Critical Analysis - Article will be provided Lab Report

Critical Analysis - Article will be provided - Lab Report Example While space has been discussed in mainstream media outlets in programs like â€Å"Star Trek†, it can most definitely be said that the only real way to understand space in its true form would be to experience it for one’s self by experiencing the wonder of traveling to it. As Dr. Klein writes, â€Å"In 1998, at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Florida Philosophical Association, Dr. Roy Weatherford gave his Presidential Address, on the moral imperative of space travel. Weatherford argued that human lives are intrinsically valuable,† (Klein p.8). Dr. Weatherford himself goes on to make claims that most would call very controversial, even for his day. While some have argued for the need of population control through means of birth control and such, Dr. Weatherford on the other hand made claims to the extent that not only is it wrong in his view to champion birth control, but that the human race should strive for maximum reproduction. This sort of statement resembles the mindset of human dominance even above all else. One could argue that each found their stance to be valid and held their own individual ideas in high regard. It is very believable that space exploration would be of such great importance as it came to the advancement of the learning of mankind. As for Dr. Weatherford’s argument against the use of birth control, while this is something that has been argued before, in the end appears to have more of a religious undertone to it rather than the potential scientific discoveries and benefits of the initial argu ment made. Further examination of his argument in this case leads to the conclusion that not only is Dr. Weatherford arguing for the mass production of the human race, but that there is encouragement on his part for the idea of mass producing the human race not only as much as possible, but in as many places as possible. Dr. Klein would have to of thought this when he reviewed Dr. Weatherford’s statements for his own article. Rather than

A Summary Of Research On Job Retention & Turnover In Child Welfare Service Essay Example for Free

A Summary Of Research On Job Retention Turnover In Child Welfare Service Essay This article discusses job retention in social welfare. Smith (2004) raises a problem that cannot be dismissed lightly: â€Å"staff turnover in child welfare agencies† with estimated turnover rates within â€Å"23% to 85%† annually. Smith (2004) suggests â€Å"the need to explain, understand, and prevent it. † According to Smith (2004), various business environments have used models to explain employee turnover reflecting perceived organizational support and organizational commitment. Only a few studies applied this model when studying child welfare retention. Data was gathered from two surveys to test organizational support on job retention to include factors such as supervisor support, extrinsic rewards, and intrinsic job values. Smith collected data from child welfare staff on two occasions at various agencies to study job retention in child welfare. First, an in-person survey was given. A couple of months later, information was collected from the participating agencies to examine the percentage of individuals that remained employed at the agency. Twelve counties participated. Staff turnover rates were high in these areas of study. Smith (2004) measured organizational and job satisfaction, supervisor supportiveness and satisfaction, job tenure, workload, time use, and perceptions about job turnover and retention. Smith used the organizational support theory and work place exchange relationship to theoretically examine the perceived effects on job retention. The â€Å"work place exchange relationship†, stated by Smith (2004), looks into the relationship of a â€Å"frontline staff† and a direct supervisor. This relationship suggests that when subordinates perceive their supervisor to be supportive â€Å"they become more committed to the organization† (Smith, 2004) Smith (2004) considers the organizational establishment of arrangements that support work-life balance to be an important form of organizational support. This theory suggests that â€Å"workplace arrangements that facilitate work-life balance will promote employee commitment to the organization. † Another aspect of the organizational support theory is that it highlights the â€Å"roles of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards† in employees’ decision to stay with or to leave their employers. For instance, one study concluded that extrinsic rewards, like, benefits package, are important â€Å"motivator† whereas another study on intrinsic rewards found that the latter is a more powerful motivator than the former. (e. g. , Deci, 1971; Snelders Lea, 1996). The results of Smith’s study indicated that â€Å"extrinsic rewards such as the facilitation of life-work balance and supervisor support are associated with job retention, but reports of intrinsic job value or not†. According to Smith (2004), a social exchange framework is useful for understanding turnover and retention dynamics in child welfare organizations. In my personal view, I find one weakness of the research having â€Å"study measures. . . not standardized. † This makes the research less scientific and subject to criticisms from the scientific and business communities. On the other hand, I find the strength of the research in its confidence in declaring that its findings â€Å"can appropriately be generalized,† however, â€Å"only to high-turnover agencies in rural areas†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthus, the knowledge obtained from the research can be used by decision-makers in formulating and adopting certain policies on employee retention and turnover.

Skin to Skin Contact in Nursing

Skin to Skin Contact in Nursing Introduction Nowadays, separation of mothers from their newborn babies at delivery has become a usual practice despite the escalating evidence that this may have negative effects on the newborn. A growing volume of research supports skin to skin contact between the mother and the newborn in the immediate post-delivery period. Skin to skin contact is defined as placing the naked newborn baby, prone covered across the back with a warm blanket, on the mothers bare chest instantaneously following birth. A substantial number of studies showed that early skin to skin contact between the mother and the newborn is beneficial to the newborn. Some of the benefits of skin to skin contact include stabilization of the newborns body temperature through thermoregulation, regulation of heart rate and regulation of respiratory rate (Wallace Marshal, 2001). Additionally, early skin to skin contact facilitates the initiation of breastfeeding, helps neonatal thermoregulation and promotes maternal-infant bonding (Dabrowski, 2007; Wallace Marshal, 2001). Skin to skin contact may also ensure colonization of the baby with the mothers own skin flora, for which the child will have some resistance (Wallace Marshal, 2001). Despite its aforementioned benefits and despite the UNICEFs Baby Friendly best practice campaign which calls for early skin to skin contact, this practice is still not being implemented in the labor room in Bahrain. This can be due to lack of labor room nurses knowledge about the benefits of skin to skin contact. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the current knowledge level of labor room nurses about skin to skin contact. The problem statement is: what is the perception of labor room nurses towards skin to skin contact between mother and the newborn? The research questions are (1) what do labor room nurses know about skin to skin contact?, (2) what are the factors labor room nurses identify as barriers to implementation of skin to skin contact, (3) what are the factors labor room nurses identify as facilitators to implementation of skin to skin contact? Identifying knowledge level of labor room nurses will help in designing and implementing in-service education programs to educate nurses about the importance of skin to skin contact. Additionally, identifying the barriers and facilitators of skin to skin contact will help in designing interventions to decrease the barriers and increase the factors that will facilitate skin to skin contact. Increasing knowledge level of labor room nurses, decreasing the barriers and increasing the factors that facilitate skin to skin contact will help in increased implementation of skin to skin contact in the labor rooms in Bahrain. Conceptual definition: 1. Skin to skin contact: Placing the naked newborn on the mothers bare chest immediately after birth. 2. Knowledge: Information about skin to skin contact 3. Barriers: Factors that decrease the likelihood of implementing skin to skin contact 4. Facilitators: Factors that encourage the implementation of skin to skin contact Operational definition: 1. Skin to skin contact: placing the naked newborn baby, on his/her stomach covered across the back with a warm blanket, on the mothers bare chest for at least 15 minutes starting immediately after birth. 2. Knowledge: the amount of information labor room nurses have about how to implement skin to skin contact and the benefits of skin to skin contact. 3. Barriers: the factors that prevent labor room nurses from implementing skin to skin contact. 4. Facilitators: the factors that help labor room nurses to implement skin to skin contact. One limitation of this study was the difficulties we encountered in trying to meet with the key stakeholders. Their busy schedules prevented them from devoting enough time to understanding our study. Another limitation was the fact that our group could not meet as frequently as we would have liked. Carrying out as group had several limitations due to other commitments it was difficult to meet frequently.

Organizational Testing and Assessment Essay -- Human Resource Manageme

Many organizations use some descriptive tests in their development and recruitments of employees at all levels. This is common for persons applying for top management positions, as an error in recruitment will cause a significant impact in any organization. Tests for selection and recruitments assist a company to make an informed choice between candidates on their strength or weakness. In carrier, professional counseling candidates tests on their work values, interest, and preparedness in their new position. Some of the considerations made are the client’s interest, measured by strong interest inventory and use of carrier development inventories (Zunker, 2001). Experience has shown that the main barriers to improved organization practices are not technical rather than planning. This is associated in changing the management perception, overcoming peoples resistant to change and implementation of practical processes and management controls. Intelligence testing dwells on a candidate problem solving ability and mental sanity. The intelligence quotient though variable to different individuals is used. Intelligence manifests itself over the life span and includes the ability to logically reason, acquire, and apply knowledge, sound judgment, paying attention, use of initiations and attentiveness and ability to cope and make use of unfamiliar situations (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2010). For candidates who have a speech impediment, non-verbal assessment of ability or intelligence is used (Zunker, 2001). Intelligence definition is not definite but includes the capacity and ability to acquire and apply, exhibit sound judgment, to be intuitive and be able to cope with different situations and different circumstances. (Carroll, 2012). The factorial ... ...rs and human resources departments to make the right choices in achieving organization goals. The employer gets the best compatibility between jobs and employee. References Cohen, R. J., & Swerdlik, M. E. (2010). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Carroll, J.B. (2012). The Three-Stratum Theory of Cognitive Abilities: Contemporary Intellectual Assessment. New York: The Guilford Press. Matthews, G., Deary, I. J., & Whiteman, M. C. (2003). Personality Traits. London: Cambridge University Press. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (n.d), Performance Appraisal Process. Web. April 10, 2012. Retrieved from, http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/HR/performance-appraisal.html. Zunker, V. G. (2001). Career counseling: Applied concepts of life planning. (6th ed.). Pacific Grove , CA : Brooks/Cole.

