Volkswagen of America: Managing It

Case 7  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Volkswagen of America: Managing IT 1. What is your assessment of the new process for managing priorities at Volkswagen of America? Are the criticisms justified? Is it an improvement over the old process? The new system of prioritizing IT projects to determine funding is a very efficient way of ensuring those projects that are critical to business strategy meet their financial requirements. However, the method of dropping entire goal portfolios simply because they ranked lowest in the list could be deemed a flaw in the system, and one that could be detrimental to business unit integration slowly over time.This understandably frustrates those whose proposals are receiving no funding, and if this prioritization system has any hope of future success, the business units being consistently funded will need to work better at recognizing other priorities, or the system will need to be restructured to allow for smaller projects to be phased in at the very least to mainta in integration. 2. Who controls the budgets from which IT projects are funded at Volkswagen of America? The parent company of VWoA – VWAG – caps the IT budget at $60 million.However, the control of this budget includes the involvement of several cross-functional teams (AKA – â€Å"several organizational entities†, p. 5) that review project proposals before final approval – for instance, during Phase I the DBC (Digital Business Council) reduced the initial $210 million project proposals to $170 million (p. 6). Ultimately the PMO (Project Management Office) subsection of the BPTO (Business Process, Technology and Organization), which Matulovic established as a new internal IT department upon his arrival, approves projects prioritized by the IT steering committee (ITSC).Who should control these budgets? Should the IT department have its own budget? 3. How should Matulovic respond to his fellow executives who are calling to ask him for special treatmen t outside the new priority management system? Matulovic should tell the fellow executives the new priority management system was developed and implemented by ELT members and senior management group. The process is now complete and not reversible. It would be unfair for any ELT member to get a special treatment. . What should Matulovic do about the unfunded Supply Flow project? The unfunded project was critically important to the company. Lack funding would delay globalization initiatives. Since the project needed full funding to continue on track and the cost was a significant part of the IT budget, funding should come from alternative sources. Matulovic should argue that the project will have a large impact on the global integration and save costs for the company as whole, rather than just VWoA. 5.On page 8 we see that $16 million of the $60 budget is for SIB projects, under the spending direction of Matulovic; on page 1 we see that some people consider this unfair – is it? Should budget be â€Å"set aside† for IT projects? Why? The budget allocated for SIB projects, under the direction of Matulovic, is fair. Many individuals across the organization were involved in project proposals and creating the process for managing the priorities and selection. The head of each business unit was a member of Executive Leadership Team that helped develop and rank the proposals for the projects.Senior business and IT members in the IT steering committee guided and approved project selection and prioritization process. After the process is implemented and executed, it is too late to voice an objection. 6. In general, what characteristics should a process for deciding about funding of IT projects have? The process of how to fund IT projects has to include the means to categorizing the projects and relating them to company’s strategy. There has to be adequate guidance for developing proposals.Since buy-in and trust by unit leaders is critical, they have b e involved in developing the process. The process has to be fair and transparent. It has to be based on what is best for the company as whole. Summary The Volkswagen of America: Managing IT Priorities case study describes the efforts of the US subsidiary of Volkswagen AG (VWAG) – Volkswagen of America (VWoA) – to arrive at a new process for setting IT funding priorities and deciding on what projects to fund. Dr. Uwe Matulovic, the new ChiefInformation Officer (CIO) of VWoA, has a dilemma in that peers from the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) have been openly hostile and critical of the new prioritization process, particularly in regards to the lack of funding for high priorities for their areas of the company, and have pressurized him â€Å"to insert an unfunded project (or two) into the IT department’s work plans† (p. 1). Dr. Matulovic position is particularly challenging as more than 40 projects have been proposed for IT, with funding requirements total ing $240m, when a budget of only $60m has been approved by VWAG.The new prioritization process that was implemented is complex. It includes the involvement of several cross-functional teams or â€Å"several organizational entities† (p. 5) that review project proposals during three separate Phases before final approval. For instance, during Phase I the DBC (Digital Business Council) reduced the initial $210 million project proposals to $170 million (p. 6) by way of identifying dependencies among projects. That is, removing those projects from the budget that required other projects to be completed before they could start.Ultimately the PMO (Project Management Office) subsection of the BPTO (Business Process, Technology and Organization), which Matulovic established as a new internal IT department upon his arrival, approves projects prioritized by the IT Steering Committee (ITSC). In conclusion, it became apparent to Dr. Matulovic that the Supply Flow Project, which is viewed a s critical to the company’s global supply chain management objectives, was poorly served by the new prioritization process in that it was left only partially funded.The process overlooked this project primarily because much of its value was felt at the global level, and not at the VWoA importer level. Dr. Matulovic found himself in a quandary and struggled with related decision-making as he understood that the loss of funding for this project would constitute a major setback for globalization initiatives based in Germany. 1. Who controls the budgets from which IT projects are funded at Volkswagen of America? The budgets for IT projects were controlled through a process that involves several organizational entities that establish priorities.There were four specific teams that were involved in this process: the ELT (Executive Leadership Team), the ITSC (IT Steering Committee), the PMO (Project Management Office), and the DBC (Digital Business Council. ) The ELT was responsible for executing the NRG (Next Round of Growth) strategy in which the IT governance is a part. The ITSC consisted of business and IT managers and was responsible for guiding and approving the process of IT project selection and prioritization. The PMO administered the project proposal and approval process.The DBC was responsible for the project filtering process which decided which projects were most in line with the companies business strategy. 2. What is your assessment of the new process for managing priorities at Volkswagen of America? Are the criticisms justified? Is it an improvement over the old process? The new IT priority management process was driven by the new IT budget constraint given to VWoA by the parent company VWAG. If the new budgetary constraint was not initiated, it is likely that elements of the former less organized and less centralized method would be maintained.In the end, this may benefit the individual business units, but be detrimental to the business as a wh ole. In creating the new process, Matulovic enabled the business unit managers to work together to make the decisions that would effect their departments using the overall company strategy as the driving element. In doing this, he succeeded in involving all of the managers that would be affected by the prioritization system while maintaining the executive leadership team’s strategic goals. This new system was a substantial improvement over the former system. . On page 8 we see that $16 million of the $60 budget is for SIB projects, under the spending direction of Matulovic; on page 1 we see that some people consider this unfair – is it? Should budget be â€Å"set aside† for IT projects? Why? The budget allocated for the SIB (Stay in Business) projects (business continuity and legal) should receive the highest priority. As denoted by the name, if any of these projects are incomplete or fail, the risk to the business is substantial compared to business unit priori ties.However, the amount budgeted may be a point that could be questioned. Instead of predetermining the amount required, he should have submitted the SIB to the same process as all of the other projects which would have reduced or eliminated the business unit manager’s perception that Matulovic was trying to control company strategy. 4. How should Matulovic respond to his fellow executives who are calling to ask him for special treatment outside the new priority management system?What should Matulovic do about the unfunded Supply Flow project? Matulovic created a well organized system that focused on company goals. His fellow executives were involved in the IT priority decision making and the company expectation is that business unit managers also support company goals. If they think that these goals in relation to their requests does not make sense, then they had the opportunity in this process to voice their concerns to the one of the process teams (the ELT,ITSC,PMO, and/o r the DBC), not to Matulovic himself.Because the Supply Flow project is tied into global strategy, Matulovic should propose that the funding for this project come from VWAG. 5. In general, what characteristics should a process for deciding about funding of IT projects have? General characteristics that an IT funding process should have: –  Involve all of those who will be affected by the funding decisions in the process. –  Align IT funding priorities with company strategy. –  Enable communication between business units depending on the funding and between those units and executive management.

