggle with issues such as self-esteem (Aguilar Nightingale, 1994), stress and depression (Campbell Lewandowski, 1997) and employment (National Research Council, 1996). Theories of DV There are numerous theories which attempt to explain DV. These are discussed below, along with an overview of the Healthy Relationships Programme (HRP) and its theoretical basis According to psychodynamic theory, due to an ordeal from childhood, or a personality disorder, some people are prone to violence. Therefore, their abusive behaviour is a symptom of a deep-seated psychological problem. Consequently, it claims that the issue of DV should be addressed by identifying the subconscious problem, then consciously remedying it (Saunders, 1996). Critics of psychodynamic theory argue that this simply allots a label to perpetrators of DV, which permits them to remain abusive until their emotional issues are managed (Healey, Smith OSullivan, 1998). According to Pro-Feminist theory, male to female DV is due to the patriarchal organisation of society where the male is viewed as the head of the family and other social institutions. As a result of this, perpetrators often believe that they are permitted to control the actions of their partner. Should their authority be threatened, they respond with violence in order to regain control, whilst holding the belief that their behaviour is warranted (Healey et al, 1998). Using data from the USA, Yllo and Straus (1990) examined the association between spousal abuse and patriarchy. They discovered that American states which gave women the highest and lowest standing in society had greater incidents of female intimate partner abuse. They claimed that states where females had high standing and spousal abuse figures were increased, was due to mens perception that their masculinity is threatened. Conversely, in states where women had low standing and spousal abuse figures were high, this was f elt to denote patriarchal norms. This theory has been criticised by Dutton (1994) for over-emphasising socio-cultural factors, whilst excluding individual factors. In addition, he argued that their explanation of DV was insufficient. Cognitive-behavioural theory proposes that DV is due to the re-enactment of abuse from childhood experiences or media influence, and that assaultive behaviour is rewarded. It further claims that through abuse, the perpetrator succeeds in obtaining what he wants, which is strengthened through acquiescence on the part of the victim (Hamill, Hayward, Wynn Craven, 1997). Family systems theory argues that behavioural problems derive from a dysfunctional family, where everybody is responsible for conflict. Consequently, DV is a result of intimate partners interacting together; therefore, neither is classed as the abuser, regardless of whether only one of them displays physical violence (Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy Sugarman, 1996). Both Pro-Feminist and Cognitive-Behavioural approaches criticise this approach by maintaining that DV does not involve joint responsibility, perpetrators are entirely responsible for their behaviour, victims are in no way to blame for the abuse they experience, and nobody provokes violence. They maintain that this approach encourages victim blaming (Browne, 1993). Disempowerment theory states that men who have low self-esteem or perceive themselves as being inadequate are at risk of using violence to assert power (Archer, 1994). Consequently, they redress this by attempting to control those they are threatened by (Gondolf, Fisher, Fisher McPherson, 1988). This theory states that individual traits, such as self esteem and psychological symptoms, increase risk of DV based on personality-oriented factors, such as attachment style. Family of origin factors, such as violence in the home and child abuse, occur during developmental years, and provide conflict resolution for the children as adults. Relationship characteristics, such as partner satisfaction and emotional dependency, can place a person at risk of being domestically abusive (McKenry, Serovich, Mason, Mosack, 2006). Attachment theory claims that DV is a result of anger due to desires that are not fulfilled. Bartholomew Horowitz (1991) developed a four-category model of attachment, which is now widely used in the research of domestic abuse. This includes a secure attachment style, displayed as an ease with independence and closeness; fearful, such as those who are socially avoidant; dismissing, those who rebuff attachment; and preoccupied, such as overly dependent and ambivalent types. Fearful and dismissing styles are typified by high attachment avoidance, or discomfort with intimacy associated with a negative other model. Preoccupied and fearful styles are typified by high attachment anxiety, or a fear of abandonment and rejection associated with a negative self model (Corcoran Mallinckrodt, 2000). The theory which underpins the HRP, Duttons (1995) nested ecological approach, incorporates varied aspects of abusive attitudes and behaviour. It explains DV as multi-determined, taking into account the interpersonal context and the characteristics of the abuser. Consequently, this then provides clinical direction to address DV. The model is composed of four levels which all have an effect on each other. The first is the culture, know as the Macrosystem beliefs which stem from ones culture, such as a womens place is in the home; second is the subculture, Exosystem surrounding social structures, such as the influence of peers; third is the family, Microsystem immediate environment, such as the issues that led to the abusive behaviour, and the effects of it; and finally, the individual, Ontogenetic level personal traits, such as learned habits. The Macrosystem incorporates societal and cultural values and beliefs and also has an influence on the Exosystem, Microsystem and Ontogenet ic level. Theories underpinning different offending behaviour programmes have received criticism for their uni-dimensional approach. Consequently, the nested ecological model addresses this by integrating the various facets of abusive attitudes and behaviour. The HRP is based on this model of change and includes elements from the Power and Control wheel (Pence Paymer, 1986), so that perpetrators abusive behaviours can be identified and challenged. The wheel demonstrates how violence is connected to male power and control. According to this model, the abuser maintains control over his partner through constant acts of coercion, intimidation and isolation interspersed with sporadic acts of violence (Healey et al, 1998). The nested ecological model also supports the cognitive-behavioural treatment approach to treatment (e.g., Andrews and Bonta, 1998). Evidence to support Duttons (1995) nested ecological model is provided by OLeary, Smith-Slep OLeary (2007) and Stith, Smith, Penn, Ward Tritt (2004) who revealed how numerous features of the different ecological levels function with each other to predict DV. OLeary et al stated that causal variables for male to female DV included the amount of social support the perpetrator felt they had, expression of anger, and being a witness to family violence. This study emphasises the importance of using an integrated approach from a range of viewpoints to research DV, in particular from ontogenetic and psychological perspectives. The Stith et al study reported that factors associated less with DV are those which are the furthest from the violent act, such as those linked to the exosystem. Conversely, when attempting to understand DV, the features that are most directly associated with the violent context and the individual are most significant. However, a limitation with this finding is that Stith et al did not consider issues that are relevant to the wider society and culture. A single-factor explanation of DV has been criticised for considering perpetrators to be an homogenous set of people and not taking into account the different individual features of the offenders and their use of violence (Graham-Kevan, 2007). Furthermore, it does not clarify why some men are abusive towards their partners, whilst others are not (Dutton, 1995). How the Healthy Relationships Programme addresses Domestic Violence The HRP is a cognitive behavioural intervention that targets moderate to high-risk adult male offenders of intimate partner violence or homicide. The High Intensity HRP has 10 modules containing 62 group sessions, with the option of adding more, and are delivered at a rate of 3-4 per week. There are also a minimum of 10 individual sessions throughout the programme. The goals of the HRP are to reduce the risk of physical and psychological abuse against intimate partners and their children by men who are currently imprisoned. Skills are taught to assist with this, and to establish healthy, non-abusive relationships. The programme deals with attitudes supportive of spousal assault, and provides group members with the skills to change the way in which they behave abusively in their intimate relationships. It is anticipated that the programme will tackle perpetrators with multiple criminogenic needs and a long-standing pattern of abusive behaviour. Both current and past partners of participants are contacted during the programme. They are cautioned that the perpetrators attendance is not an assurance that he will no longer be violent or abusive. Partners are advised of treatment resources available in their community, and offered a victims package to ensure safety. They are also provided with support and general information about domestic abuse.

Historical Fiction in B for Buster by Iain Lawrence :: essays research papers

Throughout our lives we encounter dilemmas which help us learn the real meaning of courage, which differs with every person. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. This could be interpreted that courage isn't committing an act of temerity without a reason, however, it is facing your fears to accomplish something which is more important than fear itself. Throughout the book B for Buster by Iain Lawrence, the main character of the novel learns the real meaning of courage through his acts of temerity in order to achieve something which is important to him. This novel takes place during World War II, when an underage sixteen year old signs up to become a crewman in the Halifax bombing of Nazi Germany. Although he is young, Kak makes it through his missions through his courage and determination to accomplish his dream and his love for flying. Lawrence uses characterization and many examples from the novel to show the t rue meaning of courage. An example of courage, as the judgment that something else is more important than fear, is through the character of Kak in B for Buster by Iain Lawrence. In this novel, Kak is characterized as a young, determined boy, desiring to turn himself from a comic book reading boy into a World War II hero. Planning to escape his drunken, abusive father, Kak enlists himself in the Canadian Air Force although he is underage and only sixteen years old. During his first mission, he is becomes frightened of the risk of not coming home alive, but doesn?t show his emotions because of his austere, intrepid crewmen. During this mission, Kak did not have an absence of fear, but he felt that becoming a hero like the ones in his comic book, and accomplishing his dream of fly, was more important than his fear of dying. Throughout the novel, Kak exhibits many examples of how he overcomes his fears. Previous to one of his missions he states that: ?When I was still in school I read a story about a boy who had to Choose between two doors. Behind one of them was a beautiful princess who would love him forever. Behind the other was a tiger who would kill him. I didn?t remember anything else about the story, only those two doors and the boy?

