Portes FIve Force In MBL Essays

Portes FIve Force In MBL Essays Portes FIve Force In MBL Essay Portes FIve Force In MBL Essay The Threat of new entrants: There is no real problem in the formation off new bank, and it is not even an unusual occurrence. It is also not unusual for an entity such as Merrill Lynch to offer ere bank like services to clients. The market is so large and so fragmented, that the significance off new entrant or even entrants is minute. If the concept of the combination of existing participants into what amount to new entities the importance of the concept changes, but only slightly. The new entity is nothing more than a combination of formerly existing entities, and its immediate effect on the market wills probably me minimal. Want to know the price of your unique Paper? 126 writers online Deadline Paper topic Pages 550 words(double spaced) Get a price Longer term, its increased size and financial strength may alter the market situation slightly. Bargaining power of customer: The bank is involved in import trade financing. Bulk importers of consumer durable, food gains industrial raw materials are its customers. The bank has financed in textile, garments, and SEEM and apparels sectors. The bank has a tread of choosing customer Trot Leverages groups . Nine Dank NAS TLS class customers In ten construction sectors involved in high-rise building, heavy construction and roads and high way construction. So, Customer bargaining power is high. Bargaining power of suppliers : A bank has three suppliers of its product, money: 1 . Its depositors 2. The credit market 3. The central bank The first source, depositors, has no bargaining power whatever in reality. If they make time deposits the bank will set the price or interest rate it will pay. If they have a demand deposit the bank pays nothing or effectively nothing for the deposit. It is possible that there may be some v variation in services as a form of competition, but a demand account (DAD) is not subject to great variation and most customers simply want an account and dont even know the exact terms of their account. Larger clients, reparations, government agencies, and wealthy individuals are offered packages of services in what is actually a form of market orientation in current management terminology. The bank is still the dominant party, even with very large clients, but the client can make the threat of going to another bank, and if he/she/it is large enough, the threat may have some significance. There is a distinct element of competition for the business of large accounts, but even here it would be very difficult for any entity to offer anything significant that its competitors could not plicate almost instantly. This part of the business becomes very much one of personalities and individuals as opposed to marketing initiatives. The bank advertisements on CNN all focus on the quality of the individuals and services. They say in effect, Our people are the best. The credit market as a source of supply of the raw material, money, is open to all at all times if they are qualified participants. The source of supply can be argued to be infinite. The Central bank is effectively the resource of last resort. Apparently, at least for the moment, it will continue to supply equity to the banking system in virtually unlimited quantities at very reasonable cost. The threat of substitute products: For the most part there is no real threat of substitute products in the banking industry. It could be argued that a personal loan is a substitute for a mortgage, but in reality both are loans and the loan is taken out because the customer wants money. The same can be said of other bank products, and even institutions. A mortgage company is a substitute for a bank, but it is the same product offered by an alternative vendor. There is a good chance the mortgage company is owned by a ann. holding company in any case. The only question is the origination of the loan. Bank transfers are more common in Europe than in United States banking practice. They serve approximately the same function as checks and some of the new Internet banking services are actually transfers, even in the states. There probably will be a continued evolution of products from paper to electronic in coming years. This is an area of potential competition, and probably innovation, but the final services, moving money from account A to account B will not change.

Introducing the Comma

Introducing the Comma Introducing the Comma Introducing the Comma By Erin Commas are a tricky little piece of punctuation, and they give many people headaches. In my students essays, I frequently see commas where they dont belong, and I see necessary commas left out. I make it one of my goals to help demystify the comma for my students. The most common missing comma is the one that comes after an introductory element in a sentence. You need a comma after an introductory word: Actually, Ive never been to Disney World. After an introductory phrase: After the storm, many people were without electricity for days. And after an introductory clause: Because it was so hot outside, we decided to stay home. Generally, its safe to use a comma in any of these cases. Be careful, thoughsometimes what looks like an introductory phrase is actually the subject of the sentence: Starting an essay without doing your research is never a good idea. To be or not to be is the question. (apologies to Mr. Shakespeare) If a sentence starts with a gerund (-ing) or infinitive (to+verb) phrase, using a comma is incorrect! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good WithWhat to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row

North Korea's threat to Peace and Stability Research Paper

North Korea's threat to Peace and Stability - Research Paper Example In the 1950, North Korea allied to the communist states and precisely, the U.S.S.R, then under the command of Joseph Stalin. Similarly, the republic of South Korea allied to the United States of America for protection and economic propulsion. The end of the Second World War marked the beginning of rivalry among communist and capitalist. Each group had different ideologies to development, leadership, and relations (Segell, 2005). The communist held tight fists on dictatorial regimes hoping, thus diminishing democracy to the lowest point, and undermining economic progression since most properties belonged to government, and there was no privatization whatsoever. North Korea desired to acquire the Southern country, and under the support of communist, the country invaded the South but foreign troops held it back (Kim, 2011). Thereafter, the country endeavored in militarizing the troops through the provision of mass destruction weapons, hoping to stand better chances against enemies. The following is an outline of the course to militarization, competing for supremacy, and threats to world peace in the country of North Korea. The course to militarization The family of Kim IL Sung has continuously indulged in armament of its troops through nuclear enrichments and provision of superior weapons. Further, the number of active arms total to more than a million out of a twenty two million-population count. This tally of officers represents 4.51% of the population, bearing in mind that almost all the citizens undergo military training. Therefore, North Korea is the first country in the world to militarize in relation to the population. At this point, advocacy for the acts of armament and nuclear development in the country remain a secret in the country’s heart of monarchical and dictatorial family of the Kim’s (Segell, 2005). Years after the Second World War, North Korea embarked on aggressions against neighbors, China, and South Korea. The country stands read y for any possible threats and challenges neighbors to war acrimonies by stressing on the urge to try military activities over their territories. The successions of Kim IL Sung and family lineage, over the leadership of North Korea to the current leader, Kim Jong-un tend to worsen the situation (Pak, 2000). Instead of defecting from their predecessors’ indulgence to nuclear armament, they enhance the projects. Militarization The state of North Korea produced weapons even at a time when famine befell the country for at least three years. During that famine period, estimations reveal that 800,000 to 1,300,000 citizens died of hunger whilst the country targeted military supremacy over the lives of the people. This occurred between 1994, and 1998 and the country’s leadership declined involvement of any humanitarian organization to the calamity, mentioning the strengths it had to tame the calamity. The country preferred military stability to economic, thus during the famine , the authorities did little to save the people, but ran expensive and intense nuclear programs at the time. The leader argued that, nuclear and weaponry stability was for the best interest of the entire nation. Initially, the United States of America assisted North Korea in eradication of a binding statute that deterred any nuclear operations in Korea. The US took the opportunity to acquaint southern and home country troops with nuclear weapons, while other nations declared the act as perpetrating