PATHSHALA -LIVING THE DREAM Essay

PATHSHALA -LIVING THE DREAM You see things & say: Why? But I dream of things that never were and say: Why not? – Bernard Shaw This idea clicked me when I joined my CA tuitions and MBA coaching classes. I was so frustrated going from one centre to other to study for my CA intermediate exam and MBA coaching classes. I had my cost tuition in north but tax tuition in south, accounts I had in east but financial management in far east and sometimes I had just 20 minutes gap for traveling and lunch. I had two or three tuitions of three hours each, daily. I was just pissed off with my regular routine. So I was wondering whether the problem is with me or everyone is facing the same problem. I with my friends wanted to research about this problem and what the student wants. After research I found that students in the metro today are looking out to build their career and they don’t compromise it anyhow, they want best tuition and institutes to nurture themselves. Also students today are looking forward to get best professors in respective fields to teach them. They have to travel a lot because one tuition they are having in east and other in the north. So lot of time is wasted in traveling and they don’t have much gap in tuition timings so they even have to skip their meals or even if they have time they have to go home and again pack the bags for evening tuition that means wastage of time and money in traveling. Students are not able to take multiple courses due to lack of timing because of wastage of time due to traveling from one tuition to other. Even parents are worried about their health and meals. Many times they have to skip their meals or else have to eat junk food whatever is available to them in short time. They even don’t get place where they can sit together and discuss things with their friends or have group studies. The main idea is to bring all the tutors and MBA coaching institutes at one  place so that it’s a final stop for all students. I have seen students running from one centre to other to enroll themselves to get registered if the seats are full they get frustrated and have to look at some other place again they have to check the availability of seats. It really so much frustration that we think why we joined CA or CS or CFA, etc. students are just fed up with all this and they want to get everything under one roof where they have best of professors and MBA coaching institutes at one place. Also they should be library or reading room and fast food centre so that they don’t have to go here and there and waste time. They all are looking for everything to the comfort at one place and believe me they are ready to throw money for that. It was this need for ‘something more & something different’ that I wanted to serve to the students. The â€Å"PATHSHALA† my project where I will provide ‘the experience, the ambience, and the service’ STUDENTS are looking out for. Objectives The new experience, the ambience, the service the students are looking for keeping in mind basic needs, health and quality. A website www.pathshala.com would also be launched providing all the details of professors, courses, timings, availability of seats and online registration too. Concept: Why? The main reasons for choosing this concept: Providing total solution to students. Cater to the health of the students The students in the metro today are looking out for something more. We are giving them a different/new experience. Mission I want to: Change the meaning of education Impart best education Design the infrastructure with international standards. Save time and cost Give a new lifestyle! We are here to serve intelligence, quality, hygiene, health, freshness& experience. Keys to Success The keys to my success are as follows: Best tutors and MBA coaching classes. Service our students needs promptly and efficiently. Maintain a professional image at all times. PATHSHALA would be located at strategic locations convenient to students. Providing education, library, and fast food centre and gaming zone at one place. A place that will motivate students to zeal in life. A website ‘www.pathshala.com’ giving all details and online registration. Feasibility Institute will be first launched in Kolkata, my home town. A venture of Rs 10 crores. Main challenge is to get the place in the heart of the city. Each and everything to be established at one go. Expected to cover every cost within two years. Once the institute is established we can move to others Metros.

GI system and science coursework assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GI system and science coursework - Assignment Example Obtained in March, 2014 from the police.uk website, the compiled crime data base provides details of various geographical locations across England and Wales. In addition, the police.uk website has a unique interface that allows people to view and compare crime rates in any location in England and Wales. ArGIS software used in this task is an important geographical information system that offers a unique functionality for building models, creating maps, compiling geographical data and analyzing the mapped information. The use of Geographical Information System (GIS) tools in crime mapping is increasingly becoming popular among crime analysts in various law enforcement agencies across the globe. This is particularly attributed to the fact that crime opportunities are neither randomly nor uniformly organized in space and time. The underlying theories and scientific basis of environmental criminology were first devised in the early 1980s as seen in the works of scientists such as Patricia and Paul Brantingham among others. With the recent technological advancements, crime mapping has increasingly sought to incorporate modern spatial data analysis techniques in order to address some of the previous inherent limitations of spatial data. According to Andresen (2006), this enables law enforcers not only to make better decisions regarding allocation of resources and formulation of strategies but also to enhance their tactical analysis such as through improved geographical profiling and crime forecasting. Based on these theories, the proposed automated spatial function uses arcGIS software to produce interactive maps of crime rates based on a compilation of the geographical database of crime rates of the greater Manchester region. For example, the crime statistics obtained from the police.uk website and other relevant sources such as UK census data are used in conjunction with the Index of

Quantitative Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quantitative Research - Essay Example A sample will be drawn from a population of breastfeeding mothers. The breastfeeding mothers will form the population group and will be divided into non-overlapping groups and then simple random samples will be picked from each group and the samples will be the experimental groups. One sample will not be allowed to breastfeed their children and will form the control group. Different groups will be required to breastfeed their children for a certain period of time different from the other group while other groups will be allowed to feed their children with formulas of intact cows milk or soy protein for the same periods of time. Different measurements will be undertaken before the onset of the study. Clinical tests will be carried out at different times and the readings of the experimental groups and those of the control group will be compared. During the study, censoring of participants will be allowed in case of death or willingness to terminate participation. Compared results will be the summarized to determine whether the hypothesis is true or not. The dependent variable in this study will be the incidence rate of getting asthma while the independent variables will be, age, duration of breastfeeding, gender, kind of feeding (breastfeeding or formulas of intact cows milk or soy protein). However, the dependent variables may be many depending on the kind of measurement intended. This can be measured depending on the type of variable if it will be continuous (age, duration of breastfeeding etc.), categorical (type of feed), ordinal (incidence rate) or nominal (gender). A sample will be drawn from a population of breastfeeding mothers which will be the sampling frame. The breastfeeding mothers will form the population group and will be divided into non-overlapping groups (strata) and then simple random samples will be picked from each group (stratum) and the samples will be the experimental groups. One sample

