Impact of Islam on West Africa Essay

Islam impacted West Africa in many ways. It changed the people’s views of their rulers, and in some people, even the way they viewed the world. Other aspects stayed the same, like the beliefs of the pagan people and how they lived. The most important connection that Islam made globally was the establishment of trading centers and routes. When Muslims brought Islam into West Africa from across the Sahara, Africans were attracted to it because it helped them through a time where their rulers were changing. Rulers were extremely attracted to the Islamic idea of state and religion being united under one ruler because they thought it would help reinforce their authority. Also, many lower people converted to Islam because of its egalitarian beliefs. The fact that all people were viewed as equals appealed to them, for they then would be equal to the people that looked down upon them. In many ways, Islam changed the views of the people in West Africa. As Islam was growing rapidly, many people were converting, yet pagan people did not want to change their polytheistic views on life because that was the only thing they had to look forward to. Unlike Hinduism, Islam was very strict when it came to including other beliefs along with theirs. Pagan people made up a large part of the West African population. Therefore in order for Islam to spread even further, Sufi mystics integrated pagan beliefs into Islam. The beliefs did not change, and the pagan people were at peace with the pagan people and its ideas. In global context, Islam made an important connection with other parts of the world through trade. West Africa had many points where Muslims established trading centers that traded with Asia and Europe. Trade spread Islamic ideas to other parts of the world, introducing new regions and empires to egalitarian and monotheistic beliefs. These beliefs helped other regions in the world deal with war, conquering of their land, and unlawful taxation that was part of the people’s daily lives. Without establishing trade routes, Islam could not have impacted other parts of the world as much as it had in such a short time. The changes Islam made in the views of the West Africans helped them get through rough times, and unified them. The continuity of the beliefs of the pagan people also helped Islam spread, and kept most of the empire in order. The impact of Islam in multiple ways helped unify West Africa, and established important connections around the world.

Different between secondary school and university Essay

I used to say that I could not wait until I finished secondary school and have a greater say in what do. In reflection I can say that my experience in secondary school was more fulfilling for me than the university currently is for me. As I commenced my secondary school life, I was registered. Although I registered at the beginning of my university life, I have to register every semester for the courses that I would be pursuing. In addition, at secondary school level everything was handed out to me; while at the university I have to collect my information for different courses. I believe that secondary school was easier because if I did not understand a topic, teachers were easily accessed. If I do not understand a topic at university I have to wait until the tutorial or office hours. I easily interacted with my teachers while at the university some of my lectors are not approachable. In secondary school I had three sets of vacations while at university I only have two sets of vacations. In addition, secondary school had two set of three weeks’ vacation and a ten weeks summer while university have one month in the Christmas vacation and four months for summer vacation. I found that at secondary school I was taught the fundamentals of learning, while the university teaches me the advance structure of learning. I learned subject and verb agreement and not how to write essay but at university I learn additional fundamental of English like topic sentence use of punctuation marks and structure different types of essays. I also learned basic United Kingdom accounting principle for Caribbean Examination Council level. United State accounting is taught at the university level. In addition, secondary school I did internal exam and was promoted to the year level while I do exams to earn credits towards my degree at the university. I did external exam and gain Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) certificate in several subjects but the university does an increment of courses and receive one degree. The secondary school structure is rigid while the university structure is flexible. The School year is divided into three terms while the university has semesters. In addition at secondary school the children have a long summer vacation while university students have the option of attending summer school. School class times were scheduled for a school year while at the university classes would be chosen by me and changes every semester. I remember having one break time and a fixed hour for lunch whereas for university I can have lunch at time where there is free period. There were many rules at school which were enforced. However, there are some at the university which student are not acquainted with and no one enforces them. For example, if I did not attended classes regularly, the principal would call my parents. However at university there is not anyone who checks up and realized when I am missing from lectures or tutorial sessions. Furthermore, there was a uniform at school that I wore; in fact, the principal and teachers made sure we wore our uniforms correctly. However, at university I can wear my own clothes, which my mother provide for me. I remember the principal sent me back home a last day for having on braids. Now I can wear braids, weave and even colour my hair at the university. Secondary School was small and had limited classrooms but university is bigger and have many different rooms. When I was at school I had a form room where I could eat my lunch and talk to my friends. On the other hand at the university I do not have any fixed room that I can be in. There was also small number of children in the class in contrast to the large number of students at university. Most of the teaching was done in our form room whereas I have to go different places for lectures and tutorials. I knew everyone in my class because they came from first to fifth form, and some of the other children throughout the school. However, I am unable to know everyone in the lectures and I only know a few in the tutorial since my courses changes ever semester. I was able to have a face to face teaching at school whereas I am taught different ways at the university such as lecture, tutorials and online learning. The work load at university is much heavier than at secondary school although I did eight subject at CXC level and I am only doing four course a semester. I conclude although secondary school was structure and rigid I thoroughly enjoyed my life there and those memories would remain with me forever. Even though, my university life is flexible and I have a greater say on my activities, I can now say that I prefer the structure of secondary school life.

This is a position paper for an economics case Research

This is a position for an economics case - Research Paper Example This paper discusses the trend and status of prices and the standard of living in the U.S. The current situation in the economy is the weakest though the economic fundamental might show the economy is doing fine. Even when the rate of unemployment is as it lowest, and the free market uninterrupted by economic crisis there is more to be done on the prices of goods. People may be in employment, but still life in poverty because the cost of living is high. The economy of the United States has increased since the inception of the industrial revolution with the exception of instances of economic crisis in 19 30 and other financial crisis including the 2007 -2008 financial turmoil. During the recession, the economy output of the country decreases and people lose job, as a result. In case where people keep their job they do so with pay cut to ensure that the industry survives the crisis. This demonstrates the worst of the effect of prices in the economy. However, during the boom it is only a few who benefits and the rest of the people condition remain unchanged. Moreover, the government had resulted to borrowing to maintain a high standard of living. This, however, has a negative effect on prices and inflation. The country right now is dealing with the problem of debt, and it had reached the maximum amount that was set earlier by the congress. Therefore, failure to pass a debt ceiling bill that increases the level at which the government can borrow leave the government operation vulnerable and a possibility of defaulting past engagements. The challenges of unstable prices are borne by consumers because they are trapped within their wages. The United State Bureau of Census and concern from the labour sector has been raising concerns of the living standard in the next decades. The Bureau of Census has projections of the country’s economic capability to maintain a healthy

Should Police Be Armed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Should Police Be Armed - Essay Example In the present scenario the rate of violence is crossing all limits. The cops are risking their lives in order to save the lives of public. Crime is uncontrollable nowadays, how can we expect the police officers to confront the criminals without themselves being properly equipped with arms and protection. So, it’s the duty of the government of nations to provide adequate firearms and protective equipment to the police officers. We are now living in an era where a criminal has more privileges than the common man. The rate of attacks on the police officers has increased to a great extent. In absence of firearms with the police, the fear of police in the minds of the criminals will surely be insufficient. Also, when people who have been employed to protect the public can no longer protect themselves, the confidence of public in them will not substantially down. The police should be armed, and with this they should have decision making ability and the courage to shoot the criminals if the lives of public are in danger. Firearms are necessary to maintain that fear for the cops in the minds of the terrorists. The criminals have no respect for the law of the nation and no fear for the police. Arming the police will teach the criminals a lesson. If the police are armed, criminals will think twice before hurting any police officer. Only making the police armed would not do. Not only should the cops be armed, but along with this, they should also be given adequate training for dealing with the situations effectively. The equipments provided to the police should work, because in most cases, old equipments provided to the police have proved to be of no use when actually needed. The opponents to this view say that arming the police has more disadvantages than advantages. The opponents say that every officer cannot be trusted with a gun. Making the police armed has increased the number of

Does Ethics Require Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Does Ethics Require Religion - Essay Example Does Ethics Require Religion? Rough estimates put a figure of approximately 4,200 religions across the globe. Religion or an inquiry to religion is a common thing virtually across all humans. In all periods of history and corners of the globe, people have always wondered about life’s meaning, how to live it best, what will happen after life, and if there exists a supernatural being (Webster, 1). I have studied various religions in this course including indigenous religion, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam. This paper seeks to highlight on a personal experience in studying these religions, how it relates to my life, and how the knowledge impact my life. When I came to California two years ago, I had difficulties in adapting to the new environment and lifestyle. It took me quite some time to get acquainted to the dissimilar culture, way of life, and traditions. With time, I realized that the world is a small place as we interacted and affected each other every day. Although were different , we are all humans who are subjected to the universal human existence conditions like loss, change, uncertainty, and death. However, our backgrounds, histories, languages, and cultures determine how we approach those conditions (Donahue 1). Truth is, we do not worship the same gods, think the same, have the same cultural values, or share our specific histories. We interpret ourselves and the world truly differently. I have since come to comprehend that according to the mainstream religions all people were created by God. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism teach that humans are children of Adam and Eve. They consider Satan as the common enemy who causes enmity and division among people. The mentioned religions in the first paragraph have had messengers and prophets who were send by God to teach people about love, friendship, and co-existence. They teach about worship and submitting to God as the master and creator (oup.com 1). I believe that any individual who recognizes is able to li ve with any society in affection and peace. This course has brought to me to understand the positive, cooperative, and constructive interactions between people from different faiths. Dialogue has promoted the understanding between the different religions with the acceptance of other people as they are instead of synthesizing new beliefs (oup.com 1). Most religious texts endorse peace and compassion. In fact, majority of the religions have peace as their key principle. While some laws and traditions permit killing and waging war in certain cases, it requires that one seeks peace and just before waging any war. The nonviolence philosophy has roots in the majority of the mentioned religions. The religions sharply restrict any form of violence. I look forward to teaching and sharing this knowledge with my fellow countrymen when I graduate. Most of the religious beliefs have components of ethics. They are derived from the purported supernatural guidance and revelation. The ethics are tie d up within religion and unconditionally settled therein. There is a code of instructions which directs followers on how to live Religion is sometimes viewed as the bedrock of ethical behavior. The relationship between ethics and religion is about reason and revelation. Religion has a basis on the idea that of God (or some deity) giving insights about the true meaning of life. The insights are based on collected texts (the Koran, the Torah, the Bible, etc.). Through these, people who can make decisions which maximize their