Financial Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Financial Strategy - Essay Example However, it should not be forgotten that today’s business environment is highly competitive, unpredictable, unstructured and complex; therefore, only fittest and stronger firms having proactive approach could survive in contemporary business outlook. Proactive approach is actually about sensing problems before hand and devising alternate solutions / strategies to avert damage in upcoming future. In addition, the proactive approach also refers to setting trends in the industry or marketplace through product development, quality maintenance, innovation, branding and differentiation strategies. It should be highlighted that business is all about taking risks. An entrepreneur identifies the gaps and opportunities in the market after which risks one’s resources to capitalise them for profit generation and monetary gains. Risks are identified, evaluated and measured through quantitative tools and statistical methods so that the strategic planners would gain a near-to-accurate insight over the potential scope in any specific industry (Lynch, 2008); (Emmison & Smith, 2002); (Johnson & Scholes, 2008). In other words, if all perceived risks are not evaluated and measured correctly then the probability of business failure and financial losses will be higher. For instance, if the risks associated with any business are high then investors also expect high rate of return because of effort and risk involved. This means that it is difficult to enter in a risky field and industries (more barriers) because of greater probability of losses and low chance of survival; however, the success of an entrepreneur in a riskier venture would entitle him / her to high profit margins and financial benefits (Beasley et al, 2005). As mentioned before that the organisations are operational in a highly complex and uncertain business environment; therefore, there is immense need of risk consciousness because even small mistakes and blunders may lead to adverse consequences. I would , thus, agree with this statement that a firm’s risk consciousness governs the underlying strategies that are employed by the enterprise. Risk consciousness, in simple words, refers to paying serious attention to identify any small and large risks associated in setting up a new business, expanding an existing firm (in either domestic or foreign markets), introducing a new product, innovating an existing product range, acquiring diversified businesses, shifting from debt to equity financing and others etc (Neale & Haslam, 1994). Nonetheless, risk consciousness takes place when top management / policy – makers implement measures that would help instilling risk management culture within a corporate setting (Glen, 2007). In fact, the more prudent, judicious, efficient and calculated the strategic planners are in determining, assessing, measuring and communicating risks with their subordinates and organizational members, the more effectively risk management culture and risk consciousness could be developed and implemented with the support of chief risk officers (Lam, 2000); (Colquitt et al, 1999) (Bender & Ward, 2002). In addition, the firms that are not risk conscious face situations in which problems have to be tackled immediately when they occur due to absence of proactive risk management approach and contingency plans. Obviously, this leads to nothing but inefficiencies and losses in the short run that could have been avoided