Information Systems

Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate ND their products and services. One of the more popular topics that I have been asked how the information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services. In my point of views I think they have major three ways in which information technology has brought about a huge change in the way in which people conduct business in different parts of the world. One of the most important problem is â€Å"time† So the advantages of using technology is that time constraints are eliminated.Since updated information can be provided to the staff and existing or potential customers at remote locations on a real mime basis and more business can be done. Company can save much more money because they don't have to pay for their staff to travel to meet either customers or other executives. Meetings held through the Internet are as good as the traditional ones. In fact, companies also involve thei r customers in the meetings so that the products can be designed according to their needs.Since information from all parts of the world can collect and merged with the inventory management system of the company, the process of accepting orders and supplying the materials has become far more perfect. If the time taken between invoicing and shipment can decrease, customers will bind to much more satisfied. As more and more people start using the Internet for business and personal reasons, if companies don't adapt themselves and use the upcoming technologies, they will bound to fall behind. Today customers expect goods and services to be available 24 hours, seven days a week.E-commerce is a mode of business where the product is sold through the website of the company. This means that people do not have to step out of their homes to make purchases. Last but not the least whether you are a business to business or business to nonuser concern, you should make use of information technology to maximize pronto b) Describe the characteristics of a digital firm. A digital firm is a firm which nearly all of the organization's major business relationships with customer, supplier, and employee are digitally enabled.Axis business processes are accomplished through digital networks spanning the entire organization or linking multiple organizations. Business processes refer to the set of logically related tasks and behaviors that organizations develop over time to produce specific business results and the unique manner in which these activities are organized and coordinated. Digital firms involve both time shifting and space shifting. Time shifting refers to business being conducted continuously, rather than in narrow â€Å"work day† time bands of 9 a. M. To 5 p. M.Space shifting means that work takes place in a global workshop, as well as within national. Questions 2 a) List and describe the organization, management, and technology dimensions of information systems. 1 . Organization: The organization dimension of information systems concerns issues like the hierarchy of organization, culture, processes of business, functional specialties and political interest groups. 2. Management: The management dimension of information systems concerns issues like Job attitudes, staff training, and management behavior. 3.Technology: The technology dimension composes of computer software, hardware, data management technology and networking technology. B) Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy. Data vs.. Information Data which is a move of raw fact representing events occurring in the organization before the organization have been organized and arranged into a form that people can use and understand. Information which is a data that have been came a form that is meaningful and useful to human being. Information systems literacy vs.. Imputer literacy Information literacy is more care for create infor mation useful to an organization and its staff, on the other hand computer literacy satisfied the simple use of computer. As technology uses spread beyond traditional computer, information literacy enables staff and organization to gain an edge over their competition. Question 3 a) List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today. Six reasons about information systems are so important for business today include: 1. Operational excellence 2. New products, services, and business models 3.Customer and supplier intimacy 4. Improved decision making 5. Competitive advantage 6. Survival Information systems are the basis of conducting business. In 21st century, in many companies, survival and even existence without extensive use of IT is unimaginable, and IT plays a critical role in rising productivity. Although information technology has become a daily, when organization have complementary changes in , it can provide the basis for new product, servi ce, and ways of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage. ) Describe the esoterically perspective on information systems.Optimal organizational performance achieved by together optimizing both social and technical systems used in production can help them to avoid purely technological approach. So it can produce their product much more better. Question 4 a) Define business process and describe the role they play in organizations. Business process which is a use computer's logic to substitute staff to handle related set of activities; Business processes are the ways in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, knowledge to produce their valuable product or service.Business processes have four different areas. 1 . For the manufacturing and production area include product assembling, quality checking, and producing bills of materials. 2. For the sales and marketing area. Business processes include identifying customers, making customers aware of the product, and selling the product. 3. For finance and accounting, business processes includes paying creditors, creating financial statements, and managing cash accounts. 4. For human resources, business processes include hiring employees, evaluating Job performance of employees, and enrolling employees in benefits plans. Describe the relationship between information systems and business processes. Between information systems and business processes, their relationship is they can substitute each other. Whatever in management, finance, sales or marketing etc†¦ Question 5 a) Define collaboration and teamwork and explain why they have become so important in business today. Teamwork can raise productivity. Teamwork requires each team member to work together while allowing their individual interests to become a subordinate concern. As a result, team members focus on the goal at hand and contribute their knowledge, resources and skills to reaching the goal. Information Systems Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate ND their products and services. One of the more popular topics that I have been asked how the information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services. In my point of views I think they have major three ways in which information technology has brought about a huge change in the way in which people conduct business in different parts of the world. One of the most important problem is â€Å"time† So the advantages of using technology is that time constraints are eliminated.Since updated information can be provided to the staff and existing or potential customers at remote locations on a real mime basis and more business can be done. Company can save much more money because they don't have to pay for their staff to travel to meet either customers or other executives. Meetings held through the Internet are as good as the traditional ones. In fact, companies also involve thei r customers in the meetings so that the products can be designed according to their needs.Since information from all parts of the world can collect and merged with the inventory management system of the company, the process of accepting orders and supplying the materials has become far more perfect. If the time taken between invoicing and shipment can decrease, customers will bind to much more satisfied. As more and more people start using the Internet for business and personal reasons, if companies don't adapt themselves and use the upcoming technologies, they will bound to fall behind. Today customers expect goods and services to be available 24 hours, seven days a week.E-commerce is a mode of business where the product is sold through the website of the company. This means that people do not have to step out of their homes to make purchases. Last but not the least whether you are a business to business or business to nonuser concern, you should make use of information technology to maximize pronto b) Describe the characteristics of a digital firm. A digital firm is a firm which nearly all of the organization's major business relationships with customer, supplier, and employee are digitally enabled.Axis business processes are accomplished through digital networks spanning the entire organization or linking multiple organizations. Business processes refer to the set of logically related tasks and behaviors that organizations develop over time to produce specific business results and the unique manner in which these activities are organized and coordinated. Digital firms involve both time shifting and space shifting. Time shifting refers to business being conducted continuously, rather than in narrow â€Å"work day† time bands of 9 a. M. To 5 p. M.Space shifting means that work takes place in a global workshop, as well as within national. Questions 2 a) List and describe the organization, management, and technology dimensions of information systems. 1 . Organization: The organization dimension of information systems concerns issues like the hierarchy of organization, culture, processes of business, functional specialties and political interest groups. 2. Management: The management dimension of information systems concerns issues like Job attitudes, staff training, and management behavior. 3.Technology: The technology dimension composes of computer software, hardware, data management technology and networking technology. B) Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy. Data vs.. Information Data which is a move of raw fact representing events occurring in the organization before the organization have been organized and arranged into a form that people can use and understand. Information which is a data that have been came a form that is meaningful and useful to human being. Information systems literacy vs.. Imputer literacy Information literacy is more care for create infor mation useful to an organization and its staff, on the other hand computer literacy satisfied the simple use of computer. As technology uses spread beyond traditional computer, information literacy enables staff and organization to gain an edge over their competition. Question 3 a) List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today. Six reasons about information systems are so important for business today include: 1. Operational excellence 2. New products, services, and business models 3.Customer and supplier intimacy 4. Improved decision making 5. Competitive advantage 6. Survival Information systems are the basis of conducting business. In 21st century, in many companies, survival and even existence without extensive use of IT is unimaginable, and IT plays a critical role in rising productivity. Although information technology has become a daily, when organization have complementary changes in , it can provide the basis for new product, servi ce, and ways of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage. ) Describe the esoterically perspective on information systems.Optimal organizational performance achieved by together optimizing both social and technical systems used in production can help them to avoid purely technological approach. So it can produce their product much more better. Question 4 a) Define business process and describe the role they play in organizations. Business process which is a use computer's logic to substitute staff to handle related set of activities; Business processes are the ways in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, knowledge to produce their valuable product or service.Business processes have four different areas. 1 . For the manufacturing and production area include product assembling, quality checking, and producing bills of materials. 2. For the sales and marketing area. Business processes include identifying customers, making customers aware of the product, and selling the product. 3. For finance and accounting, business processes includes paying creditors, creating financial statements, and managing cash accounts. 4. For human resources, business processes include hiring employees, evaluating Job performance of employees, and enrolling employees in benefits plans. Describe the relationship between information systems and business processes. Between information systems and business processes, their relationship is they can substitute each other. Whatever in management, finance, sales or marketing etc†¦ Question 5 a) Define collaboration and teamwork and explain why they have become so important in business today. Teamwork can raise productivity. Teamwork requires each team member to work together while allowing their individual interests to become a subordinate concern. As a result, team members focus on the goal at hand and contribute their knowledge, resources and skills to reaching the goal. Information Systems Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate ND their products and services. One of the more popular topics that I have been asked how the information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services. In my point of views I think they have major three ways in which information technology has brought about a huge change in the way in which people conduct business in different parts of the world. One of the most important problem is â€Å"time† So the advantages of using technology is that time constraints are eliminated.Since updated information can be provided to the staff and existing or potential customers at remote locations on a real mime basis and more business can be done. Company can save much more money because they don't have to pay for their staff to travel to meet either customers or other executives. Meetings held through the Internet are as good as the traditional ones. In fact, companies also involve thei r customers in the meetings so that the products can be designed according to their needs.Since information from all parts of the world can collect and merged with the inventory management system of the company, the process of accepting orders and supplying the materials has become far more perfect. If the time taken between invoicing and shipment can decrease, customers will bind to much more satisfied. As more and more people start using the Internet for business and personal reasons, if companies don't adapt themselves and use the upcoming technologies, they will bound to fall behind. Today customers expect goods and services to be available 24 hours, seven days a week.E-commerce is a mode of business where the product is sold through the website of the company. This means that people do not have to step out of their homes to make purchases. Last but not the least whether you are a business to business or business to nonuser concern, you should make use of information technology to maximize pronto b) Describe the characteristics of a digital firm. A digital firm is a firm which nearly all of the organization's major business relationships with customer, supplier, and employee are digitally enabled.Axis business processes are accomplished through digital networks spanning the entire organization or linking multiple organizations. Business processes refer to the set of logically related tasks and behaviors that organizations develop over time to produce specific business results and the unique manner in which these activities are organized and coordinated. Digital firms involve both time shifting and space shifting. Time shifting refers to business being conducted continuously, rather than in narrow â€Å"work day† time bands of 9 a. M. To 5 p. M.Space shifting means that work takes place in a global workshop, as well as within national. Questions 2 a) List and describe the organization, management, and technology dimensions of information systems. 1 . Organization: The organization dimension of information systems concerns issues like the hierarchy of organization, culture, processes of business, functional specialties and political interest groups. 2. Management: The management dimension of information systems concerns issues like Job attitudes, staff training, and management behavior. 3.Technology: The technology dimension composes of computer software, hardware, data management technology and networking technology. B) Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy. Data vs.. Information Data which is a move of raw fact representing events occurring in the organization before the organization have been organized and arranged into a form that people can use and understand. Information which is a data that have been came a form that is meaningful and useful to human being. Information systems literacy vs.. Imputer literacy Information literacy is more care for create infor mation useful to an organization and its staff, on the other hand computer literacy satisfied the simple use of computer. As technology uses spread beyond traditional computer, information literacy enables staff and organization to gain an edge over their competition. Question 3 a) List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today. Six reasons about information systems are so important for business today include: 1. Operational excellence 2. New products, services, and business models 3.Customer and supplier intimacy 4. Improved decision making 5. Competitive advantage 6. Survival Information systems are the basis of conducting business. In 21st century, in many companies, survival and even existence without extensive use of IT is unimaginable, and IT plays a critical role in rising productivity. Although information technology has become a daily, when organization have complementary changes in , it can provide the basis for new product, servi ce, and ways of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage. ) Describe the esoterically perspective on information systems.Optimal organizational performance achieved by together optimizing both social and technical systems used in production can help them to avoid purely technological approach. So it can produce their product much more better. Question 4 a) Define business process and describe the role they play in organizations. Business process which is a use computer's logic to substitute staff to handle related set of activities; Business processes are the ways in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, knowledge to produce their valuable product or service.Business processes have four different areas. 1 . For the manufacturing and production area include product assembling, quality checking, and producing bills of materials. 2. For the sales and marketing area. Business processes include identifying customers, making customers aware of the product, and selling the product. 3. For finance and accounting, business processes includes paying creditors, creating financial statements, and managing cash accounts. 4. For human resources, business processes include hiring employees, evaluating Job performance of employees, and enrolling employees in benefits plans. Describe the relationship between information systems and business processes. Between information systems and business processes, their relationship is they can substitute each other. Whatever in management, finance, sales or marketing etc†¦ Question 5 a) Define collaboration and teamwork and explain why they have become so important in business today. Teamwork can raise productivity. Teamwork requires each team member to work together while allowing their individual interests to become a subordinate concern. As a result, team members focus on the goal at hand and contribute their knowledge, resources and skills to reaching the goal.

