Critically explore some of the issues that should be considered when conducting research in social science

Research with children and young people is essential as it can improve the understanding of how they develop and live their lives, also it can add to academic debates and theories, and its outcomes can impact directly and indirectly on the lives of others in similar situations. â€Å"Data about children can only be understood by studying children†(Ross,1998:97) The best way to support the expansion of children’s studies for children is to enrol them fully in the research process. (Oakley, 1994: 26). Over the years, there has been rapid rise in research with children and young people and the increased respect and demand for children’s views and outlook in the society alongside the concern about ethics in social science when implementing the research Kellett (2010). Lansdown(1994) also supports this argument by stating that we do have a culture of listening to children . The chosen topic for this essay is issues that are to be considered when researching children and young people and vulnerable groups. The Relevant issues when researching with children includes ethics, consent, the legal structure, power relations and methodology. It is essential to consider and address issues appropriately. Social science research involved the collection, exploration and reporting of information about people and societies. (Yates 1998,p. 3) . There are several number of issues to consider when conducting research in social science according to Alderson& Morrow(2007) like privacy and confidentiality, the right selection of participants, consent and the impact the research has on children. Research with children usually tend to emphasis on ethics which moral issue that influence the methodology used governed by the code of practises ( France et al. , 2000) as well as the issues of informed consent and confidentiality (Sieber, 1982) Participants might be harmed as a result of their participation as many vulnerable groups tend to experience distress when talking about their painful experience that happened in their past. (Cooper,1999). The possible harms may include death stress, guilt, reduction in self-respect or self-esteem, unfair treatment, withheld benefits, and slight distress.. Cooper,1999). Relationships with others may be damaged through research (Drake ,2011). One of the main problem in research in social science is that children’s views and opinions are not given much importance and usually there is much large manipulation of the researcher in their research (Miles,2011). This was argued by (Clark et al. 2005) he states that children should be seen as’ beings’ whose opinions and understanding are vital in to listen to and not as adults in the making. Childhood studies research emphasizes the need to recognise children as agents not objects to represent children’s voice and to have children properly involved in all stages of research†(Gregory et al 2005,p. 98). Informed consent is vital when it comes to research involved with children, as Informed consent is required to protect privacy. Informed consent documents too guarantee that their identities will be protected. Such assurances protect them from blackmail, personal attacks and awkwardness (Sieber 1992). Children require the same level of freedom as adults to refuse participation. Sieber,1982). â€Å"Children who are incapable of giving assent should not be allowed to participate because their participation uses them for the benefit of the society at large while threatening their partially actualized and developing personhood. †(Ross,1998:97). Although a child’s assent alone is not sufficient to carry out the research but parental permission is essential while researching children to ensure protection of the child from possible abuse that could happen during the research process. (Ross,1988). Nelson ,2006) also supports the argument by stating child’s assent can only be used in conjunction with the parental consent. Lansdown (1994) supports the above discussion by stating that children are vulnerable because of their physical weakness and lack of knowledge and experience which allows them to depend upon the adults around them as well as their total lack of political and financial power and their lack of social rights. Factors contributing to the vulnerability of children include the motivations of parents and guardians who enter children into research ( Kirk 2007, Paulson 2006). Another issue that could be faced by children in research according to (Fraser et al, 2004) and Kirk (2007) is the power imbalance between the researcher and the children , but this could be overcome through helping the child to become a part of the research team as well as to make the child to be aware of the reason for participation in the research and to give the child the sense of control by reviewing or repeating to the child how to withdraw if the child doesn’t feels comfortable in the study. (Fraser et al, 2004). Time and flexibility are the key things that is required when researching children and to ensure that the participant have full understanding of the research ( Greene &Hogan 2005). There are laws supporting the rights of a child . (Landown,1994).. The law supports the child’s opportunity to be heard in any judicial or governmental procedures affecting the child. The law came into being in 1990 due to the high demand children’s voice to solve or understand the issues that affect them. The law has provided a major move in appreciation of children as participants in the society. Landown,1994). BPS code of conduct ethical principles states that approval of children to take part in research should be obtained from parents/ guardians as children are considered along side with the adults with impairments’ but there is no mention given to obtain consent for children with impairments. (Minkes et al,1994 ). Another issue in social science research is the sensitive research that often researchers do not effectively address the possible emotional and psychological harm that may result from research that draws strong emotional reactions Lee & Renzetti,( 1993). One of the main risks in any research is the effect of a violation of confidentiality. Depending on the sensitivity of the focused area in research, extra care should be taken to guarantee that participants could not be acknowledged. Maintaining the confidentiality is fundamental to ethical research, Kellett (2011)confirmation of research confidentiality can be given about the anonymity of the data, by removing the names of the participant and any identifying information, to meet the concerns of the child and responsible adult. It is suggested that written information should always be provided for the child and responsible adult, and a contact information should be given if they wish to contact the researchers later on. Kellett(2011) Eliminating names and other obvious identifiers does not assure anonymity as sometimes the demographic information can identify participants if the sample size is small. Buchanan (2007) also supports this argument that anonymity cannot be certain as postings can be traced via online search engines. Qualitative method of listening to the participant by exploring and examining their natural environment while conducting research can be one of the best ways to collect quality information especially from children( Willig ,2001). Punch (1994) States ethical failures in qualitative research scarcely occur. Behavior can be viewed directly through some kind of organized observation Focus groups tend to be increasingly successful with children, as children tend to be comfortable and familiar with the process of conversing matters in groups. (Morgan et al. , 2002). Focus groups can be appreciated for their ability to address inherent power differences that can develop in other forms of research such as interviews or questionnaire . (Morgan &Gibbs 2002) . One of the main advantage of focus groups is that it enables and allows children to discuss and express their insights into certain topic and their , understandings and experiences. (Barbour& Kitzinger,2001)Classroom based focus groups helps to create an informal environment and not school work based which could encouraged their positive contributions to the research study. Although the main disadvantage of focus groups for children according to (Barbour& Kitzinger,2001) is that some children take part in the research only for a temporary escape from the classroom . Taking part in focus groups can be an enjoyable experience for children as they explore issues of interest with others who might share common elements of personal knowledge and understanding (Kennedy, Kools, & Kruger, 2001) Finally I can conclude is that research with children offers no easy paths but opinion of a child is important for our research of the society as children are a vital part in the construction of the society. The ethical principle that guides us with research with children demands that the research participant must be protected and that any research is necessary to improve our knowledge and understanding of children. This means that research-involving children cannot be ignored, just because we find it difficult to get them to respond in a manner set out by adults.