Crusiate Ligaments Sprain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Crusiate Ligaments Sprain - Essay Example However, in complex sprains a large segment of the fibres are torn and the ends of the ligament may have separated from each other. This would result in immense pain as well as instability of the joint and it may require surgical treatment. Rouzier indicates that sprains may be graded according to their severity: According to the Chester Knee Clinic, the knee is a well exposed structure that consists of two joints and made up of three bones namely, the femur, tibia and the patella. They further go on to describe its anatomy in greater detail: The tibio-femoral joint has medial and lateral compartments. The medial and lateral femoral condyles articulate with the medial and lateral tibial plateaus. The patella covers the front of the knee. The patello-femoral joint is the articulation of the patella with the femoral trochlea. All joint surfaces are covered with hyaline articular cartilage. This anatomy of the knee joint offers no real support to the joint's stability. Thus, ligaments are essential in regulating the movement of the knee joint and maintaining its stability. Various stabilizing configurations are brought into play as the knee moves through its full range of motion, giving dynamic stability to the joint (Smith and Moran 1). Avery describes the knee joint as consisting of four essential ligaments that aid in its stabilization. The sides of the joint consist of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments which aid in the side-to-side stability of the joint. In the front of the joint is the anterior crusiate ligament (ACL) which serves to prevent the tibia from sliding forward and rotating during various agile activities such as jumping. Opposite to the ACL is the posterior crusiate ligament (PCL) which prevents the tibia from sliding back. The crusiate ligaments regulate movement as the centre of rotation changes during movement. The presence of the menisci is another important feature for not only do they act as shock absorbers, but they also aid in weight distribution (ehealthMD 1). Incidentally, the crossing of the ACL and PCL in the centre of the knee is what gives rise to the term "crusiate". Representations of these structures courtesy of the Journal of the American Medical Association are as seen in Figures 1 and 2 below. Figure 1: Anatomy of the Right Knee Figure 2: Anatomy of the right knee with ligaments cut. Knee Biomechanics As Elliot explains, clinical biomechanics refers to the research conducted on the actions of walking, tissue mechanics, neuromuscular control and the evaluation of movement when an individual is undergoing rehabilitation when recovering from disease or injury (1). The Chester Knee Clinic provides a comprehensive understanding of the biomechanics of the knee. The bones of the knee joint, unlike the hip joint, are not a close fit to one another. This variation allows for a wider range of motion to occur in order for an individual to carry out daily activities. However, this range of motion is still limited in its inherited stability due to the bony structure of the joint. According to the KneeDoc, "the lack

United States Automobile Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

United States Automobile Industry - Essay Example Automobiles are durable experience goods that sell for a fairly high price. Consequently, as the purchase of a car constitutes a large investment for the average household, the demand for cars is fairly price and income elastic and strongly affected by macroeconomic conditions, including income trends, employment, and interest rates (Adams and Brock, 1995: 68). Because we look at competitive performance within the industry, however, we do not consider the industry's overall performance and its impact on the national economy. The US automobile industry is highly concentrated, with domestic production dominated by a tight triopoly. The top three firms, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler (the 'Big Three'), account for 98% of domestic production. This high concentration started mainly in the 1930s. In the first three decades after the automobile was invented in the 1890s, more than 80 firms existed in the industry, with a number of companies entering and leaving the market every year. The number of companies that managed to stay efficient and profitable, and that survived the Depression in the 1930s, shrank to eight firms in the 1940s (White, 1982: 143). Since then, the Big Three have merged with or bought the remaining domestic firms. In the 1970s, however, US auto makers first began to face significant foreign competition. German and especially Japanese car markers, which were already established in their home markets, entered the US market with small, efficient cars that provided stiff competition for domestic producers. Today, imports account for about a quarter of the existing US market share (as opposed to 0.4% market share immediately after World-War II). This trend is reflected in Figure 1, which shows the market shares of the Big Three over our sample period. This considerable gain in market share for the foreign companies resulted mainly from the oil crisis of 1979, after which US consumers began to value fuel efficiency over size and style. The importance of barriers to entry in this industry is widely debated. In general, a long-run barrier is any cost or factor that permits market incumbents to earn supernormal returns while deterring entry. Examples include absolute (capital) costs, economies of scale, product differentiation, sunk exit costs, strategic behavior, special resources or licenses, and other legal restrictions. Because both incumbents and new entrants appears to enjoy the same benefits of economies of scale, these do not appear to constitute a major entry barrier in the US auto industry. White (1971: 38-53) estimates the minimum efficient scale of production in automobiles to be about 400,000 vehicles per year, which amounts to only an 8-10% market share. Absolute capital requirements, however, may be more important. New entrants in the automobile market must build a variety of plants, such as engine and final assembly plants, that require significant sunk costs, and establish a distribution and a dealers hip network to sell 400,000 units. According to the Department of Transportation this can easily cost over a billion dollars (Adams and Brock, 1990: 110). This large investment for the new entrant, along with the uncertainty of future success, provides a relatively high barrier to entry. Auto Industry and US Economics The automobile industry has long been viewed

Liberal market economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Liberal market economy - Essay Example According to Maurice Mullard, there is a linkage between the commitment to liberal democracy and the concept of market liberal economies. The democracy and market economy are linked with each other. In a democratic country, the policy guarantees the people to choose the government. Similarly, the liberal market economy provides choices in employment, consumer products, education facility and provisions of health. The democracy cannot survive without any commitment towards a market economy and the market economy cannot survive outside the political democracy (Mullard, 2004). The liberal market economy has the potential to outperform the capital economy. The social environmental factors of a liberal market economy are highly influenced through the nature of autonomous work of the economy itself (Pagano & World Institute for Development Economics Research, 1996). The US and the UK economies are strongly anti-trust regulations that forbid the firm’s entrance to financial credit an d capital markets that are driven by profitability and expectations of the market. The liberal market economy strongly follows the philosophy of neo-classical economics in which the firms function in a ‘perfectly competitive’ market and are determined by the short term profits (Deller, 2005). The economist Bennet Harrison and David Gordon viewed that the firms in the US and the UK in the liberal market economy reduces the costs to increase the profit margin in the short run. In a coordinated market economy, firms increase the profit margin through the enhanced productivity, technical advancements and labour training methods. The liberal market economy in view to the bankruptcy as a legitimate business strategy differentiates from coordinated market economies. In the US market, firms use the bankruptcy business strategy as an option to negotiate the labours’ and the suppliers’ contract. The best example was the United Airlines that used this strategy and re structured itself in reducing the costs (Deller, 2005). This kind of strategy has become well known for the motive of short run profitability that has increased the gap between the primary and secondary labour market conditions. A study conducted by Dirk Akkermansa, Carolina Castaldi and Bart Losc found out that liberal market economy and coordinated market economy comprise diversity economies that illustrate varied patterns of specialisation and in comparison, they are quite heterogeneous across the industries. The scholars have concluded that the liberal market economy approximately specialises in essential innovations in industries that are related to electronics and chemicals while the coordinated market economies concentrate on transport equipment industry and machinery industry (Akkermansa & Et. Al., 2008). According to Marijana Milic, the liberal market economy follows the philosophy that assists in promoting laissez-faire capitalism, maximum of free trade and competition. Th e liberal market economy provides rights and freedom to every country in order to enhance the development of the economy according to the supply and demand forces of that country (Milic, 2010). The liberal market economy has a representative relationship with the states and offers special treatment to the big corporations in concentration of economic power. This influences the people in general due to the