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

Nicole Brittingham March 11, 2013 ART 101-04 Analysis assignment * Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh * This painting was made in 1889 during the postimpressionism era. * Starry Night is about 29†x36† and is made from using oil as a medium on a canvas. * This painting can be categorized as modern art. * Formal analysis * Within the composition of this painting, there is a peaceful village in the foreground and a dramatic night sky in our main viewpoint. There is a church steeple that dominates the village symbolizing unity in the town, and gives the impression of size and isolation.The left foreground has a curvy cypress tree which is usually associated with mourning. * There are many lines throughout this work of art. All of the swirling lines in the sky direct the viewer’s eyes around the painting. The fluid lines throughout the painting enhance the flow of Starry Night well. The curving lines create a sensation of depth in the painting. * The spacing between the s tars and the curving shapes create a dot-to-dot effect, ensuring fluidity. The contoured forms, shapes, and spirals in Starry Night were means of expression and used to convey emotion. The artist applied color in thick, broad, curved strokes to create texture. The texture of the bold brushstrokes, swirling circles, and swoops make the image seem to vibrate on the canvas. * The use of white and yellow colors creates a spiral effect and draws attention to the night sky. The dark blues and greens were complemented with touches of light pastel green showing the reflection of the moon. * The texture within this painting is visually meant to provide the viewer a sense of motion and vibrant light by exaggerating the twinkling of the stars out of realistic proportion.The curvy contoured forms in the sky give the illusion of the wind blowing as well as the curved vertical lines in the tree. * The colors within Starry Night are well balanced because they all flow together. The dominance of th e blue is balanced by the orange and yellow of the night sky elements. * When looking at this painting, the viewer would feel as if they were on top of a hill looking down on a village, making the night sky their direct view. This point of perspective is called linear perspective. * Van Gogh used a great deal of emphasis in the sky.By using bright and vivid colors and swirls around the stars, he exaggerated them making them stand out. * Starry Night has more unity than variety, because everything just flows in this painting and gives you a sense of balance and harmony. * Content Analysis * Starry Night is a painting of a dramatic night sky over a peaceful town. * During the later years of the 19th century, a group of postimpressionists came together to rebel against impressionism because they wanted art to have more focus on the traditional elements.Van Gogh’s painting was created in 1889, and fixated mostly on line and color with symbolism and emotion. * Starry Night was cre ated to be art. Van Gogh expressed himself through his paintings. He once explained in a letter to his brother Theo saying, â€Å"I paint as a means to make life bearable†¦ really we can only speak through our paintings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  * There are many interpretations of Starry Night, and one is that the canvas depicts hope. Van Gogh may have been showing that even with a dark night, it is still possible to see the light in the windows of the houses.Another insight may have been; with shining stars filling the sky, there is always light to guide you. The painting could have also shown the vast power of nature and mankind pointing to the heavens. * During this time period, many artists painted to express their emotions and symbolize what they thought or how they saw things. Postimpressionists thought that impressionist art was too vague, so they felt they need to focus their art on using more elements of art and color.

Beane Curriculum Review

The editor of this text presents a range of authors concern about the state of curriculum in K-12 schools of North America in the 21st century. Beane describes the collection of reviews as critiquing curriculum as â€Å"disconnected, fragmented, and incoherent†. Eighteen professional writers contributed their perspectives of working with current curriculum that seeks to â€Å"Leave no child behind†.Authors work in a range of education areas; professors, teachers, lecturers and administration staff. Each author shares their way of engaging with curriculum in a meaningful way so as to relate to the day to day existence of students.The book was written to fill the gap observed by the authors, which is that there is a lack of curriculum that truly prepares students for lifestyles, careers and personal development suited to live in this the globalized millennium. Throughout the ideal â€Å"educated† person is explored, incorporating a diversity of themes that highligh t the integration of curriculum, within and between subjects and across cultures. Importantly, it comes across, is the critical need to research more authentic assessment forms, to establish broader goals and standards and to be more fully inclusive of students. 2.Write down striking words, images, phrases or details. The Search for Coherence is the title of Chapter One is a striking phrase in that it implies that the concept of coherence, as it applies to curriculum, is dearth. This is surprising given the governments push for a â€Å"No Child Left Behind Policy† which has seen a radical shake-up of curriculum. The image this casts for me are teachers and lecturers using a torch to look high and low for an elusive â€Å"something†; all the while becoming more and more frustrated. Coherence for me describes a state of understanding that allows practical application of knowledge and comprehension.I love the term â€Å"inclusiveness† because it reflects basic huma n rights to freedom of thought, values and speech. It facilitates the cultivation of discussion to find answers and to listen to each party who is involved. A multi-perspective can only enrich decision-making processes, and better enable critical analysis and monitoring of existing processes and protocols in the delivery of education services to ensure best practices. Critical Analysis 1. Ask yourself questions about the text: What perplexes you about a particular passage?I am having trouble understanding how a coherent curriculum will ensure a general standard of delivery while tailoring itself to the ever changing individual needs of students, teachers, education institutions and the workforce. The relevance or usefulness of a curriculum must be dynamic in order to provide what is needed as defined by all stakeholders. However, how to be confident that there is an equal access to opportunities and resources that comprise a basic education that will allow students to become functio nal community members, that contribute as well as take care of their personal well being.Also, the phrase â€Å"repositioning [of] learning experiences into meaningful contexts† (p. 8) comes across as vague and not really saying anything. How the context that is being suggested is quantitatively or qualitatively different form what currently exists is left unclear. 2. Try agreeing with the writer. I agree with the need to develop a more meaningful and purposeful curriculum for our children, young people, and professionals-in-training. A multidisciplinary approach to discussing and problem-solving the issue is a clear approach to aid in the differentiation of concepts and actual facts with regard to current curriculum practices.I concede as well that education needs to go beyond â€Å"mug and jug† and contribute to the motivation, engagement and facilitation of continuous learning and self-discovery of both the student and teacher. The weaving of theory and tried educat ion delivery practices are the best way to provision students and teachers with unambiguous explanations that cultivates applied knowledge. The collection of articles encourages the reader to reflect on their own practices and to determine where flexibility, creativity and change could be of benefit.However, the authors leave out one set of very important stakeholders – the caregivers of the students. More and more literature is encouraging the inclusiveness of caregivers in the education of their child. The authors tended to ignore directly engaging caregivers in the determination of what is missing in curriculum and most importantly, how to best develop a more coherent form. This is contended to be a loss for any curriculum development as caregivers have intimate knowledge of the needs, desires, fears and capabilities of their children.Also, many parents are in the workforce or contribute to the community in some other capacity and so also have first hand knowledge of the s kills and attitude that is needed for citizens of the future. I anticipate that I will seek continuous development in policy analysis and research work, to be able to monitor and evaluate my practices and the organizational culture and values I am working with. As well I will start a reflective journal to record my own practices and views toward student responses, and my satisfaction with meeting the goals to aid in â€Å"educated person