Implications of Watching Foreign Movies Essay

ABSTRACT This study looked at the relationship between watching foreign film, dramas, or variety show habits and the students’ academic performances. To determine whether its exposure benefitted the students or not, a reliable research has to be conducted. Considering student’s differences factors and strategies while studying, the results might be differ from many aspects. The individual skills include how frequent they watch the movie, how long they spent their time and what types of entertainment that they favored the most. An argument about the uses of visual aids such movie shows and others can enhance the academic performances will be settled on after the results of this study had been processed. A pilot study was conducted first to check whether there was any problem regarding this issue. About 3 to 5 students were tested. Finally a survey was conducted at the boys’ and girls’ hostels in Kolej Profesional MARA Indera Mahkota where 40 students consist of 15 male students and 25 female students. This survey was conducted by distributing a set of questionnaires to all the respondents. In general, this study was a big success where majority of the students agreed that this method of learning can enhance their academic performances. Winding up, several suggestion, opinion and recommendations were recorded in the finishing part of the report. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my special thanks to my advisor, Madam Jamilah Binti Abdul Manan, who provided me with detailed and insightful feedback for every draft, who spent an enormous amount of time reading and editing my investigation, and more importantly, who set an example for me to be a prudent presenter. I also want to thank her for her encouragement and assistance throughout the entire graduate program. I would also like to thank my family especially my auntie, Nooraini Binti Abdul Wahab for her assistance and suggestions in helping me to better understand the concept of visual study and etc. Also, I want to thank my parents for their great encouragement throughout the writing of this research. I want to offer a tremendous thank you to all my friends and anyone who has contributing  themselves in this study. I will remember your patience and assistance in helping me finish this program. I treasure your friendship and support. 1.0. Introduction 2.1. Background of the Study Watching movies and dramas has been a trend nowadays in students’ life especially in KPMIM. This habit does influence the student’s result in academic studies. By practicing this hobby, students manage to fill their free time. But the question is what the implications of this attitude are. Is it positive or negative impact towards the students themselves? A research has been done by Christine Canning Wilson from the Centre of Excellence for Research and Training, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi. In her research, it has been stated that audio-visual aids can enhance the language learning process. It said that note-taking studies are less successful nowadays. Instead of that, advanced visual organizers such as educational videos or any other related matters helped the learners  improve comprehension and aid in the retention of information. Students also like learning language through the use of videos. One of the result is learners prefer action/entertainment films in the classroom. In addition, this shows that visuals can be used to help enhance the meaning of the message to be conveyed by the speakers. By providing this kind of learning method, learners may be benefitted by seeing immediate meaning in terms of vocabulary recognition in the first language. Besides that, it is easier for them to clarify the message and clarify the gist of the stories. However, individuals process information in different ways. The strategies used by one learner are likely to differ from another. Thus, further investigation needs to be done in order to identify the real impact of watching movies/dramas and the relationship between these habits towards the students’ academic performances will be resolved after the research has been carried out. 2.2. Statement Of The Problem The problematic issue of this study is to identify the implications of watching foreign movies or films towards students. Besides that, the increase or any decrease in academic performance will be observed and to be concluded after this study has been completed. There is also an argument that questioning about either it is a kind of wasteful activity for KPMIM students. So a reliable research needs to be carried out regarding this issue. 2.3. Purpose Of The Study Since watching movies, dramas and variety shows have been a trend nowadays in students’ life especially in KPMIM; there may be some consequences for them particularly in academic performance. Apart from piling up their free time, a research needs to be done to investigate whether it is a beneficial or a wasteful activity for them. The purpose of the study portrayed in this research report was to assess the either lecturers and the students in teaching and learning process despite making them easier to understand and memorize all the input during language classes. Besides that, to make  learning process more interactive and enjoyable so that the students would think that education is not something that is too heavy and boring. 2.4. Objective Of The Study The objectives of this study are: 1. to find out whether it is beneficial activity during student’s leisure time or not 2. to investigate what is the relationship between this activity and students’ academic performance 3. to figure out what types of movies/dramas that have been the students’ favorites 4. To make suggestion that it could be one of the effective medium of learning or teaching. 2.5. Research Question The questionnaires will be given to some random students at Kolej Profesional MARA. 40 respondents will answer this questionnaire based on the research project. 15 of them were males and another 25 were the female students. The question will be focus on what are the impacts of the habit. * Is watching movies/ dramas a beneficial or waste type of hobby to students? * Does watching/movies really help the students in their academic studies? * What is the favorite categories/type of movies/dramas that most of the students like? * Should it be implemented as a medium for teaching and learning in education institutions? 2.6. Significance Of The Study This finding will help the lecturers and students to be aware of learning and teaching process can be easily done in a simple and effective way by using visual aids. Furthermore, students will be managed to fill their schedule with some beneficial activities instead of doing nothing. Apart from enhancing the students’ interest and enthusiasm in learning, students should be able to improve their vocabulary and other skills that are required in  language studies such listening skill and speaking skill. Authoritatively, this will help the college to introduce the concept of entertaining while studying so that students can have an enjoyable environment while in the class perhaps. Last but not least, to increase the academic performance in college by adapting a new way of study for the students. 2.7. Scope Of The Study The scope of this research is that the respondents are 40 people of KPMIM students. 15 people of male students and another 25 are the female students. The solution or any recommendations about this topic will be decided after the data has been collected. 2.0. Literature Review About few centuries ago language is hard to learn by mass of people. But a poet named Simonides has come out wit a great principle of learning which was ‘Words are the images of things’. His statement was almost similarly accurate as the famous great Aristotle perception, â€Å"Without image, thinking is impossible†. From here, we can clearly seen that both statement support the principle of visual aids towards one’s ascertain and edifying skills. Visual aids does enhance the language learning process. Video is one of the visual aids that usually used by a teacher, lecturer or a presenter to educate and instrcut pupils. Videos at best defined as the selection and sequence of messages in an audio-visual context. Research by Herron, Hanley and Cole (1995) indicates that the visual support in the form of descriptive pictures significantly improved comprehension scores with language videos for English speaking students. The results of the study indicate that extensive listening is facilitated by the richness of the context that visual organizers, such as educational videos, provide. Heron (1994) finds that advanced organizers based on videos helped learners improve comprehension and aid in the retention of information. A recent large-scale survey by Canning-Wilson (2000) suggests that the students like learning language through the use of videos. One of the results of her survey shows that learners prefer action/entertainment films to language films or  documentaries in the classroom. She states although these films may seem to hold student interest, she believes that it could be inferred that student comprehension of the video may be due to the visual clues instead of the auditory components. Heron, Hanley and Cole also hypothesize that the more meaningful an advanced organizer is the more impact it can have on comprehension and retention. Their results of using twelve different videos with foreign language learners indicates that scores improved when advanced organizers, such as a pictures and/or visual stimuli, are used with the video. Perhaps the findings from these studies can be attributed to the fact that video offers contextual support and/or helps learners to visualize words as well as meanings. Individuals process information in different ways. The strategies used by one learner are likely to differ from those used by a different learner. It has been proven that what benefits one group of learners may actually hinder the performance of a different group of learners (Bovy, 1981). Issues of the value of video as a teaching tool are often questioned. Omaggio (1979) suggests that â€Å"the profession has virtually no empirical basis for promoting the use of visuals as aids to comprehension in the second language; we know practically nothing about how students benefit from visuals† (1979, p.107). Recently, in a lecture on the use of visuals in research, Canning-Wilson (2000) claims that the use of illustrations, visuals, pictures, perceptions, mental images, figures, impressions, likenesses, cartoons, charts, graphs, colors, replicas, reproductions, or anything else used to help one see an immediate meaning in the language may benefit the learner by helping to clarify the message, provided the visual works in a positive way to enhance or supplement the language point. She reports that images contextualized in video or on its own can help to reinforce the language, provided the learner can see immediate meaning in terms of vocabulary recognition in the first language. Furthermore, her research suggests that visuals can be used to help enhance the meaning of the message trying to be conveyed by the speakers through the use of paralinguistic cues. Last but not least, additional factors must be considered when looking at video as an instructional medium to teach a foreign or second language. Balatova’s studies indicated that visual cues  found in videos were informative and enhanced comprehension in general, but did not necessarily stimulate the understanding of a text. It was also found that teaching with video had some affective advantages. If the results of their findings are true and the same results can be replicated, perhaps practitioners will no longer have to rely solely on anecdotal evidence. . 3.0. Research Methodology 4.8. Introduction This section discusses the methodology of the research. The main purpose of the research is to investigate the relationship between watching movies, dramas or variety shows and the academic performance among KPMIM students. Does it really affect the educational outcome or not? Besides that, to assess the students and lecturers in teaching or learning process apart from making them easier to absorb, distinguish and memorize the entire thing that they should. The data for the research were collected through questionnaires distribution. 4.9. Research Instruments This research utilized both the quantitative and qualitative research methodology. The instrument used to collect data was questionnaires. A set of questionnaires containing 13 questions divided into 2 parts. Different types of questions such as ranking, yes – no questions, listing and were used in the questionnaires. The questionnaires were piloted to five students to assess its validity before it was distributed. The qualitative data for the research come at open-ended questions. 4.10. Respondents of the Study The respondents of the study were several students at Kolej Profesional Mara Indera Mahkota, KPMIM. In March 2012, a total of 40 questionnaires were distributed to students randomly. 4.11. Research Procedure Before the actual data collection phase, a pilot study was conducted to assess the validity of the research instruments. A total of five students were involved in the pilot study chosen at randomly at Kolej professional Mara Indera Mahkota. During the actual study, the questionnaires were distributed at various locations on campus such as library, cafà ©, classes and dormitories. 4.12. Data Analysis To analyze the data, a several variables were taken into consideration namely the duration, effectiveness, oftenness of the students watching their favored movie, dramas or variety shows, and from which countries.besides that, major immpacts of this study were also been questioned. For examples, does it improve student’s vocab and lexis in writings, develop creative thinking, reasoning skill and crtical review and assist students to focus in class. The data were saved into the computer using Microsoft Excel software. Results were presented through frequency counts and other descriptive statistics. The data were transcribed accordingly. 4.0. Findings and Discussion This section will discuss the results of the research that had been done to determine whether it is an effective way as a method of learning and teaching towards KPMIM students. These findings received responses from 40 students which were 25 females and 15 males. FIGURE ANumber of Respondent (Students) Figure A shows the proportion of male and female students who were involved in this research. 15 of them were males and another 25 of them were the  females. The sum of them were 40 and the percentage that has been calculated as shown in the figure above. FIGURE BPercentage of students who watch movies/ dramas/ variety shows during free time. Figure B shows how many of students watch their favored shows during their leisure time. Majority of them watch movies and etc. during free time. 100 percent of male students did watch the movies while 92 percent of the female students who did the same thing. Only few of the female students did not watch the movies, dramas or variety shows. Maybe because of unnecessarily circumstances. Figure C Types of entertainment that mostly watched by the students The figure above shows the type of entertainments that mostly watched by KPMIM students. To sum up, majority of the respondents preffered variety shows as their most favored types of entertainment. It is because it has been a phenomenon nowadays. Not only in KPMIM but all over Malaysia educational institutes. Maybe because the show is really funny and make them laugh every time they watch it. Nevertheless, it educates while entertaining. That is the most important. Otherwise, the data for other type of entertainments that prefferably watch by the students are shown in the figure above. Films at the 2nd rank followed by animation series as the 3rd and dramas was the least. Figure DForeign Entertainments that most Influential Based on the figure above, the well-influenced foreign entertainment among male students in KPMIM is the Bollywood followed by English, Korean and Japanese as the least. The reason why they chose Bollywood as their favoured foreign entertainment, it is because the eye-catching lyrics from pleasant songs and it teaches a lot of moral and values. For the female respondents, majority of them pick English as their favored entertainment followed by Korean, Bollywood and Japanese. FIGURE EFrequencies of Sudents watch their Favored Shows As shown in the figure above, the female students often watch their favored shows for only 3 times a week whereas the male students watch their preffered entertainments 7 times a week which is everyday. FIGURE FTime outlay for each sessions From the figure above, it is shown that majority of the male students spend their time about 4 to 5 hours for each session. For the female students, they only spent about 3 to 4 hours for their leisure movie times. This shows the females were good in managing their times compared tom the males. Notwithstanding, as long as the shows that they watched bring some benefits to them, it is alright. FIGURE GHelp them in improving the Vocabs and Lexis in Wrtings Greater part of the respondents agree with the hypothesis, ‘by watching movies, dramas or variety shows, they can improve their vocabularies and lexis in their writings’. When they watched foreign shows or movies, they learned by reading the subtitles and find the meaning of words that they do not understand. By doing that, although it looks like a slow way of improving their vocabs, it really helps them in their examination. Especially in writing and speaking skills. FIGURE HDevelop Creative thinking, Reasoning skills and Critical Review For this section, 98 percent of the respondents agreed with the hypothesis by practising this habbit, they can develop their creative thinking, reasoning skills and critical review. Only 2 percent of them did not agree with the statement. The figure indicates that, majority of them could develop some of the useful skills especially in language classes. This means that watching movies, dramas and variety shows is not wasteful activity during leisure time. FIGURE IAssists to Focus and Improve Academic Performance Based on the figure above, 88 percent of the students do agree with the hypothesis of by applying this type of inclination, they tend to focus during classes. Only minority of them, 15 percent did not agree. Besides that, for sure, it will also aiding their academic performance. From this situation, we can conclude that this kind of practice lead to success for the students whom put run through it. Open ended question:- â€Å"Visual Aids (Movies/dramas/etc.) should be one of the effective mediums of learning or teaching because it brings a ton of advantages rather than disfavors†.  Give your opinion/ comments regarding this issue. Please state the reasons why did you support or oppose this statement. Based on all the anwers, most of them are all the positive comments. This shown that, Visual Aids such Movies, dramas, and etc. are really should be implemented as one of the effective mediums of learning and teaching in any KPMIM since it bequeath loads of benefit rather than disfavors. 5.0. Conclusion This research investigated the relationship between the methods of using visual aids as learning process and the academic performance towards KPMIM students. Primary data were collected by randomly with distributing a set of questionnaires to 40 students. As has been mentioned earlier in the introduction, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using visual aids in teaching and learning towards the academic performance of students The following conlusions can be drawn based on the findings of the study: 1. This study shows that watching movies/ dramas/ variety shows, students managed to perform well in their academic performance. 2. By practicing this habit, educatees can improve their vocabularies and lexis in writings instead of developing their creative thinking, critical reviews and reasoning skills. 3. Last of all, this method of learning and teaching is ought to be implemented in every educational institutions. The results of this study indicate that teaching and learning by using visual aids as a method compulsarily implemented in KPMIM especially in English subject. This is because after a thorough study has been investigated, it bring a a lot more benefits rather than detriment to students or even lecturers. However, this findings are only true for KPMIM students. The same study needs to be done with students from other educational institutes to see if there are any similarities with the impact of watching foreign movies, dramas and variety shows habit towards the academic performances. 6.0RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1Recommendations based on Findings Based on the findings and conclusions of the study, here are several recommendations to be considered: 1. Visual Aids such (Movie Reviews / Documentaries /etc.) should be one of the effective mediums of learning because it brings a ton of advantages rather than disfavors. 2. Educators are also counseled to use this method of teaching as it makes edifying process more simpler, cooler, interactive and valuable. 6.2Recommendations for Future Research Since this study only focussed on KPMIM students, it is highly recommended that further reseach be carried out for other students from another colleges or universities to explore whether there might some differences in the study or similarities in the findings. Besides that, the implementation of this method of learning and teaching could be the worldwide most effective way in teaching English because it is essential for all walks of life. Lastly, M.O.E or any other parties could impart some expenses and provide new high-tech facilities to all education institution. BIBLIOGRAPHY * Richard Cameron & Dolati Roman. (2010). Harnessing the Use of Visual Learning Aids in the English Language Classroom. Retrieved December 15th, 2010 from the Arab World English Journal. * Koren, S. (1996). Vocabulary instruction through hypertext: Are there advantages over conventional methods of teaching?.TESL-EJ, 4(1), 1- 14. * Mayer, R. & Simes, V. (1994). For whom is a picture worth a thousand words? Extensions of a dual–coding theory of multimedia learning. Journal of Educational Technology, 86, 389-401. * The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VI, No. 11, November 2000 http://iteslj.org/