EVALUATING EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INQUIRY ASSIGNMENT Essay

EVALUATING EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INQUIRY ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example the way the NHS operates, by changing its focus from Health care and Treatment to Disease prevention and reduction (Robins, Hernà ¡n and Brumback, 2000). Measuring health and knowing about different indicators that influence and define health is critical in determining our point of view of health and how we cater the problems and issues that surround it, and naturally the information resulting from measurements regarding health helps in determining policies of local and national level (McDowell, 2006). It has been said that the income, employment and housing all play a very important role when it comes to mental health. (Rothman, Greenland, & Lash, 2008) Lewisham Public Health Annual report is prepared by Dr. Danny Ruta, the Director of Public Health for Lewisham. The annual report encompasses the changes implemented as a result of new JSNA process in 2011 and the study conducted by Ruta, in which he analyses the effects of the crisis and socio-economic factors on health and what these factors mean for health in Lewisham (Ruta, 2012). In the report, Ruta also presents suggestions to the shadow Health and Wellbeing Board in Lewisham. According to the statistics extracted from the Lewisham report it has been estimated that more than 500 additional people are mostly like to be a victim of mental illness and the main reason behind this being the on growing issue of unemployment. Unemployment has been found out to be an instigating factor for increase in mental illness. The unemployment rate has boosted the rate of mental illness among people. (MacMahon and Trichopoulos, 1996) The study revolves around the effects of the â€Å"great recession† on the socio-economic conditions in the UK and the resulting consequences of these conditions on the health of people in Lewisham (Ruta, 2012). It has also been found out that Lewisham residents will be affected by the changes in a very disproportionate manner. Due to change in the salaries, employment rate and other housing

Green communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Green communication - Assignment Example thers, thus saving on the resources (which are primarily power and cooling costs at the data center) that would have been required to maintain all the servers. Moreover, virtualization will reduce the operating and capital costs for the university, while still delivering high application ability. The implementation of solid state disks (SSD) is also a path for going green in data storage. Since SSDs are fixed and do not have movable parts, they are not susceptible to damage or shock like the traditional hard drive. Moreover, they offer cost savings since they have a lower energy productivity and higher efficiency. The university can also employ the use of massive array of idle disks, abbreviated as MAIDS. MAIDS are advantageous over the traditional storage methods in that they tend to have a relatively larger storage capacity over their counterparts. Furthermore, they have lower power consumption than tapes and hard drives. All these attributes point to saving on resources, which is the key to a green environment. A green data center can be defined as the repository management, dissemination and storage of data in which the systems (lighting, mechanical and electrical) are designed for minimum environmental impact and maximum energy efficiency (Greentechmedia.com, 2015). Green data centers are environmental conscious have lower carbon footprints and operate at lower power levels, hence reducing both capital and operating cost for an organization. The university can ensure that the data center is environmental friendly by minimizing power constraints. This can be achieved by locating the servers to areas that power is cheaper through server virtualization. Furthermore, the university can monitor the individual power consumption of the devices that it has and determine what should be changed (Technet.microsoft.com, 2015). Green data centers should have efficient lighting, like LEDs, that can reduce the power consumption by 80%. The cooling system should be as

Activity or Working Capital Efficiency Ratios Term Paper

Activity or Working Capital Efficiency Ratios - Term Paper Example Activity ratios are operating efficiency measures, which determine the ability of a company to maximize its output given a certain level of resources. These ratios significantly gauge the asset, investment, and cost management performance of the business entity. Ratios under this category are inventory, creditors’ and debtors’ ratio. The inventory ratio measures the number of days the inventories stay in the company’s distribution center or warehouses. The debtors’ ratio reveals the efficiency of a business organization in collecting its account receivables while creditors’ ratio shows the number of days the company is able to pay its suppliers. Lower numbers are typically preferred in this ratio classification as they signify speed and efficiency of the business organization in dealing with its different transactions.             Appendix 3 shows the working capital efficiency of HR Owen Plc and Antonov Plc. It should be noted that in general, HR Owen is able to boost its efficiency as indicated from the improvement of its inventory and trade creditor ratio. The company is able to reduce the number of days the stocks sit on its warehouse from 84 to 65. HR Owen is also more responsible for its debts it is able to pay its trade creditors in just 12 days. However, HR Owen should still concentrate on its efforts of collecting its receivables from customers. The company reports that it became relatively slower I collecting receivables by three days compared to the 12 days recorded in 2004. The performance of Astronov is again inferior to HR Owen evidenced by its higher debtor’s ratio. The other ratios cannot be computed as the company does not record revenue and cost of sales for the periods considered. Liquidity or solvency ratios are used as measures of the company’s ability to finance its short-term obligations by its cash and near-cash items. Included in these ratios are the current and acid test or quick ratios. Current ratio expresses the â€Å"working capital’ relationship of current assets available to meet the company’s current obligations.†