Discourse Organization on Asian Fashion Blogs Essay Example

Discourse Organization on Asian Fashion Blogs Essay Example Discourse Organization on Asian Fashion Blogs Essay Discourse Organization on Asian Fashion Blogs Essay Essay Topic: Blog Background of the study Blogging has emerged as one of the most popular forms of online discourse. The ease and lack of expense in setting blogs has raised intriguing possibilities for language learning in social media. The unique nature of its architecture and its low cost have not only affected how different bloggers can publish and distribute their work to a wider audience but also how they see themselves as writers.According to Blood (2002), blogs have been used in various ways: as online journals, a means of designing hypertexts, and more radically, to create what calls the first native form of discourse on the internet. She argues that blogging best reflects the dream of Tim Berners-Lee (2000), who was one of the principal designers of the World Wide Web, to make the Web into something truly interactive both in terms of how texts are read and how they can be easily posted and accessed.The growing interest in blogging has aroused the interest of English as a Second Language and English as a Foreign Language fashion bloggers who see blogging as a simple and low cost way of giving readers an access to publishing, advertising and distributing their writings on the internet as a method of providing them with the experience of writing in a digital format, and as a means of discussing issues related to their social and personal lives. According to Fleishman (2002), blogging is the art of turning ones own filter on news and the world into something others might want to read, link to, and write about.The openness can give the bloggers a greater sense of the variety of possible audiences they can reach, both for understanding these audiences and learning strategies to respond to them. These types of on-line discussions have been referred to as gated communities (Lowe amp; Williams, 2004). With regards to world Englishes, Kachru (1992) conceived the idea of three concentric circles of the language. The inner circle represents the traditional bases and is composed of native speakers of English (e. g.United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Anglophone Canada and South Africa, and some of the Caribbean territories). The outer circle includes countries where English is not the native tongue but they use it as a second language (e. g. India, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong) while those that belong to the expanding circle are the rest of the world where English is used as the primary foreign language (e. g. Russia, China, Japan, Korea, Egypt, Indonesia etc. ). This idea has helped to classify the eight Asian countries that will serve as the subject in this study on how they use English as a language.Kaplan (1966) claims that English writing is characterized by directness and deductive reasoning, while other languages (e. g. Oriental languages and Arabic) favor indirectness and inductive reasoning. At the same time, he attempts to link the differences in discourse organization between English and other languages to their respective cultures and thought patterns. He marked the birth of the notion now known as Contrastive Rhetoric. It assumes that different languages had their own specific and culturally bound conventions and patterns of writing.This may also tell if there are such characteristics in Asian fashion blogs. Moreover, with regards to each Asian blogger’s writing style, contrastive rhetoric should also be considered. Contrastive rhetoric is an area of research in second language acquisition that identifies problems in composition encountered by second language writers and, by referring to the rhetorical strategies of the first language, attempts to explain them. As summarized by Connor (1997), some internal and external forces give rise to this change in perspective.The internal force comes from criticism of contrastive rhetoric, which has required it to go beyond traditional linguistic parameters of analysis to consider discursive features, processes and contexts of writing. The external forces come from new developments in discourse analysis and changing focuses in first language composition research. To enrich further the structure of each blog, genre analysis will also be considered. This may identify if fashion blogging belongs in a specific genre by studying how the ESL and EFL bloggers use the language when writing.The focus of this study is on the discourse organization of Asian fashion blogs. Considering their writing style, comparing the blogs of these particular Asian countries that are categorized into two groups will be done throughout the study. Statement of the problem This study aims to a nswer the following questions: 1. What are the structures of a fashion blog? 2. What are the similarities and the differences between the fashion blogs of ESL and EFL writers? Significance of the study College students of English Language Related ProgramsKnowing that blog can also be studied as it is a part of our social world, this study can still be given more attention by giving further enrichment by the future researchers. They can provide new findings supported by different related literatures. As the traditional way of analysing language data from academic institutions, this paper will thoroughly investigate the language used in fashion blogs. This will further explore the online discourse by plunging into the grounds of computer-mediated-communication (CMC).Researchers in the Field of Linguistics This research paper will be able to support future research papers that are related to discourse analysis, world Englishes, contrastive rhetoric and genre analysis. As most of us tod ay enjoy the web 2. 0 which includes blogging ( slideshare. net/mcbuzz/blogging), it challenges the researchers to become more analytical in their field. As language researchers move forward by conducting thorough investigations, there will probably be new ideas that will be contributed to the field of Linguistics.Teachers and Professors of Language The study on contrastive rhetoric among students has always been limited to the doctorate material for pedagogical purposes which is believed to limit learners’ ability to express themselves. The paper will further explicate the online discourse specifically fashion web logging which has been considered as one of the tools to express oneself in social network. This would provide enough knowledge to expand the language teachers’ repertoire in different writing styles. BloggersWhether these people are in different forms of blogging, this study may inform them how important language is. In fashion blogging, it is inspired with different marketing strategies boxed with pictures that are inviting, description of every detail of it and stories experienced by the blogger. Also, they may be informed that this style of marketing includes certain rhetoric in it. Furthermore, this style of writing can be one of the factors of the increasing subscribers and viewers. A. Scope and LimitationWith the number of studies about the circularity and linearity among the ESL and EFL argumentative essays, court proceedings, business letters and newspapers, this paper focuses on the discourse organization of Asian fashion blogs. The study will only look into the structure of a fashion blog and to identify the differences and similarities of ESL and EFL writers. The EFL countries are Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand and the ESL countries are India, Singapore, Philippines and Hong Kong. These countries are only limited for each group. B.Definition of terms Blog is another term for web log, a social networking site ( s lideshare. net/mcbuzz/blogging) of discussion or information site published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete entries (posts) typically displayed in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first. Usually, it is being used as an online journal (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Blog). EFL stands for English as a foreign language and pertains to how speakers use English for limited utilities, for example, for research references and sign boards.The countries that belong to this group are Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand while, ESL stands for English as a second language and refers to English speakers who could speak it intensely and intimately. In Kachru’s concentric circles, this group encompasses the countries that were colonized by the Western countries such as India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Philippines ( Kachru and Nelson, 2006). Web 2. 0 is a concept that takes the network as a platform for information sharing, interoperability, user- centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web (http://dictionary. reference. om/browse/weblog). CMC stands for computer-mediated communication, such as online chatting, online forum, discussion group and others. Contrastive Rhetoric assumes that a person’s L1 and culture influence his or her writing in L2 (Kaplan, 1966). References: Internet We’ve got blog: How weblogs are changing our culture. Retrieve on 07/18/2012 from amazon. com/Weve-Got-Blog-Weblogs Changing/dp/0738207411. The web: The original design and ultimate destiny of the World Wide Web. Retrieve on 07/18/2012 from amazon. com/Weaving-Web-Original-Ultimate-Destiny/dp/006251587X.Web Discourse Hits Higher Level. In We’ve got blog. Retrieved on 07/18/2012 from http://blog. lib. umn. edu/blogosphere/. Cultural thought patterns in inter-cultural education. Language Learning, 16, 1–20. Retrieve on 07/20/2012 from zhupinfan. com/5310/Kaplan. pdf. Blogging 101: An Introduction to Blogs and Web 2. 0. Retrieved on 08/20/12 from slideshare. net/mcbuzz/blogging-101-introduction-to-blogs-and-web-20-presentation. The American Heritage ® Science Dictionary. Published by Houghton Mifflin. Retrieved on August 28, 2012 from http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/weblog.Book Kachru and Nelson. 2006. Asian Englishes Today:World Englishes in Asian Context. Aberdeen: Hong Kong University Press Kachru. 1992. Teaching world Englishes: The Other Tongue English across Cultures. Illinois:University Illinois Press. Connor . 1996. Contrastive rhetoric: Cross-cultural aspects of second-language writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Theoretical Framework This study is supported with the three approaches namely Discourse analysis, Genre analysis and Contrastive Rhetoric. Limited to these three approaches, the study may be given emphasis and explained further.Discourse analysis originated from Greece. The term was formally from paper of Zelling Harris in 1952. It is the ter m of approaching to analyze communication of written, spoken discourse or speech acts in any kind of route of people use in discourse system. It refers to discussion or lecture of text but it is not only defined on texts. Also, discourse analysis is not only a sentence of discourse but also defined words, prepositions and speech acts of conversation and communicative events. According to Guy Cook (1992), it is not concerned with language alone. It also examines the context of communication.Since conversation is not possible to speak or listen alone, it needs to be interacted. To need discourse analysis is that the discourse organization is the way to shape and understand to know our speaking habits, thoughts. When people have conversation, even if there is same meaning of sentence, there is different affect through how speaker speaks. Discourse is based on the person’s cultural affects. According to Lilie Chouliaraki (2008), culture is constituted by the resources of meaning- making, language and image. For example, South Korea and North Korea have separated since 1945.There were already different cultures. Even in language. The sentence, il upda. ’ When person suggest to do something, North Korea say that it means, It’s fine. ’ But, for South Korea say that it means, It’s none of your business. ’ So, cultural affects of language is also important part of discourse analysis. As Swales (1990) defined genre analysis, it studies the language used in a particular setting: in rhetorical styles, discourse types and others. Also, it relates a particular research in discourse analysis for instance, to a specialist area of language.In academics and in research, this theory explains further its importance especially in studying the spoken and written discourse. Furthermore, the development of a student’s communicative competence and the shaping of language research can be attained through a genre based approach. Remarkable analysis of moves or functional sections in academic researches was also brought out. Genre analysis, according to Miller (1984), is the study of a discourse type of text where it is recognized through its characteristics, style or form.Swales (1990) added that genre analysis also focuses on the purpose of why such discourse type was written. Genre analysis embraces a range of tools and attitudes to text, forms detailed qualitative analysis of a single text to more quantitative counts of language features. Sometimes researchers work with a single text, either because it is inherently interesting or because it seems representative of a larger set of texts or particular genre (Patridge,2010). According to Kaplan (1966), English writing is characterized by directness and deductive reasoning, while other languages (e. . Oriental languages and Arabic) favor indirectness and inductive reasoning. At the same time, he attempts to link the differences in discourse organization between Engli sh and other languages to their respective cultures and thought patterns. He introduces the birth of what we called today as Contrastive Rhetoric. He explains that contrastive rhetoric is an area of research in second language acquisition that identifies problems in composition encountered by second language writers and, by referring to the rhetorical strategies of the first language, attempts to explain them.In other words, it is the study of how a persons first language and culture influence his or her writing in a second language. However, Houghton and Hoey (1983) have argued It [contrastive rhetoric] needs to be inserted within a broader scheme, to include the theoretical as well. It has been too long confined to being a notion rather than a theory. The area of concern needs to be broadened to the degree that rhetorical elements in non-Western cultures from philosophical to cognitive issues which influence the formation of culturally embedded rhetorical styles may be explored and then introduced to English nor ESL writing teachers.The concept of contrastive rhetoric is too multifaceted and important to be treated from only the linguistic perspective. The one area of study which offers at least a partial solution to the problem posed by Houghton and Hoey is that of rhetoric and composition. In order to establish contrastive rhetoric as a field where various rhetorically related issues from other cultures are discussed, contrastive rhetoric scholars must endeavor to discover specific rhetorical and cultural assets which will explain why writing styles differ from culture to culture.References: a. Internet Vijay Bhatia. Continuum International Publishing Group. Copyright. Retrieved on 08/17/12 from http://books. google. com. ph/books . The Linguistics Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 08/17/12 from http://books. google. com. ph/books. Discourse Analysis as Organizational Analysis. Retrieved on 08/02/12 from lsadc. org/info/ling-fields- discourse. cfm. Contrastiv e Rhetoric: Cross-Cultural Aspects of Second-language Writing. Retrieved on 08/05/12 from http://catdir. loc. gov/catdir/samples/cam031/95009965. pdf.A Study of Contrastive Rhetoric between East Asian and North American Cultures as Demonstrated through Student Expository Essays from Korea and the United States. Retrieved on 08/05/12 from http://faculty. fullerton. edu/jcho/chapter1. htm. Toward Critical Contrastive Rhetoric. Retrieved on 08/05/12 from http://writingcenters. org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Kubota_Ryuko_Critical-Intercultural-rhetoric. pd. b. Book Cook, G.. 1992. The Discourse of Advertising. London: Routledge Swales, J. M.. 1990.. Genre analysis : English in academic and research settings.Cambridge : Cambridge University Press Patridge B.. 2010. Continuum Companion to Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. London:Continuum International Publishing Group Conceptual Paradigm Asian Fashion Blogs Discourse Analysis Genre Analysis Contrastive Rhetoric ESL India Hong Kong Singapore Philippines EFL Malaysia Indonesia Cambodia Thailand The diagram shows the flow of the study. The arrows connect the subject which is the fashion blog to the EFL and ESL speaking countries. There are four chosen countries each to represent EFL and ESL writers. The four countries hat represent EFL writers are Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand and the other four countries that represent ESL writers are India, Singapore, Philippines and Hong Kong. Each blog will be analyzed through discourse analysis, genre analysis and contrastive rhetoric. In order to answer the statements of the problem, the diagram above will have to be considered. Fashion blogs will serve as the subject in this study. The group chose web logs for they serve as a social community for those who want to share their ideas and styles with regard to fashion.Furthermore, it also serves as an interactive marketing site where the bloggers apply their own marketing strategies (Richardson, 2001). This stu dy will find out if fashion blog has a definite structure among the chosen EFL and ESL Asian blogs. Due to the spread, functions and dynamic status of English in the changing Asian contexts (Kachru et al, 2006), there may have been differences and similarities between the fashion blogs of ESL and EFL writers. The three major methods namely, Discourse Analysis, Genre Analysis and Contrastive Rhetoric will help to describe the discourse organization of Asian fashion blogs.The focus of this research is on how Asian fashion bloggers write, on how these bloggers use English on a specific setting which is web log and on what particular genre does each fashion blog belongs. Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature The following related articles were gathered for the researcher to understand more what is being studied and to support the study that is being conducted. Kaplan (1966) compared the rhetoric and composition of students who were native speakers of English and ESL writers.According t o him, when he closely analyzed the composition of the ESL students, he realized that there were also differences when it comes to paragraph order and structures aside from grammatical or surface matters. According to Braine (2001) EFL writers have a higher quality of writing in traditional classes compared in a local area network. But other researchers (Biesenbach-Lucas, 2000; Gonzalez-Bueno amp; Perez, 2000; Gousseva-Goodwin, 2000; Kehagia amp; Cox, 1997; Perez, 2003) found out that there was no significant difference in writing neither in the quality nor the attitudes.The criticisms of traditional contrastive rhetoric on cross-cultural writing offer an alternative conceptualization for contrastive rhetoric. Contrastive rhetoric has an intellectual association with applied linguistics. As delineated by Pennycook (2001), critical applied linguistics aims to problematize as well as politicize the common understanding of second language learning/acquisition constructed by research an d instructional practices in such domains as language, text, pedagogy, and cultural difference. ReferencesWiley Online Library. Language Learning: A Journal on Research in Language Studies. Retrieved on 08/02/12 from http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/j. 1467-1770. 1966. tb00804. x/abstract. Eric Education Resources Information Center. A Study of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Writers on a Local-Area Network (LAN) and in Traditional Classes. Retrieved on 07/17/12 from eric. ed. gov/. Theoretical Foundations of Critical Contrastive Rhetoric. Retrieved on 08/02/12 from eric. ed. ov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini. jsp? _nfpb=trueamp;_amp;ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ730660amp;ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=noamp;accno=EJ730660 Chapter 3 Methodology This chapter presents how the data will be gathered, the sources where data will be gathered, a descriptive and a comparative analysis. 3. 1 Procedure This study aims to analyze the discourse organization of Asian fashion blo gs. The data will be gathered from the internet. The data from the top ten blogs for each Asian country will be gathered through the domains.These include the extensions on each blog site such as ph for Philippines, in for India, sg for Singapore, hk for Hong Kong. Considering the web traffic of each blog, the researchers will be able to know if the blogs belong to the top ten most visited blogs. Each Asian fashion blog post will be classified according to its writer. The top ten fashion blogs from the Asian countries that use English as a second language which are India, Singapore, Philippines and Hong Kong will be separated with the other top ten fashion