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PC - Essay Example Evidently, this will make work easy especially for persons who keep struggling to type words and take too long to edit the same paper for so long. The benefit of these computers that can actually hear sounds and type the same into words would indeed be a plus for computer technology. A positive of the same would also happen for persons who do not understand various languages as the computers will be fed all languages then the users would simply read, the computer would listen and type what the user says. For instance, persons with English problems would benefit from this development. Data will be collected from online sources especially ones that include natural reader and how these readers are useful in computers. A good example is Seo’s work that explains the functioning of natural readers and how they include natural sounding voices (115-119). The author also continues to argue that the natural readers are very easy to use and can convert all manners of files into spoken words (Seo 115-119). With the reader being termed as about 99% accurate, this move is a plus for computer technology. Data will also be collected through interviews with persons who have used this technology before and how efficient the same has been to them. A good target group would be students who have enjoyed the reader through getting their notes typed with ease. Surveys on the benefits of this technology will also be analyzed especially on the education sector. Data will also be collected through telephone interviews to assess how this assistive technology will indeed make proofreading easy especially in large documents and how the technology will allow its users save much time as opposed to the traditional PCs. Observations will also be used as a way of collecting data especially observing the users and how well the software is making work easier for them. After this collection of data, it will be possible to make

Julius Caesar and Abraham Lincoln Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Julius Caesar and Abraham Lincoln - Essay Example Apart that the two leaders were well respected in their time and beyond; they also share a similarity in the sense that they were both assassinated. They both lost their parents at very young ages and both left a child behind after their death. This paper will analyze and compare the lives Abraham Lincoln and Julius Cesar. Firstly the creation of America by its forefathers can be likened to the Roman Republic. The American forefathers aimed to create a nation with liberty, life and happiness. The comparison between the two nations dates back to the very beginning with Gorge Washington possessing similar qualities to Lucius Junius Brutus whilst King George portrayed the tyrant role played by King Tarquinius (Wineburg, 488-499). Julius Cesar was assassinated differently to Abraham Lincoln; however, the two events are comparable to certain a extent. One similarity between the two is that they were both assassinated by individuals, who were concerned about their leadership and what they would do with their power. In more simplistic words, the two were just simply killed due to the position they occupied. The two leaders both accumulated a larger following and more power as their term in office grew longer. As Julius Cesar began to implement certain policies, his senators began to feel threatened as they were of the opinion that their positions were under threat. However the difference between Cesar and Lincoln in terms of their attitudes towards power is that Cesar was power hungry and aimed to control as much territory as possible. Whilst in office he extended his term to five years rue in IIIyricum and Cispine Paul. However, Lincoln on the other hand was the exact opposite and did not want to control a larger territory (Wineburg, 488-499). Despite Cesar’s hunger for power, he felt it not for his own benefit but for Rome. Cesar frequently stated that if he was to step down from power, it would lead to a civil war in Rome. Cesar is quoted to have said, †Å"I have long been sated with glory and power, however, it is more important for Rome than myself that I survive. If I was to be removed from my position, Rome will never know any peace. A civil war is likely to break out, one far worse than the last. In essence, Julius Cesar was an advocate for peace, a trait similar to that of Abraham Lincoln. Cesar fought for peace which led him to the accumulation of more enemies and his fight for change is similar to that of Abraham Lincoln. Despite the different positions they occupied, Abraham Lincoln and Julius Cesar were both military men. Lincoln enlisted in the army to be a member of the force fighting the Black Hawk war. While he was enrolled he quickly gained a promotion to the position of Captain for a wing of volunteers. Julius Cesar joined the Roman army with great ambition and quickly rose to the rank of military Commander. Their rise to political power was also different as Lincoln was required to perform a series of debates agains t his opponent. The two were both emulated and respected in their time. Both leaders wanted to make changes in their areas and they both gained enemies in the areas which they implemented their policies. Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in the year 1862 (Wineburg, 488-499). This act was intended to free all people and eradicate slavery in the Southern part of the country. Cesar gained enemies from the senate due to his advocation for peace whilst Lincoln was eventually assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, who shouted, â€Å"This is for the South!† before he shot him in the hea (Wineburg, 488-499). In fact, prior to being assassinated the emancipation proclamation led to a civil war in

Discussion Question 2 Week 8 Capital Structure Decisions Assignment

Discussion Question 2 Week 8 Capital Structure Decisions - Assignment Example This is where companies with higher amount of debt are riskier. Decisions on the capital structure of a company will be influenced by the business risk of the company, the management style, the market conditions and the growth rate (Bierman, 2003). Therefore, any approach taken when making this decision should consider these factors. There are a number of theories to capital structure, which include: the net income theory of capital structure. This theory encourages companies to decrease their cost of capital and increase their market value. This is by increasing debt and decreasing equity, also known as having a financial leverage. The second theory of capital structure is the net operating theory of capital structure. This method does not agree with increasing the financial leverage as in the net income theory. This means that change in capital structure has no effect on the company’s market value. There is also the Modigliani and miller method which states that no relations hip exists between the capital structure of the company and its cost of capital (Shim, 2008). This theory indicates that the cost of capital plus the value of any company depend on the expectations of investors. Finally, there is the traditional theory of capital structure which combines net operating income approach and the net income approach. It involves increasing the debt which raises the market value of the company until an optimal level. Looking at the theories, it is clear that the traditional theory of capital structure is the most applicable across the widest number of scenarios. This is because this method looks at the best mix of debt and equity while ensuring that the company does not go beyond the optimal level. This optimal level ensures that the market value of the company does not decrease and thus the stock prices remain optimal. Since this method optimizes the stock prices, the weighted-average cost of capital will

Emission Trading System in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emission Trading System in Australia - Essay Example This paper explores the Emission Trading System in Australia and its annihilation with focus placed on three economic variables (demand, supply, and government regulations). The price control (EMS elimination) was introduced with the view to lower the amount spent on environmental protection significantly by 2020. However, this process develops differently in the short run and in the long run. Elimination of the EMS in Australia will lead to reduced investment in the Australian market especially for manufacturing companies. Increase in government regulations encumbers economic growth because it makes the economy rigid and costly to invest in. The cost of investment in the Australian market generates two dissimilar effects on the economy. First, it increases the cost of investment in the country and the cost of environmental control within the country. The gridlocked EMS would lower the cost of carbon by $20 to $25 per ton (Davis & Taylor, 2011, p.1). This cost shifts to the investors, which raises operational costs. Second, it increases the price of manufactured commodities in the country. Increased investments (loanable funds) from LF0 to LF1 increases the supply of commodities showed through the curve SLF. The reverse is true when investment levels reduce irrespective of the reasons for the reduction. Reduction in investment can also arise from decreased profit margins due to increase in the operational costs for businesses operating within the country. The situation in Australia, with eradication of EMS, produces a combination of both factors working against increased investments in production companies in the country. However, the government regulation to switch to renewable sources of energy as an alternative to carbon emitting sources will reverse the situation (Wang & Blackmore, 2012, p.4389). The initial cost for the companies will definitely be high