Running Head

Running Head: Television Program AnalysisAnalysis of Childrens Television Program The childrens television program that I reviewed was Doug, a cartoon focusing on a school age boy and his daily experiences. My 9-year-old daughter watches this program frequently, she knew all the regular characters by name and knew their personalities. She suggested this program for my homework assignment. This episode begins with Doug in his room at home listening to the radio and cleaning out his closet, while his best friend Skeeter (his skin is green!) looks on. Doug finds his old lucky hat and immediately puts it on claiming he will again be lucky because of the hat. The radio station announces a prize to the fifteenth caller and Skeeter urges Doug to call now that he has his lucky hat on. Doug calls the radio station amidst grumbles of never winning these contests, when he is announced as the fifteenth caller and the winner. Dougs mother enters the room, carrying a pair of x-ray gogg les she found in the laundry. Doug states he lost them 2 months ago, and it is because of the lucky hat that his luck is on the rise. Doug then imagines he is the first rock star President of the United States, he is surrounded by his friends and admired by his erstwhile girlfriend Patty. This could be considered delusions of grandeur, or simply preadolescent daydreams. The next morning at school Patty loses her science project, a guinea pig. Doug and Skeeter help Patty search for the lost pet. During the search Dougs hat blows off and he chases it through the school into the cafeteria where the guinea pig is found. Accomplishing this task is an example of industry vs. inferiority, these school age children have learned skills and developed a sense of self, which allows them to see thems

Essay on Vikram Patel Mental Health

Essay on Vikram Patel Mental Health Essay on Vikram Patel: Mental Health Essay on Vikram Patel: Mental HealthAfter watching Ted Talks â€Å"Vikram Patel: Mental Health for All by Involving All†, it is possible to assess the effectiveness of SUNDAR. Vikram Patel, a well-known psychiatrist with a primary interest in mental health issues, has identified mental health illness as a serious problem in developing countries. The scope of the problem is really large because mental illness can kill people through suicide. According to statistical data, suicide is at the top if the list of the major causes of death in young people in all countries of the world. Besides, mental illness is the major cause of disability around the world. Mental illnesses count 15 % of all illnesses at the global level. Mental illnesses have a negative impact on the lives of all people. In addition, there is an incredible diversity of mental illnesses, including depression, psychosis and other illnesses and conditions. From a global point of view, it is very important to address this problem in a proper way. It is crucial to effectively use the knowledge we have to treat mentally ill people. I think that SUNDAR would be effective method to expand the treatment of mental illness in developed countries such as the United States. SUNDUR stands for â€Å"attractive† in Hindi. It involves 5 key lessons: simplify the message, unpack the treatment, deliver healthcare where there are affordable and available human resources in local communities, and relocate specialists to provide training and supervision. One of the examples of how SUNDAR can be used in American society is to use this approach in local poor communities. This approach can empower people to provide assistance to others who are in need of psychological support and professional healthcare assistance. Relating this to how a social worker can play a role in implementing SUNDAR, it is necessary to give supervision functions to a social worker because ordinary people involved in SUNDAR practices ne ed training and control.

The eNotes Blog Pro-Tips to Make the Most Out of Your High SchoolYears

Pro-Tips to Make the Most Out of Your High SchoolYears Back-to school is upon us and, for many students, entering/returning to high school can be an intimidating and overwhelming situation. But the reality is, its a place where we spend four vital years learning, making new friends, and finding ourself. As a high-school graduate in 2012, I have some fresh perspective  so you can make sure your high school years are nothing short of rewarding, stress-free, and memorable. Freshmen Keep your mind open and try new things. Its hereand youre probably freaking out.  You might be  entering  a new school  with at least 10x the amount of people than youre used to, and thats scary!  Initial thoughts might be I hardly know anyone, but see  this as an opportunity to befriend new people who might  become life-long friends. How? Join an extra curricular activity or sit at a new table for lunch once a week. Youll quickly find people with  similar interests and passions,  who enjoy the same activities that you do. And your classmates are  probably as nervous as you are, even if they put on a confident face. Taking the initiative to introduce yourself and learn more about your classmates will probably be met with relief and excitement.   If your school doesnt offer a club or activity that you think would be successful, start your own! In fact, colleges look for students who are willing to be involved and have a strong role in leadership. So you could chalk it up as a friend  and  resume builder. Sophomores All-nighters are unnecessary evils and if youre the first to get a car, you just became a chauffeur. Classes start getting more intense  this year, and its important to start honing good study practices. Youll quickly learn that working on assignments in advance or studying small bits at a time, rather than cramming it all in, is more beneficial for you (and your grades) in the long run. After experiencing  an all-nighter (which usually happens from poor planning), youll likely find yourself exhausted the next day and not retaining a lot of last nights cram session.  Reviewing (not cramming) your notes and flashcards the night and morning before  a test is a great way to keep  the high-level concepts fresh in your mind. Youre also at the age where your parents are probably tired of driving you around. You may think youll want to be the first to get a car (freedom!!), but youll quickly realize being a chauffeur isnt all that great. Getting a car means endless  texts of Do you want to go to_________?  (Translation:  Do you want to go to _________  and  drive us there?).  Its not the worst idea to hold off a few months on getting a car right away. Youll thank yourself later when the majority of your friends have their own, and you can be that aforementioned texter  (just maybe offer to chip in for gas every now and then). Juniors Senioritis is a real thing (its coming) and college rejections arent the end of the world. Youve heard everyone talk about senioritis, but youve yet to  experience it. Key word: yet. If youre unfamiliar, its  this horrible affliction  where you slump around with absolutely no motivation to do just about anything; you know how much  work you have to do and how much time you have  to do it, but the motivation escapes you.  Start to ward off bad habits now. Use a planner to keep yourself  organized and on task. Get in the habit of  doing a little bit of an assignment here and there so you dont find yourself easily overwhelmed. Practice realistic time-management and give yourself the proper time it takes to focus on your  assignments. Speaking of time management: college applications can be very demandingand once youve turned them in, its just as stressful waiting to hear back. Sometimes the news isnt always ideal or what we had in mind, and thats okay!  Have a back-up plan  and youll soon realize, as you progress through your career, that your hard work and experience will outweigh  your alma matter. In my anecdotal experience, you will find yourself loving your attended university a lot more than you thought you would.  As they saywhen one  door closes, another opens! Seniors Prom is definitely worth it and you only graduate from high school once. Believe it or not, prom does lives up to the hype, but the thought of asking someone (or getting asked) to prom can evoke a case of the butterflies. Its important to be confident  and, ladies, it is perfectly okay to be the one to ask someone to Prom (take it from me!). You dont need to wait around stressing yourself out for him/her to ask youjust do it yourself! After I finally got the courage to  ask my date to Prom, I was SO thankful I did. Not only did he say yes, but I was getting to go with who I really wanted to, and thats what makes prom night memorableenjoying your company. Graduation is the cherry on top of your high school experience.  Its an important milestone in your educational journey, and you made it. Now youre probably asking yourselfwhat comes next? Maybegaining more independence? Prepping for college? Starting a full-time job? Determining what happens after graduation can be overwhelming and stressful (just like it was entering high school), but the possibilities are endless. This is now your time to shape the life you desire. Youre gaining additional responsibilities and arriving into adulthood. But youve made it this farwhere will you go next?