Forecasting Techniques In Aviation Industry Essay

Forecasting Techniques In Aviation Industry - Essay Example The company developed and implemented a global supply chain solution. This enabled the company to deliver on board customer services as one of the largest airline firms of the world. The company is first to personalize the service for the valued customers. The technology partners of the company are industry matematik International (IMI), Manugistics. One of the most valued strength of the company is committed and professional people in the staff. The majority of the staff in BA is willing to own a problem and is capable of chasing it exemplary. 1 The British Airways demonstrated the compatibility of pleasure and profits. The organization in the company presented its culture as the explanation for the transformation. The organizational environment at the time of transformation resulted in structural changes observing the impact of them in the long term. The organizational structure of the firm exhibited no corporate friction. In general the corporate friction targets to promote positive attitudes by increasing employee's area of responsibility. This system will align financial interests. BA's organizational structure targeted employee attitudes and aimed at secure commitment. The structure did not resign behavioral compliance as staff has common vision in working together. 2 1.2 Problem definition and analysis: The problem conside... When the items are slow moving, generally they are not available readily and the maintenance of those parts by the company can be a burden of inventory. As airlines are a service industry, the maintenance of an inventory to avoid shortage of spare parts is not cost effective practice. One of the possible solutions is the forecasting techniques for the shortage of spares. The forecasting of the problem helps in acquiring the required parts in a particular period of time for the aircrafts of the firm. The all zero, several levels of demand lumpiness, demand variation and ordering, holding and shortage cost are the few models that can be useful in fore casting the shortage of spares in the airlines firm. The evaluation of the forecasting methods by three measures of forecast error and other measures by inventory cost is recommended. All zero forecasts yield the lowest cost when the lumpiness is high. The bid lumpiness also requires the zero forecasts when the shortage cost is more than the holding cost. The maintenance of the spares in the form of inventory should be termed as cost effective when the cost incurred on the company due to shortage is more than the holding cost of the spares in the form of inventory.3 2. Literature Review 2.1 Forecasting demands and Challenges: A.A. Ghobbar in 1994 stated that the most accurate forecasting method on the basis of demand pattern fluctuation in the industry. The average mean absolute percentage error can help in selecting the forecasting methods. The average inner demand interval categorisation can establishes the validity of the factor ranges as a crucial finding. This will simplify and segment the results obtained by evaluating the forecasting methods and

Heritage and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Heritage and Culture - Essay Example This paper discusses achievements of the above mentioned writers in depicting their ancestral elements and thereby making their traditional aspects integral parts of the works. It also explores how Hawthorne and Marshall differ from each other in the two mentioned novels as far as their inherited and Puritanical standpoints are concerned. Nathaniel Hawthorne's Puritan ancestry is evident in many of his literary works. The beliefs of Puritans are often linked with human nature in his writings. The characters of the books depict the author's personal feelings regarding Puritanism. A puritan ancestry coupled with an ancestor, who served as judge in the witch trials in Salem, further served to influence the inclusion of Puritan themes in many of his books. It is generally opinionated that Hawthorne used his work as an outlet for expressing his guilt for the Puritan ways. His torment against the cruelties of Puritanism is very effectively portrayed in 'The Scarlet Letter.' Through this book he revealed the grotesqueness of the Puritan principles. (Gervens, 2006) The puritan era and its cultural aspects have been depicted through Hawthorne's novel 'The Scarlet Letter.' Hard work linked to servitude to God is a dominant Puritan philosophy. But the rather ascetic views on certain other aspects of life; have been portrayed in many of Nathaniel Hawthorne's work. ... In the book, Hester a young woman is forced to wear the letter "A" hewn on a red cloth with gold thread in an elaborate and intricate design. This letter is a badge of disgrace imparted by the Puritan elders for Hester's actions of bearing an illegitimate child. The Puritan elders had thus set an example for sinners who dared to disobey the principles of the Puritan society. (Lots of Essays, 2008) The author's feelings about the Puritan punishments are evident in the contrast with which he depicts the grace of Hester with the cold severity portrayed by the Puritan elders. His abhor and disgust for the Puritan practices has been exemplified through this book. Paule Marshall and West Indian Heritage Marshall's views on her West Indian heritage are expressed in her book 'Praisesong for the Widow.' For instance the use of Creole dialect, even only for a weekend by the out - islanders in the book is proof of the close ties that is maintained with their ancestry. The author has expressed her own feelings through the journey of the protagonist - Avey in the book. Avey's appreciation of the traditional Creole dance is a way of reconnecting with her roots, which is something that the author personally wants to do. The author's feeling has been aptly described in the book, through Avey's feelings, when she says, "centered and sustained restored to her proper axis" [Praisesong for the Widow 254]. Avey reestablishes her ties with her heritage, and eventually rediscovers her own self somewhere. The author portrays her ancestral heritage brilliantly through the character of Great Aunt Cuney. The dream that Avey remembers, which inaugurates the chain of events in the book, is that of a younger Avey with her Aunt Cuney, with whom she

Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Prostitution - Essay Example The organization gives the facts on prostitution that are all in favor of my argument. One of the missions and the major aim for the organization is on the protection of the children from trafficking for sexual exploitation in the name of prostitution. This is child defilement and the organization is strongly active and advocates so much on this kind of prostitution (Ronald 2012). It is quite important to highlight a con side of my argument by saying that prostitution is a perceived to be a victimless crime. This is so as it develops bad sexual scenes where the human rights are violated and the people are obliged to engage in various sexual behaviors that are not healthy. With an argument that they receive money in the name of prostitution, they have to admit on their own consent an not admitting because of the pressure that they receive from the people they call their customers. It is also important to highlight that a research that was conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) found out that majority of the prostitutes are women and that they involve themselves in the act with the view of getting income. It is therefore considered to be an evil act in the society as it does not pass good morals to the society (Ronald 2011). Another bad consequence and repercussion of the act is the case whereby the prostitutes go for the HIV/AIDS testing nearly every week and the results of the test turn out to be negative. This can be so for about three months and in the long run the person infects a large number of people before being found negative. This is a wrong implication of prostitution and the adverse effects of the disease are also known. It affects the economy, society and the political climate too (Sheila 2009). Based on my reasoning of the negatives of the act, it is therefore quite evident that the act does not help our economy in the right way. This is so as

Holocaust Memorial by Peter Eisenman and Emmaly Reed Essay

Holocaust Memorial by Peter Eisenman and Emmaly Reed - Essay Example However, one believes that it should have commemorated all the affected Jews during that time, since, according to the Jewish Virtual Library, the memorial serves as a means â€Å"to preserve the memory of those who suffered† (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum par. 2) and it is just fitting to title the memorial as designed for all the Jews who suffered during the Nazi regime.One strongly believes that the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. saved virtually the same purpose as the museum in Berlin: to remember the Jews as a race and as one who the Germans have done injustice to, regardless of where the crimes and atrocities were committed. Unlike slavery and genocide, the Holocaust crimes were magnanimous in nature and their memory leaves an indelible mark to the lives of the remaining Jews who survived.The personal account of the experiences of Emmaly Reed could just be taken in their context since as a spectator; one could not validate the veracity and accuracy of the information that was relayed (Emmaly Reed, Holocaust Survivor). If indeed they were true, she must have suffered tremendously and that fact that she survive was a manifestation of a miracle.