Case study Southwest Airlines

Case study Southwest Airlines Introduction Southwest Airlines has been a strong growth organization over the 40 years and has been a pacesetter in the US airline industry. Using its low fares, fun-loving culture, friendly service, on-time flights, point-to-point operational strategy, the airline has been able to maintain profits and a record growth rate through the years while other airline companies run out of business and file bankruptcy due to depressed market conditions.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Case study: Southwest Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Southwest begun offering hauls between Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, and it has diversified its markets and now carry more passengers than any other American air company (about 90 million during 2010) and lately announced the buyout of AirTran Airways for $1.4 billion. The airline now has a market capitalization of over US$ 14 billion and is placed as one of the strongest a irlines in the ailing air transport business (Bamber, Gittell, Kochan von Nordenflytch 2009). The entire airline industry appears to be on the mends after enduring expensive labor contracts, soaring fuel costs and reduced consumer demand. However, Southwest has experienced growth in the harsh airline industry because it’s no frills business model focuses on controlling costs. Southwest targets routes with high customer demand and the advanced experience of Southwest’s staff allow Southwest to fast turnaround aircraft and keep their planes in the air more hours per day than its rivals. However, although Southwest is in many ways has been a success story for the U.S. airline industry, Southwest airlines is currently facing stiff challenges that are threating its enviable success. Though these challenges do come as a surprise to the company as they have already been experience actross the airline industry and have brought to knees many of the industry leaders to an exten d of bankruptcy. Business Problem and Critical Issues The airline industry has been faced by a lot of challenges lately, which have brought big companies to their knees and even others files for bankruptcy to avoid litigations and eventual dissolution. Issues are:Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economic crises The economic hard times have really hit on the airlines industry, with most consumers reducing on travelling to say holiday destinations, and preferring even cheaper modes of travelling like road for shorter distances. This has really affected the operations of Southwest airlines as the number of flights per day have decreased significantly, while its costs like employee maintenance and plane maintenance have remained constant or even gone up (Rob 1997). However, this might not seem as a great challenge for Southwest as its well know for its low-cost fl ights and at a time when customers are cutting on their transportation costs, the airline comes in handy and is expected to reap from the hard times. Increase in fuel costs, shift in fuel hedging contracts The high cost of fuel is conceivably the most apparent challenge facing the airline industry currently, with many imposing fuel surcharges on customers. The high costs are a factor for most industries, but fuel is a particularly important factor for airlines. Fuel represents 25% to 40% of the airlines operating expenses and experts approximate that a $1 per barrel price increase in fuel costs the airline industry US$175 million annually. With the price per barrel hanging in the high US$ 60 plus mark (the price moved above US$ 50 at the end of February 2005), airline companies are feeling the heat on their bottom-line. This is so evident that each time crude prices go up, airline stock prices dwindle down because of the knee-jerk reaction from the airline industry investors (Terry 2007).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Case study: Southwest Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For the Southwest airlines most of its fund hedge contracts were running until 2010, and now the company had to sign new hedging contracts. Given the uncertainty of the oil industry the company is forced to sign expensive contracts with are rather not in tandem with its cost cutting austerities. For 2012, ticket prices are expected to jump about 15% and this is a major challenge to Southwest as it aims to provide cheap transport options with effective travel packages. Increase in maintenance costs With the cost of almost everything in the global markets going up, every aspect of the airline industry has gone up. Maintenance costs have soared up as the cost of labor and materials have almost doubled up over the last decades. The maintenance engineers are demanding new pay packages One of the move Southwest airl ines has taken to reduce the maintenance costs it to have its maintenance done at overseas facilities, which are rather cheaper considering the extensive overhaul needed for airplanes on a time-to-time basis. However, American maintenance workers are far more efficient doing the maintenance, but they are very expensive and demand as much as three fold what others demand in the global market (Rugman, Oh Lim 2012). The increase in maintenance prices may make its way down to the consumers, thus Southwest may be forced to increase its prices to remain profitable though this might hurt its business models of cheap transport means. Demand by employees, pilots for more pay Southwest airline’s mainly unionized employees have been pushing for pay increases to equal the rich contracts negotiated by other airlines.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Currently, Southwest offers a first-year minimum pay of US$ $49,572 for its pilots, considering that the company normally recruits more experienced pilots than other airline companies. Though as of 2010, it was ranked the best paying airline company its pilots are demanding for an increase in their pay. Parameters for Analysis Porter’s Five Forces According to Porter, the success of Southwests strategy is due partly to its consistency and integration and the unity that ties everything together. Instead of the classic hub-and-spoke system used by most major carriers, Southwest applies a point-to-point strategy which allows it to pick the most profitable routes to ply. The airline provides service to 61 airports in 31 states with its fleet of over 500 Boeing 737s. In terms of annual revenue and available seat-miles (ASM) Southwest outdoes many of the legacy carriers and is ranked as one of the largest American carriers. Nevertheless, Southwest is also categorized as a regional or discount carriers due to its point-to-point operational system and discount services. Internal Rivalry The airline industry is typified by several carriers who have very little differentiation in their product. Thus, due to these factors and the current market conditions, the airline industry is in a vulnerable situation. Over the recent times, four major airlines filed bankruptcy; Delta Airlines Inc, Northwest Airlines Corp., United Airlines and ATA Airlines. The partial differentiation of the products of most major airline companies together with the rising demand elasticity has seen the airline industry use price competition as its major way of rivalry. This unhealthy price competition has eroded profits as the price-cost margins have reduced tremendously. Southwest came into the market with its niche as discount airlines. Southwest Airlines is in a unique situation since it is one of the principal driving forces in the current price competition. Presently, Southwest has the l owest cost per available seat mile (CASM) of the major airlines and this makes the company control prices to maintain its profitability level. Nevertheless, Southwest Airlines cost per available seat mile has been gradually increasing due to increased labor costs and a decreasing fuel hedge. Though Southwest could be facing challenges, Southwest is expected to have a competitive advantage over other airlines even discount airlines as they are trimming their margins and thus have the potential of a lower cost per available seat mile. Entry The airline industry is a highly centralized industry with the top ten players taking more than 90% of total American air traffic as of 2004. In spite of the consolidation of industry and the depleting earnings of most major carriers, many new players are attempting to venture into the airline industry in past years, for example Jetblue which came into the market in 2000 and has registered positive margins. However, entry into the industry is rathe r difficult considering the stiff barriers in the industry. The big financial liabilities experienced by many major carriers in recently and the decreasing customer demand that has been experienced resulting in the tightening of the capital markets for the financing of start-ups. However, industry analysts predict that there could be a significant change in both industry demand and profitability that could match with increased access to capital markets for new ventures and thus create an incentive for new entrants (Raynor, 2011). The distinctive approach of new entrants could be to pursue regional markets that have more profitable routes and offer lower prices that the existing airlines given their low marginal costs since they have lower labor and maintenance cost. Substitutes and Complements Airlines compete with other forms of transport. The primary substitute for the airline industry is the automobile. The integrated inter-state highway system in America makes it possible to go almost anyplace by car. Road travel leads short distance travel because of the unrealistic nature of flying such short distance, though as distance needed to travel lengthens usage of carriers considerably increases and vice versa. In 2010, only 13% of road trips were longer than 1000 miles, comparing to 75% of airline trips. Also rail transport is another substitute to the air transport. These regional forms of transportation don’t correspond to a direct substitute for the air transport but they may be a competitive advantage that regional carriers have to consider. That why Southwest Airlines operates a point-to-point destination schedule between regional cities that may also be connected by considerable bus or railroad traffic. Increased lag times at many airports as a result of increased security checks means the time advantage gained by using air travel has diminished. Thus, the marginal benefit of using air carriers for transport has decreased and the use of train or au tomobile may become more viable options. Supplier Power The airline industry is susceptible to supplier power through three principal inputs; jet fuel, airframes and labor. However, jet fuel suppliers have the strongest supplier power. Jet fuel prices may not perfectly correlate with oil prices but since 2005 when the historical price level of oil reached US$ 70.85, the effects have got worse for the airline industry. Like the rest of the airline industry, Southwest Airlines has been facing dwindling margins due to increasing fuel costs, especially now that the company has got into new fuel hedging contracts after its contracts expired in 2009. Southwest now utilizes dynamic hedging strategies that allow it to apply hedging to control the episodic nature of jet fuel prices by countering anticipated higher prices in the future. Southwest currently has an advanced hedging program that is continually trying to determine future cash flows relating to jet fuel prices to optimize their he dges. Buyer Power Consumers recently have a significant buyer power over the airline industry. The economic crisis and terrorist threats have had a considerable effect on consumer demand. From their high in 2000, revenue passenger-miles (RPM) have decreased significantly and though they have rallied lately they remain at a low level. The industry has attempted to reduce available seat-miles to react to reduced RPM but the reaction hasn’t been sufficient thus there is a lower load factors. Carriers excess capacity and the perishable nature of plane seats have made customers to put a lot of pressure on the price of airline tickets. The demand for airline services is highly demand elastic and consumers react fast. Southwest was the first airline to offer online reservations as a way of reducing costs (this saves the company over $40 million annually) and the commissions paid to travel agents. Southwest does not offer joint travel website like most carriers do as the management a rgues that their competitors will gain competitive advantage over it and work negatively on its brand loyalty. Action Recommendation Southwest has suffered considerable criticism from the investment world because of its increasing CASM. Other new regional entrants airlines have entered the market in the attempt to challenge Southwest’s dominant position. As CASM increases, Southwest becomes more susceptible and appears to be losing its most important market advantage. Southwest needs to counter increasing fuel costs with improved non-fuel cost management and fuel hedging strategy. The non-fuel costs Southwest needs to focus on are maintenance and labor. Many of the other operational costs will be harder to control but with its current market position, Southwest can take steps now to ensure that it retains its low cost advantage. Over 40 percent of Southwest’s total CASM is due to salaries, wages and benefits for a labor force that is over 80 percent unionized. Many of these unions’ contracts will become amendable during the next several years. The outcome of these agreement negotiations, especially the pilots’ union, will have a considerable effect impact on the carrier future cost structure. The airline is currently in a strong financial position but it must take into account the dramatic reduction in labor costs that are occurring throughout the rest of the industry. Also Southwest’s traditional strategy for growth may not continue to work in the future due to its hub airport strategy of the legacy airlines. Southwest traditionally selects only highly profitable city pair routes on which they can establish a strong market share through low prices and high load factors. However, Southwest has already entered many of the most profitable markets. Growth opportunities still exist for Southwest in expanding operations in cities already serviced. It is recommended that Southwest enter new cities especially those that have been se rving as hubs for weakened legacy airlines. Also Southwest should to expand by opening service to international destinations using their current operational strategy (Owen, 1999). Also the company should continue to successfully hedge fuel prices and Improve employee-management relations to avoid disruptive contract negotiations. Conclusion Through consistent focus on operational efficiency and cost control, progressive human resources management, upbeat marketing, service to understand markets, and a dedication to quality at every level, Southwest Airlines is poised to remain profitable and dynamic. References Bamber, G.J., Gittell, J.H., Kochan, T.A. von Nordenflytch, A., (2009). Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve Performance by Engaging their Employees. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Owen, B., (February 22, 1999). SouthwestS Now In A New York State Of Mind | Nuts About Southwest. Blogsouthwest.com. Raynor, M. E., (2011). Disruptive innovation: the Southwest Airlines case revisited. Strategy Leadership 39, no. 4, 31-34. Rob K, (February 21, 1997). Southwest may add cities to Iceland deal. Baltimore Business Journal, 56-89. Rugman, A. M., Oh, Chang H. Lim, D., (2012). The regional and global competitiveness of multinational firms. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40, no. 2, 218-235. Terry, R. J. (December 10, 2007). Icelandair stopping flights out of BWI.  Web.