Addiction in Adults and Its Effects on Their Children Essay Example for Free

Addiction in Adults and Its Effects on Their Children Essay When thinking about drug addiction in adults, one often thinks about and wonders how and when an adult starts or becomes addicted to drugs. Studies have shown that people who have become addicted to drugs from various causes of society. Daily stress of everyday life, some people are forced to start drugs in certain situations, the process and life of a person dealing with drug addiction during pregnancy, the use of drugs during pregnancy, and the effects of drug use during pregnancy; just to name a few. See more: Foot Binding In China essay According to Authors: Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, M. A. , and Joanna Saisan, M. S. W. Last updated: January 2012, â€Å"Many first try drugs out of curiosity, to have a good time, because friends are doing it, or in an effort to improve athletic performance or ease another problem; such as stress, anxiety, or depression. Drug abuse and addiction is less about the amount of substance consumed or the frequency, and more to do with the consequences of drug use. No matter how often or how little you’re consuming, if your drug use is causing problems in your life—at work, school, home, or in your relationships—you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem. † Drug addiction leads adult down the road of consequences, which such consequences could lead to pregnancy and childbirth. Some addicts may try to clean up during pregnancy however; there are plenty of people addicted to drugs so bad that it consumes their mind. Society has to take in account that there have been studies done on the effects of a parent addicted to drugs raising children. One can find facts that have found that there are parents that are considered functioning drug addicts. Some drug addicted parents are not involved in their children’s life. Now this leads society to wonder about some of the effects that the child may experience. Some children may have serious or several health issues when they are born addicted to drugs. Experts have also shown that some children may not have a medical issue but may experience mental and emotional issues at the same time. According to Lisa Levin, student of psychology, the University of Umea, Sweden, under guidance by Gunborg Palme, certified psychologist, certified psychotherapist, teacher and tutor in psychotherapy, â€Å"The American psychologist Janet G. Woititz was one of the first who paid real attention to the situation for adult children of addicts, with her book Adult Children of Alcoholics. In this book, she elucidated various characteristics that she found in many of these adult children. † Drug ddiction in adults can lead to a world of destruction for both the parents and children. Children can be removed from the home and placed in foster care. Sometimes these children experience terrible situations such as molestation and abuse. However, in other circumstances where some drug addicted adults willing give their children up to family members to rise. At times some of these children can lead down the path of drugs as well. It is being proven that some kids born addicted to drugs have also done drugs as a teenager and adult. In cases children will even sell drugs, work in adult clubs and entertainment, participate in prostitution, and even have children at early ages. But still one can find some of these children also can have a successful story and go down a completely different path, such as success, college, financial stability, or even religious background. The individual is the one that makes the choice on what path they will take in life. Lisa Levin also stated, â€Å"Children of addicts are more likely to develop their own substance abuse and social behavior problems than other children. According to certain researchers, the risk is twice as high, while others estimate the risk to be 4-9 times higher. † Personal thoughts on drug addiction in adults and the effects it has on their children would have to be so many that run through my head. I believe that children have the chose to make two options in their lives. Since dealing with family members who were and are addicted to drugs and their children have graduate from college, work a good job which pays good money, are married and have a family. I have at the same token had cousins that have also been addicted to drugs, prostitution, selling drugs, end up in jail, and have even died following the wrong path in their life. We all have to be responsible for ourselves and live life accordingly. I don’t believe that all children have bad effects of drug addicted parents. I believe they can choose to live a better life and change their situation for the better. One must always find the confidence, drive, and determination to want to make their life what they desire. When being a witness to both sides of the fence, bias is up in the air for now.

Risk assessment and environmental impact assessment

Risk assessment and environmental impact assessment SECTION 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION This report is on the use of risk assessment (RA) in Environmental impact assessment (EIA). Over the last three decades, there has been a remarkable growth of environmental issues in sustainability and the better management of development in harmony with the environment (Glasson at al 2004). The most popular and widely used environmental management techniques are EIA and RA. EIA is a process to identify and predict the impact on the environment and on mans health and well being of legislative proposals, policies programmes, projects and operational procedures, and to interpret and communicate information about the impacts (Munn 1979). The EIA process includes screening, scoping, impact prediction and evaluation, impact mitigation, decision making (EIA follow up) with public participation and consideration of alternatives potentially incorporated in all the stages of the process (Woods 1995, Canter 1996, Lee and George 2000). The US National Research council (NRC) defines RA as the characterization of the potential adverse effect of human exposure on environmental hazards. A special assessment procedure that aims at tackling certain consequences of human activities is called Risk Assessment (Demidova and Cherp). The stages in risk assessment are as follows: hazard identification, exposure assessment, risk estimation, risk evaluation and risk management (Eduljee 1999). Environmental risk assessment is a generic term for the series of tools and environmental risks and the formation of judgement about them. (DOE 1995, DETR2000) Risk assessment emerged in the mid to late 1970s as an administrative requirement in the form of both statues and executive orders requiring not only more extensive documentation to justify proposed risk regulation, but also the balancing of risk against economic costs and benefits. (Atkisson et al 1985). Environmental Health risk assessment has been defined as the systematic scientific characterization of potential adverse health effect resulting from human exposure to hazardous agents or situations (Faustman and Omenn 2001). In concept, EIA and RA have evolved as parallel and sometimes overlapping procedures for rational reform to policy making (Andrews 1995). The purpose of both concepts is to provide an acceptable basis for making public decisions, not necessarily to generate new scientific knowledge (Andrews 1995). Table 1 below summarizes the similarities and differences of EIA and RA. 1.2 SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN RA AND EIA The most important similarity is comparing the stages of RA with those of the EIA process. Thus, hazard identification in RA is equivalent to screening and scoping in EIA, risk estimation is equivalent to impact prediction in EIA, risk evaluation is equivalent to impact prediction in EIA (determining the significance of the impact) while mitigation in EIA can be equated to risk management (specifically risk reduction and control). (Eduljee 1999). SECTION 2 2.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TWO CASE STUDIES Two EIA case studies will be compared from two different industrial sectors and they are the Berkeley nuclear power station where a new building for radioactive waste is to be constructed and the A350 Westbury bypass. The aim of this report is to examine how environmental/health risk has been used in each of these EIAs and the advantage or potential for improving the use of environmental /health risk assessment in these EIAs. 2.11 A350 WESTBURY BYPASS- CASE A The construction scheme will comprise approximately 5.8 kilometres of new single carriage way around the eastern and northern sides of Westbury and it aims to provide traffic relief for Westbury, allowing road space in the town to be reallocated to other modes, improve journey time reliability of the A350 route and improve access to employment areas, particularly the West Wilts Trading Estate, and between the west Wiltshire towns. The construction phase will last between 18 months to 2 years and would involve site preparation, earthworks main road construction and construction of final surfaces. Impacts identified resulting from construction is as follows Generation of noise and dust with earthworks and vehicular movement Pollution risk associated with working in close proximity to surface and groundwater resources. Possible disturbance of ecological and heritage resources Generation and disposal of waste Change of land use pattern Post construction impacts were identified as road traffic and emissions from traffic. (Wiltshire county council, 2007) 2.12 BERKELEY NUCLEAR POWER STATION-CASE B Magnox electrical Limited has proposed to construct an intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW) storage building on Berkeley nuclear licensed site. This building will store packaged ILW wastes that have arisen over time and will store these wastes until an offsite disposal facility is available. The ILW waste will house packaged radioactive waste in one above ground location, rather than storing waste below ground as it currently occurs at the Berkeley nuclear power station. The project will be carried out in three stages, Construction of the building Operation/filling of the building with packages of ILW. Long term storage of ILW during care and maintenance period until a disposal route becomes available. The technical assessment areas covered by the environmental impact statement are as follows- Air quality and dust Archaeology and cultural heritage Ecology Geology, hydrology and soils Noise and vibration Surface waters Traffic and transport. (Gloucestershire country 2007) SECTION 3 3.1 THE USE OF RISK ASSESSMENT IN EACH EIA 3.2 METHODOLOGY USED FOR ASSESSMENT IN EIS The methodology of analysis of impact should be taken into consideration when comparing the two EIS used for this study bearing in mind that the case studies are from different industrial sectors. Berkeley nuclear power plant is a high risk and high profile project and it deals with radioactive waste (although the radioactive waste is solid and there is no emission to air). Westbury bypass on the other hand is low risk low profile project with significant impact on air quality (rise in dust particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen) during the construction phase and emissions from vehicles after construction. Method of analysis of impacts- Case A The following methods were used in the analysis of local effects Qualitative and quantitative assessment used to analyze air quality. Dispersion model selection(air quality strategy) Meteorology Sensitive receptors Short term mean concentrations Method of analysis for case-B Simple qualitative to complex quantitative method was used to analyze air quality The use of scientific criteria Comparison of predicted changes with established national and international air quality standards, objectives and thresholds. Interpretation of planning and other environmental policies for example, the assessment of whether the predicted change will conflict the objectives of an air quality management area. Review of comparable proposals on environment. The NSCA flow chart -Event tree analysis Generic assessment methodology. Though the methodology used for risk assessment is similar, the event tree analysis which was used in case study B was absent in case study A. SECTION 4 4.1 POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVING OR EXTENDING EIA EIA have emphasized possible impact on natural ecosystems and, to some extent, human communities but have paid no attention to health effect of other risks (Beanlands 1984a, Clark 1984a and Giroult 1984a). More precisely, even for impacts whose ultimate significance might involve health, such as air pollution, EIA studies typically predict only the environmental fate of contaminants, rather than the effect on health itself and RA have emphasized human health effects, especially potential mortality due to cancer or technological catastrophes. (Andrews 1995) The stages of RA were incorporated into both case studies, but RA was not carried out extensively especially in the Berkeley nuclear power station case. It is recommended that a separate section concerned with health risk assessment be prepared within the EIS for high risk and high profile projects but it was absent in this case. There was failure to conduct probability assessment (uncertainty analysis) in case of the unforeseen accidents like explosions or unplanned discharge of radioactive solid waste into the environment. Risk =probability (likelihood or chance that harm will occur) ÃÆ'- consequence (nature of the harm that can occur). There was also no mitigation plans in case of an accident, if there was, then it was not included in the EIS. Risk communication was also absent in both case studies. Also the dose response or exposure assessment which measures the intensity, frequency and duration of human exposure to an agent was present for case A, (Extrapolation dose response methodology) but the effects of the dose for air quality pollutants in case B was not analyzed properly. Hazard index calculation for non carcinogens was absent. HAZOP analysis carried out in case A but absent in case B. Source-pathway-receptor identified in case A, but only source and receptor identified in case B. Risk-benefit analysis also absent. Including the omitted RA analyses above would have improved the use of RA in these EIAs SECTION 5 5.1 CONCLUSION/ RECOMMENDATIONS Many actions need both EIA and RA assessment. In these instances, a more useful analysis would be obtained from combining the two. (Andrews 1995) The aim of this report has been to evaluate how environmental/health RA were used in different stages of the two reviewed EISs, and point out how possible ways that RA might have played a greater role. Systematic application of RA in accordance to best practice was not observed. For a better Incorporation of RA into EIA, there should be emphasis on emergency response measures in the event of accidents and associated environmental perturbations. Canter (1993). REFERENCES Wiltshire County Council, (2007) A350 Westbury bypass Environmental Impact Statement 2007. Trowbridge, Wiltshire County Council. Gloucestershire County council (2007) Berkeley ILW Store. Environmental Impact Statement Issue 1 Gloucester. Gloucestershire County Council. Andrews,R.N.C (1995) Environmental Impact Assessment and Risk Assessment: Learning from each other, In P Wathern (Ed)Environmental impact Assessment: Theory and Practice (Routledge/London) Brookes, A. (2001) Environmental Risk Assessment and Risk management, in P. Morris and R Therivel (Eds) Methods of Environmental Impact Assessment, 2nd Edition(Spon Press/London) Eduljee, G (1999), Risk Assessment in Petts, J. (Ed), Handbook of Environmental Impact Assessment, Volume 1, Process, Methods and Potential, Blackwell Science, London Demidova, O and A Cherp (2005), â€Å"Risk assessment for improved treatment of health considerations in EIA† Environmental Impact Assessment Review 2(4), page 411-429. Canter, L. W (1993) â€Å"Pragmatic Suggestions of Incorporating Risk Assessment Principles in EIA studies†. Environmental Professional, 15(1), Page 125-138.