The life and Legacy of George Orwell Essay Example for Free

The life and Legacy of George Orwell Essay George Orwell, a renowned novelist and essayist, is not only regarded for his multitude contributions to literature, he is well recognized as a â€Å"secular saint. † Fifty-seven years after his death, Orwell is acclaimed not only by thinkers and writers but also by the political left and right and those in between. He is a great story teller of truth and is revered by his moral courage, intellect and diamond-hard prose. Social historian Noel Annan once described him as â€Å"the first saint of our age† (Frankel, para. 2). Orwell, deprived of university training, is â€Å"quirky, fierce, independent and beholden to none. † Early Life and Works Born Eric Arthur Blair, this English author lived most of his life in poverty. He joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma from 1922 to 1927 before he returned to Europe to pursue his writing career (Widmann, para. 1). In 1936, Orwell (his pen name) joined the Republican forces in the Spanish civil war. He was wounded in fighting and later on had to flee Spain for his life. Orwell was always critical of communism and considered himself as a socialist. Over the next ten years, he would make his journey towards becoming famous—under a new name and with an altered identity. As Eric Blair, he experienced injustice and poverty and as George Orwell he began to look for their causes. His early experiences with totalitarian political regimes bore impact on his prose. After the publication of two of his greatest novels—Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, he confirmed his disgust over totalitarianism. In his essay Why I Write, he said â€Å"every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism†¦to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole. † During World War II, Orwell wrote a weekly radio political commentary where he countered German and Japanese propaganda in India (para. 5). His commentary work during the war at BBC gave him a solid taste of bureaucratic hypocrisy. This part of his life, many would later say, was his inspiration for his satirical, political novel Nineteen eighty-four, which had the most profound influence on historical revisionism. Until his death in 1950, Orwell would question almost every â€Å"official† or â€Å"accepted† versions of history. In his book Notes on Nationalism, he writes â€Å"if liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. † Animal Farm and Nineteen eighty-four Orwell became a world literary giant after the publication of the book Animal Farm. He began his masterpiece in the final years of World War II. With this (and later with 1984), he started his â€Å"thematic series† concerning abuse of political power (Pyle, para. 3). In Animal Farm, Orwell exposed the Soviet myth by incorporating it into a story that could be easily understood. It is also the first novel written exclusively for political purpose and by this, Orwell entered into a new realm of creative invention. This slight fable, scarcely longer than a short story led directly back to his first days in Barcelona. It tells of the story of abused and overworked animals in a farm that rebel against their abusive farmer, Mr. Jones. The animals’ paradise, however, would soon be commandeered and betrayed by a pig that bears a fleeting resemblance to Joseph Stalin (Gray, p. 9). The clear anti-Soviet parody did not appeal to a lot of publishers. The Animal Farm was turned down by more than a dozen publishers in England and the United States. But those who took a chance at this satirical fable were very much rewarded. The Animal farm was a hit and has sold dependably for 40 years. The success of the Animal Farm gave Orwell some sense of financial relief. He cut back on journalism and was given the chance to devote more time on his next best-seller, Nineteen eighty-four. This is Orwell’s most final and most famous book. He was already on his deathbed when it was published in 1949. The task of typing and revising the manuscript took their toll on his health and his tuberculosis worsened. The original manuscript that would later on re-surface reveals that Orwell considered different titles for his masterpiece. He planned on calling it â€Å"The Last Man in Europe†, â€Å"1980† and â€Å"1982† (p. 1). Tens of millions, from different generations have read it. It has been translated into 62 languages. Nineteen eighty-four tells of the story of Winston Smith, a minor bureaucrat in the totalitarian state of Oceania. Smith is working for the Ministry of Truth during the wars of the superpowers and constant changes in alliances. He rewrote old newspaper stories to conform to the present party ideology. He uses Newspeak, the official language at that time. Newspeak is a version of English being pared down to make unconventional opinions that are impossible to conceive. There was no privacy and Smith, along with all Party members, worked on two-way tele-screens. Posters that declare â€Å"Big Brother is Watching You† are all over the place. Smith, however, would commit a â€Å"thoughtcrime. † He would live by the phrase â€Å"down with Big Brother† instead. He would also have a love affair with a co-worker called Julia, considered a heinous crime because all loyalty belongs to the Party. He will be relentlessly tortured in Room 101 until he could no longer take the pain. He would then suggest that all punishment would be inflicted on Julia instead. This abolishes his integrity but would make him a good Party member. The terms Big Brother, Ministries of Truth and Love, the thought crime and thought police, the memory hole, Room 101 and hate week have now become part of our vocabulary. Orwell, for his part, became the standard adjective when referring to the gap between political language and moral reality (Frankel, para. 7). Orwell fought the worst tendencies in politics and society, and in his two greatest works, he did so by using fundamental sense of decency (Gray, p. 10). Legacy and Contribution Orwell did not mean for Nineteen eighty-four to be his final work. Reports say that in one of his last conversations before he died, he said he have some more books to write. He even married a woman 15 years his junior while he was confined in a hospital. He believed that when one is married and has a wife, he would have more reasons to live. Orwell had three more months. He was only 47. Orwell’s childhood friend once said that the tragedy in the author’s life is that when he achieved fame and success, he was already a dying man and â€Å"he knew it† (Pyle, para. 2). But his mystical status as the greatest novelist of his time would outlive him. Orwell did not only write two of the greatest novels in history. He laid down the standards of a true classic. A Time Magazine cover story in 1983 described him as a man of letters who attempted to â€Å"change the world by changing the word. † Orwell is laso known for his insights about politics. He decried bureaucratic hypocrisy and totalitarianism for as long as he lived. He invented a different language through Newspeak to be able to shape reality. His friends would always regard him as an intellectual. He was always straight and solemn. He held back every emotion and he rarely smiled (Frankel, para. 15). As a novelist, they say, he hates being edited and no one ever tried mucking his works. After all, they say, his manuscripts do not need editing as they always come in perfectly, even the commas. From the start, his writing was essentially personal (Menand, para. 4). He put himself and his experiences at the center of his non-fiction works and many of his essays. He made use of personal anecdotes and stories and knowledge in political journalism to stress his points. Orwell, however, never intended to make himself a hero. What he has is a rare talent of relating with his audience, not as a literary man or a reporter, but as himself. In short, before he made the readers believe in his works, he made them believe, first of all, in him. In 1984, a new 17-volume edition of his complete works was published in the United States. A wax figure of the phenomenal author has also been installed at a museum in London. Scholars have continued debates on the political implications and literary genius of his novels. Orwell’s two final books immortalized him as one of the best novelists in history. More than half a century since he died, his works are still regarded as must-reads and have cemented their place on popular culture. The relevance of his novels has outlived him. Works Cited: Gray, Paul. â€Å"That year is Almost Here. † Time Magazine. (28 Nov. 1983). 2 Oct. 2007 http://www. time. com/time/covers/0,16641,19831128,00. html. Frankel, Glenn. â€Å"George Orwell at 100: Revisiting a Life Steeped in Contradictions. † Washington Post Foreign Service. (25 June 2003). 02 Oct. 2007. Menand, Louis. â€Å"Honest, Decent, Wrong: The Invention of George Orwell. (27 Jan. 2003). 02 Oct. 2007. http://www. newyorker. com/archive/2003/01/27/030127crat_atlarge. http://www. netcharles. com/orwell/articles/col-revcon. htm. Pyle, Steve. â€Å"George Orwell’s Animal Farm: The Little Book that Could. † The Antigonish Review. (23 Feb. 1999). 02 Oct. 2007. http://www. antigonishreview. com/bi -111/111-pyle. html. Widmann, Richard. â€Å"George Orwell: Background. † 02 Oct. 2007. http://codoh. com/thoughtcrimes/tcportorw. html.