Education Sector Essay Example for Free

Education Sector Essay The typical Indian classroom was once characterized by students sitting through hour-long teacher monologues. Now, technology is making life easier for both students and educators. Schools are increasingly adopting digital teaching solutions to engage with a generation of pupils well-versed with the likes of PlayStations and iPads, and trying to make the classroom environment more inclusive and participatory. Take Smartclass from Educomp Solutions, one of the first Indian companies in this space. Smartclass is essentially a digital content library of curriculum-mapped, multimedia-rich, 3D content. It also enables teachers to quickly assess how much of a particular lesson students have been able to assimilate during the class. Once a topic is covered, the teacher gives the class a set of questions on a large screen. Each student then answers via a personal answering device or the smart assessment system. The teacher gets the scores right away and based on that, she repeats parts of the lesson that the students dont appear to have grasped. Technology makes the teaching-learning process very easy and interesting, says Harish Arora, a chemistry teacher at the Bal Bharti Public School in New Delhi who has been using Smartclass since 2004. For instance, [earlier] it would easily take me one full lecture to just draw an electromagnetic cell on the blackboard. Though I could explain the cell structure, there was no way I could have managed to show them how it really functions. This is where technology comes to our aid now I can show the students a 3D model of the cell and how it functions. Instead of wasting precious time drawing the diagram on the blackboard, I can invest it in building the conceptual clarity of my students. According to Abhinav Dhar, director for K-12 at Educomp Solutions, more than 12,000 schools across 560 districts in India have adopted Smartclass. More importantly, the number is growing at almost 20 schools a day. On average, in each of these schools eight classrooms are using Smartclass. When we launched Smartclass in 2004 as the first-ever digital classroom program, it was an uphill task convincing schools to adopt it, Dhar notes. These schools had not witnessed any change in a century. It is a completely different scenario now. Private schools across India today see [technology] as an imperative. A digital classroom is set to become the bare-minimum teaching accessory in schools, just like a blackboard is today. Dhar recalls that one major roadblock for Educomps proposition in the early days was on the price front. At US$4,000 (at the exchange rate of Rs. 50 to a U. S. dollar) per classroom, schools found the product very expensive. To get over this hurdle, Educomp quickly decided to make the initial investment and gave the schools an option to pay over a period of three to five years. The strategy worked. Enthused by the market response, in January Educomp launched an upgraded version the Smartclass Class Transformation System with more features, including simulations, mind maps, worksheets, web links, a diagram maker, graphic organizers and assessment tools. Huge Potential According to the Indian Education Sector Outlook Insights on Schooling Segment, a report released by New Delhibased research and consultancy firm Technopak Advisors in May, the total number of schools in India stands at 1. 3 million. Of these, private schools account for 20%. Educomps Dhar points out that only around 10% of the private schools have tapped the potential of multimedia classroom teaching whereas in government schools, it has barely made any inroads. The current market size for digitized school products in private schools is around US$500 million, says Enayet Kabir, associate director for education at Technopak. This is expected to grow at a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 20% to reach the over US$2 billion mark by 2020. However, the market potential then might get as big as US$4 billion [i. e.if the total population of private schools that could adopt multimedia actually adopt it. ] Apart from this, the current market size for ICT [information and communications technology] in government schools is US$750 million. We expect this to grow five times by 2020 due to the current low level of penetration in government schools. Kabir lists Educomp Solutions, Everonn Education, NIIT, Core Education Technologies, ILFS and Compucom as dominant players in this sector. New entrants include HCL Infosystems, Learn Next, Tata Interactive Systems, Mexus Education, S.Chand Harcourt (India) and iDiscoveri Education. Except for S. Chand Harcourt, which is a joint venture between S. Chand and US-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, all the others are Indian firms. A recent trend is that schools in tier two and tier three cities are increasingly adopting the latest technology. Rajesh Shethia, head of sales and marketing at Tata Interactive Systems, which launched Tata ClassEdge in early 2011 and has partnered up with more than 900 schools, says that more than half of the demand for digital classrooms is from tier two and tier three cities. According to Shethia, schools in these smaller cities realize that it is difficult for their students to get as much exposure as students from tier one cities. [So] they proactively subscribe to solutions such as ours, which richly benefit both teachers and students by simplifying the syllabus. Even parents want the best for their wards and are not averse to paying a little extra. They see value in these initiatives by schools to modernize the way teaching is imparted today. Making some back-of-the-envelope calculations Shethia adds: If we consider the top 100,000 private schools in India as the captive market, the potential is approximately two million classrooms of which currently just about 80,000 have been digitized. Srikanth B. Iyer, COO of Pearson Education Services, also sees tremendous potential in the smaller cities. Pearson provides end-to-end education solutions in the K-12 segment. Its multimedia tool, DigitALly, has been adopted in more than 3,000 private schools across India since 2004. DigitALly installations have been growing at three times the market for the past two years, Iyer says. Currently, more than 60% of our customers are from tier two and tier three towns, such as Barpeta (in the state of Assam), Sohagpur (in Madhya Pradesh) and Balia (in Uttar Pradesh). In order to make its offering attractive to the schools, Pearson has devised a monthly payment model under which a school pays around US$2 per student per month. As the price point is affordable, schools across all locations and fee structures find it viable to opt for our solution, Iyer notes. We focus on tier two and tier three towns and cities where penetration is relatively low and desire for adoption of technology is high. HCLs Digischool program, which launched about 18 months ago, has also made a strong beginning, with a client base of more than 2,500 schools. Partnering with State Governments Meanwhile, state governments are also giving a boost to the adoption of technology in schools. Edureach, a divison of Educomp, has partnered with 16 state governments and more than 30 education departments and boards in the country, covering over 36,000 government schools and reaching out to more than 10. 60 million students. Edureach leads the market with 27% of the total schools where ICT projects have been implemented, says Soumya Kanti, president of Edureach. We are looking [to add] 3,000 more schools this fiscal year and 20,000 to 25,000 additional schools in the next five years. As of now, Edureach has created digital learning content in more than 14 regional languages for these projects. In the northern state of Haryana, CORE Education and Technologies is implementing a US$59 million ICT project that aims to benefit 5 million students across 2,622 schools. Five of these schools will be developed as Smart schools. CORE is also implementing ICT projects in the states of Gujarat, Meghalaya, Punjab, Maharashtra and Nagaland. The scope of work in these projects ranges from implementation of computer-aided learning in schools, installing bio-metric devices to monitor attendance of teachers, and setting up computer hardware, software and other allied accessories and equipments. The task has not been an easy one, admits Anshul Sonak, president of CORE. There are several logistical issues. Delivery of equipment to rural areas is a big challenge in itself. There is lack of basic infrastructure either there are no classrooms or there are ones with no windows. Some schools dont even have toilets. Moreover, the power availability in these areas is often poor and we have had to deploy generator sets in many schools. But despite the challenges, educationists are optimistic. Rahul De, professor of quantitative methods and information systems area at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore (IIM-B) believes that ICT can have a huge impact on our education system. He points out that ICT can result in increasing the reach [of education] and in keeping the costs low. With increasing penetration of mobile phones and Internet kiosks, the potential is indeed immense, he adds. A study conducted by De in 2009 on the economic impact of free and open source software (FOSS) in India found that it resulted in significant cost savings. FOSS can play a huge role in education, De notes. In the state of Kerala, it has already had a huge impact in both saving costs and providing state-of-the-art access computing to students in government schools. FOSS has a huge number of packages for school students, many of which can be ported to local languages and used in schools. It is also helping disabled students in a big way, by enabling them to access digital resources using audio-visual aids. Edureachs Kanti adds that a study by the Centre for Multi-Disciplinary Development Research in Dharwad in Karnataka in 2006 revealed significant improvement in student enrolment and attendance, as well as a reduction of student dropouts due to ICT interventions. Yet another study conducted by the Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar in 2007 revealed that computer-aided education has improved the performance of children in subjects such as English, mathematics and science, which are taught through computers using multimedia-based educational content. All in a Tab In line with this increasing interest in technology for school education, there has been a rush of education-focused tablet computers in the market. The most high-profile of these has been Aakash, which was launched by Kapil Sibal, union minister for human resource development, in October 2011. The Aakash project is part of the ministrys National Mission on Education through Information Communication Technology (NME-ICT). It aims to eliminate digital illiteracy by distributing the Aakash tablets to students across India at subsidized rates. While the project itself has become mired in delays and controversy, it has generated a lot of awareness and interest among students around the educational tablet. Meanwhile, DataWind, the Canada-based firm that partnered with the union government for the Aakash project, has