Media Release Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media Release - Article Example The major aim of the action is to let the people speak out on the problem, so Warriors will be telling their stories and sharing their view of the problem with public in different cities of Australia. Two speakers, representatives of Pacific Climate Warriors, will deliver their speeches pointing how climate change affects their mundane life. A local campaigner will also tell about the work that is done and can be done by everyone at homes. The events will be held in a form of lecture but public will have an opportunity to engage in the discussion. The purpose of the speech is to attract more Australian dwellers to the movement and to the open acknowledgement of the problem. The speaking events, as the core of the action, will also include small performances representing local culture with the help of dance and singing. 350 international climate change movement represented by Pacific Warriors in this action has an influential and powerful message regarding negative consequences of the climate change, that needs to be delivered to the public. First of all, this action is symbolic for Pacific region inhabitants who will cooperate to acknowledge and voice the problem of climate change that threatens their environment. Secondly, As the 350 organization is not well known to an average Australian, this action is aimed to make it closer and provide people with clear and concise message regarding climate change. It will help them to understand whom to refer to for help and support regarding this environmental problem. Third, sharing personal people`s stories will bring the problem on the new reachable distance and will become visible on the highest level of authorities. As long as it concerns real people, climate change evokes more attention and actions worldwide. It is important that the inhabitants of Pa cific states will address to G20 leaders in order to ask for putting the problem to

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 102

Assignment Example The Royal British Museum obviously hopes to attract the tourist interested in history and in learning about Canada’s cultural background. Niagara Falls would be more appropriate for families with children as well as adults who want to enjoy a beautiful view. The Museum of Anthropology is a more specialized experience and is an aboriginal experience. As one of Canada’s most significant buildings The Museum of Anthropology’s (About†¦) archaeological beauty and world class collections are showcased, the Museum is Canada’s largest teaching museum. Niagara Falls is a natural attraction that has been visited for more than a hundred years though it has in recent years become a huge attraction for commercial tourism which is a contrast to niche marketing. Mass marketing aims to reach all spectrums of tourist. Niche tourism could be divided into further specialized areas such as rural-Field Stone Vineyards in Alberta, a local Canadian restaurant as part of a gastronomy experience or a sports theme tourist attraction. Obviously these niche markets can be further specialized according to type of wine produced, type of restaurant food, and specific sport. Small scale operations more closely fit with the tailored specifics of niche tourism and the definition has taken on a more common sense meaning, related directly to how specific of a target attractions or any other product are aiming for. Novelli, M. (2005). Amazon.com: Niche Tourism: Contemporary issues, trends and cases (9780750661331): Marina Novelli: Books. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from

American History between 1820-1920 Research Paper

American History between 1820-1920 - Research Paper Example The paper shall analyze aspects related to art and culture, business and economy, books and literature and immigration and migration (Barney). 1820-1830: This decade holds immense significance because it marked the start of a new era in politics. It was the decade of growth as a country and progress in politics. The decade saw the formation of the democratic and the national republican parties. Furthermore, it was also famous for being the time when the first woman was nominated for the presidency. There was progress in fields of art, literature, and the economy during this period as well. Economic and Business Activities: The federal land law was passed in 1820, which led to expansion into new territories as settlers could now purchase 80 acres of land for $1.25/acre. Enormous advancements in trade routes including rail lines and river routes helped the expansion of trade and commerce between new territories and established communities. The decade also saw the growth of gateway citi es such as Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Chicago providing urban markets that tied the new territories to the Atlantic states. Art and Architecture: The 1820s saw the starting of the revival of the American Greek style and federal style of art. The statue of George Washington was sculptured by an Italian named Antonio Canova. The widespread demand for portraiture helped sustain American art. The wealthy valued portraits and spent sums of money on them. Some of the beneficiaries of this spending spree included Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Sully (Barney). Books and Literature: Irving and Cooper were the most revered literary individuals of the decade. The readers grew in pride during the decade, which was a major reason why Cooper’s literature became popular. A good illustration of the love affair for that form of literature is the novel American Hero which sets America as an individual country, culturally different from England. The romantic treatment of Indians was another famous and loved literary theme of the decade (Jones). Immigration and Migration: The province of Tejas in Mexico saw the formation of the first Anglo American settlement in the aftermath of the panic of 1819. The federal government began the practice of collecting statistics of immigration by 1820 and estimates suggest that 151,000 new residents entered the United States during this decade. The majority of these residents hailed from the British Isles followed by individuals from Germany. The surge in foreign born residents had an impact on American politics. The democrats, who were considered to be friendly towards immigrants, gained an upper hand with the same (Jones). 1830-1840: This decade saw the passing of laws that granted married women the right to own property. Books of immense prominence and legacy were printed, included Book of Mormon and Nature. Texas gained independence from Mexico and several other events occurred that made this decade one of immense importance in Americaâ €™s History (Rozek). Arts and Architecture: The Hudson River artists continued to grow. These artists included Thomas Cole, George Innes and Thomas Doughty. The fancy chairs also emerged as 8200 American makers created fancy chairs in Robert Adam, Sheraton, Directoire and Empire styles. The decade also saw the inception of the idea of the Grace Church by James Renwick (Athearn). Economy and Business: The steamboats were introduced during the decade as goods travelling to the west of St. Louis were

Labour law and labour market regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Labour law and labour market regulation - Essay Example In the case of Wiltshire County Council v NATFHE and Guy, the court was faced with the question of determining whether a part-time contract was for a fixed period or not. It involved Ms Guy who was employed at s a teacher and attended some teaching lessons but later the course was removed due to reasons such as under subscription amongst others leaving her without employment. When her contract was not renewed she complained of being dismissed unfairly claiming that she was protected by the Employment Protection Act 1978 which in its strict interpretation envisaged that hers was a fixed term contract The appeal court held that her contract was for a fixed term and the contract subsisted even if she had been technically dismissed. Stating that a fixed contract is one in which there was a defined beginning and end. Therefore, basing on the Wiltshire case, Joe can claim unfair dismissal on grounds of discrimination after which the case will be taken to a tribunal for determination This therefore means that there are certain provisions that must be met that include giving the employee the mandatory notice period required in order to terminate the contract and the steps to be followed in the termination process. 2 The employer can only terminate the contract for reasons amongst them non-performance of duties, job elimination and misrepresentation amongst other reasons and must be written in a statement to the employee.3 The employer is therefore required to pay their employees there severance pay or any other form of financial consideration that may be entitled to the employee. The termination of the employment of Joe must not be based on discriminatory reasons and therefore in any sort of remedy sought; the courts of law will determine the reasons for the termination of the employment. If Joe had an individual contract with his employer or was covered by a collective bargaining agreement, his remedies and compensation will be covered under the stipulations of t hat agreement that subsisted before the termination of the contract. In a jurisdiction such as that of the United Kingdom, the courts or the tribunals can hear the cases brought for wrongful termination of the contract of employment. If proven that the contract of employment between Joe and that of his employer was wrongfully terminated, the court has remedies that it can give Joe.4 One remedy available to Joe is that he can be reinstated back to the position or job he held previously before termination of the employment. The courts may also order for monetary compensation to Joe for the wrongful dismissal that will be calculated commensurate with what he previously earned.5 Question 1 (b) Dismissing an employee who has had a long-term history of illness or sickness is one of the major difficult decisions employers have to make when considering terminating the employment of a sick employee in the United Kingdom.6 An employer is entitled to dismiss but fairly an employee who is absen t from duty due to sickness that may be long-term in nature but there is a caveat that they must demonstrate that they have acted in a fair, sensitive manner.7 This means that

Quotation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quotation - Essay Example Why else would our government continue to allow tax breaks and subsidies to oil companies? These companies certainly do not need subsidies, yet they continue to get them. In the meantime, there are many poor people who rely on basic government services, and see these services being cut, year after year. It angers me that the money that is given to oil companies could be used for much better causes, and this is just one glaring example. Our health system is broken, in part because of the big lobbying money that is given by the health care industry and, especially, the pharmaceutical companies. Our Congress will not raise taxes on the wealthy, because of all the money that the wealthy gives these congressional representatives and senators to make sure that this doesn't happen. Sure, on the surface, we live in a democracy, but when one really gets down to it, we really don't – we increasingly live in a country that is by the wealthy and for the wealthy. As for the rest of the quo te, it does seem like this envisions a country that is a little bit less complex than our society. For instance, this quote talks about there being equal justice to all and alike. This might be true in some areas, not so much true in others. It is a common fact that African Americans represent, proportionally, a high percentage of our prison population, so this implies that justice is not always equal. Distinguished citizens might prefer public service, but they often do not, preferring to work for profit just like anybody else might. Poverty is an obstacle to advancement in this country, although there are some who work their way up from poverty, this is true. But if a person is in poverty, that person does have much longer odds in making it in this world than people who are not in poverty. They do not have the same educational opportunities, they do not have the advantage of a stable home many times, and they face prejudice and discrimination in their lives often because of who th ey are. So, while a man â€Å"may benefit his country whatever the obscurity of his condition,† this is often not true, more often than not. The quote that states that we are not angry with our neighbor if he does what he likes might be true in some cases - there certainly are a good share of people who are â€Å"live and let live† types. But there are others who make everybody else's business their own - if this were not true, then we would have gay marriage in all 50 states. Moreover, part of the quote implies that â€Å"we are prevented from doing wrong by respect for the authorities and the laws.† This is true for some, but certainly not true for all. This country certainly has its share of lawlessness, and this is true for most people - every time a person speeds in his or her car, they are technically breaking the law, and there is certainly crime that is rampant in this country as well. In short, this quote assumes that there is some kind of perfect count ry. Our country isn't perfect. It's messy, people commit crimes, others have to be in others' businesses, and there isn't enough attention to the poor. That said, this quote may also be seen as true for a certain percentage of the population, so this quote is not entirely true, nor entirely false. The next quote that will be examined will be quote number 10. This is that all men are created equal and they are endowed by