Review of TQM Concept from Quality Gurus

Review of TQM Concept from Quality Gurus An extensive literature review is done to explain the concept of TQM, which is extracted from four quality gurus namely; Deming, Juran, Crosby, and Ishikawa. Theories of these gurus are very essential in understanding the concept of TQM. Principles and practices of these gurus are explained in following section. 2.5.1 Deming Approach to TQM The main theory of Demings approach is to create an organizational system that wills faster cooperation and learning. This is to facilitate the process of management practices and implementation that leads to the improvement of the organizational process, products, and employee fulfillment, which are all essential to customer satisfaction (as cited in Zhang, 2000). According to Rvans and Dean (2000), Demings philosophy is aimed to improve products and service by reducing the uncertainty and variation in design and manufacturing processes. Researchers explained that high variation will lead to inconsistencies in performance and as a result will represent poor quality. Deming invented the plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle or commonly known as Deming cycle to relate the production of a product with the consumers need and to utilize the resources within the organization to fulfill those needs (Goetsch and Davis, 2000). It is a continuous cycle that requires the addition of new knowledge. In addition, Demings 14 points of management also received good reviews from the research society over the years. Ross (1999) indicated that a company must adopt the 14 points of his system at all levels of an organization. In retrospect, Dr.Deming has tailored some of the principles to integrate into the current management style of organizations. Table 2.4 lists out the Demings 14 points of management. Table 2.4: Demings 14 Principle of Management No Principles 1 Create constancy of purpose toward the improvement of products and service in order to become competitive, stay in business, and provide jobs. 2 Adopt the new philosophy. Management must learn that it is a new economic age and awaken to the challenge, learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change 3 Stop depending on inspection to achieve quality. Build in quality from start. 4 Start awarding contracts on the basic of low bids. 5 Improve continuously and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly reduce costs. 6 Institute training on the job 7 Institute leadership. The purpose of leadership should be to help people and technology work better 8 Drive out fear so that everyone may work effectively. 9 Break down barriers between departments so that people can work as a team. 10 Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the workforce. They create adversarial relationship. 11 Eliminate quotas and management by objectives. Substitute leadership. 12 Remove barriers that rob employees of their pride of workmanship. 13 Institute a vigorous of education and self improvement. 14 Make the transformation everyones job and put everyone to work on it. Goetsh and Davis, 2000 2.5.2 Juran Approach to TQM Jurans philosophy indicates that Total Quality Management is a system or activity that aims to delight customers, empower employees, increase the level of revenues, and reduce cost (as cited in Zhang, 2000). Demings, alternatively, focuses on the employees pride and their satisfaction. Juran posits that top-down management and technical methods are pertinent to manage organizations (Ross, 1999). Based on a special report published on Business week, an article entitled Dueling Pioneer, suggest that Juran contribution may be better than Demings theory in the long term, primarily owing to the fact that Juran has a broader concept while Deming focuses on statistical process control which is technical-oriented (as cited in Ross, 1999). In this study, Deming believes that customer focus is essential for a companys success and quality is defined as fitness for use. This is comprised of four categories which include quality of design, quality of conformance, availability, and field service. A famous prescription by Juran is quality Trilogy (A registered trademark of Juran Institute). Here, researcher illustrates that quality can be managed through three important processes: Quality Planning, Quality Control, and Quality Improvement. Researcher articulates that problems are traceable in an adequate planning process that will be sent trough a quality control process where a particular problem will be executed. This evidently will lead to the improvement process (Zhang, 2000). Figure 2.1 summarizes the three managerial processes. Figure 2.1: Juran Trilogy Quality Planning Establish quality goals Identify customers needs Develop product features that respond to the quality needs. Develop systems and process that allow organization to produce these features. Deploy the plans to operational levels. Quality Control Evaluate quality performance. Compare performance with goals. Act on the difference between performance and goals. Quality Improvement Develop the infrastructure necessary to make annual quality improvements. Identify specific areas in need of improvement and implement it. Establish a project team with responsibility for completing each improvement project. Provide the resources, motivation, and training needs by the teams to diagnose the causes, stimulate establishment of remedies, and establish controls to hold the gains. Zhang, 2000 2.5.3 Crosby Approach to TQM Crosbys theory is considered as an important theory that contributed to quality management. Researchers theory focuses on (1) Prevention of defect item; (2) Stress on individual conformance; (3) Clear customer focus and education for employee (Kanji, 1990). Crosbys theory also emphasizes on changing the organizational attitudes and behavior towards quality orientation. According to Taylor and Pearson (1994), Crosbys principles comprises of participation of all employees in the organization, stress on individual conformance, requirement and effective changes of corporate culture and motivation. Apart from that, Boaden (1997) also stated four important quality concepts from Crosby: Conformance to requirement is the definition of quality, not elegance. Prevention in the key to quality, not detection and assessment. Performance standard if zero defects. Price of non conformance is the measurement of quality. In addition, Crosby believes that a company would rather spend the lesser on prevention cost than bear the cost of detection and failure. As stipulated by Deming and Juran, Crosby also stressed the importance of quality improvement. Table 2.5 below listed out the Crosbys 14 steps to quality improvement. Table 2.5: Crosbys 14 steps to Quality Improvement Management Commitment Quality Improvement Team Measurement Cost of Quality Quality awareness Correction action Zero Defects plan Quality education Zero defects day Goal setting Error cause removed Recognition Quality councils Repeat Kanji, 1990 2.5.4 Ishikawa Approach to TQM Ishikawa is the quality expert that addressed TQM as TQC which is Total Quality Control. Since the terms management and Control are pronounced as Kanri in Japanese, it implies linguistic ambiguity between Quality Management and Quality Control in the above context (as cited in Boaden, 1997). Ishikawa is a quality tool expert that participated to develop tools such as the (1) Pareto Chart; (2) Cause and Effect Diagram or known as Ishikawa Diadram; (3) Stratification Chart; (4) Scatter Diagram; (5) Check Sheet; (6) Histogram; and (7) Control Chart (Evans and Dean, 2000) Ishikawa also stressed on continuous improvement and customer orientation where organization should keep a track log on what their customer like, their tastes, and applications (Dotchin and Oakland, 1992). As stipulated by Zhang (2000), the six concepts of Ishikawa are described as follows: Company should put quality in the first place, not short term profits. Company should focus on customer, not producer. Company should break down the barrier of sectionalism of customer. Company should use facts and data to make presentation by using statistical tools. Company should apply the cross functional management. 2.5.5 Summary on Quality Gurus Based on the concepts mentioned above, there remains on overarching idea that is shared by all of them, quality improvement. Quality improvement is necessary to lead a company to success. Although all of the experts mentioned above have different views on quality improvement, their intentions are the same. However, their fundamental approaches were slightly different. For instance, the approaches illustrated by Deming and Juran focus on detection and correction while Cosbys theory emphasizes on prevention than detection. All in all, all four theories are widely accepted and are still being used by many organizations. Theories like Demings PDSA Cycle, Juran Trilogy, Crosbys 14 Steps to improvement, and Ishikawas diagrams are still widely used to explain the fundamental concept of TQM. 2.6 Review of Knowledge Sharing Knowledge as a resource of value creation, allows for exceptional marginal rates of productivityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦., appreciating value with continuing use and sharing knowledge instead of depreciating value of tangible products or natural resources (As cited in Yang, 2007) As illustrated in the above phrase, knowledge has to be shared in order to maintain and appreciate the value it has to offer as it will depreciate and vanish over time. Knowledge sharing is a process where knowledge and skills are transferred from one individual to another (Lin, 2007). Pangil and Nasurdin (2005) posit that a number of discussions and research about knowledge sharing is studies to comprehend key element in knowledge management. According to Chua, (2003), a well managed company can capture knowledge from a segment of its organization, shared, and utilized in a completely different in its operations. Moreover, Nonaka (1994) stressed that the efficiency of knowledge sharing is based on the willingness of an individual to identify the knowledge he possess to the company and share it when it is required. However, knowledge sharing among companies throughout the world does not seem to be well accepted among employees and organizations. One of the reason has been notified; where knowledge is being codified and expressed, it is easy to leak the important codified knowledge to the outside world and results in damages especially to an organizations competitive advantage, (Michailova and Husted, 2003). In addition, Mivhailova and husted (2003) conducted a research the Russian and Chinese industries and found that the reason employees refuse to share their knowledge are due to (1) cost involved during knowledge sharing; (2) the psychological fear that their personal value will drop after sharing their knowledge; and (3) accepting and respecting a strong hierarchical and former power. Nevertheless, according to Arduchvili et.al (2002) on his empirical research, the trend that employees do not want to share knowledge has nothing to do with selfish attempts but fear of misleading their colleag ues. Despite the minor negative impact of knowledge sharing as above, many researchers have proven that knowledge sharing will bring more benefits than harm (Yang, 2007; Chua, 2003) Effective knowledge sharing among organizational employees is useful to increase the long term sustainable competitive advantage (Lin, 2007; Yang, 2007; Ruhi, 2003) of the company as it encourages creativity and innovation (Hong et.al.2004; Patrick and Dotsika, 2007). This creates a place that generates information for decision making. New knowledge will indirectly form while the old knowledge is shared through discussion, meetings, and informal chats (Fernie et.al.2003). Ruhi(2003) discovered a number of benefit on effective knowledge sharing which includes (1) increase responsiveness to changes in the economic landscape; (2) dynamic creation and application of custom content; and (3) better manage business partner relationships. Additionally, a successful knowledge sharing environment will strategically alter employee attitudes towards promoting willingness and reliability in sharing knowledge among employees (Connelly and Kelloway, 2003). As there are a myriad of benefits in knowl edge sharing, motivational programs should held frequently to encourage employees to share knowledge (Ardichvili et.al 2002) 2.7 Relationship between TQM Practices and Knowledge Sharing 2.7.1 Leadership Leadership in an organization can be defined as the ability of a role player to influence a team of employees to follow his instruction or missions that have been assigned to them in order to achieve the goals or objectives that been preset by the company (Bounds et. al. 1999). In addition, Zhang (2000) and House and Dessler (1974) illustrated leadership to commit the following: Clarification of vision Coaching management Change of participation within company Employee empowerment Planning as well implementation They implementing the organizational change to provide guidance and recognize employees input such as ideas and suggestion as valuable resources. In parallel, a leader should move away from command managing to control oriented I order to make knowledge sharing successful (Macneil, 2004). Knowledge sharing in an organization does not occur automatically. Thus, a leader plays an important role to ensure that it materializes (Ellinger and Bostrom, 1999). As mentioned above, team members are likely to be recognized by leaders due to their contribution and information, and this will indirectly motivate them to share their knowledge with others (Srivastava et.al. 2006). A leader should also empower and encourage employees to participate in the decision making process and organize meetings where team members are free to express their ideas and suggestions (Arnord et.al. 200). Through these avenues, employees will be aware that their knowledge shared is actually significant and indispensable. Moreover, Arnord et.al (2000) emphasized that leaders should always show censer to his or her team members well being. By doing this, a connection of trust is built between the employee and leader so that knowledge sharing will be easier to function. Based on the literature findings abo ve, the following hypothesis has been proposed: Hypothesis 1: Leadership is positively associated with knowledge sharing. 2.7.2 Organizational Culture As Gore Jr. (1999) mentioned in his research study, organizational culture is considered as key that leads to organizational success. It can create competitive advantage for a company by defining the boundaries of organization in a manner which will help in individual interaction such as sharing ideas and suggestion (Kefting and Frost, 1985). Holistically, organizational culture in the context of knowledge sharing can be described as a combination of theory, values, beliefs, ways of thinking, and acting that are shared by all the employees within the organization (Nor, 2005). In addition, researcher illustrate that a successful organizational environment is when the companys values are cultivated and glued into employees beliefs where their behaviors are derived from social pressure but not from formal procedures and policies. Kim and Lee Stipulate (2004). That there are three components in an organizational culture that cannot be neglected to affect knowledge management and his includes vision and goals, trust, and social network. As knowledge sharing is one of the key components is knowledge management, it is assumed that these three components are also significant. Clear organizational visions and goals will definitely help to encourage employees to share knowledge. This is due to the involvement and participation of employees that is essential to achieve the goals and missions of a company (ODell and Grayson, 1998). Alawi et.al (2007) and Von Krogh (1998) however, explained that interpersonal trust or trust between co -workers is very important in organizational cultures that have strong influence over knowledge sharing. Moreover, (Gruenfeld et.al. 1996) stated that the existence of trust among employees is necessary in order to respond openly and share their knowledge. ODell and Grayson (1998) also hi ghlighted that social interaction between individuals or groups ids helpful in knowledge sharing when different kinds of perspective and knowledge will be exchanged and transferred during the interaction. Based on this discussion, organizational culture is linked to with knowledge sharing and a hypothesis is formed. Hypothesis 2: Organizational Culture is positively with knowledge sharing 2.7.3 Teamwork Ideally, a company project would require a team of personnel that work together to accomplish the project goals. Thus, the composition of the team is crucial and leader needs to understand the abilities of each team member (Anderson, 1994). Generally, teamwork is defined as a work or project done by associates, where each member does a part in line with the efforts from subordinated in hierarchical levels (as cited in Macneil, 2003). However, Goh (2002) found that hierarchical levels of teamwork was obsolete and introduced a framework termed as horizontal communication. This goes beyond technology and encourages cress functional teamwork in the organization that will lead to knowledge transfer and exchange. She explained that employees can easily communication using horizontal cross-functional collaboration. Likewise, Lu et. Al. (2006) verified that good teamwork should contribute to knowledge sharing. Although many academicians and researchers elucidate such as the increase in operations productivity (Kirkman and Rosen, 1999), improvement in the level of customer satisfaction (Kirkman and Rosen, 1999), enhancement of jobs satisfaction among employees (Wall et.at. 1986), and development of a better organizational commitment, there is one fundamental benefit of framework that they disregarded, and this is complementary to the team members knowledge (as cited in Zarraga and Bonache, 2003). This can be clarified by analyzing the study of Wright et. Al.(1994) that explains in detail the idiosyncratic knowledge that is relevant to another member of the team and is transferred from an individual to that particular person. When this occurs a synergy is formed and results in a rise of a new knowledge to a higher level called group knowledge where combinations of unique skills of each team member are consolidated towards achieving missions and goals. Nevertheless, the social dilemma theory explains that knowledge sharing might arise from a problem called public- goods dilemma (Cabrera and Cabrera, 2002). Researcher explains that when knowledge is shared by a volunteers contribution to a team, every member in the team will benefit from it, whether they have made a contribution or not. In order to solve this problem, the company should plan rewarding strategy where people who share their knowledge will be rewarded. Therefore, a hypothesis is developed and stated as: Hypothesis 3: Teamwork is positively associated with knowledge sharing. 2.7.4 Training and Development Training and development is the development of new knowledge and skills as result of imparted knowledge (Goetsch and Davis, 2000). In relation to the context of knowledge sharing, Pangil and Nasurdin (2005) explained that training is crucial for knowledge sharing because it generates an opportunity for people gain new knowledge and share that knowledge. The role of training and development is expended to provide an environment that encourages and facilitates employees to share knowledge within the company. As discussed in the previous chapter, trust and motivation are very important in knowledge sharing. Thus, Goh (2002) stated that training in experimentation can help overcome constraints such as lack of increase an employees job satisfaction (Barli et.al. 2005) and organizational commitment (Ahmad and Bakar, 2003). A formal and successful training will encourage employees to share their knowledge (Lamoureux, 2006). Some options for formal and development programs can stem from hiring trainers and facilitators to provide in -house development programs, outstation training for employees, and e-learning courses that are provided by service providers (Lamourex, 2006). Researcher identified that formal training requires the trainee to perform after -action reviews and give suggestion. Thus, they will express, share and improve their knowledge to others during the training period. Apart from that, as the technology used is growing pervasively in todays corporate world, many tools are developed to faster information exchange. In this course, employee training is necessary get themselves familiarized the technological tools. Stoddart (2001) stated that a good internet management practice will improve the usability and knowledge sharing capability among employees. In addition, Curry and Stancich (2000) elucidated that knowledge sharing will only work if the culture of the organization promotes it and re al time applications such as computer conferencing are used. However, the most important element in accruing new knowledge is pointless without training. In short, training aids to ease the process of knowledge sharing. Surprisingly, there have been limited empirical evidences to prove that training can affect employees to share knowledge. With that reason, a hypothesis is formed. Hypothesis 4: Training and Development is positively associated with knowledge sharing. 2.7.5 Reward System It is irrefutable that a proper reward system in an organization is necessary to keep the working environment alive. In general, reward system comes in a monetary from or recognition which is awarded to employees that achieve the goals and mission that has been preset by the company. To elucidate, from a neurobiological perspective, it is a set of structures that can regulate and control behavior by inducing rewards. Pangil and Nasudin (2005), Mc Dermott and ODell (2001), and Sharatt and Usoro (2003) agreed that a companys reward system can effectively motivate people towards knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is so important that companies today have included them into performance assessments (McDermott and ODell, 2001). Pangil and Nasudin (2005) describe two purposes of a strategic reward system. Firstly, employee will be rewarded by performing knowledge sharing practices in the organization. Secondly, incentives will be given to those who continue perform desirable practices. Reward system for knowledge sharing can be segmented into: Individual Reward Group Reward Individual rewards are self -achieved where the company will award the individual who puts the most effort to share knowledge. According to Bartol and Srivastava (2002), value pay plans are suggested in individual award system to assess the performance of employees in knowledge sharing. In other words, financial enticement is used to motivate knowledge sharing (Hall, 2001). However, recognition sometimes can be more valuable than monetary rewards. For instance, the recognition of a journalist, researcher, or lecturer is considered as a reward to them after their efforts for publishing and teaching where knowledge sharing has created provocative change in the mindsets of people. Conversely, as discussed in the previous section, reward system is obligatory to ensure that every member in the team contributes to knowledge sharing (Zarraga and Bonache, 2003). Group reward system is slightly different from individual system, where rewards will be given based for group performance (Bartol a nd Srivastava, 2002). They explained that reward for group consist of profit sharing, gain sharing and stock ownership plans. As discussed above, reward system are crucial for practicing knowledge sharing, thus, following hypothesis is formed: Hypothesis 5: Reward System is positively associated with knowledge sharing. 2.7.6 Customer Focus Customer focus can be defines as the degree a company embarks to satisfy the customers needs and expectations in continues manner (Zhang, 2000). From a business perspective, it is a known fact that the customer solely determines the success of a company. To illustrate that notion, general Motors, AT T, and IBM had to reengineer their business function in order to meet the growing needs of their customers (Pinar, et.al. 2007). Thus, customer needs and expectations are considered as the baseline for any kind of business. Liao (2006) explained that sharing information on customer needs among co-workers or leaders could from as a competitive advantage to company. Apart from that, fast learning and knowledge transfer from an individual to another is what an organization must perform in order to maintain the products and services ahead of the needs and expectation of customers (Pfister, 2002) How do we get as many people as possible to create and transfer as much knowledge as possible in the best way possible in order to have a positive impact on our customer. (Buckman, 2004) Buckman in his book Building knowledge Driven Organization cited the above statement and explained that the full involvement, commitment, passion, to share and use the knowledge among employees are essential to satisfy customers (as cited in Buckman, 2004). Furthermore, requirements of customer can be tackled easily when knowledge is shared among team members. For an instance, Fang and Tsai (2005) illustrate and example; the intensive care unit is a place where fast decision making is necessary as patients lives are in danger. In this case, the customers need would be the treatment while the service team which includes surgeons and consulting doctors will share knowledge among themselves to make resourceful decisions to save a patients life. At present, there is a lack empirical research to examine the relationship between customer focus and knowledge sharing. Therefore, the following hypothesis is presented: Hypothesis 6: Customer Focus is positively associated with knowledge sharing. 2.7.7 Research Framework The relationship between the six dimensions of TQM and Knowledge Sharing is shown by Figure 2.2 below. Formulation of this research framework was based on the hypothesis thats discussed above. In this research framework, TQM practices are independent variables and knowledge sharing is a dependent variable. This study will focus on the relationship of each TQM practices to knowledge sharing. Figure 2.3: Research Framework Total Quality Management (TQM) Practices Leadership (H1) Organizational Culture (H2) Teamwork (H3) Training and Development (4) Reward System (5) Customer Focus (6) Knowledge Sharing