Forecasting the Adoption of E-Books Essay Example for Free

Forecasting the Adoption of E-Books Essay Question 1 The size of the market for e-books in the long-run: 293. 7 million x 46. 7% x 8% = 10. 973 million (Total US population x percentage of US population reading literature x Percentage of traditional paper books purchased online in 2003) It will take 10 years to reach 95% penetration of the potential market. Question 2 I predict that the sale of the e-book when it first became available is 0. 751milion (pm) (Assumption: each innovator buy one book. ) Question 3 The long-run total adoption of e-books would be 10. 973 million. (Total US population x percentage of US population reading literature x Percentage of traditional paper books purchased online in 2003) Question 4 I do expect the market for e-books tend to be guided by imitators rather than innovators. According to the table above, I found that the weighted average for e-book of q (0. 0684) is larger than p (0. 2990). In addition, the word of mouth takes an important role in the adoption of e-books. The information about the e-book from the innovators contribute much to the adoption of e-books since people tend to hesitate to change their old reading habit. Question 5 S(t)=[p+(q/m)N(t-1)][m-N(t-1)] Year 1: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (0)][10. 973-0] = 0. 751 million Year 2: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (0. 751)][10. 973-0. 751] = 0. 908 million Year 3: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (1. 659)][10. 973-1. 659] = 1. 059 million Year 4: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (2. 717)][10. 973-2. 717] = 1. 176 million Year 5: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (3. 893)][10. 973-3. 893] = 1. 235 million Question 6 The adoption of e-book will be very different from digital music obtained online. The adoption of e-books face more challenges when comparing to the adoption of digital music. To most of the listeners, there is not much difference in experience between listening to a song from an iPod and a CD player. Therefore, they have a relatively low switching cost and more willing to change their habits. On the contrary, to most of the readers, it is definitely very different from reading an e-book to reading a printed book. The feelings of holding a printed book and flipping over a physical book are irreplaceable. So readers are loyal to printed book and hesitate to switch from traditional books to e-books. Hence, it is reasonable to predict that the pace of adopting digital music is faster than the pace of adopting e-books. Question 7 I think both of the attitudes about reading and purchasing e-content have changed a lot in recent years. In the old time, people could read e-content via PC only. Nowadays, people are able to read e-content through various mobile devices. Therefore, they spend more time on reading e-content especially during leisure time and even commuting time. However, the quality of the reading effort is diminishing as the overload of e-content available on Internet. In addition, people tend to rely more on the e-content since it is very convenient, environmentally friendly, high mobility and high accessibility. For the attitude about purchasing e-content, more people are willing to pay for the e-content in recent years. The advanced online payment system plays an important role. People feel more secure and also convenient when dealing online ever than before. Moreover, more well-known and large-scale publishers offer more choices of e-content for readers. Besides, in the light of the prevalent of mobile device, people have more time and chances to read the e-content regardless of the time and places. Thus, people are more willing to spend on e-content than before. Question 8 The hardware plays a paramount important role in the adoption of e-books. No matter how amazing the e-content is, the e-books would not be popularized if the hardware were not user-friendly. However, a good hardware is very likely to boost sales of the e-books. It is because the hardware is a fixed cost while the e-books are the variable cost to the readers. A portable hardware with proper size of monitor and high capacity is very attractive to the readers. They no longer need to neither carry the bulky printed books nor spare some places for storage. Moreover, the hardware enables readers to read comfortably when comparing to read via PC or smart phone. It is good for the readers’ eyes. Last but not least, the hardware contributed to protecting the environment as it saves much paper. Only when the hardware preforms better than the tradition printed books, the adoption of e-books will be success. Question 9 I do expect the size and also the pattern of diffusion are quite different globally as compared to the United States. The size and the pattern of diffusion depend on many factors. Population, culture, attitude to new products, technology and even literacy could be one of the variables of the size and pattern of diffusion. Take Africa as an example; though the population size of Africa is much larger than The United States, the potential size of the market for e-books must be obviously different from the United States. So it is not difficult to understand that the size and pattern of diffusion of various places will not be similar to the United States.