Case Study Formal And Informal Assessments Education Essay

Case Study Formal And Informal Assessments Education Essay Formal and informal assessments are two specific procedures that teachers use to evaluate and grade their students. Both formal and informal formative assessments involve gathering, interpreting, and acting on information (Ruiz-Primo Furtak,2004, p. 4). Formal assessments are standardized exams used by a state to reflect on particular grade level to measure a students academic abilities. These exams are administered in the same way every time with a time restriction and instructions to how the exam should be graded. In contrast, informal assessments are exams or activities designed to specially review or test students knowledge on a certain academic subject taught by their teacher. I will be discussing the advantage and disadvantage for two different forms of formal assessment and four types of informal assessments methods. The two formal assessments are norm-referenced and criterion-referenced. Norm-referenced are standardized tests and are linked to inter individual differences (Gargiulo, 2008, p.65). This test compares the students skill to other students in the similar age group. Statistical method is used to determine how the student did. For example first grade students were tested and the outcome is used in a statistical method. You would be able to see how each student ranked. For example, Jon scored at the 50th percentile among his class. There are advantages and disadvantages in using norm referenced testing. One advantage to this method is it can determine whether a student may need special services. For example, if the student scores less than standard norm for reading, they will receive special services to aid them in this subject. Another advantage to this method is it allows parents to see how their childs academic results are compared to their peers. For example, Julie performs at 86 percentile in her class. This means that Julie performed better than 86% from her classmates. As there are advantages, there are disadvantages. One disadvantage to this method is it consists of broad academic information and may not consist of current classroom content. Another disadvantage is it does not fully capture a students academic abilities on problem solving, decision making, social skills, nor their ability elaborate on certain topic. In contrast, Criterion-referenced tests are associated with intra individual differences and can provide data that is useful for instructional planning (Gargiulo, 2008, p.66). For example, a math problem is given to a student to see if the student is able to add two digit numbers. The outcome is strictly based on whether the student did or did not answer the problem correctly. The first advantage to this test is it can compare a students individual performance from their previous one. For example, Aprils current test indicated her reading skills have improved from last quarter. Aprils results are not compared to how well she did among her classmates instead it compares to her individual progress. Another advantage to this test it can assist a teacher to figure out each students academic strengths and weakness. A teacher can guide and assign additional help in the areas where students need improvement. The downfall to this method is it cannot compare student academic performance to ot her schools or districts. For example, a teacher will not be able to compare her students success to other classes nor to other schools. Another disadvantage is creating a valid exam for students. Designing an exam needs to meet specific standards plus its time consuming for teachers to work around their daily responsibilities. The following are the four types of informal assessments that can be used in a classroom which are an essay exam, a classroom game, walk around method, and a multiple choice exam. The first informal assessment is an essay exam. Essay exams are questions based on a certain lesson or topic where a student needs to provide a written answer. Depending on the exam instructions students may only need to write a couple of paragraphs or several pages in length. The following are two advantages in using an essay exam to test students. First, students have the opportunity to express their thoughts and demonstrate their level of comprehension on a certain question. The second advantage, students begin to construct and analyze how to answer each question. For example, the instruction on the essay says to please explain the difference between a mammal and an amphibian. The student first needs to analyze the differences between the two species and then construct examples to elaborate on the question. An issue does represent itself; this type of method is time consuming for both the student and teacher. The students need plenty of time to answer and write an essay and the te acher needs time to evaluate and grade each paper. The second disadvantage, teachers must be aware of their biases when writing a question where students need to agree or disagree on a certain topic. This disadvantage may get in the way of grading papers accurately. A teacher needs to be aware of their bias and base their grading on the students response not if they agree or disagree with their student. Another informal way to evaluate a students progress is a classroom game. A Classroom game creates an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and encourages them to learn. For example, the class is divided into four groups to play a game of Jeopardy. The game of Jeopardy consists of questions on a certain academic subject. An advantage to this method is it promotes cooperative learning. Students are learning how to interact, collaborate, and work together with their peers to answer questions. Working together provides positive reinforcements for students to develop social skills and trust among their team members. Another advantage it motivates students to apply their own knowledge and retain new information as they play the game. A game will keep students alert and encourages participation which will lead to learning. Since students are divided into groups not every student is participating or collaborating on every question and this is downfall to this method. Even though each student has an opportunity to answer a question, the group is judged as a whole not the individual knowledge to every question but the ones they answer. Another disadvantage to this method does not provide enough feedback to a teacher to determine which students needs additional assistance in comprehending the current subject. The third informal assessment is the walk-around. This assessment requires the teacher to interact with each student as they work together as a group or individually. The teacher is actively observing and assisting students to stay on task. The advantage to this method it allows the teacher to interact with students individually or as a group to answer any concerns or assist them in understanding their assignment. The second advantage is the one on one conference. The teacher uses the one on one conference to talk to the students for five or ten minutes. This conference offers attention, and additional help in instructions for students(Cole,1999,p.4). This type of interaction builds trust and improves the communication between teacher and student. A downside to walk around assessment is giving each student or groups the same amount of time to answer questions or concerns. Since every student or groups have different questions, some may need additional assistance than others. This may cause some behavior issues or delay some students in completing their assignment. Another issue is making sure every student understands the material or contributing their work to their group. The teacher needs to give every student an opportunity to talk and demonstrate they understand the assignment. Lastly, the multiple-choice test is another assessment used in a classroom. Multiple choice tests consist of questions and a list of possible answers for each question. An upside to this method students begin to access their knowledge and apply it to every question by eliminating misleading choices. This method is also an advantage for teachers as well. The grading is less time consuming than other methods and easier to narrow down where the students are having difficulties. A disadvantage for students is it may cause them some confusion or frustration when the exams are poorly written. Poor written exams consist of tricky options to choose from, for instance having two possible answers. The second disadvantage for students is not being able to understand a question. This may lead the students to guess on answers they are not able to comprehend due to reading difficulties or a poor written exam. This may lead to inappropriate score on the students progress or knowledge. In conclusion, both formal and informal assessments consist of advantages and disadvantages that a teacher should consider and understand before administrating these assessments. Assessments are necessary to pinpoint students academic strengths and weaknesses. This allows a teacher to provide additional assistance to students that are struggling. Without assessments teachers will not be able to properly evaluate and assist students.

The Metamorphosis of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol Essay

A Christmas Carol, a tale that revolves around a man’s fate in the past, the present, and the future. Its story speaks of a man, a man called Ebenezer Scrooge, and the changes in which he goes through. ‘’Oh! But he was tight-fisted man at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days, and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.’’ This description describes Scrooge’s character brilliantly, it is on the second page of the novel and immediately hits you. I feel that Charles Dickens could not have described his character any better. In my opinion the last sentence has great relevance to the story and his attitude towards all things merry, especially Christmas: ‘’†¦his own low temperature†¦and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.’’ Scrooge is a very cold-hearted, spiteful man, he is never cheerful or in any way nice to anyone. The only people who he at the very least endures or respects are men of great importance or wealth, but also his fellow businessmen. It would be easier to get blood out of a stone than to get Ebeneezer Scrooge to be merry; ‘’Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Scrooge has no wish to spend his time with anyone o... ... up the resulting change in Scrooge: ‘’He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old City knew†¦Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh,’’ So we see that Scrooge was indeed saved from the terrible fate that would have otherwise inevitably destroyed him. And also became a model citizen, who mended the error of his ways, strived for good and became a man with no burdens. Except, the burdens of his loved ones and the less fortunate. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Classics of Children's Literature. Ed. John W. Griffith and Charles H. Frey. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992.

War With Iraq :: Argumentative

War With Iraq: Is It Worth It? What does the United States have to gain from a war with Iraq? Supporters of a war with Iraq say it will help prevent the risk of an attack by a weapons of mass destruction developed by Iraq. Critics of a military action that say nothing will be gained, and the U.S. just wants to obtain the oil that Iraq controls. They claim that casualties will be too costly for America to afford. Nonetheless, America should act while others will not for fear of disturbing global peace. Iraq poses a â€Å"clear and present danger† to the security of the United States and the security of countries around the world. For the past several months the United Nations’ Security Council has debated on whether or not to accept the U.S. proposal to force Iraq to comply the new and former resolutions. The new resolution calls for complete disarmament of Iraq and the re-entrance of weapons inspectors into Iraq. If Iraq fails to comply, then military force would be taken in order to disarm Iraq. This proposal met opposition from council members Russia, China, and France. They thought that the U.S. proposal was too aggressive and that the U.S. should not act alone without U.N. approval. For weeks they refused to believe that the only way to make Iraq disarm is through the threat of force and the fear of being wiped out. Iraq for the past several years has violated numerous U.N. resolutions that call for destruction of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and allowance of weapons inspectors to monitor the disposal of such weapons. Ever since the end of the Gulf War, Iraq has disregarded these policies by removing weapons inspectors, which in turn has allowed Iraq to further research weapons of mass destruction. In 1998 the U.S. launched Operation Desert Fox with the objective of allowing weapons inspectors back into the country. After the operation succeeded and inspectors were allowed back in, all seemed well and little attention was paid to Iraq. Since political powers did not deem it worthy to check on Iraq and put their main focus on Wall Street, Iraq renewed their weapons program and everyone just did not pay attention.