Athena :: essays research papers

Athena The god to be the topic of discussion in this report is Athena. Athena was an important member of the Olympic pantheon. She was born fully armed from the forehead of Zeus, the chief god. Athena was Zeus's favorite child. He entrusted her with the Aegis, his breastplate, and with his thunderbolt. Athena's role as a goddess varied. She was a major warrior and most images depict her dressed in armor and holding a spear. In Homer's Iliad, she is described as a fierce battle goddess who continually intervened on the side of the Greeks. She also took an interest in handicrafts and agriculture. The olive tree, which she said to have created, is sacred to her. She was noted for her wisdom which explains her close association with the owl, an ancient symbol of wisdom and reason. The most famous temple to Athena was the Parthenon (5th century BC) which was named for Parthenos ("the Maiden"), which still stands atop the Acropolis in Athens. The interior of the Parthenon stands a statue of Athena Parthenos, sculpted by Phidais. When I was reading through myths, I decided I would talk about "The Gift of Athena" which, in my opinion, best illustrates Athena's colorful personality. Here is how "The Gift of Athena" goes: Long, long ago, when this old world was a very young place, and when the few people there were had just begun to live together in groups for their own protection, the great gods selected the places for humans to build the cities. They looked down upon the earth, through the clouds that shrouded their home on the very peak of the high mountain called Olympus, and they chose the sites they thought would provide everything mortals needed to live and prosper. Now, each god and goddess was eager to have a great city built in his or her honor, and so the prime locations-the very best places for the great cities to be built came to cause much bickering and jealousy among the many deities for all wanted a great city built in their honor, a city whose people would worship that particular god or goddess above all others. It happened that great Zeus, the king and ruler of all the gods, had found a spot on earth that appeared absolutely ideal for the building of a noble city; indeed, he foresaw that the city that would be built there would someday become the noblest city on earth. Well, you can imagine that all the gods and goddesses wanted this city for their own, and you would be right.

Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead Essay -- essays research papers

Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead presented an egoist character, Howard Roark, and portrayed him to what society needs, but unwilling to admit the necessitate. Roark’s meaning of life differed from the others he associated with, which left him isolated toward them, but benefited his remarkable success in architecture. Passion, devotion, and hard work stranded Howard throughout his career even with the discouraging incidents brought to him by the devious characters, Peter Keating and Ellsworth Toohey. Several characters appealed to Roark’s lifestyle and work ethic, Gail Wynand, Dominique Francon, and Austin Heller. When Howard acquainted with his true friends, his philosophical meaning of life erupted out of him easily, contrast to everyone else associated with him, providing them with an encouraging sense of belonging.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Howard Roark opened up to the man told to be his arch enemy, Gail Wynand. Wynand became fascinated with Roark’s ability of surviving the brutal world of architecture in a strong but confident manner. When Wynand and Roark visited the country house, Roark displayed the branch he tore off a tree and compared it to the material that the earth provides everyone and their duty states to make something of it; the work of the individual who makes something of it proves how powerful the material (the branch in Roark’s words) would appear. Howard’s words, â€Å"Now I can make what I want of it: a bow, a spear, a cane, a railing,† signify that an ind...

Extraterrestrial Visitation - The Truth is Out There :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Extraterrestrial Visitation - The Truth is Out There Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's...a UFO?! For many years, the question of extraterrestrial visitation is one that has puzzled everyone from the media crazed public to the most ingenious scientists. An excerpt from the 1996 summer's sci-fi thriller, Independence Day , reflects how some of the public feel about the validity behind extraterrestrial visitation: PRESIDENT. Sir, regardless of what you might have read in the tabloids there have never been any spacecrafts recovered by your government. Take my word for it. There is no Area 51. There is no recovered spaceship. AIDE. Uhh... Mr. President... That's not entirely correct... Maybe aliens have visited us in the past. But if so, it has only been on the big screen. Though many avow that they have come in contact with alien visitors, these sightings have been like a cocktail; a mixture of hoaxes, hallucinations, misinterpretations of natural phenomenon, and paranoid imagination. In fact, the probability of intelligent life outside of our planet is almost nil. Reports of extraterrestrial visitation have never been scientifically confirmed. Because the alien topic has been exploited for all it's worth by the market, the argument for the existence of extraterrestrial visitation seems watered down. But still, many people have seriously defended the existence of UFOs through the decades. Some claim they have caught a glimpse of them. Others say the government is covering up information about aliens they have discovered. Still others go as far as to say they were abducted. However, one thing is a non-variable: the firmness of their belief. Many are enthusiastic, almost obsessed, about their interest. Some wander about in search of UFOs, while others lead normal lives. They say that they know what they saw. The pro-UFO argument has always been one that was suspicious and inconsistent. In spite of this disorganization, the theory, like even the most separated arguments, has common threads that links everything together. The first thread is that, intelligent extraterrestrial life exists and their technology is far more advanced than our own. The second thread is that the government has supposedly found alien spacecrafts and alien bodies, and they are covering up the story by keeping critical information from us. Believers seem to think the rest of the world is hostile to this idea because others are not open-minded enough to see the truth.

Transformational Leadership and Economic Efficiency †Can a Charismatic Leader in an Administration for Care Motivate the Subordinates to Improve the Economic Performance?