Creation Myths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Creation Myths - Essay Example God then created a beautiful garden Eden so that Adam could live in it. God then brought animals into the garden so that Adam can name them. So it was Adam, who was the first human being, responsible for naming the animals. Since Adam was the sole human being on earth he was given the power to dominate the animals. However, seeing his loneliness and lack of company God created the first woman and named him Eve. Adam and Eve were given the power to control everything on earth that was created from dirt. There was a tree in the center of the garden. Adam and Eve were forbidden by God to touch it. One day a snake entered the garden and tempted Eve to eat a fruit from the tree. The tree was known as the knowledge tree and provided knowledge to distinguish between the good and the evil. By eating the fruit Adam and Eve committed the first sin of disobedience. They failed to obey the order of God and this instilled in their minds a sense of guilt. When God asked Adam if he has eaten the fr uit he put the blame on Eve. â€Å"And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate†. (Troyer, 2007, p.105) Similarly Eve blamed the snake for her own act of disobedience. â€Å"And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate†. ... The first living creature appeared when Ra who was the Egyptian sun god was born out of an egg. He had many names and they symbolize different positions of the sun. He was â€Å"Aten (sun disk), Khepri (the rising sun), Ra (supreme god of Heliopolis), and Atum (the setting sun)†. (The Egyptian Religion and Creation Myth, n.d., p.35) Egypt is a land of â€Å"eternal sunshine† and so it was natural for them to symbolize the sun god as the creator of the universe. The human beings were created from the eye of Ra. The eye got lost and Ra could not find it. His son Shu and daughter Tefnut went to fetch it but failed. There was a struggle between them which caused the eye to shed tears. Human beings were born from the tears. Therefore the eye of Ra symbolizes life. â€Å"The act of bringing the eye back to the creator was equivalent to healing the earth – the restoration of right and order†. (The Egyptian Religion and Creation Myth, n.d., p.33) Ra’s son S hu represented dry air while daughter Tefnut represented moisture. Together they are symbolized in the Egyptian culture as life and justice. In both the mythologies it was the male who first created. Adam and Ra were both representatives of the male. In both cases there is the event of sibling murder. In Egyptian mythology Set killed his brother Osiris while in the Genesis Cain killed his brother and in both cases the reason was jealousy. What role does sex play? After God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, God brought all the animals into the garden and authorized Adam to name them. So it was Adam who named the animals and not Eve. This authority was given to man by God and so it is more a man’s duty than a woman to fulfill the command of God. Since Adam was created before Eve and so

Labour law and labour market regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Labour law and labour market regulation - Essay Example In the case of Wiltshire County Council v NATFHE and Guy, the court was faced with the question of determining whether a part-time contract was for a fixed period or not. It involved Ms Guy who was employed at s a teacher and attended some teaching lessons but later the course was removed due to reasons such as under subscription amongst others leaving her without employment. When her contract was not renewed she complained of being dismissed unfairly claiming that she was protected by the Employment Protection Act 1978 which in its strict interpretation envisaged that hers was a fixed term contract The appeal court held that her contract was for a fixed term and the contract subsisted even if she had been technically dismissed. Stating that a fixed contract is one in which there was a defined beginning and end. Therefore, basing on the Wiltshire case, Joe can claim unfair dismissal on grounds of discrimination after which the case will be taken to a tribunal for determination This therefore means that there are certain provisions that must be met that include giving the employee the mandatory notice period required in order to terminate the contract and the steps to be followed in the termination process. 2 The employer can only terminate the contract for reasons amongst them non-performance of duties, job elimination and misrepresentation amongst other reasons and must be written in a statement to the employee.3 The employer is therefore required to pay their employees there severance pay or any other form of financial consideration that may be entitled to the employee. The termination of the employment of Joe must not be based on discriminatory reasons and therefore in any sort of remedy sought; the courts of law will determine the reasons for the termination of the employment. If Joe had an individual contract with his employer or was covered by a collective bargaining agreement, his remedies and compensation will be covered under the stipulations of t hat agreement that subsisted before the termination of the contract. In a jurisdiction such as that of the United Kingdom, the courts or the tribunals can hear the cases brought for wrongful termination of the contract of employment. If proven that the contract of employment between Joe and that of his employer was wrongfully terminated, the court has remedies that it can give Joe.4 One remedy available to Joe is that he can be reinstated back to the position or job he held previously before termination of the employment. The courts may also order for monetary compensation to Joe for the wrongful dismissal that will be calculated commensurate with what he previously earned.5 Question 1 (b) Dismissing an employee who has had a long-term history of illness or sickness is one of the major difficult decisions employers have to make when considering terminating the employment of a sick employee in the United Kingdom.6 An employer is entitled to dismiss but fairly an employee who is absen t from duty due to sickness that may be long-term in nature but there is a caveat that they must demonstrate that they have acted in a fair, sensitive manner.7 This means that

Creation Myths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Creation Myths - Essay Example God then created a beautiful garden Eden so that Adam could live in it. God then brought animals into the garden so that Adam can name them. So it was Adam, who was the first human being, responsible for naming the animals. Since Adam was the sole human being on earth he was given the power to dominate the animals. However, seeing his loneliness and lack of company God created the first woman and named him Eve. Adam and Eve were given the power to control everything on earth that was created from dirt. There was a tree in the center of the garden. Adam and Eve were forbidden by God to touch it. One day a snake entered the garden and tempted Eve to eat a fruit from the tree. The tree was known as the knowledge tree and provided knowledge to distinguish between the good and the evil. By eating the fruit Adam and Eve committed the first sin of disobedience. They failed to obey the order of God and this instilled in their minds a sense of guilt. When God asked Adam if he has eaten the fr uit he put the blame on Eve. â€Å"And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate†. (Troyer, 2007, p.105) Similarly Eve blamed the snake for her own act of disobedience. â€Å"And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate†. ... The first living creature appeared when Ra who was the Egyptian sun god was born out of an egg. He had many names and they symbolize different positions of the sun. He was â€Å"Aten (sun disk), Khepri (the rising sun), Ra (supreme god of Heliopolis), and Atum (the setting sun)†. (The Egyptian Religion and Creation Myth, n.d., p.35) Egypt is a land of â€Å"eternal sunshine† and so it was natural for them to symbolize the sun god as the creator of the universe. The human beings were created from the eye of Ra. The eye got lost and Ra could not find it. His son Shu and daughter Tefnut went to fetch it but failed. There was a struggle between them which caused the eye to shed tears. Human beings were born from the tears. Therefore the eye of Ra symbolizes life. â€Å"The act of bringing the eye back to the creator was equivalent to healing the earth – the restoration of right and order†. (The Egyptian Religion and Creation Myth, n.d., p.33) Ra’s son S hu represented dry air while daughter Tefnut represented moisture. Together they are symbolized in the Egyptian culture as life and justice. In both the mythologies it was the male who first created. Adam and Ra were both representatives of the male. In both cases there is the event of sibling murder. In Egyptian mythology Set killed his brother Osiris while in the Genesis Cain killed his brother and in both cases the reason was jealousy. What role does sex play? After God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, God brought all the animals into the garden and authorized Adam to name them. So it was Adam who named the animals and not Eve. This authority was given to man by God and so it is more a man’s duty than a woman to fulfill the command of God. Since Adam was created before Eve and so