Financial Planning Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Planning - Case Study Example The ethical standards also require the financial planners to get acknowledgement from their clients for deploying funds in the high risk investment avenues. In cases of conflict of interest, the financial planners are required to regard their professional duty of giving priority to the interest of their client. Finally, the high standards of practice require the financial planners to provide unbiased financial advises to their clients for protecting their interests. The financial planning done by the planners of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia falls under the FPA code of professional and ethical practice. However, the issues that led to the inquiry by the Senate against the scandal in the Commonwealth Bank’s financial planning activities exposed the activities of the financial planners of CBA. ... ivities of CBA financial planners that came to light after the global financial crisis included misallocation of superannuation funds in the investment areas that is considered to be highly risky as a result of which the retired employees lost a major part of their superannuation fund. This is a specific example of CBA breaching the FPA code of conduct and ethics as the investments in high risks avenues was done by CBA without the consent of the retired employees and the clients. Apart from deploying funds into high risk management avenues without the prior permission of the holder, several associated issues related to forgery of signatures, and mysterious missing of documents came to light. Thus, the financial planners of CBA resorted to unethical practices which are against the professional norms. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia concealed that information from their clients who were not even informed of the activities of the financial planners. Question 1 b The financial plannin g scandal of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia demonstrated the conflict of interest between the clients of the bank and the activities of the financial planners of the Commonwealth Bank and the management. The financial planners under the management of the Bank were engaged into unethical professional practices of undertaking high risks on investments with the funds of the investors who were their clients. Although a logical reasoning by the financial planners would explain the investments were risky, they were engaged into unfair practices by taking a chance to increase the return of the bank with the help of public money (McKeown, 2012, p.39). The interest of CBA was to maximize the return on investment made by them with the use of public funds. The interest of the bank never

Issues In Financial Reporting (Questions for the final exam) Essay

Issues In Financial Reporting (Questions for the final exam) - Essay Example There are few assumptions of a financial statement. Such as, a business entity is assumed to carry on its operation forever which refers to a going concern concept. Financial statements should be prepared periodically, basically after a specified interval which is termed as ‘accounting period’. All the transaction recorded in a statement should be at cost, not market price. As per the money measurement concept, the information recorded in the statement should be in monetary terms. The business entity concept says that the legal entity of a corporate business should be different from the owners. The method or the practice that has been adopted by a company initially for presenting an event should be followed life long in order to maintain the consistency. Preparation of financial statements is subject to quite a few regulations. For the purpose, Accounting Standards should be followed. Accounting Standards are issued by Accounting Standard Board (ASB). ASB is a part of Financial Reporting Council (FRC). It is a self -regulatory body in UK and is responsible for promoting quality corporate governance. ASB collaborate with the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) to ensure the acceptance of Accounting Standard at the international level. UITF plays major role of assisting the ASB while solving a conflicting and unsatisfactory interpretation regarding the requirements of Companies Act. Financial Reporting Review Panel (FRRP) is also a part of FRC, which check the financial statement of private and public companies to ensure that statements are presented as accordance with Accounting Standards and Companies Act, 2006. Accountability and transparency are absolute necessity for maximising long term share holder’s value. The rules and procedures of gathering data must be flexible and consistent; otherwise a scope of misinterpretation of data will

Analyze lesson plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyze lesson plan - Essay Example Banks, financial institutions and even corporations are turning out schemes aimed at children to boost their saving habits and business acumen. Parents and schools must take advantage of these schemes as part of their curriculum. These help the child understand facts and figures better, edifying his mental capacity. (Britannia Building Society). By and large, the 8th grade students fall into the age group of 12-14 years. Except for a small percentage of say ten percent each of the brilliant students and students with learning disabilities, the larger segment of students comprise the normal, average pupils for whom learning is routine and sometimes even a bane. Nevertheless, these normal, average students have no major problem putting in the right amount of efforts to secure good, respectable results. The only possibility of something going wrong is when either something or someone becomes cause for negative attitudes to set in. In such cases, mathematics becomes the first subject to become casualty because it requires a great deal of positive concentration on the part of the student. That is why children with emotional problems face difficulties in comprehending mathematical problems. The problem could be quickly and effectively remedied by a considerate teacher through counseling and care. 8th graders as traders and bankers The concept of budget planning, interest, and percentage may appear meaningless and abstract unless it is bound together with the relative important aspects of savings and responsible spending. The student may quickly bond with the concept if it is conveyed as something personally relevant and important to him. Otherwise, she or he may dismiss it as something applicable only to traders and bankers. They may not feel the significance of building a good foundation by grasping this concept. Moreover, the responsibility for parents and teachers to inculcate principled spending habits on their children has increased with the modern day marketing trends to attract young people. (Madhu T). Use of illustrations and methods The 8th graders are on the threshold of the business world where integers, decimals and fractions are part of daily lives. The concept of budget planning, interest, and percentage follow the backdrop of integers, decimals, fractions, whole and natural numbers among other concepts and theories such as geometry. Illustrations, methods of problem solving and practice are the normal means of understanding mathematics. Examples The introduction of budget planning, interest and percentage will make sense to the students if it is done as a concept of daily use in homes and companies. Children will quickly realize what the concept is all about if the teacher explains the way parents run households. From there, the concept must be applied to how traders and businessmen run their trade. Solutions to elementary percentages involving whole numbers, decimals and fractions must be taught and enough problems given to student for practice so that they are thoroughly conversant with the uses and