A Brief Description Of Singapore

A Brief Description Of Singapore A Journey into Singapores Past While the earliest known historical records of Singapore are shrouded in the mists of time, a third century Chinese account describes it as Pu-luo-chung, or the island at the end of a peninsula. Later, the city was known as Temasek (Sea Town), when the first settlements were established from AD 1298-1299. During the 14th century, this small but strategically located island earned a new name. Legend, Sang Nila Utama, a Prince from Palembang founded a city The Lion City or Singapura, from the Sanskrit words simha (lion) and pura (city). At this time, the city was then ruled by the five kings of ancient Singapura. Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the city served as a flourishing trading post for a wide variety of sea crafts, from Chinese junks, Indian vessels etc. The next important period in the history of Singapore was during the 19th century, when modern Singapore was founded. At this time, Singapore was already an upcoming trading post along the Malacca Straits, and Britain realized the need for a port of call in the region. British traders needed a strategic venue to refresh and protect the merchant fleet of the growing empire, as well as forestall any advance made by the Dutch in the region. The then Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen (now Bengkulu) in Sumatra, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819, after a survey of the neighboring islands. Recognizing the immense potential of the swamp covered island, he helped negotiate a treaty with the local rulers, establishing Singapore as a trading station. Soon, the islands policy of free trade attracted merchants from all over Asia and from as far away as the US and the Middle East. In 1832, Singapore became the centre of government for the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of the telegraph and steamship, Singapores importance as a centre of the expanding trade between the East and West increased tremendously. By 1860, the thriving country had a population that had grown from a mere 150 in 1819 to 80,792, comprising mainly Chinese, Indians and Malays. But the peace and prosperity of the country suffered a major blow during World War II, when it was attacked by the Japanese aircrafts on 8 December 1941. Once regarded as an impregnable fortress, Singapore fell under the Japanese invasion on 15 February 1942. It remained occupied by the Japanese for the next three and half years, a time marked by great oppression and an immense loss of lives. When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the island was handed over to the British Military Administration, which remained in power until the dissolve of the Straits Settlement comprising Penang, Melaka and Singapore. In March 1946, Singapore became a Crown Colony. In 1959, the growth of nationalism led to self-government, and the countrys first general election. The Peoples Action Party (PAP) won a majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of Singapore. In 1961, Singapore joined Malaya and merged with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo to form Malaysia in 1963. However, the merger proved unsuccessful, and less than two years later on 9 August 1965, Singapore left Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign democratic nation. On 22 December that year, Singapore finally became an independent republic. Today, you can experience Singapores rich historical heritage by visiting many of the national monuments, museums and memorials located around the city. On your trip here, remember to take a walk along one of the many heritage trails or visit the well-known landmarks for a complete Singapore journey. ECONOMY OVERVIEW Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and on a growing financial services sector. Real GDP growth averaged 8.6% between 2004 and 2007. The economy contracted 1.0% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but rebounded 14.8% in 2010 and 4.9% in 2011, on the strength of renewed exports. Over the longer term, the government hopes to establish a new growth path that focuses on raising productivity, which has sunk to a compound annual growth rate of just 1.8% in the last decade. Singapore has attracted major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical technology production and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asias financial and high-tech hub. ECONOMIC SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY Singapore is widely acknowledged as having one of the best business environments in the world one of the worlds most competitive (Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness Year book), most profitable (Business Environment Risk Intelligence Report), most transparent (Transparency International Survey), with world-class intellectual property protection and enforcement (World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report). The presence of many leading global companies and local enterprises here is a testimony to Singapores excellence in manufacturing and services. There are more than 7,000 Multi-National Corporations in Singapore now days. Singapore is an attractive and competitive manufacturing location, possessing world class capabilities in the design, development and manufacture of cutting edge products for the world. As MNCs are always looking for the most cost efficient for its investment, Singapores high labor rate loses out to other developing countries e.g. Vie tnam and China. As some manufacturers have left Singapore to other countries with cheaper labor, we can see the transformation from the manufacturing activities into trading and services. In addition, by leveraging on its strength as the regional hub for services such as logistics and education, Singapore is poised to become Asias leading services hub, providing an array of world-class services. The following sections will analyze the factors (Politic, Economy, Social and Technology) that influence the business environment in Singapore and also its limitation. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL/LEGAL Singapore is an enterprise friendly country. The government has set up several organizations in helping the business in a very systematic way. Regulation Structure Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has its vision to make Singapore a leading global city of talent, enterprise and innovation. Its mission is to promote economic growth and create jobs, so as to achieve higher standards of living for all. It was tasked with anticipating problems ahead, identifying opportunities for growth, rationalizing existing policies and giving broad directions for the economy. The main tasks are categorized as below:- Growing economy Expanding trade Developing industries Fostering pro-enterprise environment Statutory boards are semi-independent agencies that specialize in carrying out specific plans and policies of the Ministry. One of such agencies under the MTI is SPRING Singapore. SPRING Singapore (Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board) is the enterprise development agency for growing innovative companies and fostering a competitive SME sector. SPRING works with partners to help enterprises in financing, capabilities and management development, technology and innovation, and access to markets. As the national standards and accreditation body, SPRING also develops and promotes internationally-recognized standards and quality assurance to enhance competitiveness and facilitate trade. It has many programmes to encourage entrepreneurship and assisting the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME). These are two available financial incentive schemes:-i) Business Angels Scheme (BAS) where they will provide Innovative Singapore-based young companies a matching dollar for every dollar invested by pre-approved angel groups, up to $1.5 million. ii) Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Startups (YES! Startups) Where they will provide youths with grants of up to $50,000 to start their innovative business. SPRING also provides business leadership and capability development where a number of training courses are conducted to improve leadership and business management skills. Several available programs are:-i) Advanced Management Programme (AMP) where it will help tobuild management capabilities of SME leaders through postgraduate and executive development courses that focus on the business management needs of SMEs. ii) Management Development Scholarship (MDS): Designed to Nurture the leadership of tomorrow for growth-oriented enterprises where it provides MBA scholarship to help the SME to develop their talent for the future. Enterprise One (One Network for Enterprises) is a multi-agency initiative managed by SPRING Singapore. Enterprise One aims to help local enterprises find the answers they need to start, sustain and grow their businesses. Its resources pose:- Rich and Deep Content Over 20 sections covering a comprehensive range of topics such as venturing abroad, hiring people, Government tenders, loans, taxes and regulations. It pulled together information from different Government agencies so the business owners dont have to trudge from agency to agency to look for answers. Industry Guides Topics are grouped by industries and organized in sections so that the business owners can easily find information relevant to your sector. The Competition Commission of Singapore (under MTI) who is a statutory body established to enforce the Competition Act and ensure a fair competition environment. Any unfair business practice can be prevented and this can ensure a healthy competition and business growth. Another MTI agency is Public Service for the 21st Century or PS21 It is about the Singapore Public Services commitment to Anticipate, Welcome and Execute change, influencing developments in order to provide Singapore with the best conditions for success. One of its main objectives is to cut red tape to achieve service excellence and efficiency. Red tape reduction definitely will encourage entrepreneurship, foreign investment and positive growth of the business sector. Ministry of Finance (MOF) The main regulatory statutes under MOF are the Companies Act, Business Registration Act, Currency Act and Accountants Act. The emphasis of the regulatory policy is on development, rather than control. MOF aims to collaborate with industry experts to make Singapore a world-class financial and business hub. The main strategy in helping the business in the Singapore is building a Conducive Business Environment by Facilitate growth of businesses and nurture an entrepreneurial environment Under the MOF, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Directorates role is: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To drive the development of a holistic and cross directorate/ agency approach to the FTA issues à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To shape and balance the outcome of the issues in the FTA negotiations to align with MOFs policies and goals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To function as a centralized focal point within MOF for information on all FTA issues. The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) is one of the statutory boards under the MOF with mission to provide a responsive and forward looking regulatory environment for companies, businesses and public accountants, conducive to enterprise and growth in Singapore. The focus of the statutory board will be on issues concerning businesses, such as developing the corporate law framework, accounting and corporate governance. Government E-Business Portal In an effort to promote transparency, the Singapore government has setup GeBIZ (Government E-Business Portal) who is the Singapore governments one-stop e-procurement portal. All the public sectors invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on GeBIZ. Suppliers can search for government procurement opportunities, download tender documents, and submit their bids online. Enforcement Singapore is a country where the enforcement units are very efficient and with very low corruption rate. The Singapore Police Force enjoys a relatively positive public image, and is credited for helping to arrest Singapores civic unrests and lawlessness in its early years, and maintaining the low crime rate today. Another example is the taxi services where the drivers collect fares by using the meter and do not cheat the passengers. Taxi in Singapore is regulated by the Land Transport Authority. This gives the passengers especially tourist peace of mind in using taxi service. Any bad taxi service may hamper the tourism industries. Corruption Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) Singapore is reputed to be one of the few countries in the world where corruption is under control. This is due mainly to the strong political will to curb corruption, firm actions taken against the corrupt regardless of their status and background, and the general public who do not accept corruption as a way of life. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is an independent body which investigates and aims to prevent corruption in the public and private sectors in Singapore. The bureau is responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the public service and encouraging corruption-free transactions in the private sector. Deregulation Liberalization Singapore has deregulated several markets, e.g. the electricity and telecommunication. The government no more monopolized these markets, but it is open for competition among the industry players. Even since 1989, the government of Singapore started eliminating restrictions on the sale of telecom consumer goods to make businesses more competitive. From this we can see the competitive telecommunication markets nowadays, which benefit to the end consumer and the business as well. Singapore is reliant on foreign direct investments and exports so competition from countries with lower costs such as China and India is exerting pressure on the government to reduce the costs of doing business here. Electricity cost is one of these. Deregulation is believed to be able to bring about lower electricity costs due to the various efficiency gains possible. Since corporatization the power industry has become more efficient and more reliable. Customer service has improved. Investments in new power pl ants and transmission network infrastructure have increased significantly. The industry is also making healthy profits through efficiency and productivity gains, and lower cost of purchase of power equipment and cables. One of the deregulation result is YTL Power of Malaysia has acquired 100% interest in Power Seraya Limited recently. Also the China Hua Neng Power has acquired100% stake in the Tuas Power Ltd. We can see the deregulation has attracted foreign direct investment into the countries and thus accelerate its economic growth. Being Asias first liberalized electricity market, the Singapore government has liberalized the electricity wholesale and retail market. This means contestable consumers will have greater choice about how they purchase their electricity. Non-contestable consumers continue to buy electricity from SP Services Ltd at regulated tariffs. Eventually, all consumers in Singapore will become contestable. This certainly has reduced the electricity bills for the i ndustrial/ business user and consumer. The government must be very careful and governing the deregulated market and not to repeat the failure encountered by the US deregulated energy market, where