The purpose of Johns Gospel Essay Example for Free

The purpose of Johns Gospel Essay To tell the truths about Jesus rather than recount the facts of his life. Critically examine and evaluate this claim concerning the purpose of the author of the Fourth Gospel. There are several alternative views about the purpose of Johns Gospel. I plan to examine the view that it was written to tell truths about Jesus, and discuss its likelihood within the context of some of the other theories. In order to assess this view of the gospels purpose, it is necessary to discuss for whom John was writing, as his purpose will hinge upon his audience. If he was writing so his audience could see and have faith in Jesus then he may well have been writing for unbelievers. Karl Bornhauer has proposed that the gospel was written as a straightforward missionary tract for unbelieving Jews. Only Jews, he claims, would have understood the document, because it is preoccupied with Jewish matters and omits any reference to the institution of the Christian rites of Baptism and the Lords Supper. In its final edition, the gospel was written in Greek, possibly because this is what Hellenistic Jews spoke. On these grounds, the gospel was written to convince Jews of the Christian claim that Jesus is the Messiah. Robinson agrees with this view but Smalley thinks that by the time this gospel was written, the Christian mission to Israel was largely over. The Jews featured in the gospel are Jesus enemies, not potential Christians while some believe in him (12:11) the majority are responsible for his death. Johns attitude to them would therefore have been polemical not missionary. This seems like a relevant view, also, because it is doubtful that John would have succeeding in converting these Jews by casting them into the role of Jesus enemies; he would merely have alienated them. Therefore I do not believe Johns Gospel was written to convert unbelieving Jews. Another theory, from Raymond Brown, is that John was addressing Diaspora Jewish-Christians; Greek speaking Jews already converted to Christianity, or those torn between their faith in Jesus and their loyalty to Judaism. They were mistrusted and seen as subversive to the law, and attempts were made to exclude them from the synagogue. The polemic against Jews would not apply to them, and the authors emphasis on Jesus as the Messiah and as the fulfilment of all the Jewish feasts and institutions would be a strength to their faith if they were allowed to remain in the synagogue, and an encouragement to them if they were forced to withdraw. There are three references to being put out of the synagogue in Johns Gospel, and two instances of those who overcame their fear of the Jews, and even at risk of expulsion from the synagogue, publicly acknowledged Jesus (the blind man, and Joseph of Arimathea). Jesus is also portrayed positively, attending festivals. Brown concludes that John is inviting Jewish-Christians in the synagogues of the Diaspora to follow the example of such people. However, despite the fact there is internal evidence to support this, it is unlikely these were the sole intended recipients. Smalley suggests that the gospel could also have been written for Christians, to challenge their faith, to encourage their belief and to help them grow into the Christian way of life. There is nothing exclusive about the gospel; its perspective is infinitely wide, and it may well have been intended for all Christians everywhere. It is, however, also possible that John was writing for a particular group around him, because his gospel was originally anchored in a real life situation which helped to shape its tradition, and caused its publication. Smalley thinks the Johannine church was made up of many disparate groups of people suffering under the Romans persecution. These groups included Judaisers, ex-heretics, ex Gnostics, those from Gentile and Jewish backgrounds and ex-pagans, but all were followers of the beloved disciple, and the purpose of writing a gospel for all of these people would be to reconcile them, and thus show the universality of Christianity. C H Dodd and C K Barrett are the two scholars most associated with the belief that John is a work of evangelism. The gospel itself states that it contains an evangelical purpose: so that you may believe Jesus is the Christ (20:31). Thus its main purpose would be to persuade people to grow in faith, (which is a different thing from belief). A discussion between Jesus and Thomas (20:26-28) seems to emphasise this Thomas sees because he believes. Jesus is saying that without actually seeing him on earth, faith is a spiritual perception. Thomas needs to see reality. This theme is running through the gospel, the light and dark imagery symbolising seeing faith, and demonstrating that Jesus is the light of the world and the source of eternal life. So, Smalley concludes that the gospel was written so that its readers could find out truths about Jesus and believe he is the life-giving Messiah (v 31). Dodd thinks the gospel is written in two parts, chapters 2 11 being the signs, and 12 20 b eing the passion. Thus Jesus is shown being glorified. It has been suggested that the gospel is a polemic or an apology, and according to Bultmann, one against the Baptist sect. Its main purpose would be to demonstrate the inferiority of John the Baptist to Jesus. John the Baptist is described only as a man sent from God (1:6) and his role is heavily played down in comparison with the synoptics Jesus, not John, is the light (1:8), the Baptist is neither the Christ nor the Elijah, but merely a crying voice (1:19-23), Jesus existed before John, and is greater (1:30), Jesus performed many signs, but John never worked a miracle (10:41). Only in this gospel does Jesus not get baptised. Therefore, the suggestion has been raised that Johns gospel was written to refute the claim of a Baptist group. Bultmann argues that the author of the gospel was a former Gnostic who had been part of a Baptist sect before becoming a Christian Gnosticism flourished in the 2nd Century and his disciples were given to Jesus. Smalley is very critical of this view, saying the only other evidence we have of a Baptist sect is in Acts 19, and this is debatable. Although it is possible there was a Baptist sect in the 3rd Century, this wasnt unusual judging by the other sects in existence e.g. Manichaeism and there is little evidence to suggest such a group created any real problem for the early Christian church. Furthermore, I do not think the author could have been meaning to downgrade John the Baptist, because he isnt mentioned very much the gospel is about Jesus. Another possibility is that the gospel is a polemic against heresy, in particular, against Gnosticism. Gnostic influences, or pre-Gnostic ideas, were brought to bear on the Christian gospel once it was carried from a Palestinian to a Graeco-Roman environment. We also know from Gnostic redeemer myths, in which deliverance from the lower world of matter is effected by a non-earthly, ideal, saviour figure and appropriated by knowledge, that such ideas when taken over by Christians involve a denial of the physical reality of Jesus in his life and death. Edwin Hoskyns argued the gospel was anti-Gnostic, as did E Scott, who thought John was basically a reinstatement of the Christian good news in Hellenistic terms. But he also found evidence that the author of John wrote to counteract heretical, Gnostic teachings he insists on the reality of Christs life, denies the Gnostic hierarchy of intermediate spiritual agencies, opposes the Gnostic idea that divine sonship is possible apart from t he Christ, avoids Gnostic watchwords, and so on. Barrett thinks John was writing whilst Gnosticism was developing; and essentially was trying to nip it in the bud before it really became successful (although Bultmann disagrees and thinks it was already established by c.100 AD). Gnostics, in general, think Jesus message is for an elite, and only some will get to Heaven. The author of John was clearly conscious of Gnosticism, and apparently not completely or directly critical of it he uses Gnostic imagery such as light and dark, heaven and earth, is sensitive to the importance of knowledge, and accepts a dualist framework for his theology of salvation. Bultmann believes that the author of John is actually a former Gnostic who is editing the sign source (which is the heart of the ministry), and that John uses a separate source from the synoptics, in which the signs do not feature. Bultmann thinks Gnosticism used the sign source too, but attached the redeemer myth to it. John is therefore editing out Gnostic influences, reclaiming the text this means that Gnosticism and John are similar, but the conclusion is different. So through using Gnostic ideas, John is actually showing that Christianity is universal. However, this to me does not hold much weight as an argument because the author has been so ambiguous he swings between supporting the Gnostic way of thought and opposing it. Had the author been writing a polemic, he would surely have left no doubt about his point. It has also been questioned whether John might have been trying to interpret or complement the synoptics, or perhaps going beyond them completely to write an ultimate gospel. Evidence for this is that it was part of Jewish tradition to write a commentary on something previous: Windisch and Lightfoot think it is an assumption to say that the author of Johns gospel used the synoptics as a source, (although John was written late, C 100 AD) and he might have used a non-synoptic sign source. Windisch thinks John was written, to supersede the synoptics, by a single author who must have known the gospel of Mark and other synoptic material. Windisch claimed John was autonomous and sufficient so might have been replacing them completely. Lightfoot developed this idea, but said that the synoptic gospels would have had too strong a position in church for Johns gospel to achieve this, and was only interpreting them, to draw out the significance of the original events. This was suggested long before by Clement of Alexandria, when he wrote of a spiritual gospel. I think the idea of interpretation is probably more likely than that of replacement, as John does not seem to be meant to be independent, but probably complements the synoptics. The title asks whether the purpose of Johns gospel was historicity or not. For a large part of history, it was not thought to be accurate in the modern historians sense, especially as St Clement of Alexandria referred to it as a spiritual gospel. Some events in John appear to occur in a different order to the synoptics, e.g. the last supper, which occurs at Passover in the synoptics but is first thing in John. But according to Lightfoot, the author was well aware of the historical truth lying at the heart of the Christian tradition, and even if he can sit lightly to subordinate aspects of his main historical subject, he may give us better guidance than the synoptics. Smalley has tried to answer the question by examining Acts: Martin Dibelius believes Acts is not historical at all, F F Bruce says it is a summary of history but a sanitised version. But why would an author write one factual gospel and one inaccurate gospel? Paul is the main character in Acts, and Pauls inaccurate writings seem to contradict. Galatians also mentions a missing journey to Arabia which Acts leaves out though according to Catchpole, this could have been because it wasnt successful. But Smalley points out that in Acts, the council of Jerusalem is mentioned, which isnt in Paul. This means Acts and Luke are probably not historical, so John could still be. Despite this, Schmeitzer has said that the only thing the gospel shows is that Jesus existed, not anything about him. I do not think this can be true judging by the apparent structure of the gospel. Smalley divided it up into four parts (the prologue, the ministry, the passion, and the epilogue). Guilding identified a two-year cycle within the narrative, although he thought it was a liturgy. However this does suggest history was important, or why would the author put the gospel into a historical context? The gospel has a clear time period, and mentions historical figures. Smalley identified that the author must have thought about structure as well, and said that the main purpose was to show who Jesus is (thus agreeing with the titles claim). Jesus performed miracles which C H Dodd called sign sources, and Smalley thinks that these, along with the discourses and the I am sayings, are meant to show the reader who Jesus actually is, and what his purpose is. None of these three things have a historical purpose, although John might be historically accurate, containing historical and geographical tracts. I could accept this view, as it allows for the miracles to be only literary devices, designed to show the role of Jesus. The gospel is certainly centred about Jesus, who seems to be acting as a pastor he cares about his people (as in Pauls letters). Smalley questions whether or not Johns Gospel contains the same kind of Kerygma as the rest of the New Testament writings. C H Dodd identified the Kerygma in early speeches of Peter in six different parts throughout Acts: 2:16-21, in which the Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled, 2:22-32 and 3:15, where it is stated that Jesus is from the Davidic line, 2:33-36 and 4:11, stating that Jesus is the lord, 2:33 and 2:38, in which the Holy Spirit is given, 3:20 and 10:42, where it proclaims that Jesus will return, and 2:38-40 and 3:19 which says man should repent their sins. In John, the Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled in John 1:1 and 1:14. 1:14 and 7:14 state that Jesus is from the Davidic line, 17:20-22 and 15:1-6 that Jesus is the lord, 20:21 that the Holy Spirit has been given, 6:39, 6:44, 14:3 that Jesus will return, and 20:31 that man should repent. C H Dodd thinks this Kerygma is in John, Peter and Paul. Smalley accepts it is there in John and Paul but thinks it is less developed. He also believes there is a significant difference between its presence in John and in Paul, because Jesus is supposed to be the second Adam in Paul, but John has a greater emphasis on surpassing Moses. He argues that the fourth gospel is much closer to the synoptics than to Paul, that Paul never saw the historical Jesus, only the risen Jesus, and is therefore incomplete. I would agree with Smalleys reasoning because in the Kerygma and in Paul there is little reference to Jesus historical life, so the purpose of the gospels might have been to put teachings of Jesus into a historical setting. In conclusion, it is impossible to be sure of the purpose of Johns Gospel, but it seems likely that the author wanted to communicate truths about Jesus, his role on earth, his divinity, etc. Smalleys views seem well supported by evidence, and I would agree that the gospel couldnt have been a purely historical account although it may well have a true frame of events. Surely spreading the good news about Jesus would be more important than relating everything he said and exactly as it happened. Robinson, who thought the gospel was written before the synoptics, said that historicity might have been a purpose, but not the main one. Most of those who think the synoptics came first will disagree and think Johns history is inaccurate, but as Brown as said, the accuracy is irrelevant, as the narrative frame is probably only there to strengthen teachings about Jesus.