Author: Tony Pehrson Supervisor: Thomas Danborg and Anders Hederstierna Department: School of Management, Blekinge Institute of Technology Course: Masters’s thesis in business administration, 10 credits. Background and Problem Discussion: Skovde Kommun is a public organization and one of many tasks is to provide help and service to the aged and handicapped in the city. This is done through the administration for care. After many years with poor economic performance the politicians in Skovde decided 2002 to restructure the elderly care in Skovde. In January 2004 a new chief administrator was recruited and one of the most important issues was to improve the activities within the administration for care and department for elderly. Something, which was strongly emphasized, was the goal to increase the economic performance and having a budget in balance, i. e. achieve economic efficiency. The interest for this study was to see if the new chief administrator had the competence, leadership skills and charisma enough to restructure the organization and improve the economic efficiency, i. e. make sure the budget show a surplus. During 2004 and 2005 the chief administrator focused on the restructuring of the organization and strongly emphasized respect for the economic resources. Purpose: Through a pilot study describe and analyse the concept of Transformational leadership and its impact on economic results? Method: A quantitative method and the thesis could be viewed as a pilot study, which means that I try my method in one organization and hopefully develop a concept for further research. The measure instrument is a questionnaire, which was worked through with statistical methods to define charisma as a part of the phenomenon. The result from the questionnaire was then compared to the organization’s economic performance. Theory: Studies on leadership are a large research field and new theories on management and leadership constantly evolve. An interesting leadership style, which has had a lot of attention the last decades, is transformational leadership. A transformational leader can create a vision, can engage and motivate the employees in a way so they do their best to achieve the goals of the organization, both quantitative and qualitative. A central part in transformational leadership is charisma. Charisma is a leaders ability to practice a diffuse but strong influence over other people’s opinions, values and performance. Findings: The managers in the administration for care answered a questionnaire with 17 statements about charisma and the result of these statements gave an average score, which indicate that the chief administrator is above-average charismatic. In the findings I also present the organization’s economic performance. 2005 was the first year since 1996, the administration had a budget surplus, i. e. the costs were lower than the budget frame. Analysis: The respondents, in the same questionnaire, also scored the experienced charisma previous years compared to today. The results from the questionnaire were then compared to the economical development and the findings indicate there are some relationship between the charismatic chief administrator and improved economic performance Conclusion: In the study I found some empirical evidence or indicators, which support the idea that a charismatic leadership can improve the performance, the productivity and the efficiency. However, other factors can also have impact on economic performance besides transformational leadership

When is war justified

To fght back out of self- defense is Just and must be done in order to protect one's nation from harm. A well- known example is when America was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. America responded to this attack by bombing Japan and putting an end to this engagement. If America had not responded in this way, then how many more casualties would they have suffered? America's act of self-defense revealed to Japan that they don't want to engage in a war with America and in effect caused Japan to retreat and make peace with America. Humanitarian wars are not Justified because a nation is fighting out of political justice rather than self-defense.The general hope of a nation fighting a humanitarian war is that the death and destruction inflicted by the war will be less than the death and destruction from not going to war. However, humanitarian wars usually cause lots of death and destruction which ultimately causes a nation to look back at themself and wonder, â€Å"Was it worth all the lives we lost in battle? † The Vietnam War is a common reminder of a Humanitarian War that caused many eople to look back and wonder if it was worth it. Imagine if you were chosen to fight in the Vietnam War.The thought of losing your life in a war that was fought out of national liberation would be terrifying to most. In the book, The Things They Carried, the chapter â€Å"On the Rainy River† is the perfect examination of a young man who has been drafted to fght in a war that has no clear explanation. The young man wonders how a nation can go to war and sacrifice lives without any undeniable Just cause. The young man, Tim O'Brien, thinks aloud to himself and says, â€Å"It seemed to me that when nation goes to war it must have reasonable confidence in the Justice and imperative of its cause.You can't fix your mistakes. Once people are dead, you cant make them undead. † We all know that hundreds of thousands of American soldiers lost their lives in the Vietnam Wa r, but for what cause? The loss of their lives cannot be justified undeniably, therefore proving the point that Humanitarian Wars are unjust. Throughout history it is clear that the loss of lives in a war is inevitable, but the sacrifice ot lives in a war that is tougnt to protect the nation is always Justified when e look back at it while the same cannot be said of Humanitarian Wars.Jake Petroff reviewed my original essay and provided me lots of feedback that aided me in creating my final draft. He told me that I needed to provide more evidence to back up my argument and I did by providing texts from various pieces of literature. Jake also enhanced my knowledge of the Vietnam War by telling me facts about the war that I didn't know prior to my conversation with him. Thanks to Jake's feedback, I have been able to further my essay and create my final draft.

Tourism in Nepal

Nepal is one of the most desired tourist destination of all time. Due to these cultural norms and values, Nepal is a most profitable destination for tourism industry. Annually, the visitors arriving in Nepal have their varied purposes and they are almost always enthusiastic about spending their holidays in Nepal’s touristic sites and they have to be encouraged to do so through extensive marketing efforts by Nepal Tourism Board.Furthermore, Nepal’s traditional cultural values can also be used for the poverty alleviation thorough eco-tourism, religious tourism and destination tourism and this has been included in the tourism marketing strategy of NTB. At present, apart from the obvious problem of negative media coverage, Nepal seriously lacks credible market research as to why exactly its tourism industry is under-performing and what aspects of product need attention.Inappropriate marketing expenses that are hard to track on the result on productivity could be being made and they need to be eliminated to attract appropriate techniques for the marketing. Regular surveys of departing visitors are not undertaken, so the country cannot gauge their levels of satisfaction, unsatisfied wants, spending or current propensity to return. Information on potential and in existing markets is only beginning to be gathered and marketing partnerships with the travel trade in these markets are lacking.However, some small attempts have been taken by the NTB and other concerned private sectors about the research on tourism industry of Nepal which is not a sufficient attempt in this business. Tourism is a traditional activity of the human being that is related with the traveling and it is naturally a human character. People desire change and travel provides the pleasure and leisure. Tourism is the movement of people from one place to another for the purpose of getting satisfaction.The most important assets of a country are cultural norms and values that reflect peopleâ €™s social pattern that can be used for tourism industry in Nepal. The main objective of this project report is to analyze and discuss about the strategy of Nepal for tourism marketing promotion. FoH/TU guidelines are followed to complete this report. Some methodologies such as survey, collecting relevant data, comparative studies and analysis are used and recommendations are presented as need of FoH/TU.