also launched UbiSlate7, the commercial version of Aakash. The opportunity for low-cost tablets in India is huge. In the next two years, it will exceed the size of the computer market in India i. e. 10 million units per year, says Suneet Singh Tuli, president and CEO of DataWind. In April, technology firm HCL Infosystems launched the MyEdu Tab, which is priced at around US$230 for the K-12 version. The device comes preloaded with educational applications and also books from the National Council of Educational Research and Training, a government organization. Anand Ekambaram, senior vice-president and head of learning at HCL Infosystems, is in the process of partnering with more than 30 educational institutes across India for MyEdu Tab. MyEdu Tab has content offline and can be accessed over the cloud. It allows students to learn at their own pace, Ekambaram notes. With a topic revision application and a self-assessment engine, students can evaluate their skills and knowledge on their own. Teachers can upload content, which can be accessed by students and parents for tasks such as homework and progress reports on their respective devices. The parent can monitor the progress of his or her child through the cloud-based ecosystem. Earlier this year, Micromax, a leading Indian handset manufacturer, also launched an edutainment device called Funbook. Micromax has also partnered with Pearson and Everonn to make available relevant content for students. Susha John, director and CEO at Everonn, was upbeat at the launch. Digital learning facilitated through tablets will revolutionize the educational space, John said. Everonn has invested in developing content and services targeted toward tablet audiences. To start with, we will offer our school curriculum-learning modules and at home live tuition products on the Funbook. Students can now have access to good teachers, educational content and a great learning experience anytime, anywhere. At Pearson, Max Gabriel, senior vice-president and chief technology officer, is focusing on K-12 content in English to begin with. We are sitting on a huge repository of existing content. Adding the right level of interactivity and richer experience will be our priority. Meanwhile, Educomp is gearing up to launch content that is device agnostic and can be run on any tablet. But even as schools in India are going through this transformation powered by technology, one key question is how big a role technology will play in the education sector. In an earlier interview with India [emailprotected], S. Sadagopan, founder-director at the International Institute of Information Technology in Bangalore, pointed out that there are four parts to learning lectures, library, laboratory and life noting that, Technology plays a critical role in all these. Kabir of Technopak adds another perspective. Despite numerous studies on the impact of ICT in education, the outcomes remain difficult to measure and open to much debate. It needs to be understood that technology is only an enabler and a force multiplier and cannot be treated as a panacea. We believe that impressive gains in teaching-learning outcomes are possible only through an integrated approach rather than a piecemeal intervention. Don Huesman, managing director of Whartons innovation group, recommends caution in considering potential investments in educational technologies. These are very exciting times for online and distance education technologies, but there are risks facing parents, educators and policy makers in evaluating the opportunities these new technologies, and their proponents, represent. Huesman points to the recent growth in high-quality, free, online educational courseware offered on websites like the Khan Academy and the Math Forum, as well as the work of the Open Learning Initiative in developing intelligent cognitive tutors and learning analytics. But such technologies, available from a global network of resources, only provide value when understood, chosen and integrated into a local educational community, he says. As an illustration, Huesman offers the example of cyber kiosks, provided in recent years by foundations at no cost to rural communities in India, exacerbating the gender divide in many traditional communities in which young women congregating at public cyber cafes, also frequented by young men, would be considered taboo. Interventions by governments and NGOs must be inclusive of local community concerns and aware of local political complications, Huesman notes. Globalization: Impact on Education by Satish Tandon, September 2005 The principal objective of education has been the development of the whole individual. The minimum level of education that was necessary to achieve this goal in the agrarian society was basic or primary and in the industrial age, secondary. In the present borderless information society, education needs to be able to respond to additional demands of a rapidly globalizing world by raising awareness of environment, peace, cultural and social diversity, increased competitiveness, and the concept of a global village. Such education is to a knowledge or information society what secondary education was to an industrial economy. Education prepares the individual to connect and live in harmony with the environment around him. Globalization has changed the size, nature and quality of that environment. The challenge for higher education, therefore, is to reform, create and develop systems that prepare the individual to work in a borderless economy and live in a global society. In other words, our educational institutions need to produce global citizens. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 allowed liberal democracies to claim victory for the capitalist system and contributed to increasing the pace of globalization that was already under way. As globalization gained momentum, market substituted political ideology as the dominant force guiding national and global policies. What followed next, therefore, does not seem so illogical. National governments everywhere partly in deference to the ascendancy of the market and partly in response to pressure from the private sector to expand their sphere of activities began to relinquish control over the delivery of social goods. Everything began to be viewed as a commodity that could be produced and delivered by the private sector in line with market forces and according to the principles of supply and demand. One by one water, electricity, postal services, health, and now education, have been turned into a commodity. The withdrawal of state from higher education has also been helped by economists, who have had an overly simple way of assessing the return on investments in higher education. The basic problem is that they have measured the return on education exclusively through wage differentials. With reference to someone who has no education, someone who has been to primary school, someone who has completed secondary school, and someone with a university degree, one can ask how much more each earns than the previous. These differences are then compared to the incremental amounts invested in their education to find the return. The results generally suggest that higher education yields a lower return than primary or secondary education and they have been used to justify the skewing of government budgets and development funds away from higher education institutions. The rate of return calculations are flawed because they do not take account of the full range of benefits to those who receive higher education. For example, higher education can enhance health, openness, peace, and social development, and at the same time reduce disease, bigotry and blind nationalism so the private benefits to the individual and to society are not just the direct labour productivity benefits, as the rate of return analysis suggests. Higher education confers benefits above and beyond enhancing the incomes of those who receive it. And many of these benefits take the form of public goods, such as the contribution of higher education to enterprise, leadership, governance, culture, and participatory democracy, and its potential for lifting the disadvantaged out of poverty. These are all vital building blocks for stronger economies and societies and all routes by which the benefit of investment in higher education multiplies throughout society. Liberal democracies have traditionally operated on the principle of separation of activities in the social sphere just as they have on the principle of separation of powers in the political sphere. The private sector had been given a relatively free hand in the production and delivery of economic goods while the state concentrated on the provision of healthcare, education and other infrastructure goods, also known as public goods. Globalization has changed all that. The rapid expansion of the influence of the private sector at the global level necessitated a corresponding expansion in their sphere of activities by diversifying into the production and delivery of public goods that had always been within the purview of the state. The takeover was swift and remarkable in the sense that the effort did not meet much resistance. One of the major consequences of the globalization of education has been commodification and the corporatization of institutions of higher learning. It is said that the for-profit education market in the United States is worth more than $500 billion in revenue for the involved corporates. More than one thousand state schools have been handed over to corporations to be run as businesses. But there is a fundamental problem with the way business models have been applied to the delivery of education and other public goods. Unthinking adoption of the private sector model prevents the development of a meaningful approach to management in the public services in general or to the social services in particular based on their distinctive purposes, conditions and objectives. There is another, more serious, problem with corporatization of education. Corporations operate on the principles of cost reduction and profit maximization. These require introducing standardization and the packaging of product in compact, measurable, byte-like, configuration. Applied to education, these approaches would possibly negate its basic fabric and purpose. Education has always encouraged and represents openness, inquiry, diversity, research and limitless learning. Corporatization of education would make it elitist the one provided by corporations for the masses and the poor who cannot afford going to the traditional institutions of learning, and the other for the rich and the affluent. The delivery of public goods and services is and should remain the primary responsibility of the state. Representative government may not be the ideal or perfect arrangement for governance but it represents the best that is available, and certainly more desirable than the private sector management of public services such as education. If the state relinquishes its control over education and education policy, we run the risk of diminishing it to the status of a packaged for-profit product which it is not. Openness, diversity, scholarship, research and disinterested learning will be its biggest victims.