Korea and the Internet :: Computers Language Communication Papers

Korea and the Internet Since its birth a generation ago, the Internet has been dominated by the English language and North American culture. In a 1998 survey conducted by the Internet research group, eMarketer, two-thirds (68 percent) of a little over 60 million Internet users worldwide reside in just two countries, the United States, with 37 million users, and Canada, which has just over 4 million. About 60 percent of the Internet host computers are located in the United States. Nine out of 10 Internet users today are English-speaking. No fewer than 82 percent of home pages (web sites) are in English, according to the Internet Society’s survey of 60,000 computers with Internet addresses. Yet some foresee an end to this electronic hegemony. The number of non-U.S. Internet users is about to outnumber those inside the country soon and increase by nine-fold over the next five years, from 16.4 million in 1997 to 143 million by the year 2002, representing an annual growth rate of 70 percent. In that case, the present practice of conducting business, presenting news and information, and performing discussion on the Internet will have to be drastically changed. The widespread use of English will eventually be contested and the Internet itself will become multicultural. This is already happening. A consortium of American computer companies has developed a universal digital code known as Unicode to allow computers to represent the letters and characters of virtually all the world’s languages. Major search engines like Yahoo and Excite offer their services in multiple languages. Netscape Communications in partnership with the leading Latin American Internet service, Star Media Network, provides a free Internet guide in Spanish and Portuguese. Internet services in languages other than English, like Star Media, are starting to provide world and regional news, weather, stock listings, e-mail, chat rooms, Internet access and more, all in the users’ native language. Given such developments, optimists argue that far from ending diversity, the Internet will promote it by allowing even small groups of people to disseminate their messages worldwide. By overtaking the "middle range" languages, it may actually protect minority languages threatened with extinction. A wider range of languages on the Internet means at least in theory that a wider range of ideas will be exchanged in a cyberspace, the long-promised global village. Despite a tremendous influx of non-English languages in recent years, however, the Internet has a long way to go before it becomes a truly multilingual medium.

Planning Function of Management Essay

Planning is a crucial function of management that enables an organization to achieve its maximum potential. Halliburton is one of the largest corporations in the United States, with a workforce of over 100,000 people in over 120 countries. Their home office is located in Houston, Texas and they are one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the oil and gas industry. This paper will discuss the issues impacting and influencing management planning within Halliburton. â€Å"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.†Peter DruckerIt takes successful management at all levels and quality leadership to lead a business down the proverbial golden path. Planning is the primary management function, which formalizes an organization’s goals and objectives and establishes a base for the other functions of management. Halliburton Company is an oilfield services company and a provider of engineering and construction services that was founded in 1919. The company has expanded through tremendous internal growth and several acquisitions and in March, 2002, Halliburton split into two main divisions: the Energy Services Group (ESG) and Kellog Brown and Root (KBR). â€Å"ESG offers a wide range of products and services to â€Å"upstream oil and gas customers worldwide, ranging from the manufacturing of drill bits and other downhole and completion tools and pressure pumping services† (www.halliburton.com) [APA citation error (incorrect-do not use Web addresses or URL’s in citations). If the author is cited in text = Author’s name (year) â€Å"direct quote† (p. #). If the author is not cited in text = â€Å"direct quote† (author, year, p. #).] . KBR is the engineering subsidiary for Halliburton and is a global leader in construction and project management. Additionally, KBR is a leading government services contractor, which has been the focal point of many legal and ethical issues. Halliburton has received a great deal of negative publicity over the past year or so regarding it Iraq and Kuwait operations. The Pentagon and Justice Department have both launched criminal investigations due to erroneous contract cost estimates totaling $2.7 billion to serve American troops in  the middle east. Accusations have been made of overcharging for meals supplied to troops in Iraq, as well as employees accepting kickbacks from a Kuwaiti subcontractor. Pentagon auditors found that KBR overcharged the U.S. government by $27.4 million during a period of nine months in 2003. Additionally, Halliburton’s internal audit revealed employees accepted these kickbacks in exchange for providing Army supply contracts to the subcontractor (Associated Press). Limited military spending has created lucrative opportunities for privately held companies such as Halliburton to win these contracts and will continue to be at the forefront of media campaigns as long as the United States re mains in Iraq, especially when it comes to Dick Cheney. [You have addressed the issue thoroughly and supported your assertions.] Much speculation has been generated in regard to current Vice President of the United States and former Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney’s financial ties to his former company. On the September 14, 2003 edition of NBC’s Meet the Press, Vice President Cheney said, â€Å"And since I left Halliburton to become George Bush’s vice president, I’ve several all my ties with the company, gotten rid of all my financial interest. I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind and haven’t had, now, for over three years† (St. Louis Journalism Review). However, it came to light that Cheney received a salary of over $150,000 and maintained over 400,000 shares of unexercised stock options at the time. Cheney stated that he deferred his salary and stock options; therefore it did not constitute a violation of ethics. The Congressional Research Service found that these financial interests in Halliburton demonstrated a financial interest with his former empl oyer creating a conflict of interest. Despite the fact that Cheney broke the law of ethics, he is exempt from the enforcement of such laws and cannot be prosecuted for it (Halliburton Watch). KBR is the largest military contractor in Iraq, with more than 50,000 employees and subcontractor working there and in Kuwait and Afghanistan. These employees drive trucks, wash clothes, deliver mail, and provide additional support services for the U.S. troops. These workers are part of the Pentagon’s privatization strategy that enables the military to reduce the number of troops needed in a given location by assigning noncombat functions to civilians. Halliburton’s social responsibility is to keep these  workers safe and away from fighting, but it has proved a difficult task. Numerous complaint and lawsuits have surfaced because of Halliburton’s failure to provide safe working conditions and in the case of one man who was killed, the suit states he was â€Å"intentionally sent the convoy as an enemy ‘decoy’ in the U.S. military camouflage vehicles, to ensure the safe arrival and delivery of a second H-KBR fuel convoy† (CNNMoney.com). Hallib urton’s social responsibility remains in question with workers being placed in harms way on a regular basis. Factors influencing Halliburton’s strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning include political instability, rising steel prices, and environmental regulations. Halliburton operated in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Russia, which are currently experiencing unstable political and social climates. Continued conflict in these areas could have an impact on the company’s bottom line and their ability to generate substantial revenue. Steel is a major commodity that is used in the setting up of plant and processing facilities for natural gas and petroleum refining. Record breaking high prices were reached in early 2005, but have since stabilized. However, the ongoing consolidation in the steel industry could lead to higher prices causing the profit margins to suffer. Lastly, Halliburton is subject to environment and legal requirement in its worldwide operations, such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Air Interstate Rule, causing the states to reduce the allowable sulfur dioxide SO2 emissions by 70% and nitrogen oxides emissions by 60%. Environmental issues such as these could place a burden on is cash flow. [Insightful analysis]Halliburton has an exceptional global presence and they are currently playing a prominent role in rebuilding Iraq and by providing our troops with shelter, meals, and delivery of materials. Although Halliburton has come under intense scrutiny over the past several years due to its involvement with Vice-President Chaney and its legal and ethical issues, it has still managed to win military contracts due to its expertise in the oil service industry. This shows tremendous resiliency and reassures its customers and stockholders that it will continue to be a strong force in the oilfield services industry. [Your paper is well written. It is clear and concise.]References-references must match citations by author/owner. References begin with author/owner name e.g. CNN.money and Halburton are the owners of the websites. See examples in APA manual. MarketLine Business Information Center. Retrieved January 27, 2007 fromhttp://dbic.datamonitor.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/companies/company/?pid=B07921BD-F512-44F2-AE84-4DA7D8630C9D#CompanyOverviewTop 25 Censored Stories. St. Louis Journalism Review; Dec 2006/Jan 2007, Vol. 36Issue 292, P23-27, 5p. Retrieved January 26, 2007 fromhttp://web.ebscohost.com. Decision Management System. Retrieved January 28, 2007 from www.halliburton.comHalliburton Announces Full Year and Fourth Quarter Results. Retrieved January 28,2007 from http://CNNMoney.comKelly, Matt. (2003, March). Halliburton Fires Workers for Allegedly Taking Kickbacksfor Iraq Contract. Retrieved Janury 27, 2007 from www.commondreams.orgTotal points available=14Your score=13.75Areas for improvement=teal belowContent and Development = 40%_____ Key elements covered, content comprehensive/accurate, clear points supported with detail, appropriate use of vocabulary, integration of theory and practice, research adequate/timely, content and purpose clear. Very good work on this section. Organization = 30%_____ Lead is interesting and relevant, thesis is well-developed, directional statement previews major points, paragraph transitions maintain flow, body paragraphs support a specific major point, conclusion is logical/flows evenly, conclusion reviews major points. Good work-very well organized. Easy to read. Format = 10%_____ APA format, â€Å"reader friendly,† utilizes references appropriately, headings aid adaptability/not overdone, neatly presented, format requirements followed. Some small errors in APA formatting of reference page and citations. (-.25)Mechanics = 10%_____ Punctuation rules followed, contractions avoided, spelling correct, vernacular is avoided, written in same person throughout, tense remains consistent. Readability and Style-10%_____ Complete, clear, concise statements, well constructed sentences, sentence transitions present, words/concepts precise,