Nissan Corp Swot Essay

Global interdependence: possible new marketsGovernment regulations: abroad in other countries as well as US and the US; global warming, CAFE standards, safety issues Growth of existing market: widen market New entrants: threat of potential inclusive of generation X,Y and baby boomersnew competitors Strong economy: economy not faltering;Changing market tastes: need for consumers still buyingcontinuous innovation to appeal to ifferent segments Nissan’s reputation: leads the industryShortage of resources: workforce in reliability, performance, and design dissatisfaction, hiring good talent Emerging technologies: innovative through the development of technologies for improving fuel economy and reducing fuel emissions Introduction This Case Paper will examine accessible information about Nissan Corporation and determine its position in the world market through a business SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). Through this analysis, we hope to see where the Nissan has been and make suggestions as to where the corporation should go to improve their bottom line, increase market share, and plan for future products to ensure their viability in the world automobile marketplace. Market Analysis Nissan’s focus in establishing a multi-cultural company begins with regaining global market share. The company has learned from past mistakes and is determined to succeed, developing a common vision and a global ompany culture that will need to be a main driver for continued strength (Associated Press, pgs. 1-8). For instance, establishing a brand name and personality that is sensitive to nationalistic cultures. Strategic alliances and joint ventures are growing in importance in the automobile industry and Nissan is no stranger to the competition. Nissan’s mission statement delivered by Mr. Ghosn in the Automotive News World Congress in 2001, is evidenced in how the company exploits synergie s to create positive alliances with other manufacturers (Ibid). For example, Nissan’s announcement to venture with Ashok Leyland to build small trucks and other light commercial vehicles in India gives them an opportunity to enter a market that in recent years has been dominated by its competitors, Toyota and Honda. This venture will produce at least 100,000 vehicles annually for sale in India and for export, as it will facilitate the construction of a plant near the southern Indian city of Chennai to manufacture and export compact cars to Europe. The deal with Ashok Leyland will broaden Nissan coverage in the Indian market in addition to providing new LCV (lightweight commercial vehicle) products for emerging markets which will sell for around $3,000. 00. Ashok Leyland’s strengths in large and mid-sized trucks combined with Nissan’s strength in smaller vehicles creates a positive synergy (Ibid). According to Mr. Ghosn, partnering globally is an opportunity and the Chinese market is no exception. China is Nissan’s third largest single market, after North America and Japan. Vehicle production has grown over the past ten years. However, the major source of growth has been the production of passenger cars (The Business Review, pg. 7). Passenger car production has doubled in the past ten years. This shift is in response to a change in market conditions and in a desire for Chinese manufacturers to enter the global auto passenger car market. Consumer demand is also increasing and in order to satisfy this demand, auto production has been increasing. The demand for autos is expected to continue (Ibid). According to the Wall Street Journal, the car craze in China has just begun. There are two factors that create possible opportunities for Nissan: 1) the country has the world’s largest population and as incomes rise, so will the hopes of buying an auto some day. 2) the market may grow to 8 million vehicle sales annually by 2010. Nissan’s new line of cars in China will be designed and engineered in Japan, based on a common â€Å"B† platform shared with Renault that centers on smaller engines. Annual sales of the entire family of cars are expected to reach 200,000 units globally and will be launched in other markets over the next couple of years (Financial Times, pg. ). However, the threat of inadequate roads and the government’s changes in regulating how autos are purchased will make the costs unpredictable. On a financial scale, the banks are under pressure to control credit, so auto loans may not be easy to acquire. North America accounts for nearly 40% of Nissan’s global sales, and in each of the past years sales have exce eded those in Japan, with the gap widening each year. Nissan is spending several billion dollars on new models, and the U. S. assembly plant in Canton, MS is aimed at maintaining momentum (Ward’s Auto World, pg. 1). The most significant automotive development in North America is continuing growth in the luxury segment and the increasing popularity of cross/utility vehicles. Nissan is on track to rebuild its image and regain brand value. In the past, customer satisfaction was good, but the model lineup was limited. Now, with the Q45, M45, G35 sedan and coupe and the FX models, the market has begun to recognize that Infiniti provides a range of real luxury models (Ibid). According to Bloomberg, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. led Asian automakers’ U. S. sales gains in September as Toyota Motor Corp. posted a third straight decline. Accord helped boost sales by 9. 4 percent. Toyota’s 4. 4 percent drop marked the first time since 1995 that Japan’s largest automaker logged three consecutive months of lower U. S. sales. Sales of the five year-old Corolla model, Toyota’s second-most popular in the U. S. , dropped 8. 5 percent and demand for the company’s light trucks declined amid rising gasoline prices. Industrywide U. S. sales fell for a fourth consecutive month, by 2. 9 percent to 1. 31 million light vehicles (Bloomberg. com, pgs. 1-3). Toyota’s old models like the Corolla are dragging down while Honda and Nissan have brand-new models. Nissan reported a 6. 7 percent increase in sales (Ibid). Nissan, sixth in the U. S. , sold 94,269 vehicles, helped by higher demand for midsize Altima and Versa compact cars. Nissan’s market share edged up 0. 7 percentage point to 7. 2 percent. The Japanese are becoming more aggressive in terms of incentives and pricing, which makes them more competitive against South Korea’s largest automaker. The company faces tough competition from Japanese and Korean auto makers like Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi, which are rapidly gaining ground in the European markets. Asian manufacturers are continuing to fortify their position in the crucial North American and European market. It can also expect stiff competition from Toyota and BMW (Ibid). Nissan believes that growing the business means introducing new products and has created the Nissan Revival Plan to realign their cost structure. Significant amounts of money are funneled back into product development, mostly going towards the North American market. This means there are opportunities for new innovations that will bring the company in line with a mix of vehicles that are currently on the road. Its R&D costs in FY 2006/2007 stood at JFY 464,839 million, an increase of 3. 9% when compared to JFY 447,582 million in FY 2005/2006. The company increased its investment on R&D activities to launch a host of new products throughout the year (Ibid). In 2007, Nissan launched a new version of its minicar, namely, Pino E, which is a 2WD model and equipped with a three-speed automotive transmission. It is claimed to offer a fuel economy of 21. 0 km/1. Furthermore, the model is considered safe and environmentally friendly, as it features anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist (BA) and electronic braking force distribution (EBD) systems. It is low emitting, complying with the 2005 emissions regulations in Japan. In March 2007, the company also developed a new engine technology that helps balance between responsiveness and fuel efficiency, high power and low emissions (Ibid). Today, Nissan stands behind its offerings; that fundamentals of the business are strong, products are attractive to customers, and the company is poised for sustained, profitable growth. Environmental Concerns In researching the issues of automakers in regards to the environment, many nations as stated in The Wall Street Journal, are concerned about climate change and energy security. One of the most important issues all automakers are faced with on a global scale is the reduction of emissions, more specifically carbon dioxide or CO2. Concerns for the future in the minds of the majority are setting new goals for automakers of vehicles with internal combustion engines to become more efficient if they are to remain profitable or even in existence, which is further backed by a global treaty known as the Kyoto protocol (Wall Street Journal). In the protocol’s drafting of new rules they are intended to cap emissions of CO2, the gas widely blamed for global warming can potentially pose a major threat. According to scientists, it is reported that the rise in the earth’s average atmospheric temperature is largely due to this major contributor CO2 which will bring changes to the global environment, and therefore affect our daily lives (Ibid). According to the Wall Street Journal, a debate is raging in the US over how much time automakers actually need to boost fuel economy, and whether setting stringent targets will compromise safety by encouraging car makers to use lighter materials. Additionally, the US has not adopted the Kyota protocol and is under less pressure to reduce CO2 emissions as they are in Europe. Therefore, Nissan’s global prominence puts the auto manufacturer in an â€Å"opportunity† position by making concentrated efforts in advanced technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at every stage of the vehicles life cycle and their corporate activities, from manufacturing and transportation to use of Nissan’s vehicles by its consumers. Nissan, currently the third largest automaker out of Japan has opportunity to grow stronger from the threats of one and two automakers Toyota and Honda respectively, who lead the market in alternative fuel development (Wall Street Journal). According to Nissan’s Green Program, it is Nissan’s view that internal combustion engines will continue to be the main power source of vehicles globally in the years ahead. Therefore, Nissan therefore takes a stance of reducing CO2 emissions through the development and widespread adoption of advanced technologies for improving the fuel economy of gasoline engine vehicles. Currently in the works for Nissan is the development of cleaner diesel engine vehicles that run on biofuels made from plants and other reusable sources (Ibid). Nissan estimates that over half of the vehicles they sell by 2050 will need to be electrically powered if they are to reach their long term goal of reducing CO2 emissions. Nissan’s threat has been its major competitors in developing hybrid electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles and electrical vehicles. Other companies such as Toyota are setting the bar in alternative fuel sources which makes them a profitable industry leader with the obvious threats of gas prices that change virtually on a daily basis (Ibid). Nissan History and Innovation Nissan Motors’ history dates back to the 1930s when Jidosha Seizo Co Ltd was established in 1933 in Yokohoma City, Japan. Its beginnings as a munitions company was short lived when the company was renamed to Nissan Heavy Industry Co Ltd and introduced the first Datsun, manufactured after World War II. After the company began exporting the cars to the US in 1958, it gained popularity due to its small size and high fuel efficiency. Subsequently, in 1980, Nissan Motor established Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corp. USA to strengthen its market potential in North America (ABI/INFORM Global pg. 1). Today, Nissan supplies a widespread customer base classified across regions, namely, Japan, the US, Asia, Europe and General Overseas Market, which includes Mexico and Canada. This market includes 150 dealers and 2,500 outlets worldwide (Ibid). This is the age of globalization and the worldwide interdependence of resource supplies, product markets, and business competition. Nissan has succeeded in meeting its challenges due to its focus in valuing diversity both in its workforce and through understanding customer needs. This is evident in how the company plans ahead and is always looking for new ways to improve current performance. For instance, the company learned from past mistakes; failure to recognize changing customer focus in non-growth sectors, and being competitively focused rather than market focused. Also, finding the right people and the right plan to maximize growth is key (Nissan News, pg. 8). Shiro Nakamura Nissan’s automotive designer is known as â€Å"The man behind the Nisan Look† and has developed some up-to-date, eye-catching designs that have no resemblance to the old models, and the company is optimistic that sales will increase once the current plan to launch 28 new cars during fiscal year 2008. Most of the changes are defined to the upper body and adjusted to make it more like the Altima (Business Week, pg. 1). Nissan’s innovations stem from producing a product that their customers want. Their philosophy is that investing in a product that will bring value and satisfaction to its customers will build loyalty as well as expand that market base. Nissan’s models include Maxima and Sentra cars, Altima and upscale sedans, Frontier pickups, the 350Z sports car, and Xterra and Pathfinder SUVs. In 1999 French automaker Renault took a 37% stake in Nissan, and installed president and CEO Carlos Ghosn (nicknamed â€Å"Le Cost Killer† based on his talent for turning red ink black) who has since returned the company to profitability. Renault now owns almost 45% of Nissan. According to Hoovers, Nissan fiscal year end sales in March were in millions, $80,583. 7. Net income in millions was $4,427. 8, and 1 year net income growth was 7. 0%. Their top competitors were General Motors, Honda, and Toyota (Hoovers. com, pg. -2) Generation â€Å"X† consumers can identify with the sports world, ESPN’s X Games. Games showcase the world’s most dangerous events. The â€Å"X† generation is also playing a big role in the fashion world, thus the automotive industry has been one of the leaders driving the â€Å"X† growing trend. Jaguar’s Web site prominently features a glowing X to promote the new â€Å"Jaguar X-Type: a car for a new generationâ⠂¬ . And Nissan has scored big with the model Nissan Xterra. This trend is enabling Nissan to tap into a pool of younger car buyers. The vehicle has attracted many new buyers, some of which have never purchased a Nissan before. The Xterra is aimed to attract 25 to 35 year old drivers. Marketing tactics fill viewers with scenes of athletes doing extreme outdoor exercise, and pushing their SUVs to the extreme. Polls cited that men were most affected with the advertisement than women. 13% to 9%. According to the Gallop polls, the ads scored highest among those 30 to 39 years old, which is right where the company was trying to segment. The 25 to 35 year old target market (USA Today, pg. 2-3). Baby Boomers on the other hand are most attracted to the Nissan Murano, or Nissan Bevel. Nissan’s long term vision for 2015 is that future vehicles will save lives by installing a series of sensors that can detect sobriety of a driver and can immobilize the car. Other features include detecting operational changes, such as drifting out of a lane, at which time the system navigation system alerts the driver with voice message alerts and the seat belt is tightened. Nissan is currently testing an on-board breathalyzer and road sensors to help reduce accidents. Other plans to develop an Intelligent Transport System Project and road sensors will help reduce accidents (Nissan. com, pg. 1-2) The company understands the importance of agility in a dynamic 21st century market and is continuously reinventing itself to stay ahead of the competition. Sometimes, this means taking risks. Most recently, the company made an announcement that it was moving its headquarters from California to Tennessee. The new facility will accommodate 1300 plus employees and favorable for business, not to mention contributing to the infrastructure and supporting the community with more jobs. It’s inevitable that there could be some unforeseeable threats perhaps with current labor force. Some issues could be that they are not in agreement with the transfer and choose to leave the company, thus the need for new hires. Other potential threats are the risk of new competitors in the area, and developing a new sense for the new market. The California population may not have the same tastes and likes as the Tennessee population, thus Nissan could expend additional resources to substitute products and services (Tennessean. om, pg. 1-4). A strategy for the future that Nissan could consider would be to offer a motorcycle product. Exploring and pursuing this opportunity would allow them to remain competitive and also to offer products to meet different needs. Honda, BMW, and Suzuki, all of whom offer cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles, Nissan too should visit the idea of offering a motorcycle. Over the years Nissan has developed quality products that are dependable, hi ghly functional and desirable; this being an advantage for Nissan. Along with remaining competitive, the high price of fuel recently would make a Nissan motorcycle more appealing. The motorcycle would alleviate fuel expenses and consumption. The Nissan motorcycle would also be appealing in geographic locations such as Japan, China and major cities in the United States that do not have the space on roads for larger vehicles. Nissan plans to offer a concept vehicle that resembles a car and a motorcycle. This vehicle is called â€Å"Urge† and offers state of the art gaming systems that allow the driver to use the gas and brake pedals to play. When considering the pricing of a Nissan motorcycle and remaining competitive, Nissan should consider that Honda and Suzuki offer motorcycles at reasonably affordable prices. Suzuki offers several types of motorcycles to include cruisers, motocross, and sport bikes all at reasonable prices ranging from $6,000. 