A Philosophical Examination of Language Essay -- Phylosophy

A Philosophical Examination of Language "Philosophy is language idling." —Ludwig Wittgenstein    Language and philosophy have an intimate connection to one another; without a philosophical examination of the meanings and structure of language, we cannot easily ascertain the objective truth of the statements we make, nor can we usefully discuss abstract concepts. The philosophy of language seeks to understand the concepts expressed by language and to find a system by which it can effectively and accurately do so. This is more difficult than it appears at first; philosophers are looking for a theory of language which avoids the minute errors of meaning and usage which occur in all discussions of abstract concepts and which tend to lead those discussions into complicated dead-ends. Since so much of philosophy is currently concerned with the linguistic representation of reality, the bond between the philosophical and the linguistic is growing stronger. Philosophers can only write syntax for the languages they want to use in expressing theory with some knowledge of linguistics; and linguists can use philosophical principles to solve problems of meaning and syntax (Moravcsik 89). This strong link can be exploited to the advantage of both sides. In recent history philosophers have struggled with the question of precision in language and have sought to construct a system under which meanings can be discussed without danger of falling into circular or metaphysical traps. Two major approaches to this question have arisen in scientific circles of the twentieth century. Logical empiricism, also known as logical positivism, seeks to produce a language which consists of symbols combined precisely in accordance with sp... ...ohns Hopkins P, 1969. Katz, Jerrold J. The Philosophy of Language. New York: Harper & Row, 1966. Malcolm, Norman. Nothing is Hidden: Wittgenstein's Criticism of his Early Thought. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1986. Moravcsik, J.M.E. Understanding Language: A Study of Theories in Linguistics and in Philosophy. The Hague: Mouton, 1975. Qadir, C.A. Logical Positivism. Lahore: Ripon P, 1965. Quine, Willard van Orman. "Two Dogmas of Empiricism." Readings in the Philosophy of Language. Eds. Jay F. Rosenberg & Charles Travis. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1971. Rahim, Syed Ataur. Logical Positivism and Metaphysics. Hussainabad/Karachi: Rahim P, 1990. Sengupta, Kalyan Kumar. Language and Philosophy. Bombay: Allied P, 1969. Stevens, Allan. On Belief. [Online] Available http://www.duke.edu/~kellogg/Classes/Mentation/Issue1/stevens.htm, December 16, 1997.