Polycystic Ovary Syndromew Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Polycystic Ovary Syndromew - Essay Example In general, PCOS is characterized by absence of or irregular menstruation, hirsutism, anovulation, infertility, obesity, acne, metabolic disorders, insulin insensitivity and hyperinsulinemia, to name a few symptoms. The patient's ovaries in classical cases show the presence of multiple small cysts. The primary cause of this disorder is not known. However, three factors are known to play important roles in the development and progression of PCOS. These are hyperandrogenism, hyperinsulinemia, and high levels of Luteinizing hormone (LH). PCOS is easily diagnosed in the clinical setting through history and physical examination. This is then accompanied by laboratory results of hormonal levels, for the sake of differential diagnoses with similar illnesses, such as congenital non-classical adrenal hyperplasia. Infertility related to PCOS is caused by anovulation. The high level of LH associated with PCOS is responsible for this anovulation. It causes increased production of androgens from the adrenal gland and the ovaries. These androgens cause typically masculine characteristics in the female and inhibit maturation of the ovum. Secondly, high levels of LH also inhibit maturation and release of dominant follicles (Hill, 2003). Young women and adolescent girls are the age group susceptible to contracting PCOS. The percentage of that age group who are diagnosed with PCOS is an astounding 5-10 percent. (Kidson, 1998) For women of child-bearing age, PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder. Statistics show that 4 to 6 percent of all women in America have hyperandrogenic chronic anovulation (Schroeder, April 2003). This prevalence increases sharply in women with chronic anovulation and hyperinsulinemia. This illness not only robs the affected patient of the ability to have children, but it also increases her susceptibility to other disorders, such as diabetes type 2 (DM type 2) and CVS diseases. The psychological part of it must also be considered. These patients commonly suffer from depression due to the inability to have children and the other symptoms associated with PCOS, such as hirsutism and androgenic alopecia. The risk factors for PCOS are increased levels of LH secretion due to hyperproduction of go nadotropin releasing hormone, hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism. A concern which must be addressed is the increasing cases of ovarian hyperstimulation, pregnancy loss, gestational diabetes and hypertension due to ovulation induction in these patients (Schroeder, April 2003). Since the actual cause of PCOS is not known, there is very little that can be done to prevent the disorder. However, it is important to screen for the disorder and other differential diagnoses of similar illnesses in all patients presenting with irregular menstruation, infertility and hirsutism. All identified cases should also be screened for risks of DM type 2, CVS conditions and the metabolic syndrome. The rise in the prevalence of PCOS and the fact that diabetes and CVS conditions are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in today's clinical setup, should make the contribution of PCOS to

Cultural diversity in the media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cultural diversity in the media - Essay Example These include: the ubiquity, infiltration and monotony of mass media in reinforcing the durability of such representations; the problems faced by the highly profit-oriented commercial media in introducing complex representations; and the close association of mass media with the elites in the society, which prevents it from changing its status quo. Ever since the invention of tools of mass-media such as television over a century ago, prominent means of visual media such as films and motion-pictures have used conventional forms of cultural representations, which even after decades, are recycled with little or no changes, and served to the audiences through various genres and outlets. The lack of change in the characterization and cultural depiction of people belonging to a certain ethnic or cultural background (for instance, Asians, Hispanics or African-Americans) can be attributed to the popularity and acceptance of their identity by the masses and their reluctance to accept or percei ve them in non-conventional ways; or the economic pressures which is related to the need to attract the mainstream audiences who are used to the familiar albeit stereotypical depiction of people belonging to culturally diverse backgrounds. Research has shown that television shows which have attempted to break the cultural stereotypes through use of non-conventional portrayal of people belonging to culturally diverse backgrounds, have received negative response and had a limited impact in addressing the issue on hand (Chan-Olmsted & Albarran, 1998; Hollifield, 2001; McChesney, 1999). It can thus be said that television as a medium of mass communication has an intrinsic penchant to fixate on a redundant yet popular concept or ideology... This paper on ‘Cultural diversity in the media’ represents cultural diversity within American media that dates as far back as the early 1950s. The first instances of depiction of culturally diverse people in Hollywood were witnessed during the early 1950s where mixed raced couples, were shown on screen. This was at a time when films and television shows were highly white dominated. Such representations of racial and ethnic minorities in films i.e. popular mass-media, indicated the liberal expressions of sentiments of the majority of white Americans towards and regarding people of different races, thus showing hints of subtle prejudice, bigotry and racism as observed in daily lives during that era. Although these films and television shows largely catered to the majority i.e. white American audience, such representation showed the growing acceptance of cultural diversity in popular media. Today, the cultural diversity in the American films and television shows is more evi dent and there is a high representation of not only African-Americans but also of people belonging to other ethnicities such as Hispanics and Asians as well. Popular television show such as ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (showcasing an Indian, as a part of the core star cast) is telecast at prime time in the U.S. and has rapidly gained popularity. The rising popularity of such shows indicates the changing culture of contemporary America which is essentially a mix of various racially and ethnically diverse populations.

Proposal for the analytical report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proposal for the analytical report - Essay Example The research intends to answer the question, ‘is there a significant relationship between internal control practices and reported accounting frauds in organizations?’ It proposes to test the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between effectiveness of internal control mechanisms and incidence of accounting fraud in organizations. Introduction Fraud defines a criminal deception that targets a financial gain. While a final independent audit may identify accounting fraud for legal actions against suspected personnel, this avenue does not recover lost finances because criminal acts attracts no remedy to the victim. The best solution for safeguarding an organization’s finances is therefore through establishment of strong internal control avenues that can detect and prevent possible frauds. This research seeks to establish a basis ensuring implementation of most appropriate internal control measures. The problem Fraud is a major threat to the going c oncern of an organization, both small scale and large scale. This identifies fraud and internal control measures towards controlling fraud as essential elements to organizational management. A number of internal control measures exist for detecting and preventing fraud such as application of checks and balances on offices that deals in finance based issues like planning, authorizing, and accounting offices. Frequent reconciliation of accounts, restricting access to authorized personnel, strong policies and discouraging conspiracy are other identified control avenues (Hogan, 2011). Brainstorming to evaluate possible fraud or fraud indicators and monitoring compliance to codes of conducts as set by organizations also facilitates detection and prevention of fraud (Aicpa, 2005). Such measures are however hard to understand if fraud is deeply rooted in an organization, such as in circumstances where an organization’s management applies fraud in external ventures. This therefore id entifies far-reaching effects of fraud that extends to industry’s performance and consumers economic factors. Fraud is however both a criminal and immoral act that should not exist in professional practice. Effective measures are therefore necessary to ensure that possible threats of fraud are identified and eliminated. Findings from this research will be instrumental to professional personnel that is charged with the responsibility of safeguarding an organization’s finances. Such are accounts officers and the chief accounting officer, internal auditors, organizations’ managements and external auditors. The accounts officers will find the research results helpful in identifying potential threats to fraud for necessary actions such as reporting to senior management officers. The chief accounting officers is however a chief beneficiary of the research findings that will help in controlling the vice in his docket. The management whose role involves disciplining emp loyees and overly supervising an organizational activities and processes need to be informed about fraud control because they are the organization’s custodians to external stakeholders. Internal and external auditors will however find the results helpful in identifying inconsistencies in statements and in recommending appropriate measures

Polycystic Ovary Syndromew Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Polycystic Ovary Syndromew - Essay Example In general, PCOS is characterized by absence of or irregular menstruation, hirsutism, anovulation, infertility, obesity, acne, metabolic disorders, insulin insensitivity and hyperinsulinemia, to name a few symptoms. The patient's ovaries in classical cases show the presence of multiple small cysts. The primary cause of this disorder is not known. However, three factors are known to play important roles in the development and progression of PCOS. These are hyperandrogenism, hyperinsulinemia, and high levels of Luteinizing hormone (LH). PCOS is easily diagnosed in the clinical setting through history and physical examination. This is then accompanied by laboratory results of hormonal levels, for the sake of differential diagnoses with similar illnesses, such as congenital non-classical adrenal hyperplasia. Infertility related to PCOS is caused by anovulation. The high level of LH associated with PCOS is responsible for this anovulation. It causes increased production of androgens from the adrenal gland and the ovaries. These androgens cause typically masculine characteristics in the female and inhibit maturation of the ovum. Secondly, high levels of LH also inhibit maturation and release of dominant follicles (Hill, 2003). Young women and adolescent girls are the age group susceptible to contracting PCOS. The percentage of that age group who are diagnosed with PCOS is an astounding 5-10 percent. (Kidson, 1998) For women of child-bearing age, PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder. Statistics show that 4 to 6 percent of all women in America have hyperandrogenic chronic anovulation (Schroeder, April 2003). This prevalence increases sharply in women with chronic anovulation and hyperinsulinemia. This illness not only robs the affected patient of the ability to have children, but it also increases her susceptibility to other disorders, such as diabetes type 2 (DM type 2) and CVS diseases. The psychological part of it must also be considered. These patients commonly suffer from depression due to the inability to have children and the other symptoms associated with PCOS, such as hirsutism and androgenic alopecia. The risk factors for PCOS are increased levels of LH secretion due to hyperproduction of go nadotropin releasing hormone, hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism. A concern which must be addressed is the increasing cases of ovarian hyperstimulation, pregnancy loss, gestational diabetes and hypertension due to ovulation induction in these patients (Schroeder, April 2003). Since the actual cause of PCOS is not known, there is very little that can be done to prevent the disorder. However, it is important to screen for the disorder and other differential diagnoses of similar illnesses in all patients presenting with irregular menstruation, infertility and hirsutism. All identified cases should also be screened for risks of DM type 2, CVS conditions and the metabolic syndrome. The rise in the prevalence of PCOS and the fact that diabetes and CVS conditions are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in today's clinical setup, should make the contribution of PCOS to