expenditures become higher and consumers suffered from the higher energy cost and was a failure in the USA energy policy. Another example is the liberalization of the civil aviation industry where the flyers can fly at lower cost. Tiger Airways, the major airlines also reduce the air fares significantly and this help in driving down business expenses and accelerated growth especially in the tourism related industries e.g. hotel, FB services and local retail business. Licensing Singapore government has been very careful in allowing foreign hyper market to operate in Singapore. So far only the Malaysians Giant (4 outlets) and Frenchs Carrefour (2 outlets) are allowed to operate on the island. Strict control has been taken to protect the retailer especially. Non Government Organization (NGO) NGO play an important role as pressure group in the government policy and implementation. As part of an effort to bolster tourism as more manufacturing jobs shift to countries with lower labor costs and in view of the possibility that Singapore would lose out in its status as a tourist hub as well as the economic benefits from tax revenues, Singapore government has revisited the idea of building casino in Singapore in 2004. This had generated substantial and intense public debate and objection from the NGOs as this was not just a socio-economic policy dilemma, but has potential to touch the sensitive nerves of social identity, public morality and values and has bad implication on Singapore as a clean, sterile, corruption-free and crime-free city. Further the NGOs protested that this development will be at the expense of the environment as the developer has to reclaim the sea for extra land where ecology system will be spoilt. However, after much debate about the tangible and intangib le facts and costs, the government finally approved the casino plan and it is now under construction. The completion of this casino together with the entertainment resort and other infrastructure will certainly attract more foreign tourists and boosting the domestic economy once the plan is completed. ECONOMY The Singapore economy is an example of a vibrant free-market economy that is developing at a rapid pace 1. The per-capita income of the country is the highest in ASEAN. The business sector has been supported and strengthened by a corruption-free environment, an educated and motivated workforce, and well-established legal and financial business framework. In recent years, the Singapore government has invested heavily in diversifying the economy. This has led to growth in the tourism industry, the pharmaceutical industry with a particular focus on biotechnology, financial services, business consultation services, education, multimedia, retail and leisure, and the medical technology industry. Productivity Significantly from 2008-Q3 onwards, economic growth was rapidly slowing down because of the financial crisis, while commodity prices hit unprecedented heights, creating sharp inflationary pressures in Singapore and other economies. The data for this section are for the year 2010. Singapore achieved GDP (current market value) of S$257,419 million, which is a 2.3% increment from the previous year. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the economy contracted by 4.2 per cent, after posting flat growth in the third quarter. Unemployment rate as of end 2008 is 2.3%, which is a 0.2% increment from year 2007. However, the retrenchment rate has almost doubled from year 2009s 7,700 to year 2010s 13,400 workers. This is certainly the consequence of the global economic crisis, where almost not a single country can be escaped. Gross national income per capita was S$51,739 which is the highest per capita income in ASEAN and making its citizen income on par with the developed nations. In fact, the city st ate is the only developed country in ASEAN. The services producing industries made up 68.8% of the overall economy and manufacturing weighted at 19.4%. Financial services and business services has become more and more important and made up 13.1 and 14.0% respectively of the overall economy. We can observe a transition from the manufacturing based into services oriented and this demands more professional and intellectuals. The government spends a lot of effort to attract foreign professional and talented individual to work and migrate to Singapore to support the local business. Of course they do not left out to attract foreign direct investment. However the drawback will be the outflow foreign exchange. Petroleum refined products top the export list with 23.7%. This can be attributed to the petrochemical complexes in Jurong Island. This initiative has boosted the heavy petrochemical industries in the country and has attracted foreign direct investment like the Exxon-Mobile Refinery. The limitation will be the pollution to the environment which will increase the social cost like healthcare services. Exchange Rates Currency exchange rate is about US$1.00 to S$1.50 range lately. Due to its high exchange rate to the Ringit Malaysia (S$1.00 = RM2.40 approximately), many Singapore residents like to cross the Tebrau Straits to Malaysia for weekend spending. Additionally, the comparative cheaper petrol price in Malaysia has attracted Singaporean to fill up their vehicle fuel tank in Malaysia. These have directly affected the Singapore domestic businesses and the petrol retailers. Therefore the government has set the rule for the car owner to have at least the fuel tank  ¾ filled when travelling outbound to Malaysia. On the other hand, the high exchange rate to Ringgit Malaysia and Indonesian Rupiah has attracted many white and blue collar labors from these two neighboring countries. Especially the high numbers of skilled workers from Malaysia has contributed to Singapores GDP growth but on the other hand remarking loss in foreign exchange. On the other hand, construction and heavy industries in Sin gapore are over dependant on foreign workers which in one hand has become a threat to the social identity and safety. Monetary and Fiscal Policies The success of Singapores fiscal policy over the years lies in the governments prudent expenditure patterns and conducive taxation policies that have complemented monetary policy in promoting sustained and non-inflationary economic growth. Singapores tax policies, although providing the main source of funding for the government, seek to enhance its economic competitiveness and attract foreign investments to Singapore. In its Budget 2009, the Singapore government has announced The Resilience Package totaling $20.5 billion to help Singaporeans preserving their jobs and helping viable company stay afloat. The government spent S$5.8 billion to stimulate bank lending. It also would spend S$2.6 billion to enhance business cash flow and competitiveness. Further, it also allocated S$4.4 billion to develop Singapore as a global city and best home for Singaporean. Under the severe global economy crisis, Singapore government has justified withdrawal from its past reserves to fund the Jobs Credit Scheme and Special Risk-Sharing Initiative to ensure that the Resilience Package will stimulate the business sector. This combination of fair tax policies and prudent expenditure programs, augmented by high economic growth has enabled Singapore to enjoy consistent budget surpluses over the years. Singapore is one of the very few countries who enjoy surplus in its economy nowadays. In 2008, as part of the governments move to share the nations surpluses with its citizens, the government has allocated S$1.06 billion as growth dividend for this purpose which benefited about 2.4 million Singaporean, especially those of the lower income. This allocation has help the lower income group to cope with the higher living cost and in turn has stimulus the buying power in the market. However, the effectiveness for the market stimulation is only for the short term. Th e Official Foreign Reserves at Feb 2009 is US$163,549.4 million and Singapore government does not bear any foreign debt. This again proves that Singapore economic and financial performance is well managed and the local business can enjoy strong support and enterprise friendly policies from the government. International Trade International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is the lead agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry spearheading the development of Singapores external economic wing. Its mission is to promote the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade. At the same time, IE works to position Singapore as a base for foreign businesses to expand into the region in partnership with Singapore-based companies. In championing international trade, IE Singapore contributes to the Singapore economy through active promotion of export of goods and services, and offshore trade. Singapores Global Trader Program (GTP) which provides incentives to attract international trading companies to set up their base in Singapore. The IEs Enterprise Group manages and develops a range of broad-based services for Singapore-based companies wanting to export internationalized goods. In 2007, Singapore was ranked the 14th largest trading nation in the world, amounting to total of $846.6 billion of external trade, with Malaysia remained as the biggest trade partner, followed by EU. The Port of Singapore is the world busiest port in term of total shipping tonnage. It is also the world busiest container port and transshipment port. The Port of Singapore is not only a mere economic boon but an economic necessity as it is lack of natural resources and land. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore was established with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre. The establishment of Malaysias Port of Tanjung Pelepas has threaten the Singapore Port status as the rival has attracted prestigious maritime companies like Maesk and Evergreen to switch over to Tanjung Pelepas. Surely, the Singapore Port operator will be facing more fierce competition ahead. The Singapore Tourism Board aims to triple tourism receipts to $30 billion and double visitor arrivals to 17 million visitors by 2015. It is working closely with international in vestors to develop new world-class attractions (e.g. the casino), and attract strategic business and leisure events to Singapore. SOCIAL CULTURAL Singapore is an eastern country who still follows the traditional family values, but the younger generation has started to adopt to western culture and values. Society Values and Principles As nowadays, many Singaporean have the mindset of Kia-su which means afraid of lose out to others. Many Singaporean works very hard to retain or fulfill their materialism desire. In some extent this has positively increased the nation productivities and the business sectors can expect a higher purchasing power from the consumers. On the other hand, some family and social values have to be sidelined. Demographic Profile The current population is about 5,353,494 (July 2011 est.). Singapore ethnic mix is Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census). Most of the Singaporean dislikes blue collar works like construction and other works in hard environment. These are considered hard and dirty works and therefore not welcome especially by the younger generation. This created the window for importing foreign workers to fill up blue collar vacancies. With the cheaper labor from neighboring countries, the business sector has enjoyed cost saving and therefore more can be reinvested for further expansion. Education Singapore has codified compulsory education for children of primary school age, and made it a criminal offence if parents fail to enroll their children in school and ensure their regular attendance. English is the primary language used in Singapores education systems. Good command of English has given Singapore an edge advantage for attracting foreign investment and international trade. Further the Chinese language proficiency among the Chinese ethnic has attracted the investor from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and on the other hand enable investing ventures into these countries easily. The latest statistic shows that the literacy rate stands at 92.5% whilst secondary or higher qualification holders are 89%. This is the driving force for the government to promote knowledge. Economy which is less labor incentive but more talent and intellectual are on demand. Besides, owing to the kia-su mindset, the parents here are very concerned about the performance of the kids in school. This has led to blossoming of tuition centers and other arts/musical learning classes. TECHNOLOGY Technology is the power behind to change our life style and improve out quality of life. The Internet Comprehensive infrastructure setup has been a fundamental attractiveness for foreign investment and local business establishment, not to mention about the IT infrastructure. Currently, the household broadband internet penetration rate has achieved more than 70%. The successive of e-commerce and e-B2C model highly relies on the broadband internet. As of latest, 10 Mbps of broadband internet service is available. The comprehensive IT infrastructure also has encouraged MNC to setup their regional operation in Singapore. The successful of the financial and IT services business are highly rely on the state of the art IT infrastructure. On the other hand, the Singapore government is moving towards an electronic government era. Many useful resources and information are available in the relevant ministries/ department or government agencies website. For instance, the Customs Office of Singapore has provided e-service, these are few examples:- Application for: Manufacturers Registration New Product Line(s) Application for Registration of Companies/ Firms and Signatories for Customs and/ or GST Transactions Application for GST relief on household articles and personal effects. This approach enables to cut red tapes and enhanced the efficiency. Water Due to its lack of water resources and the government would like to reduce its dependence on the Malaysian supplied water, the Singaporean has ventured into water recycling and desalination. NEWATER is the brand name given to reclaimed water produced by Singapores public utilities. More specifically, it is treated wastewater (sewage) that has been purified using dual-membrane (via microfiltration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet technologies, in addition to conventional water treatment processes. Many experts suggested that Singapore could become the worlds water hub for water recycling and desalination technology and could export this technology to the world including China. With the new technology in water reclamation, waste water would become the most important sustainable water resource in the future. Singaporeans expertise in the water recycling will definitely give its edge advantage if its exports this expertise and technology in the future. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH Manufacturing constituted 26% OF Singapores GDP in 2005. The manufacturing industry is well diversified with significant electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing sectors. Singapore has been rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world, with thousands of foreign expatriates working in multi-national corporations. As of 2009, Singapore has 16 bilateral and multilateral trade agreements with 24 trading partners. Singapore is a popular travel destination, making tourism one of its largest industries. About 10.2 million tourists visited Singapore in 2007.