Outline and Evaluate the Strange Situations Essay

During the 1970’s, psychologist Mary Ainsworth further expanded upon Bowlby’s groundbreaking work in her now-famous â€Å"Strange Situation† study. The study involved observing children between the ages of 12 to 18 months responding to a situation in which they were briefly left alone and then reunited with their mother (Ainsworth, 1978). Based on these observations, Ainsworth concluded that there were three major styles of attachment: secure attachment, ambivalent-insecure attachment, and avoidant-insecure attachment. Researchers Main and Solomon (1986) added a fourth attachment style known as disorganized-insecure attachment. Numerous studies have supported Ainsworth’s conclusions and additional research has revealed that these early attachment styles can help predict behaviours later in life. Ainsworth and Wittig devised the strange situation to be able to test the nature of attachment systematically. The aim was to see how infants that were aged between 9 and 18 months behave under conditions of mild stress and also novelty. See more: essay apa format Stress is created in the strange situations by the presence of a stranger and by separation from a caregiver. This tests stranger anxiety and separation anxiety respectively. The strange situation also aims to encourage exploration by placing infants in a novel situation and thus tests the secure base concept. The research room is a novel environment, a 9 x 9 foot square marked off into 16 squares to help in recording the infant’s movements. The procedure consists of eight episodes, each designed to highlight certain behaviours. In the strange situation data is collected by a group of observers who record what the infant is doing every 15 seconds. The observer notes down which of the following behaviours is displaced and also scores the behaviour for intensity on a scale of 1 to 7. Ainsworth et al combined the data from several studies, to make a total of 106 middle – class infants observed in the strange situation. They found similarities and differences in the way that infants behaved. In terms of similarity it was noted that exploratory behaviours declined in all infants from episode 2 onwards, whereas the amount of crying increased. Proximity- seeking and contact maintaining behaviours intensified during separation and when the stranger appeared. Contact – resisting and proximity – avoiding behaviours occurred rarely towards the caregiver prior to separation. In terms of differences, they found three main types of children , originally called A, B and C to avoid any descriptive labels. The characteristic of the main attachments types , with respect to the strange situation are secure attachment, insecure – avoidant, insecure – resistant and the fourth attachment type proposed by Main and Solomon (1986) is called the insecure – disorganised. A criticism of this study is that there were demand characteristics present, this is when participants try to make sense of the research situation that they are in and therefore adjust their behaviour according to it. The demand characteristics present in the strange situation are that mothers would change their behaviour in order to appear as a good mother in front of the experimenter. This is a problem because it means that the results obtained aren’t based on natural behaviour by the participants thus affecting the conclusions gathered from the study. Another criticism of this study is that this was a lab experiment which means that the study has low ecological validity. This is because control can be exerted onto the participants by the experimenter resulting in the study lacking mundane realism. This is a problem because it means that the results cannot be generalised across other people. However there is also an advantage of a lab experiment which is that the experiment would be conducted under controlled conditions thus making the experiment more rigorous and reliable as external factors can be controlled. Since this study only used middle- class north Americans, this becomes a big disadvantage of this study. This is because it decreases the population validity which is the extent to which the results from this research can be generalized across other groups of people in society. This is a problem because it means that these results cannot be used against other people who are not middle-class north Americans thus decreasing the validity of these results. An advantage of this study is that it is very influential as it enables us to assess whether or not children are securely attached and how this attachment type relates to later behaviour. For example if a child is insecurely attached at childhood then later on at adulthood the child could have problem attaching to someone else eg. husband/child. This is a benefit as it enables us to determine which behaviour caused by parents at a child’s early age causes a child to become securely and insecurely attached thus preventing any dysfunctional behaviour in adulthood. A criticism of this study is that the child’s behaviour has to be observed by someone in order to decide what the child is doing. This decreases the reliability which is whether the results measured are consistent because there could be a difference of opinion. For example one person could say that the child is seeking and rejecting however another person may say that the child is only seeking. This is a problem as people can have different judgements therefore this study has low reliability as who can say which opinion is correct and which isn’t. It is too reliant for individual judgement.

A Character Sketch of Rudolph Steiner (the Green Door by O’Henry)

Rudolph Steiner belongs to the middle class of American society of the beginning of the 20th century. He is a piano salesman, a commonplace citizen on the one hand, but on the other hand he is (as the author characterizes him) â€Å"a true adventurer; few were the evenings on which he didn’t go forth from his hall bedchamber in search of the unexpected†. No matter where he goes, he tries to find an adventure in every thing possible. His adventurous spirit has already led him â€Å"into strange paths† several times, but he still retains it. This time, having received a card with the inscription â€Å"Green Door† from a dispenser in the street, he undertakes another evening journey. Rudolph Steiner is a commonplace American and not an American at the same time. He lives here but he is quite different from the capitalist majority. O’Henry characterizes Rudolph indirectly through his speech: †This is ridiculous to go without eatingI’m coming back tomorrow to see how you are getting along – you can’t get rid of me so easily†. This difference was (in those days) and is vitally important nowadays, Rudolph is deeply humane, despite the unspoken law of the society (as consequences of the so-called â€Å"social darvinism† – the fittest survive); he treats poor people the same way as all others and the financial state of a person he deals with is of no difference for him. We can draw this conclusion from his conduct towards the girl: he understands not only her helplessness, but spends his (probably all his) money to support her , to take her out of trouble, showing his philanthropic nature. Rudolph is awarded: the girl turns out not to be of the kind he thought before. He says: â€Å"All the same, I believe it was the hand of Fate that doped out the way for me to find her†. Rudolph Steiner is a character to draw people people’s attention to an acute problem of the society, to the disparaging treatment of the poor. The general outline of the story makes some critics think that it’s just for entertainment, like many others available on sale†, but it’s a one to make us think thanks to the character of Rudolph Steiner, a favourable exception among the majority.