Proposal for the analytical report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proposal for the analytical report - Essay Example The research intends to answer the question, ‘is there a significant relationship between internal control practices and reported accounting frauds in organizations?’ It proposes to test the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between effectiveness of internal control mechanisms and incidence of accounting fraud in organizations. Introduction Fraud defines a criminal deception that targets a financial gain. While a final independent audit may identify accounting fraud for legal actions against suspected personnel, this avenue does not recover lost finances because criminal acts attracts no remedy to the victim. The best solution for safeguarding an organization’s finances is therefore through establishment of strong internal control avenues that can detect and prevent possible frauds. This research seeks to establish a basis ensuring implementation of most appropriate internal control measures. The problem Fraud is a major threat to the going c oncern of an organization, both small scale and large scale. This identifies fraud and internal control measures towards controlling fraud as essential elements to organizational management. A number of internal control measures exist for detecting and preventing fraud such as application of checks and balances on offices that deals in finance based issues like planning, authorizing, and accounting offices. Frequent reconciliation of accounts, restricting access to authorized personnel, strong policies and discouraging conspiracy are other identified control avenues (Hogan, 2011). Brainstorming to evaluate possible fraud or fraud indicators and monitoring compliance to codes of conducts as set by organizations also facilitates detection and prevention of fraud (Aicpa, 2005). Such measures are however hard to understand if fraud is deeply rooted in an organization, such as in circumstances where an organization’s management applies fraud in external ventures. This therefore id entifies far-reaching effects of fraud that extends to industry’s performance and consumers economic factors. Fraud is however both a criminal and immoral act that should not exist in professional practice. Effective measures are therefore necessary to ensure that possible threats of fraud are identified and eliminated. Findings from this research will be instrumental to professional personnel that is charged with the responsibility of safeguarding an organization’s finances. Such are accounts officers and the chief accounting officer, internal auditors, organizations’ managements and external auditors. The accounts officers will find the research results helpful in identifying potential threats to fraud for necessary actions such as reporting to senior management officers. The chief accounting officers is however a chief beneficiary of the research findings that will help in controlling the vice in his docket. The management whose role involves disciplining emp loyees and overly supervising an organizational activities and processes need to be informed about fraud control because they are the organization’s custodians to external stakeholders. Internal and external auditors will however find the results helpful in identifying inconsistencies in statements and in recommending appropriate measures

Intercultural Differences Essay Example for Free

Intercultural Differences Essay Recognizing cultural differences when you write or speak with someone from another culture, you encode your message using the assumptions of your own culture. Members of your audience decode the message relating to the assumptions of their culture. So your meaning may be misunderstood. The greater the difference between cultures, the greater the chance for misunderstanding. Cultural differences are listed in four categories: Contextual, Legal and Ethical, Social, and Nonverbal. Cultural context is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture. High context cultures encourage lengthy decision making, concentrating on everything detail, and avoids confrontation and debate. Whereas low-context cultures emphasize quick, efficient decisions on major points while leaving the details to be worked out later and encourages open disagreement. Cultural context also influences legal and ethical behavior. Legal systems differ from culture to culture the high context cultures views laws as being more flexible, low-context tend to value written agreements and interpret laws strictly.. Ethical choices can be even more complicated when communicating across cultures. Keep your messages ethical by actively seeking mutual ground exchanging messages without judgement, sending messages that are honest, and showing respect for cultural differences. Social differences there are four types among cultures. In any culture etiquette play a major part. Formal rules of etiquette are explicit and well defined, but informal rules are learned through observation and imitation. When informal rules are violated members of the culture are likely to feel uncomfortable, they may not be able to say exactly why. Attitudes toward materialism people from the United States emphasize hard work, material success, and efficiency more than many people in other countries do. Roles and status, respect and rank are reflected differently from culture to culture and in their working environment. Use of manners the rules of polite behavior vary from country to country. Concepts of time, although businesspeople in the United States, Germany, and some other nations see  time as a way to organize the business day efficiently, other cultures see time as more flexible. Nonverbal differences is extremely reliable when determining meaning, but that reliability is valid only when communicators belong to the same culture. The simplest of hand gestures can change from culture to culture. Interpreting nonverbal elements according to your own culture can be dangerous the elements are apparent in attitudes toward personal space and in body language. Concept of personal space for example people in Canada and the united States stand about five feet apart during a business conversation. Use of Body Language gestures of a culture clarify confusing messages, but differences in body language can be a major source of misunderstanding during intercultural conversation. For example, during our negotiations and weve finally closed the deal the Chinese representative from this company says yes to everything and seems as if shes agreeable to our terms. I share the information with my boss and he doesnt seem very excited. Why isnt he excited? The word yes may not always mean yes in other cultures it may mean to say yes to confirm they have heard or understood something , but not necessarily to indicate they agree with it.. Youll seldom get a direct no . Some of the ways that other cultures say no indirectly include It will be difficult, I will ask my supervisor, Im not sure, We will think about it , and Im not sure. When communicating across cultures, your effectiveness depends on maintaining an open mind.Stereotyping is the attempt to categorize individuals by trying to predict their behavior or character on the basis of their membership or a particular group. Move beyond stereotypes to relationships with real people. You can achieve this by acknowledging distinctions, avoiding assumptions, and avoiding judgements. Works Cited: Business Communication Today Chp III 52-63 http://www.vcsun.org/~battias/class/356/olm/9.html http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?docid=1G1:19488131refid=ink_overture_hlth