International strategic alliances

International strategic alliances ADDED VALUE AND SUCCESS FACTORS IN INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC ALLIANCES IN THE FASHION BUSINESS ABSTRACT In the main, this study aims to determine whether there was value added in the merger between Samsung and Georgio Armani. It also intends to identify the key success factors of business partnerships and international strategic alliances of these companies in the fashion world. As such, the following research questions will be answered: 1. What are the key factors that are responsible for their success in the fashion industry? 2. What is the history of international strategic alliances in the fashion industry? and 3. What are the trends for international strategic alliances in the fashion industry? The results of the interview and investigations on the historical data and secondary materials and literature would confirm the following conclusions that international strategic alliances such as Samsung-Armani have the following key factors that made them successful: Mutual trust. Ensure that trust exists between the IJV and its parent organizations; Common understanding. Attain a common understanding of each parent organizations contribution to the IJV agreement; Empowerment. Persuade workers that they are empowered. Mutual long-term commitment. Ensure that both parent organizations are involved in the IJV for the long term. Having both parent organizations committed to the IJV for the long-term decreases the risk of shirking responsibility and increases the likelihood of mutual forbearance between the IJV and its parent firms. It can be concluded that the international strategic alliance between Samsung-Armani has added value to their respective firms through the contributions and synergies of the marketing and distribution expertise of Armani in the fashion industry. Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Context of the Problem Firms and industries in the current global business scenario are constantly changing due to globalization. The development of strategic management can no longer be confined to local settings but it is imperative that it should be prevalent in the international business and markets.. Business partnerships among firms and companies were lately made through mergers, acquisitions and consolidations which have been generally utilized by organizations to remain competitive in the global economy. Thus, many companies have been going into joint ventures in order to have joint alliances with them so that operations and marketing will be synergized.. A joint venture would consists of two or more firms which agree to go into shared capital as well as sharing their technology, and human resources in order to develop into a new company. It is a strategy whereby both companies intend to expand its operations and markets and intending to minimize its risk as well maximize the strengths of both firms in approaching the market as well as operations (Hewitt Associates, 2008). The joint venture between Samsung and Georgio Armani have been formed as the strengths and technology of the former merged with the excellence in fashion of the latter. This study seeks to evaluate whether partnerships have added value to both companies and also to analyze whether were successful in harnessing their strengths in approaching the market as well as operations in the global market. Thus this study will explore the case study of these companies going into joint venture and evaluate the success factors that were responsible for the success of the joint ventures in the fashion industry. Statement of the Problem In the main, this study aims to determine whether there was value added in the merger between Samsung and Georgio Armani. It also intends to identify the key success factors of business partnerships and international strategic alliances of these companies in the fashion world. As such, the following research questions will be answered: 4. What are the key factors that are responsible for their success in the fashion industry? 5. What is the history of international strategic alliances in the fashion industry? and 6. What are the trends for international strategic alliances in the fashion industry? Aims and Objectives of the Study The main objective of this study is to verify whether or not the alliances provide significant value to the companies involved as well as identify the key success factors that ensure the success of international joint ventures in the fashion industry. In order to achieve this main objective, the study aims to examine the shared assets, risks, liabilities and management responsibilities among the firms involved the international joint ventures utilizing the case study of Samsung and Georgio Armani. Significance of the Study This study is significant in the sense that the success factors for partnerships and international joint ventures will be evaluated so as to identify these factors that are important for joint ventures in the fashion industry. As such, the rate of success in the industry will be much higher if these factors are identified and investments in joint venture will be encouraged because of the confirmation of these findings in this study. Structure of the Study This study is organized into five chapters. The first chapter discusses the introduction which comprises of the background of the study; statement of the problem; significance of the study; and the structure of the study. Chapter two presents the review of literature which takes into consideration the theoretical basis of the study. Chapter three explains the methodology of the study and Chapter four presents the data and analysis of the study. Finally, Chapter five presents the conclusion and recommendations of the study. Chapter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE In this section, the literature pertaining to this study will be reviewed. The chapter will mainly discuss the key concepts and main authors of the study and the research gap in the review of literature. Why Strategic Alliance? Partnerships that are meaningful are important for success. Many companies go into partnerships in order to improve themselves in mutual undertakings. By sharing their resources, these companies can enjoy benefits and add value to their resources. As Vadim Kotelnikov (2010) writes: â€Å"In the new economy, strategic alliances enable business to gain competitive advantage through access to a partners resources, including markets, technologies, capital and people. Teaming up with other adds complementary resources and capabilities enabling participants to grow and expand more quickly and efficiently. Especially fast growing companies rely heavily on alliances to extend their technical and operational resources. In the process, they save time and boost productivity by not having to develop their own, from scratch. They are thus freed to concentrate on innovation and their core business.† (http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/partnerships_main.html) Thus, strategic alliances and partnerships among firms are important to create synergy and competence between the resources of the firms. This is really the case for fast growing companies which needs to rely on the technical expertise created from partnerships. According to Brad Sugars (2008): â€Å"From powerhouse financiers like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts to retailers like Baskin-Robbins to IT pioneers like Hewlett-Packard, business partnerships have been an important part of entrepreneurship and startup success. The reasons are simple: complementary skill sets, shared equipment or expenses, and the idea that one person with hard money capital can create synergy with the intellectual capital of another person so both can profit from their venture.† (http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/startupbasics/startupbasicscolumnistbradsugars/article196912.html) As such, according to Sugars (2008), it is really important for firms to go into business partnerships as in the case of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts which is big financier and also in the case of Hewlett Packard which is an Information Technology pioneer. As have been discussed earlier, strategic alliances through partnerships are important in the success of many business and many cases of alliances had resulted to more value and profits for their respective firms. According to Baine and Company (2010): â€Å"Strategic Alliances are agreements among firms in which each commits resources to achieve a common set of objectives. Companies may form Strategic Alliances with a wide variety of players: customers, suppliers, competitors, universities or divisions of government. Through Strategic Alliances, companies can improve competitive positioning, gain entry to new markets, supplement critical skills and share the risk or cost of major development projects.† http://www.bain.com/management_tools/tools_alliances.asp?groupCode=2 In a similar study, Vaidya (2006) also highlights the importance of IJVs in order to stay competitive in an increasingly globalized business environment. According to Vaidya (2006), â€Å"organizations in developed countries have realized that they need to pursue opportunities aggressively in other countries in order to remain competitive in this fast-paced global market† (p. 188). Vaidya (2006) cites strategic alliances as the most common forms of partnerships between companies. These alliances can range from licensing agreements to fully blown IJVs. An IJV can be defined as â€Å"a separate legal organizational entity representing the partial holdings of two or more parent firms in which the headquarters of at least one is located outside the country of operation of the joint venture. This entity is subject to the joint control of its parent firms of each of which is economically and legally independent of the other† (Shenkar Zeira, 1987, p. 9). Kinds of Partnerships or Alliances Joint Venture is the creation of an independent company by the two or more parent organizations who are the parties to the business agreement. These Joint Ventures (JVs) may be one of two types: * Equity strategic alliances, This kind of alliance involves two or more partners who have various relative shares of ownership in the new alliance. For example, in a joint venture which is composed of three parent companies, one may have 50% equity, while the remaining two may have 25% equity each. These are also called equity joint ventures. * Non-equity strategic alliances, This kind of alliance involves agreements which are carried out through contract rather than ownership sharing. These are also called contractual joint ventures. Motives of Alliance Formation According to Blanchard (2006) there are four major challenges in the implementation of strategic alliances. In the first place, while alliances present a speedy and less risky means to internationalization, it is also very complex and there are many global linkages and interconnections that must be considered and many alliances resulted to failure because on partner could swallow the other partner. Secondly, the kind of organization structure that the alliance would form is also crucial since this influences their success especially in technologically intensive fields such as in computers, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors (Blanchard, 2006). Thirdly, cross-border allies often encounter difficulty in collaborating effectively, especially in competitively sensitive areas. This breeds mistrust and secrecy, which undermines the very purpose of the alliance. The difficulty that these organizations deal with is the dual nature of strategic alliances the benefits of cooperation versus the dangers of introducing new competition through sharing their knowledge and technological skills about their mutual product or manufacturing process (Blanchard, 2006). According to Vaidya (2006), the motives behind alliance formation can be divided into three categories: * Internal benefits. International Strategic Alliances are usually formed in order to develop internal strengths. These benefits usually include cost and risk sharing and obtaining resources that are scarce. These also includes financing, information, managerial knowledge and expertise (Vaidya, 2006). * Competitive benefits. Strengths that are competitive can be made through vertical integration and these can include the bargaining power in the industry structure, preempting competitors, response to globalization, and creation of more effective competitors (Vaidya, 2006). * Strategic benefits. International Strategic Alliances can also be formed to assist firms in change implementation of their strategic positions which could include the creation and exploitation of synergies, technology transfer, and diversification (Vaidya, 2006). Makino and Beamish (1999) also concluded similarly regarding the motives forming strategic alliances as discussed above and according to them. In their study, Ainuddin et al. (2007) identified four major resource characteristics that can affect the successful performance of 96 IJVs in Malaysia. The study determined the extent to which four resources product reputation, technical expertise, local business network and marketing skills exhibited the following attributes: 1) value; 2) rarity; 3) imperfect imitability; and 4) non-sustainability. The results of their studies showed that value, rarity and non-sustainability were significant drivers of performance for IJV assets, while value, rarity and non-imitability were key attributes for organizational capabilities. According to Beamish and Berdrow (2003), it is not generally true that strategic alliances can be just motivated for the sake of organizational learning but also to provide opportunity for both of the partners to gain and develop new knowledge. The findings of their study proved that international strategic alliances that are production-based were no usually motivated by learning outcomes, and there is no conclusive evidence of a direct relationship between learning performance. The authors assert that only a minority of the firms showed strong indirect learning outcomes, especially with regard to partnering and market knowledge (Beamish Berdrow, 2003). The organizations may be driven by any or all of the motives enumerated by Blanchard (2006), and Vaidya (2006) in their studies, as discussed in this chapter. It is important that a company conducts a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis before entering into an international strategic alliance. The results of the study of Beamish and Inkpen (1995) showed that although International Strategic Alliances are inherently unstable organizational forms, the successful ones survive because the foreign partner firm is prepared with thorough knowledge of the local economic, political, and cultural environments of the partner alliance and the partner organization (Beamish Inkpen, 1995). Economies of Scale The dual nature of strategic alliances (see Table 1) are composed of the cooperative and competitive nature of these alliances. The economies of scale in tangible assets through sharing plants and equipments is a cooperative endeavor in these alliances as well as sharing the overhead cost, production expenses, etc. http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Technology Exchange and Minimization of Risk Another factor is technology exchange wherein (see Figure 1) the partners