Correcting a Run-On Sentence With a Period or Semicolon

Correcting a Run-On Sentence With a Period or Semicolon The simplest way to correct a run-on sentence (also known as a fused sentence) is with a mark of punctuation- a period or semicolon. Correcting a Run-on Sentence With a Period To make two separate sentences out of a run-on, put a period at the end of the first main clause and begin the second main clause with a capital letter: Run-on SentenceMerdine is a skilled carpenter she single-handedly built a two-story log cabin.CorrectedMerdine is a skilled carpenter . She single-handedly built a two-story log cabin. Inserting a period at the end of the first main clause is often the best way to correct a long run-on sentence. Correcting a Run-on Sentence With a Semicolon Another way to separate two main clauses is with a semicolon: Run-on SentenceMerdine is a skilled carpenter she single-handedly built a two-story log cabin.CorrectedMerdine is a skilled carpenter ; she single-handedly built a two-story log cabin. Be careful not to overwork the semicolon. The mark is most often used between two main clauses that are closely related in meaning and grammatical form. Adding a Conjunctive Adverb Although a period or semicolon will correct a run-on sentence, a mark of punctuation alone wont explain how the second main clause relates to the first one. To make this relationship clear, you can follow the period or semicolon with a conjunctive adverbthat is, a transitional expression that introduces a main clause. The common conjunctive adverbs show that you are continuing a thought (furthermore, moreover), offering a contrast (however, nonetheless, still), or showing a result (accordingly, consequently, then, therefore, thus). Unlike coordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs dont join main clauses; however, they do guide your readers by linking ideas: I loathed my job more than I loved the paycheck; consequently, I quit work and returned to college.After three days of rain, I was tempted to abandon the hike. Nevertheless, on the fourth day I took bearings from my compass and set out due west toward Cedar Bay. Remember that a conjunctive adverb between two main clauses should be preceded by a semicolon or period. It is usually followed by a comma. This exercise will give you practice in applying the guidelines on page one of  Correcting a Run-on Sentence With a Period or Semicolon. To view the exercise without ads, click on the printer icon near the top of this page. Instructions: Use either a period or a semicolon to correct each of the run-on sentences below. A jump rope is the ultimate aerobic exercise it provides a top-notch daily workout.My teacher never missed a day of school I think even the flu and the common cold were afraid of that lady.Experience is not what happens to you it is what you do with what happens to you.A low blood-sugar level signals  hunger a higher one tells the brain that you dont need to eat.A lobotomy is a fairly simple operation however amateurs should not attempt it.Fifty years ago, parents were apt to have several children nowadays children are apt to have several parents.Humor is a rubber sword it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.Black magic is meant to harm or destroy white magic is intended to benefit an individual or the community.Carefully open the can of soup empty the contents of the can into a saucepan and stir gently.Its not enough to hear opportunity knock you must let him in, make friends, and work together with him.Boy bands should be exploded from a great height theyre just pret ty people singing music written by others. Happiness is the key to success if you love what you are doing, you will be successful.It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent that survives it is the one that is the most adaptable to change.Courage is doing what youre afraid to do there can be no courage unless youre scared.During a boat trip in 1862, Charles Dodgson began telling a story about an adventure in a world full of peculiar creatures the place was called Wonderland. Answers A jump rope is the ultimate aerobic exercise. It  [or  ;  it] provides a top-notch daily workout.My teacher never missed a day of school. I  [or  ;  I] think even the flu and the common cold were afraid of that lady.Experience is not what happens to you. It  [or  ;  it] is what you do with what happens to you.A low blood-sugar level signals hunger.  A  [or  ;  A] higher one tells the brain that you dont need to eat.A lobotomy is a fairly simple operation. However,  [or  ;  however,] amateurs should not attempt it.Fifty years ago, parents were apt to have several children. Nowadays  [or  ;  nowadays] children are apt to have several parents.Humor is a rubber sword. It  [or  ;  it] allows you to make a point without drawing blood.Black magic is meant to harm or destroy. White  [or  ;  white] magic is intended to benefit an individual or the community.Carefully open the can of soup. Empty  [or  ;  empty] the contents of the can int o a saucepan and stir gently.Its not enough to hear opportunity knock. You  [or  ;  you] must let him in, make friends, and work together with him. Boy bands should be exploded from a great height. Theyre  [or  ;  theyre] just pretty people singing music written by others.Happiness is the key to success. If  [or  ;  if] you love what you are doing, you will be successful.It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent that survives. It  [or  ;  it] is the one that is the most adaptable to change.Courage is doing what youre afraid to do. There  [or  ;  there] can be no courage unless youre scared.During a boat trip in 1862, Charles Dodgson began telling a story about an adventure in a world full of peculiar creatures. The  [or  ;  the] place was called Wonderland.