Jit in Indian Automobile Industry

INTRODUCTION Just In Time: The traditional concepts of Quality and customer satisfaction have been challenged in the recent years. Customer choices and perceptions have also been changing continuously. Japanese manufacturers were the first to meet these challenges by introducing many innovations in manufacturing systems and management, one of which is the philosophy of â€Å"Just in Time†. Just-in-time (JIT) refers to a collection of practices that is designed to eliminate waste and achieve manufacturing excellence. These organizational practices encompass the entire logistics flow of materials from purchasing through production and distribution. The elements of JIT may include shared product design with suppliers and customers, movement toward single sourcing, proximate suppliers and customers, reduced set-up times, preventive maintenance, reliance on analytic tools to identify sources of defects and plant optimization layout (re)configurations, among others Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing systems have attracted the attention of industries all over the world. The perceptible impact of JIT lies in attaining productivity and quality standards. The real challenge before Indian managers is to establish priorities among potential JIT techniques to achieve best possible advantage of JIT implementation in Indian industries.. With the variety of products on offer increasing with customization and evolving customer needs, it is but important that a manufacturing facility embraces the advantages of JIT in making the operations lean and flexible. Indian Automobile Industry: India currently has approximately 40 million vehicles. In February 2009, monthly sales of passenger cars in India exceeded 100,000 units. Current low penetration, rising prosperity and the increasing affordability of private vehicles along with importance to exports offer a healthy prospectus for the Indian automobile industry. (Source: http://www. kpmg. de/docs/Auto_survey. pdf) Several Indian automobile manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra and Mahindra, have expanded their domestic and international operations. India's robust economic growth led to the further expansion of its domestic automobile market which attracted significant India-specific investment by multinational automobile manufacturers. Due to strong Global competition Indian companies started focusing on adopting new techniques and technologies which enabled manufactures to improve their processes and products JIT IN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY OF OTHER COUNTRIES Many countries have got leverage by implementing JIT techniques in their respective automobile industries. Peter Turnbul, [1] analyzes the trends in the UK automotive industry during the 1980’s, giving special focus to the adoption of JIT and TQM principles. This includes development from within the organization and relations between suppliers. Also the implications of adopting Japanese techniques on Information systems have also been looked into. It was found out in the study that Japan was way ahead of UK and US in terms of productivity and Quality in the cars manufactured due to successful implementation of JIT and TQM techniques and US and UK companies are gradually bridging this gap. Bo Hou, [2] conducted a research on the benefits and difficulties faced in implementing JIT for an automotive company in China. An international automotive company with factory located in China was taken for the Case study, examining the pre and post JIT implementation experiences. In order to collect data Semi-structured interviews were organized. Most interviewee’s support that proper design of information systems could assist JIT systems. According to the interviews, Kanban is a primary management method in the case company’s JIT model. It was found after the interviews that inventory can be maintained at a reasonably low level. Performance indicators have been employed to examine the achievement of suppliers in quality, on-time delivery etc. , in order to encourage suppliers to participate in the JIT program. JIT IMPLEMENTATION IN INDIA Several Indian companies have initiated JIT implementation into their systems or are claiming to have implemented many key features if JIT. While studying the implementation of JIT in India the following factors have to be considered. 1) Size of the firm ) Indian economy (only opening up in early 1990’s) 3) How MNC’s having manufacturing operations in India are Implementing JIT In a Survey of JIT practices conducted by Mahadevan[3], Questionnaires were sent to 400 companies but only 43 of them responded usefully. Fourteen critical factors were identified and participating organizations were asked whether these factors were important for JIT implementation in their firm s. Quality circles and cellular manufacturing have been rated low while TQM was rated very high. Vikas Kumar [4], explains the interrelationship between the different JIT elements. According to him the elements of JIT important to India are Buffer stock removal, Cellular manufacturing, Kanban and Error prevention Garg D [5] conducts a case study in JIT implementation of an Indian tractor assembly. It started implementing JIT purchasing in the mid 1980s. Initially, the company received discouraging results in almost all the areas for several years. Later on everything was streamlined and management began achieving significant results in terms of reductions in inventory, material movement, space, manpower, work in process and lead time, and an increase in productivity and quality. It can be said that in spite of old machinery, the company is sustaining its competitiveness in the tractor market by applying JIT. Vikas [6] conducted a survey on 34 Indian firms with the aim to find: 1) Those elements of JIT that might be difficult to implement in Indian Industry. These have been found to be Buffer stock removal, Error prevention, Frequent and reliable delivery, Kanban system, Multi functional worker, short lead time, Small lot size, Zero defect etc. ) Reason for slow implementation of JIT in India which have been found to be High cost of implementation, Informal and casual Auditing, Lack of support from suppliers, Lack of training, Lack of understanding of JIT techniques, shortage of multi functional workers Garg D [5] explains that the key steps in JIT implementation were: extensive training of employees on pull concepts; identification of key performance parameters; new layouts based on U-shaped cells ( wherever applicable) ; standardization of operations; a mai ntenance plan for each machine; housekeeping; visual control; and multi-skill training. Vikas Kumar [4], Several Indian industries are implementing the JIT with belief that it would be helpful to face the global competition. Yet, its effectiveness would depend upon qualities, attitudes and values of Indian work force. The paper gives focus to work culture of the organization. Some of the elements of work culture desirable for JIT are flexible workforce, Cross training, long term employment, Job enlargement and Labor unions, Work force involvement etc. Benefits Vikas Kumar [4] identified that the Potential benefits of JIT include reduced setup cost, labor cost, and move distances According to Chandra[7] the major benefits of JIT manufacturing system in ascending order are Reduction in inventory, Quality improvement, Increased productivity, Increased profit margin, Improved competitive position. Vikas Kumar [6] Highlights the most expected benefits of JIT which are Improved equipment utilization, improved quality control, worker efficiency, inventory turnover, flexibility, productivity, Profit margin, Team work, Low scrap rate etc Disadvantages of JIT Some of the disadvantages of JIT as highlighted by Vikas [6] are: * Implementation if JIT does not automatically translate to profits as many direct and indirect costs are involved in JIT implementation. Also JIT requires appropriate fit between manufacturing activities, organizational design, processes etc. * JIT programs need continuous check and control for sustained improvement * The timely of delivery of goods is extremely important which might be difficult to achieve in some parts of India * JIT may demand unrealistic commitment from employees. Managerial powers are extended to the workers JIT IN INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY With respect to the Indian Automobile Industry JIT purchasing, a few elements of JIT production and JIT Logistics are given focus in this research paper. Purchasing In industries like the automobiles, where the cost of raw material accounts for almost 50-60% of the cost of the final product, Purchasing is a key element to focus for cost reduction [Haritha Saranga (8)]. According to Sultan Singh. 9] Purchasing involves determining the need, selecting the supplier, and arriving at proper price, terms and conditions, issuing the contract or order and to follow-up to ensure proper delivery on time According to Sultan Singh, Dixit Garg. [10] The traditional approach to purchasing is at the root of many problems that business faces today. High inventory levels, soaring costs, adverse relationships with suppliers and quality issues which either stop production or results in poor products are just a few of the pr oblems with the current way of purchasing JIT Purchasing Sultan Singh. [9] has found that Just-in –Time Purchasing has received an increasing amount of attention throughout the world due to its potential for quality improvement and cost saving. Jocclyn Drolet. [10] found that many studies indicate that the JIT purchasing function is of paramount importance for successful JIT implementation According to Sultan Singh, Dixit Garg. [10] The four basic principles of JIT purchasing are: * Elimination of waste * Employees involvement in decision making * Supplier participation Total quality control Sultan Singh. [9] Found that JIT purchasing has been implemented in many industries of several countries such as United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and Korea etc. Today many reputed Indian industries have also switched to the Japanese JIT Purchasing concept to improve their product quality and productivity. In traditional purchasing importance is given mainly to the price of the product. Supplier relationship building, quality, deliv ery time, supplier satisfaction etc are in the back seat. Sultan Singh. 9] States that Japanese JIT Purchasing is an uninterrupted flow of 100% acceptable materials delivered on due dates and time at optimal cost 100% of time. In JIT purchasing environment purchasing is carried out in small lots with frequent deliveries in small standard containers used to hold exact quantity and to the required specifications from a nearby local single supplier with a long-term contract. The company relies more on performance specifications Consistent quality and delivery performance is most important parameters in the supplier evaluation while price is an important one. This area includes supplier’s management, inspection of incoming raw materials/ semi finished / maintenance components etc. The expectations of the buying firm in JIT Purchasing Dixit Garg [5] conducted a survey to identify the important attributes of JIT Purchasing with respect to the Indian Context. The importance of JIT purchasing attributes in a decreasing order as were High Quality, Mutual trust and Co-operation, Reliable delivery, Exact quantity and Increased customer support. Jocclyn Drolet. 11] Stated that the most frequently mentioned benefits are the reduction in lead times, the decrease in inventory levels, waste elimination, and improved quality of incoming parts, raw materials and the delivery process. In fact, these four benefits have been so widely cited in analytical studies, and cross validated in empirical studies, that we believe that they may no longer belong to the domain of hypothetical benefits but must be taken as factual benefits. Sultan Singh, Dixit G arg. [2] States that in JIT Purchasing no percentage of rejects from supplier is acceptable. The supplier is also encouraged to be more innovative. Jocclyn Drolet. [11] Stated that some of the success factors of JIT purchasing are JIT supplying Partnership, Restructuring supplier network, Quality of purchased products, Long term and exclusive agreement with suppliers, Proximity etc. He emphasizes that partnership is a catalyst for other JIT purchasing success factors Problems encountered in JIT purchasing implementation in India Sultan Singh. [9] Found that most serious problems, however, are not operational in nature. They are â€Å"people problems†- stemming from attitude and orientation, past experience and practices, and the passive factors of interpersonal relations. The suppliers may not fully support JIT purchasing program because of following reasons: * Lack of incentives for suppliers to adopt JIT delivery. * Lack of commitment from buyers. * Considerable strain on suppliers on JIT delivery. Sultan Singh. [9] Has found Evidences which shown that JIT purchasing can be beneficial in Indian context. The supplier is encouraged to be more innovative. He is given â€Å"loose specifications â€Å". The company relies more on performance specifications than on product design. Counting and receiving inspection of incoming parts is eliminated. Formal paper work is reduced to minimum delivery schedule or quantity can be changed by simple telephone calls/fax/telex message. Supplier is evaluated by consistence in quality, delivery performance and price. It can be concluded that JIT Purchasing is a key element for the successful implementation of JIT. The benefits of JIT purchasing can be summarized as reduction in lead time and inventory levels, improved quality of raw materials and better delivery process. Also there are increased supplier participation and employee involvements. Many companies in different countries have successfully implemented JIT purchasing. Some of the problems which Indian companies encountered were Lack of support from suppliers, Lack of support and commitment from Top management, Low product Quality, Employees resistance to change and Lack of communication. Maruti is focusing on Supplier development and sharing its quality and manufacturing practices with them. Mahindra and Mahindra is now working to