would have the opportunity to learn new tangible skills from the partners. Another factor is the partners could minimize risks by limiting investment risk when entering new markets or uncertain technological fields via shared resources. http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Also, another motivation is the acceleration of diffusion of industry standards and new technologies in order increase barriers to entry. The creation of â€Å"critical mass† to learn and develop new technologies to protect domestic, strategic industries is another objective of firms who strived to go into strategic alliances. http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Convergences and Other Advantages Other advantage in strategic alliances is in the up streaming or down streaming the division of labor among partners. Another is to deny the technological and learning initiative to partner via out-sourcing and long-term supply arrangements. Another advantage and converge is to fill out product line with components or end products provided by supplier. Furthermore, the advantage of converging into strategic alliances is to encircle existing competitors and preempt the rise of new competitors with alliance partners in â€Å"proxy wars† to control market access, distribution, and access to new technologies. The alliance also serve to assist short-term corporate restructuring by lowering exit barriers in mature or declining industries. According to Blanchard (2006) â€Å"alliances serve as experimental platforms to â€Å"demature† and transform existing mature industries via new components, technologies, or skills to enhance the value of future growth options. http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Table 1. The Dual Nature of Global Strategic Alliances Cooperative Competitive Economies of scale in tangible assets (ex. Plant and equipment). Opportunity to learn new intangible skills from partner, often tacit or organization embedded. Upstream-downstream division of labor among partners. Accelerate diffusion of industry standards and new technologies to erect barriers to entry. Fill out product line with components or end products provided by supplier. Deny technological and learning initiative to partner via out-sourcing and long-term supply arrangements. Limit investment risk when entering new markets or uncertain technological fields via shared resources. Encircle existing competitors and preempt the rise of new competitors with alliance partners in â€Å"proxy wars† to control market access, distribution, and access to new technologies. Create a â€Å"critical mass† to learn and develop new technologies to protect domestic, strategic industries. Form clusters of learning among suppliers and related firms to avoid or reduce foreign dependence for critical inputs and skills. Assist short-term corporate restructuring by lowering exit barriers in mature or declining industries. Alliances serve as experimental platforms to â€Å"demature† and transform existing mature industries via new components, technologies, or skills to enhance the value of future growth options. (Source: Blanchard, 2006, p. 7-15). http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Disadvantages and Pitfalls of Alliances Blanchard (2006) in his research concluded benefits of international strategic alliances often have also many pitfalls. These advantages of alliances can be in terms of potential loss of technology and knowledge-skill base. Also, other areas of incompatibility can usually occur like conflicting strategic goals and objectives. Conflicts can also arise in terms of cultural differences and in relation to disputes over who will make the decisions in management as well as in control. Blanchard (2006) also provides for four guidelines for successful alliances in his presentation: * Choose an alliance partner who has compatibility with the strategy as well as the objectives of the firm. * Find alliances where their skills are complementary and that their products and markets also complements with the company. * Seek partner alliances with partners and thresh out how you will each deal with proprietary technology or sensitive data and information. * Recognize that many partnerships could last only a few years and could break up once an alliance partner had already absorbed the skills and information it needs to be independent by itself (p. 7-16). Partner Selection Blanchard (2006) recognized the significance of selecting a partner with compatible strategic goals and objectives before fully entering into an international strategic alliance. It is crucial that the alliance sought will be with an organization or organizations with skills, products, and markets with synergies with each other. According to Cullen et al. (1995), the choice of a partner alliance is the most crucial strategic decision that firms make before actually developing a joint venture. According to Vaidya (2006) the reasons why international strategic alliances failed were due the wrong selection of partners because of their incompatibility; partners which did not fulfill their promises; and the difficulty of managers working together for their partnership (Vaidya, 2006). Before selecting a partner for an IJV, the organization must first identify its needs. In his research, Beamish (1994) provided for five different classifications of partners needs and these are: 1) capitalized items that are capitalized such as capital, raw materials, or new technology or equipment; 2) human resource needs such as local labor including local managers; 3) market access needs for a local market for products that can be produced locally or to foreign markets for products produced in the local markets; 4) government needs such as present laws or regulations may require a foreign company to go into a joint venture with a local partner in order to penetrate the local market; 5) knowledge needs such as that the company may require local information and knowledge about the market, production and government regulations, marketing system, domestic culture and traditions, etc. Partners may have different cultures and could have difficulty adjusting to each others ways or customs (Arino et al., 1997). These differences in cultural orientation in the long term can cause conflicts and could affect the performance of the international strategic alliance (Barkema Vermeulen, 1997). It is a really a problem for partners to trust each other if they are in conflict in the various areas of the business operations. Unfortunately, sometimes these differences are too deeply rooted, especially when they are based on each organizations cultural values. The research by Fey and Beamish (2001) evaluated how organizational climate incompatibility between parent organizations and the partner alliance affects performance. Compatible organizational climates will provide more chances of success since inter-party conflicts can be minimized (Fey Beamish, 2000). Managing Strategic Alliances and Success Factors It is important to note that in international joint ventures, trust and commitment is important among the partners and it is crucial in their success (Beamish, 1994; Cullen et al., 1995). It is also proposed by Fey (1996) that attaining a mutual understanding of each parent organizations contribution to their partnership agreement should be clear. Both companies doing the strategic alliance must also ensure that they have long-term commitment. Finally, it is also significant that employees and managers of the strategic alliances must be empowered (Fey, 1996). In his research presentation, Blanchard (2006) outlines the following motivations for global strategic alliances, as executed through strategic alliances such as avoidance of import barriers, licensing requirements, and other legislation that protects local companies. Moreover, another motivation is in the sharing of the costs and risks of the research and development of new products as well as services. Also, another factor is to have access to particular markets as well as in reducing the political risk in penetrating the domestic market of the partner firm. Some firms also went into strategic alliances in order to take advantage of synergies and to earn fast entry into a new industry. Examples of Successful Partnerships The Finest Accessories (TFA) Another example of a company in the fashion business is The Finest Accessories (TFA). This is a firm involved in offering luxury hair accessory products with big clients such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Macys. Value-basis at TFA Laurie and other designers of the firm developed designs that are unique utilizing Italian, French and other fabric styles and integrated these into the hair accessory clip design. They set these fashion trends and customized their partners in manufacturing. The partnership strategy of the company and to its partners is that they would deliver the products ordered to their partners in manufacturing which are exclusive for them and they would have primary right to refuse potential clients which can become their competitors. They formed partnerships and alliances with eight France based manufacturers with the conditions discussed above. (http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Partnership-Success-Story-a-High-Fashion-Entrepreneur-Goes-Global.html) Joint development and manufacturing with eight Oyannax, France based manufacturing companies. It is considered â€Å"joint development† in addition to manufacturing because TFA These value added effect of TFA to the eight manufacturing partners resulted to their success and both partners benefitted from the advantages of the arrangement. In terms of investment cost, TFA did not have to put up large amount of money for land, machineries and equipments since these are all being provided by the manufacturing partners while the manufacturing partners also enjoyed higher markets sales because of the big orders for the unique market developed by TFA. (http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Partnership-Success-Story-a-High-Fashion-Entrepreneur-Goes-Global.html) Electro The IJV Electro is composed of the following three parent organizations: a large international consumer electronics company based in North American, with 63 percent ownership, and two Russian factories, with 37 percent ownership combined. This is an example of a global strategic allegiance between a foreign organization and a local organization. The IJV is one of four facilities in the world which produces circuit boards for one of the North American parent organizations major consumer electronics devices. One factor that contributes to the success of Electro is that it reports to a special venture-capital type division of its North American parent organization, which has profit and loss responsibility for the IJV. The IJV also hires managers originally from the US who either lived in Russia for a long period of time, or have Russian heritage, or both (Fey, 1996). Electro has also been able to develop a trusting relationship with its parent organizations through mutual forbearance (Fey, 1996) which has contributed greatly to the success of the IJV. Electro and its parent organizations have maintained open communication channels to obtain agreement on the parent organizations roles in the IJV, and constantly spend a significant amount of time in discussing, clarifying, and reclarifying these roles (Fey, 1996). Another key success factor (KSF) for Electro is that its parent organizations have pledged long-term commitment to the IJV. Electros parent organizations have not limited their contributions to providing starting capital to their IJV, but continue to be actively involved. For instance, its Russian parents continue to manufacture an input product specifically designed for the IJV, and devote a significant amount of its specialized resources to this production. Electros dominant parent is also its American parent organization, and by delegating many of the operating decisions to the American parent for which the IJV needs approval gains efficiency since having both the Russian and American parent organizations make a joint decision takes up more time, is more difficult, and increases the risk of conflict. This creates long-term commitment to, and need for, the IJV which has been beneficial for both Electro and its parent organizations (Fey, 1996). Research Gap The success factors and valued added theory of forming strategic alliances were validated by various authors in this review. However, in terms of strategic alliances no formal study yet have been conducted so as to validate the success factors of international joint venture formation in the fashion business as well as its value added proposition. As such, this study is being conducted to fill the research gaps in the literature of strategic alliances. Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY Qualitative Research This research study utilized the qualitative research method, which involves the analysis of data such as words, pictures or objects. This research method was selected because it makes use of the exploratory approach in describing complex phenomena, tracking unique or unexpected events, understanding the experience and interpretation of events by actors or players with different stakes and roles, and is useful for conducting initial explorations to develop theories (Yin, 1989). The qualitative research methodology was particularly useful for purposes of this thesis because it was characterized by an emphasis on describing, understanding, and explaining complex phenomena. The phenomena this study seeks to understand were factors that led to the success of international joint ventures (IJVs) in the fashion business. The qualitative research methodology was also the appropriate research tool to use for studying the relationships, patterns, and configurations among factors, and the context in which activities occur (Creswell Plano-Clark, 2006). This methodology was selected over the quantitative research method, which seeks to draw conclusions by making use of random sampling techniques to draw inferences from sample populations. These samples populations were typically made up of a large number of respondents. With this research methodology, surveys and questionnaires were the most common types of tools used for gathering data and information (Creswell Plano-Clark, 2006). The problem with using the quantitative research methodology was that it often involves controlling a variable to determine how other variables were influenced (Wolcott, 2001). Such an approach was not applicable to this thesis because there was no control variable to begin with, which renders it useless to determine how this control variable will influence other variables. The purpose of this thesis was to identify the whether there was value added in the partnerships and identify the key success factors that lead to the success of international joint ventures in the fashion business. As such, an exploratory approach, through the qualitative research methodology was deemed more appropriate. Case Study The exploratory approach was a component of the case study methodology, which in turn is one of the most common research strategies under the qualitative research methodology. The case study research strategy was used to identify value added and success factors for international joint ventures in the fashion business. The case study approach was selected as the research strategy for this thesis