00 to under $10,000. Honda also offers cruisers, motocross, and sport bikes. Honda motorcycles range from $3,000 to $13,000. In order to lure prospective buyers into purchasing a Nissan motorcycle, Nissan should strive to offer its motorcycles at reasonable prices, similar to Suzuki and Honda. The price range for motorcycles made by BMW is slightly higher starting at $8,000 to $15,000. BMW has offered a motorcycle since 1923. Its tenure along with the fact that consumers have learned to trust the German made motorcycle are what keep BMW competitive. Offering reasonably priced and desirable styles similar to BMW, Honda and Suzuki is a great opportunity that has not been approached by Nissan. The cruiser styles offered by Honda, Suzuki and BMW resemble that of a Harley –Davidson motorcycle without the high cost. The market for Nissan motorcycles is positive with the increasing cost of fuel and the ages of future drivers. Most of the baby boomer generation have become accustomed to the quality of Nissan vehicles and would be approaching retirement age in the next few years. Nissan’s release of motorcycles would segment the soon retired baby boomers as a fun and recreational of transportation. The Nissan motorcycle would also segment the new drivers of today which in a few years will be the young generation to market to. Nissan would have to be conscious of expenses in marketing and production of the motorcycle, a product never offered and could use the business model already established by its competitors offering both motorcycles and automobiles in the industry. According to Analysts, the economy is not faltering and people are still hopeful for the future. It is a race to the finish line, and who ever gets there first wins. It will be interesting to see how automobile manufacturers will implement new strategies (Economy Today, pg. 1) Nissan Technologies –Past and Future New technologies were as important to Nissan’s past as they are to Nissan’s future. Nissan has always addressed environmental issues, including the development of clean power sources for vehicles and recycling of natural resources. Nissan has been able to release one new model after another with fuel-efficient direct-injection gasoline engines and direct-injection diesel engines since 1997. This has led to the expanding application of the Hyper CVT (continuously variable transmission) , the Extroid CVT, the Tino Hybrid and the two-seater Hypermini electric vehicle in the early part of 2000 for efficient fuel economy (Nissan global. om). Nissan’s history goes back to an automobile factory started by Masujiro Hashimoto in 1911 called the Kwaishinsha Co. In 1914, a box-type small passenger car was completed and in the following year the car made its debut on the market under the name of Dat Car. Another predecessor of Nissan was Jitsuyo Jidosha Co. , Ltd. , which im ported machine tools and components from the U. S. , and was one of the most modern automobile factories of its time. Kwaishinsha Co. and Jitsuyo Jidohsa Co. merged in 1926 to form Dat Jidosha Seizo Co. , and two years later to the establishment of Nissan Motor Co. Ibid). In preparation for post war capital investment in Japan, Nissan developed two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities leading to the advancement of motorization and increased traffic accidents; and contributed to the problem of air pollution. Nissan developed its first Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV) in 1971 and over the years created a reputation for excellence in engineering and advanced technology. Nissan has developed weight-reducing materials, engine management systems for controlling combustion, and using CAD/CAM systems and industrial robots (Ibid). Recently, Nissan has also been localizing R;D operations, which has now advanced decision-making through the regional headquarters in North America and Europe. Nissan’s local operations in their respective regions oversee product development, manufacturing, procurement, fund-raising and mutual complementation of parts between companies (Ibid). Nissan’s Vision Nissan is developing corporate activities centered on automobile manufacturing based on their vision of â€Å"enriching people’s lives. In order for cars, which provide mobility, to truly become reliable partners for our customers, a number of issues including global environmental issues, traffic accidents and congestion problems must be tackled as part of a long-term vision (Nissan global. com). The global automotive industry is entering an era that will change almost every facet of the car in the future to come. Nissan’s global vision includes the pursuit of environmentally sustainable technologies creating one of the greatest engineering competitions in history that has the potential to deliver significant benefits to humanity (Ibid). To realize our vision, Nissan is developing technologies based on a framework called the â€Å"Orchard† concept. † This concept allows Nissan to embrace technologies in a comprehensive manner (Nissan global. com). In order to create a distinct value in order for customers to choose their cars, Nissan is likening its approach to the management of a fruit orchard in which â€Å"fruit† is planted and raised. The process has three phases, one – the Harvest Plan, two – Seeding and Growth and three – Soil Enrichment. The Harvest Plan takes into account social needs and market demands for the commercialization of technologies and the timing of releases. Seeding and Growth will implement strategies for the realization of the Harvest Plan and to formulate development of schemes. Lastly, Soil Enrichment will create value for the long term by researching reliability improvement and analysis technologies (Ibid). Some of the proposed solutions are more efficient fuel-cells for electric cars, bio-fuels, advanced diesel fuels or combinations of these solutions. However, the most effective solutions will not be decided by engineers. It will be decided by consumer demand, which is the most powerful force for global environmental progress. Every new car buyer in every country gets a vote by exercising their right to choose, thereby dictating both the pace of future change and its direction (Ibid). Nissan’s vision is to invest massively in R&D in pursuit of new technologies. This has not always been the case. Due to perilous financial decisions, in 1999 Nissan could not afford to invest in the core of its brand identity – technological innovation. Today, Nissan’s R&D budget is much healthier than the level of 1999 due to significantly increased efficiency of their R&D activities. This has led to an environmental blueprint known as Nissan’s â€Å"Green Program 2010†. Also taking advantage of the alliance with it’s parent company, Renault, Nissan is able to focus on specific promising technologies – such as advanced lithium-ion batteries and other areas, such as clean diesels. Nissan’s vision includes the determination to be the leader in environmental progress. It is Nissan’s belief that motoring can be both green and fun allowing consumers to expect new technologies that will enhance dynamic performance (Ibid). Some of the latest technologies being embraced by Nissan are the X-Trail Fuel Cell Vehicle, Ultra-low Friction Diamond-like Carbon (DLC), the Super Motor, and the Compact Lithium-ion Battery. Nissan continues to raise the practicality of FCVs, which are being developed as the most eco-friendly vehicles. The X-Trail FCV provides increased cruising range. (Nissan global. com). The FCV also provides improved acceleration. The new model features a Nissan-developed fuel cell stack that is more efficient than the previous stack resulting in maximum power of 90 kw compared with 63 kw in the 2003 model. Ultra-low Friction Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) is Nano-technology based on ultra-low friction technology. Nissan has substantially reduced friction between engine parts by developing the first technology in the world to combine a hydrogen-free diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating with special oil. Energy is lost due to friction that arises between the hundreds of parts that comprise an engine. This ultra-low friction technology uses nanotechnology in order to reduce friction by approximately 40% compared to conventional engines. The DLC works by use of a hydrogen-free DLC coating, improves binding with the engine oil, and results in the formation of a firm ultra-low friction film when special oil additives are added. It is now possible to reduce overall engine friction by 25% (Ibid). The Super Motor and Compact Batteries Nissan has independently developed the Super Motor based on an all-new concept. One motor provides output through two shafts, enabling it to function as both a motor and a generator. This innovative technology has a wide range of potential applications (Nissan global. com). The Super Motor can dramatically reduce the size and improve the efficiency of the drive unit compared with the use of two conventional motors. Independent control of the power obtained from the two shafts. The Super Motor has rotors positioned on both the inside and outside of one stator, enabling power to be delivered through two shafts by use of a new technology to apply compound current to the Stator coils (Nissan global. com). Nissan has succeeded in independently developing a laminated lithium-ion cell that displays an exceptionally high output characteristic. This cell is the result of many years of lithium-ion battery research that began in 1992. The laminated cell is featured from the 2003 model X-TRAIL FCV (Nissan global. com). The laminated cell design and high-power electrode technology improve power output by 1. 5 times and reduce the volume by more than half compared with the conventional cylindrical cell. The thin cell construction also enables a thin module design for a substantial improvement in battery ooling efficiency. Locating the battery under the floor achieves compact and highly efficient vehicle packaging, including a low, flat floor, among other advantages. Compared with the cylindrical cell, the laminated cell has fewer components and is extremely compact and lightweight. Moreover, Nissan has succeeded in achieving higher power output through material improvements made to the lithium manganate positive electrode and the carbon negative electrode (Nissan global. com). Executive Summary Like any other automobile manufacturer, to stay competitive in today’s world markets, one must consistently innovate and stay one step ahead of the competition. In the past, automobile manufacturers have been first in presenting more fuel efficient vehicles, increased gasoline mileage rating through body redesign, and have introduced new safety features for the yearning public marketplace. Nissan current project in India is to try to regain market share from its competitors Toyota and Honda by creating Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV’s) which are small cars that can be sold for around $3,000. 00. This innovative idea can create a brand new market segment of customers who could not, up until this point, afford to purchase and operate a vehicle. Along with being fuel efficient and maintaining competitive, Nissan’s offering a motorcycle would be an added strategy to pursue. Dealing with the myriad of different cultures across the globe is also a major focus of Nissan’s Chief Operating Office Carlos Ghosn who realizes that the creation of multi-cultural company can flourish and grow through exploiting it synergies, believes that feeding off each other’s strengths, and minimizing its weaknesses are key. Automobile manufacturers like Nissan can never be â€Å"one size fits all†, but they can certainly try to understand and adapt to different cultures to maximize desired commonalities and maximize profits. These days, partnering globally cannot be realized without including China. China is Nissan’s third largest single market (only after North America and Japan). Although vehicle production has significantly increased over the last ten years, passenger car production has actually doubled in the last ten years due to market conditions and Chinese automobile manufacturers ntering the car market. China has a great position in the future manufacturing of automobiles because of increased income and an already over-inflated population. However, threats of inadequate roadways, governmental regulations on how automobiles are purchased, and pressure on Chinese banks to â€Å"control credit† may temporarily slow the process. North America has captured 40% of Nissan’s global sales and has caused an ever-widening gap with Japanese sales which has been increasing each year. Nissan has recently spent several billion dollars on new models and a new U. S. ssembly plant in Mississippi to ensure that this momentum continues. Nissan believes that growing this business means introducing new products while realigning cost structures. Large sums of money are being placed back into product development – most geared towards the North America market. Although the United States never signed onto the popular Kyoto protocol which planned to significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the world, many other nations did because of the ever growing concerns of climate change on a global scale which many believe poses a worldwide threat. Nissan, however, has proactively realized this concern and has taken advantage of this opportunity by making concentrated efforts in advancing technology that reduces carbon dioxide emissions â€Å"at every stage† of the vehicle’s life cycle. Nissan is vigorously working on the creation of cleaner diesel engines that run on biofuels made from plants and other renewable sources. The threat to Nissan has been its competitors who are developing hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Toyota has lead this aspect of the automobile industry, and has been setting the bar in alternative fuel sources making them the very green and very profitable company that envisions change in the industry. Nissan began exporting cars to the U. S in 1958 and gained popularity because of its small size and great fuel efficiency. Today, Nissan has developed new eye-catching designs that do not resemble older models. Nissan is very optimistic that sales will increase significant once these 28 new models are launched during the 2008 year. But the look of new models alone isn’t all Nissan is after. Safety features such as installing a series of sensors that can detect alcohol levels in the driver will alert the car to slow and/or become immobilized. Corporate agility is also a key factor as is shown when Nissan moved its headquarters from California to Tennessee, which accommodates over 1300 employees, supporting the community with more jobs, and reducing significant overhead. New technologies developed at Nissan have addressed environmental issues including clean power sources for its vehicles and recycling of natural resources. Nissan has envisioned that the future of their company will greater enrich peoples lives through global environment issues, and reducing traffic accident and congestion problems. Some of Nissan’s proposals include more efficient fuel-cells for electric vehicles, bio-fuels, and advanced diesel fuels. The most important facet that Nissan realizes is that effective solutions will be decided by consumer demand, not engineers. Nissan has constructed a â€Å"Green Program 2010† which has become their environmental blueprint for success in the industry.