minimize supply constraints through advanced capacity planning, long term contract with suppliers and capacity enhancement. JIT Production According to Vikas[4], The major elements of JIT production in Indian context include Buffer stock removal, Cellular manufacturing, Kanban, Error prevention and others. In this research paper the attributes taken for study are Cellular Manufacturing and Kanban. Cellular Manufacturing Mahadevan [12] infers that there has been an increasing demand for more variety in the recent years thereby pushing volumes down. It is estimated that 70 % of manufacturing industries will have mid-volume, mid-variety scenario. Cellular manufacturing provides a solution for the mentioned situation. According to Frost ; Sullivan [13] Cellular manufacturing is based on the Group Technology concept and involves the use of work cells. A Work Cell is a group of equipment and workstations arranged in the logical sequence of production, which can produce a product (or part of a product). To successfully maintain One-piece flow in manufacturing cells companies employ quick change over techniques The key factors that affect the design of an efficient cell can be grouped broadly as the number of process required, number of products that fit into the cell, market segments/requirement, and degree of automation. Mahadevan [12] mentions the benefits of Cellular Manufacturing as: * Production planning and control become easier as it is similar to breaking the Manufacturing process into smaller units which are independent and more manageable. * Material handling and traceability becomes easier as materials seldom go outside the respective cells for processing. Work enrichment: Employees would be in a position to better relate to the workplace and make improvements The benefits as mentioned by Frost ; Sullivan[13] are: improved resource [both man and machine] utilization reduced lead times, improved product quality, better space utilization, lesser blocked capital in inventory, and an overall improved work space. Timothy[14] identifies the disadvantages of cellular manufacturing as: * Increased capital expenditure * Decreased machine utilization * A breakdown can cause work stoppage in cell Shishir Bhat [15] analyses the impact of cellular manufacturing in a Gear manufacturing Machine shop. The evaluation was done based on two outputs, throughput and flow time. It was found that the average monthly throughput [order completed in a month]for Main Gears before implementation of Cellular Manufacturing was 59. 5 and that after implementation was 90. 5. Also the average flow time [man hours a product spends on shop floor ] for main gears reduced from 58 to 30. The paper shows that when a job shop manufactures a group of products with similar characteristics and stable demand, Cellular Manufacturing is an effective way for performance improvements. Kanban Kanban is a system of continuous supply of components, parts and supplies, such that workers have what they need, where they need it, when they need it. Kanban facilitates elimination of waste and is one of the most powerful tools of the â€Å"Toyota Production System†. Kanban is designed for quick response to actual consumption and ensures material availability at all times even in the face of temporary demand swings. Improved material availability helps achieve agility and flexibility in production. Kanban Systems are usually custom designed for each client and each item. A good design takes cognizance of all relevant factors such as consumption level, lead time, transit time, optimum shipping lot, and desired delivery frequency. It can be quickly adjusted in response to seasonality of demand. Inventory reduction is regarded as one of the key strategic levers to improve productivity and profitability of the firm in theory and practice (Lieberman and Demeester 1999, Chen et al, 2005). Kanban which facilitates visual control was originally designed for manual operation. This encourages employee involvement at all levels. However it can be integrated with any ERP system. Many tasks can then be automated, thus increasing the speed of material flow and accuracy of transactions. B. Vijaya Ramnath,C. Elanchezhian and R. Kesavan [16] wrote a paper which deals with implementation of lean manufacturing in Engine valve machining cell in a leading auto components manufacturing industry in the South India. The main objective of the paper was to present an overview of manufacturing wastes and introduce the tools and techniques that are used to transform a company into a high performing lean enterprise. Value stream mapping was a main tool used to identify the opportunities for various lean techniques. One of the methods used for reduction of waste was the Kanban system. A Kanban job Flow is arrived at which is used for building the future state of Value stream mapping. The elimination and or reducing of wastes is by making the process improvements in the current manufacturing line by adopting some lean tools like JIT, set up time reduction, WIP reduction etc. JIT Logistics Today Indian Automobile players seek to increase their global footprint and supply chain for many of these companies extends across several countries. Hence Logistics is a key area Indian Automobile companies are focusing on. According to Kee-hung Lai. [17] Just-in-Time (JIT) which has been effective in manufacturing operations can also contribute to cost and service advantages in Logistics. However, the potential of JIT has not been widely recognized in logistics. Kee-hung Lai. [17] has identified the major areas in Logistics in which JIT can be applied such as 1) Transportation management 2) order processing 3) Inventory management 4) Customer service, and a number of supporting lements including materials handling, packaging, purchasing and warehousing. 1) Transport Management: Typically materials were ordered in large lot shipments to obtain economies of scale. Similarly full truckloads or railcars were more efficient. For less than full truckloads loads of different companies having similar destinations were combined. Ken alternburg. [18] States that In JIT Transport all the three parties i. e. the supplier, the carrier and th e customer work more closely with one another. One option is formation of Transport partnerships just like supplier partnerships. The carriers would be single source for a family of businesses that will treat these carriers as in-house carriers. In some JIT Environments the parts manufacturing facility is constructed at or near the final assembly plant, allowing small deliveries of parts to be made with greater control over timeliness. Ken alternburg. [18] Suggests that where local manufacturing is not feasible, closed loop transportation is employed in which delivery trucks make stops at various suppliers on a predetermined schedule. Disposable packaging can be replaced with reusable containers and racking compatible with assembly line use, eliminating the costs of removing and disposing of packaging materials and simplifying and speeding the loading and unloading processes Materials can be unloaded at or near final point of use in JIT System as inspection is eliminated. Costs associated with equipment used to speed the delivery process, such as specially configured trucks, containerization, and unloading equipment, are offset by improvements in efficiency as implied by Ken alternburg. [18] Ken alternburg. [18] States that JIT environment has affected transportation providers, requiring them to change and streamline their methods of operation, and make long-term investments in technology, 2) Order Processing: According to Kee-hung Lai. [17] JIT adopts technologies such as Logistical Information System [LIS], often in the form of Electronic Data Interchange [EDI], Internet, Value Added Network etc so that different parties in the logistics processes can gain access to the needed information for decision making 3) Customer service: Kee-hung Lai. 17] states that In JIT logistics, all the activities that take up motion time, for example, order picking, shipment arranging, transporting and so on, need to be managed efficiently. The aim is to meet customer service requirements at the lowest possible cost KPMG conducted a survey on the Indian Automotive supply chain to analyze the key challenges faced by different sections of the Industry, identify the areas that need attentio n and also identify opportunities. A primary survey was done among the heads of supply chain of some major Indian Auto companies. KPMG [19]) The participants of the survey identified the following as the key challenges in order of priority: Integrating the end-to-end supply chain and managing it as a single integrated entity: While past efforts of OEMs have been focused on streamlining and improving different areas of the supply chain independently, through efforts in dealer management, operations planning, vendor rationalization, IT package implementation etc, it is expected that the linking up of these activities is expected to provide significant benefits to players Managing Inbound Logistics/JIT Supplies: is a key concern which faces challenges related to reliability of data, lead time and absence of quality logistics players on the upstream side. Respondents felt that as OEM and Auto component players become more global in nature it would have a significant impact on automotive supply chain. Managing costs: Cost, Quality and Timely delivery continue to become the key concern area for players. Many OEM’s have implemented JIT inbound logistics which is not by increased visibility across the supply chain and improved planning, it has only resulted in the burden of inventory getting shifted from OEMs to their Tier-I vendors. The Key initiatives taken up by the companies to address these challenges according to KPMG [19]) are: Increased Investment in IT and processes: Implement Integrated IT systems [such as ERP], but survey revealed that they were not able to leverage on such systems as their business process were not streamlined or aligned with the needs of the IT System. Vendor/Dealer rationalization: Many respondents agreed that Indian Industry has not evolved into fully tierized structure where Tier-I vendors take on responsibility for modules / sub-assemblies Outsourcing to logistics service providers: Outsource key activities along the supply chain to logistics players, in an effort to reduce costs and increase focus on their customers and core activities. Most OEMs and large Tier-I suppliers have already outsourced their outbound logistics activities. These activities include carrying out ‘milk runs’ to collect and deliver parts to OEMs on a daily basis, transferring materials across hubs and warehousing/inventory management. Key logistics players have started maintaining warehouses in close proximity to OEMs’ plants, and supplying materials on a JIT basis. Related services being provided by large third party logistics service providers (3PLs) include consolidation of materials, packaging, incoming inspection, cleaning, etc (KPMG [19]) JIT at Maruti Udyog Limited: Maruti was the first Indian company where Japanese Manufacturing culture was implemented from top to bottom. At the Maruti factory in Gurgaon the eight typical wastages at each operational point (over-production, man movement, material movement, idle time of  operator,  work-in-process, machine  availability,  waiting  time and  needless  processing) had been measured by observation and even videos. The bottlenecks have been identified and a lot of work has been done to streamline the process. In 1995, when Maruti had 4,800employees, it was producing at the rate of 730 cars a day. Later with 4,500 employees, the plant was producing at the rate of 1,700 cars a day. Simultaneously, the supply chain system is being modified. A delivery instruction system places orders with the vendors for the next day's production target. Maruti is now working with an inventory of four hours maximum for local items and six days average for imported materials. The inventory to sales turnover ratio, on the scale of 100 in 1999-2000, is now down to 41. Maruti has also started working with its vendors  to reduce their cost of  production so that its own cost can be reduced. It has also launched a quality enhancement scheme, called the Quality Gate system. Maruti has implemented JIT for some of its major suppliers. Some others are in the process of doing so. There is a stress on quality in this highly competitive industry. The bargaining power of suppliers of some components is high, because of capacity constraints. This makes them accept only large orders, and therefore makes it difficult for assemblers to implement JIT CONCLUSION With India emerging as one of the important markets for Automobiles it is imperative for Automobile manufactures to gain production and cost efficiency. JIT would help the companies in achieving this end. The Japanese had perfected the implementation of JIT. Based on research material available it can be concluded that JIT has been successfully implemented in Automobile companies of many other countries such as United States, United Kingdom, China to name a few. Indian Manufacturing environment has huge prospects of advancement through JIT. Some of the key aspects of JIT important for the Indian industry are Total Quality management [TQM], Cellular Manufacturing, Kanban, Error Prevention to name a few. Some of the reasons for slow implementation of JIT in India can be concluded as High cost of implementation, Lack of support from suppliers, Lack of understanding or conviction in JIT techniques leading to non effective implementation. Also work culture plays a crucial role for JIT. JIT would require a work force that is flexible, can engage in cross training, and would be committed to their work on providing long term employment prospects. The Major benefits identified by the implementation of JIT are Improved Quality, reduction in inventory, increased productivity and flexibility. There is enough evidence to prove that Indian companies who have implemented JIT [at least partly] successfully have reaped the benefits. The Case study of Tractor assembly factory and Maruti are testimony for the same. Also Mahindra and Mahindra had implemented JIT techniques during the 1990’s to their advantage. 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