Resource Based View in Business Management

Resource Based View in Business Management Introduction The resource-based view is defined as a business management tool utilized to know the strategic resources available to firm. The basic principle of the resource based value is that the basis for a competitive advantage of a company lies primarily in the application of the group of valuable resources at the firms disposal. In order to change a short-run competitive advantage into a maintained competitive advantage requires that these resources are heterogeneous in nature and not perfectly mobile. In other words, this will change into valuable resources that either perfectly imitable or substitutable without great effort. If these conditions are remained, the companys group of resources can help the firm sustaining above average returns. The recent dominant view of corporate strategy resource-based theory or resource-based view (RBV) of company is based on the theory of economic rent and the view of the company as a collection of capabilities. This view of strategy has a coherence and integrative role that puts it well ahead of other mechanisms of strategic decision making. The olden strategy models such as Michael Porters five forces model concentrates on the firms external competitive environment. Most of them do not try to look inside the firm. Instead, the resource-based perspective shows the need for a fit among the external market context in which a firm works and its internal capabilities. In contrast to the Input / Output Model (I/O model), the resource-based view is grounded in the perspective that a companys internal environment, in terms of its resources and capabilities, is more crucial to the determination of strategic action compared to the external environment. The resource based view suggest that a companys rare resources and capabilities give the basis for a strategy instead of concentrating on the accumulation of resources necessary to implement the strategy dictated by conditions and constraints in the external environment (I/O model). The business strategy chosen should enable the company to best use its core competencies relative to chances in the external environment. The resource-based view of the firm might be useful to the field of strategic management. The big benefit of this theory was it motivated a dialogue between scholars from a lot of perspectives, which they described as good conversation. From then onwards, the strengths and weaknesses of the resource based view have been vigorously argued in strategic management and other management disciplines. There are lesser discussions regarding the resource based view done in the field of information systems. The resource based view is used in the information system field on a few occasions, yet there is no effort up to date to comprehensive evaluates their weaknesses and strengths. The resource-based view also stands that companies possess resources, a subset which allows them to reach competitive advantage and later on giving them long term superior performance. Many studies of performance from company using the resource based view have found differences within the industries. This recommends that the effects of individual, firm-specific resources on performance can be crucial. Valuable and rare resources and whose benefits can be sorted by the owning (or controlling) company giving it with a temporary competitive advantage. That strength can be maintained over longer time periods to the extent that the company can protect against resource imitation, transfer, or substitution. In other words, empirical studies using the theory have strongly supported the resource-based view. One of the key challenges of resource based view related is to understand the meaning of resource. Many people are interested in the resource based view and utilized a few different concepts to speak about a companys resources. This includes assets, stocks, competencies and skills. Such proliferation of terms is a problem for research utilizing resource based view because it is usually not clear what the researchers mean by key terminology. To make things simple, it is better to clarify the terms in a relevant way. Together, assets and capabilities define the set of resources available to the firm. Assets mean anything intangible or tangible that the firm can utilize for producing and creating in its process to a market. Assets can be taken as a input or output of a process. It can also be tangible and intangible. In other words, capabilities change inputs into outputs of greater worth. Capabilities includes processes and skills. Since years ago, there are big collections of contributions in the areas of strategic management and economics which find to change the term of resource based view or utilize it as a framework to solve empirical questions. Meanwhile, the basic propositions of resource based view have increased explained. In summary, the initial contribution of the RBV of the company to date has been as a concept of competitive advantage. The start is with an assumption which the wanted outcome of managerial effort within the company is sustainable competitive advantage. Achieving such a level enables the company to earn economic rents instead. This also concentrates on how the company achieve and maintain advantages. The resource based view argues that the answer to such question stays in the possession of important resources which have certain characteristics like barriers to duplication and value. A SCA can be achieved if the company effectively uses the resources in its product markets. Resource b ased view focuses the strategic choice, charging the companys management with the crucial tasks of developing, identifying and utilizing important resources to maximize returns. The resource based view will be discussed later in the following paragraphs and also followed by a conclusion. Article 1 Corporate Social Responsibility: A Resource-Based View of the Firm Mehdi Taghian, Deakin University This section reviews the application of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an intangible dynamic resource, its application in the formulation of marketing strategies and its association with business performance, using the theoretical framework of resource-based view of the firm (RBV). CSR focuses on what is termed the triple bottom line people, planet, profit (Capaldi, 2005). Supporters of CSR believe that it is compatible with the traditional goals of a business and in fact can enhance a business. These supporters assert that CSR must become an integral part of the wealth creation process. Therefore, if CSR is managed properly, it should enhance business competitiveness and maximize wealth creation value to society. Also, when the economy is facing challenging times like now, there is greater not lesser need to practice CSR. The benefits of CSR will be discussed in detail in subsequent paragraphs. CSR initiatives can be in many forms, depending on the company. Some focus solely on environmental issues but there is a move towards community-based development projects (Tench et al, 2007). These projects perform a variety of functions for people in rural areas such as providing education for children and equipping adults with job skills. Other CSR initiatives occur in the form of providing healthcare and awareness of diseases such as AIDS and malaria. Based on these companies annual reports and other publications, such initiatives seem to be successful (Vernon and Mackenzie, 2008). Therefore, companies are encouraged to embrace CSR to fulfil their roles as good corporate citizens. Even though governments have not enacted legislature compelling businesses to embrace CSR, the accounting fraternity has taken the lead by instituting accounting standards and guidelines that compel MNCs to adopt some aspects of CSR. The guidelines are on environmental and sustainable reporting and demonstrate how acting green can be incorporated into a companys accounting system (ODwyer, 2003). Some of the more notable guidelines and standards promoting CSR are AccountAbilitys AA1000 standard, Social Accountability Internationals SA8000 standard, ISO14000 Environmental Management Standard and Global Reporting Initiatives Sustainable Reporting Guidelines. These standards and others have increased the awareness among accountants for the need for good CSR and sustainable reporting. Stakeholder Theory The stakeholder theory considers the impact of expectations of the different stakeholder groups to determine CSR. This is expressed by Drucker in his views on business ethics in that management is ultimately responsible to itself and society at large. These sentiments were re-echoed later by Freeman (1984, cited in Enquist et al, 2006) who said it was not just a matter of social responsibility or business ethics, but ultimately the very survival of the company hinges on it. Stakeholders are groups from whom the organization has voluntarily accepted benefits, and to whom the organization has therefore incurred obligations of fairness (Galbreath, 2009). A firms traditional stakeholders are its shareholders, employees, creditors, customers and the government. However, the scope has been expanded in recent years to include non-governmental organizations and the community as a whole. CSR is utilized as a management tool for managing the information needs of the various powerful stakeholder groups and managers use CSR to manage or influence the most powerful stakeholders in order to gain their support which is vital for survival (Freeman et al, 200, cited in Gyves and OHiggins, 2008). The key issue here is identifying the concerns of the various stakeholder groups which are often different, and how to satisfy them. Hence, the corporation is driven to act in a more ethical manner to avoid antagonizing powerful stakeholders. Scholars have cited five major strategic responses to institutional pressure for CSR, which range from the timid to the hostile. The first strategy is to acquiesce, which is to accept CSR values, norms and rules for the organization. The second approach is to compromise by partially conforming to CSR requirements while modifying it to suit organizational needs. The third strategy is to avoid or resist all CSR initiatives while the fourth method is a more active form of resistance to CSR initiatives through outright defiance. The final approach is by manipulation, which is by attempting to change global CSR standards. As can be expected, the last approach can only be employed by the largest and most powerful corporations. Furthermore, a CSR strategy can be considered as a core intangible dynamic resource within the resource-based view of the firm (RVB). It can provide a general framework for decisions regarding the design and adoption of other organisational resources that collectively characterise their marketing approach and direction. Article 2 The resource-based view of the firm: Ten years after 1991.(Technical) Ten years ago, Jay Barney edited a special forum in this journal on the Resource-Based View of the Firm (Barney, 1991). In his article in the special issue, Barney argued that sustained competitive advantage derives from the resources and capabilities a firm controls that are valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable, and not substitutable. These resources and capabilities can be viewed as bundles of tangible and intangible assets, including a firms management skills, its organizational processes and routines, and the information and knowledge it controls. In the intervening decade, the diffusion of the resource-based view (RBV) in strategic management and related disciplines has been both dramatic and controversial and has involved considerable theoretical development and empirical testing. As such, it seemed timely to organize a new special issue that attempts to assess the past contributions of the RBV as well as presenting forward-looking extensions. Barneys 1991 article was positioned relative to the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) paradigm in economics. Revisiting this article, Barney (2001a) discusses the implications of linking the RBV to the neoclassical microeconomics and evolutionary economics literatures. Situating the RBV in relation to neoclassical microeconomics would have helped address issues concerning whether or not equilibrium analysis can be applied in resource-based analyses, whether the RBV is tautological, and identification of attributes of resources and capabilities that lead them to be inelastic in supply. Positioning the RBV against evolutionary economics would have helped develop arguments concerning how routines and capabilities change over time. Barney points out that all three perspectives have been developed over the last decade and provide a body of related yet distinct resource-based theoretical tools that can be applied in different ways in different contexts. Mahoney (2001) revisits Conners (1991) paper to provide an alternative perspective on the similarities and distinctions between RBV and transaction cost economics (TCE), questioning Conners argument that the fundamental difference is that the former focuses on the deployment and combination of specific inputs while the latter focuses on the avoidance of opportunism. Mahoney argues that to continue to develop the RBV with the assumption of no opportunism ignores key issues. With opportunism, the presence of the firm facilitates superior knowledge transplantation relative to the market because of superior coding, better control of opportunistic behavior due to the authority relationship and superior information. RBV and TCE are viewed as complementary because the former is a theory of firm rents whereas the latter is a theory of the existence of the firm. The set of market frictions that explain sustainable firm-level rents would be sufficient market frictions to explain the existence of the firm. The problem of opportunism, however, has also been closely associated with recent literature on corporate restructuring, to which we return below. Revisiting their managerial rents model, Castanias and Helfat (2001) present an expanded classification of managerial resources and explain how it relates to (1) other classifications of managerial abilities such as those dealing with leadership qualities or functional area experience and (2) the fundamental resource-based characteristics of scarcity, immobility, and inimitability. The implications of this model for firm performance, appropriability of rents from managerial resources, and incentives for managers to generate rents are then analyzed. The authors argue that managerial resources, which cannot be imitated quickly or which may have imperfect substitutes, do not by definition generate rents, especially if effort and motivation are lacking or misdirected. They also suggest that the nature of managerial resources may need to change with the life-cycle of the firm and the industry for rents to be generated. Article 3 Out of the many theories of organizational behavior, one aligns itself well with the human capital view of people within an organization. This theory, called the Resource Based View (RBV), suggests that the method in which resources are applied within a firm can create a competitive advantage (Barney, 1991; Mata, Fuerst, Barney, 1995; Peteraf, 1993; Wernerfert, 1984). The resource based view of firms is based on two main assumptions: resource diversity and resource immobility (Barney, 1991; Mata et al., 1995). According to Mata et al. (1995), these assumptions are defined as: Resource diversity (also called resource heterogeneity) pertains to whether a firm owns a resource or capability that is also owned by numerous other competing firms, then that resource cannot provide a competitive advantage. As an example of resource diversity, consider the following: a firm is trying to decide whether to implement a new IT product. This new product might provide a competitive advantage to the firm if no other competitors have the same functionality. If competing firms have similar functionality, then this new IT product doesnt pass the resource diversity test and therefore doesnt provide a competitive advantage. Resource immobility refers to a resource that is difficult to obtain by competitors because the cost of developing, acquiring or using that resource is too high. As an example of resource immobility, consider the following: a firm is trying to decide whether they should buy an off-the-shelf inventory control system or have one built specifically for their needs. If they buy an off-the-shelf system, they will have no competitive advantage over others in the market because their competition can implement the same system. If they pay for a customized solution that provides specific functionality that only they implement, then they will have a competitive advantage, assuming the same functionality isnt available in other products. These two assumptions can be used to determine whether an organization is able to create a sustainable competitive advantage by providing a framework for determining whether a process or technology provides a real advantage over the marketplace. The resource based view of the firm suggests that an organizations human capital management practices can contribute significantly to sustaining competitive advantage by creating specific knowledge, skills and culture within the firm that are difficult to imitate (Afiouni, 2007; Mata et al., 1995). In other words, by creating resource diversity (increasing knowledge and skills) and/or resource immobility (a culture that people want to work in), sustainable competitive advantage can be created and maintained. In order to create human capital resource diversity and immobility, an organization must have adequate human capital management practices, organizational processes, knowledge management practices and systems, educational opportunity (both formal and informal) and social interaction (i.e., community building) practices in place Conclusion Based on the empirical writings stated above RBV provides us the understanding that certain unique existing resources will result in superior performance and ultimately build a competitive advantage. Sustainability of such advantage will be determined by the ability of competitors to imitate such resources. However, the existing resources of a firm may not be adequate to facilitate the future market requirement due to volatility of the contemporary markets. There is a vital need to modify and develop resources in order to encounter the future market competition. An organisation should exploit existing business opportunities using the present resources while generating and developing a new set of resources to sustain its competitiveness in the future market environments, hence an organisation should be engaged in resource management and resource development. Their writings explain that in order to sustain the competitive advantage, its crucial to develop resources that will strengthen their ability to continue the superior performance. Any industry or market reflects high uncertainty and in order to survive and stay ahead of competition new resources becomes highly necessary. Morgan agrees stating that, need to update resources is a major management task since all business environments reflect highly unpredictable market and environmental conditions. The existing winning edge needed to be developed since various market dynamics may make existing value creating resources obsolete.