How to Plant the Leyland Cypress Tree in Your Landscape

How to Plant the Leyland Cypress Tree in Your Landscape A rapidly-growing evergreen when young, Leyland Cypress will easily grow three to four feet per year, even on poor soils, and can ultimately attain a height of some 50 feet. The tree forms a dense, oval or pyramidal outline when left unpruned, but the graceful, slightly pendulous branches will tolerate severe trimming to create a formal hedge, screen or windbreak. The tree quickly outgrows its space in small landscapes and is too big for most residential landscapes unless regularly trimmed. Unusually, shallow roots of the species can give in wet soil to topple large trees. Uses Scientific name: x Cupressocyparis leylandiiPronunciation: x koo-press-so-SIP-air-iss lay-LAN-dee-eyeCommon name: Leyland CypressFamily: CupressaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: 6 through 10AOrigin: not native to North AmericaUses: hedge; recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; screen; specimen; Christmas treeAvailability: generally available in many areas within its hardiness range Form Height: 35 to 50 feetSpread: 15 to 25 feetCrown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline  and individuals have more or less identical crown formsCrown shape: columnar; oval; pyramidalCrown density: denseGrowth rate: fastTexture: fine Foliage Leaf arrangement: opposite/suboppositeLeaf type: simpleLeaf margin: entireLeaf shape: scale-likeLeaf venation: none, or difficult to seeLeaf type and persistence: evergreenLeaf-blade length: less than 2 inchesLeaf color: blue or blue-green; greenFall color: no fall color changeFall characteristic: not showy Structure Trunk/bark/branches: grow mostly upright and will not droop; not particularly showy; should be grown with a single leader; no thornsPruning requirement: needs little pruning to develop a strong structureBreakage: resistantCurrent year twig color: green Planting Leyland cypress trees enjoy both part shade/part sun and full sun- the tree has very forgiving light requirements. The cypress can be planted in many soils. The tree tolerates clay, loam, sand and will grow in both acidic and alkaline soils but still needs to be planted in a well-drained site. It tolerates drought conditions and is salt tolerant. When planting Leyland cypress, remember the trees mature size and fast growth rate. Planting a cypress too close is not recommended. You will be tempted to plant the seedlings too close but ten-foot spacings should be a minimum in most landscapes. Pruning Leyland Cypress is a fast grower and, if not pruned early, can get out of hand as a hedge. In the first year trim back long side shoots at the start of the growing season. Trim sides lightly in late July. The sides can be trimmed the following to year encourage denser growth. Continue to trim the sides each year leaving the leading shoot untouched until the desired height is reached. Topping and regular trimming of the sides should prevent trees from becoming increasingly large. Seiridium Canker Seiridium canker disease, also called coryneum canker is a slow-spreading fungal disease of Leyland cypress. It disfigures and damages trees, particularly in hedges and screens that are heavily pruned. Seiridium canker is usually localized on individual limbs. The limb is usually dry, dead, often discolored, with a sunken or cracked area surrounded by living tissue. You should always destroy diseased plant parts and try to avoid physical damage to plants. Sanitize pruning tools between each cut by dipping in rubbing alcohol or in a solution of chlorine bleach and water. Chemical control has proven to be difficult. Horticulturist Commentary Dr. Mike Dirr says about Leyland Cypress: ...it should be restrained at an early age before pruning becomes impossible. Additional Information Leyland Cypress grows in full sun on a wide range of soils, from acid to alkaline, but looks its best on moderately fertile soil with sufficient moisture. It is surprisingly tolerant of severe pruning, recovering nicely from even severe topping (although this is not recommended), even when half the top is removed. It grows well in clay soil and tolerates poor drainage for a short period of time. It also is very tolerant of salt spray. Some available cultivars include: ‘Castlewellan’, a more compact form with gold-tipped leaves, excellent for hedges in cool climates; ‘Leighton Green’, dense branching with dark green foliage, columnar form; ‘Haggerston Gray’, loose branches, columnarpyramidal, upturned at ends, sage-green color; ‘Naylor’s Blue’, blue-grey foliage, columnar form; ‘Silver Dust’, wide-spreading form with blue-green foliage marked with white variegations. Propagation is by cuttings from side growths.

Policy Made and Implemented in Criminal Justice Essay

Policy Made and Implemented in Criminal Justice - Essay Example The criminal system is based on the creation of laws, the adjudication of these laws through the courts, and the implementation of correctional processes for various transgressions (Fuller, 2005). An offender would have an initial contact with the criminal system through the police officers, who are the primary enforcers of the laws (Fuller, 2005). These officers are usually also tasked with the investigation of violations of the law and the arrest of suspected or known offenders. As arresting officers, they may sometimes be supported by federal officers, especially where suspects cross state lines or pose a more significant danger to a larger population or territory (Fuller, 2005). Where necessary, the law enforcement agencies, as well as the police officers have the power to apply force and other means in order to serve arrest warrants and ensure public safety (Hanes and Hanes, 2005). Once the criminal offender or suspect is arrested, the criminal court systems are next involved in the criminal justice system. ... In the US, the adversarial system is being; this is where both parties are given the opportunity to present their side before the courts (Friedman, 1993). The case is then awarded to the party who makes the most compelling argument based on legal provisions. The prosecutors bring about charges against individuals or corporate entities for violations of the criminal laws (Friedman, 1993). It is their duty to prove that a crime has been committed by the accused party. On the other side, the defense attorney refutes the evidence presented against the accused and establishes the accused party’s defense (Walker, 1980). The final adjudication is then made by a third party – a judge or a jury. Where the accused party admits guilt, the process would be shorter and the judgment is rendered immediately by the judge. Plea bargaining is also often arranged between the parties in order to establish a compromise while still ensuring that the interes ts of criminal justice are served (Fuller, 2005). After sentencing is carried out by the judge or the jury, the decision is then imposed. For guilty parties, punishment is often based on the offense committed. Punishment often comes in the form of imprisonment or executions with or without corresponding fines and damages. Parole or probation arrangements may be imposed based on the judges’ discretion according to the set circumstances involved (Fuller, 2005). After time served, the criminal is usually released to the general population however, general restrictions may still be imposed on them, including regular reporting to their probation officer, loss of voting privileges, an imposition of fines, and for sexual offenders, inclusion in a sexual offender database (Chambliss, 2001).  

Not sure, make one for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Not sure, make one for me - Essay Example Even in the contemporary era and after various legal reforms, there are just a handful of solicitors enjoying the same position as that of barristers. A barrister defends their client in a court of law, whereas the profession of a solicitor is confined predominantly to drafting of relevant legal papers, of course barring exceptional cases. Mostly, the barrister carries out his profession independently, and the solicitor is employed by firms subsequent to partnership agreements. (2) Under the legal structure of the UK, solicitors provide advice to their clients, which are comprised mainly of various firms, in legal matters. In the event of the legal matters involving too many intricacies, they seek the guidance of barristers. In certain exceptional instances, as stipulated by the law, solicitors do have the right to defend their clients in the court. Barring these cases that can more or less be considered as rare ones, otherwise, the right of audience in a court is the exclusive privilege of the barrister. (1) When comparison is drawn between the legal profession and the medical one, the role of a solicitor can conveniently be equated to that of a doctor providing services in the realm of general medicine. Likewise, the barrister’s role is on par with that of a doctor specializing in their chosen discipline of medicine. (1) At this juncture, it would be highly relevant to be shifting the focus on to certain sections of the UK’s society strongly arguing in favor of combining the profiles of a barrister and a solicitor in a manner so as to enable the existence of just a single profile. In the event of the manifestation of such a scenario, the disadvantages would be way outweighing any advantages, much against the claims of the proponents of this fusion. At this point, it would be worthwhile to elaborate on the disadvantages resulting from the aforesaid scenario, as well as highlight the