Understanding Plant Sub-cellular (Organellar) Metabolome

Understanding Plant Sub-cellular (Organellar) Metabolome Abstract Dissection of organismal metabolomes into smaller subunits of life holds the potential to unravel the minuscule details of operative metabolic pathways and metabolic compartmentation at the sub-cellular level. Although metabolomes have been characterized at tissue, cellular, and cell-population types, little efforts have been put forth in sub-cellular metabolomes. In the post-genomic era, significant advances have been made in predicting plant protein and transcriptomic localization to subcellular organelles through computational approaches. For obvious challenges such as, difficulty in pure preparations of organelles, shared metabolites among them, and associated complicated regulations in them delimits the growth in this area. We summarize the recent efforts and progresses made in directions of understanding the plant sub-cellular (organellar) metabolomes. Keywords: organelle, plastid, mitochondria, vacuole, proteomics, nonaqueous fractionation, The metabolic compartmentation adds a complex dimension to subcellular metabolomes Systems biology approaches, including bioinformatics, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have begun to contribute to our growing knowledge of cellular signaling and metabolism. However, the extensive and unique metabolic compartmentation is characteristic of eukaryotic cells, such as plant cells, thus rendering the analysis of compartmented metabolic networks complicated by virtue of separation and parallelization of pathways and intracellular transport (Wahrheit et al., 2011). Consequently, the study of plant cellular metabolomic networks becomes even more challenging (Toubian et al., 2013). Although the single cell and single-cell type metabolomics studies (Misra et al., 2014) bring in homogeneity in preparations to reflect on cellular (micro-metabolome) as the basic unit of life, the subcellular (nano-metabolome) pose a great deal of challenges for their investigation. Major plant subcellular structures include but are not limited to apoplast, cell plate, cell wall, endoplasmic reticulum and related structures, endosome, Golgi apparatus, microfilament, microtubule, mitochondrion, oil bodies, nucleus, peroxisome, plasma membrane, plastid and related structures, and vacuole. Metabolic pathways are highly segregated in different subcellular organelles (Browsher and Tobin, 2011). Undoubtedly, the compartmentalization of plant metabolites, add another complex dimension to principal regulatory aspects in plants, apart from the temporal dimensions. In addition, the diffusion of metabolites, the role of active transport by membrane-based transporters, and limitations in labeling and visualization of metabolites in cells render the localization even more difficult. Moreover, the genetic variation within these organelles have a widespread effect on the stochastic variation in primary metabolism with discrete impacts that differed from the organelle effect on the average metabolome (Joseph et al., 2015). As such, pathways of communication between v arious organelles of a plant cell are quite complex and interdependent, for example the rampant signaling between organelles such as chloroplasts and nuclei (Jung and Chory, 2009). Thus efforts to understand their individual metabolites would aid in understanding of these complex regulatory exchanges, in addition to what is established at the levels of transcripts and proteins. Omics-based approaches in identifying subcellular functionalities are powerful resources There have been considerable efforts to catalog the information content in organelles starting from imaging based approaches to omics-based systems biology perspectives. For instance, the aim of the plant organelles database (http://podb.nibb.ac.jp/Organellome) is to promote the understanding of organelle dynamics such as organelle function, biogenesis, differentiation, movement and interactions with other organelles (Mano et al. 2013). Although, genomics-based efforts are much more prevalent. Such as a unique database of RNA-editing sites found in plant organelle genes with the results mapped onto amino acid sequences and 3D structures (Yura et al. 2009) are available. In addition, to catalog fluorescent protein expression, public repositories such as the Maize Cell Genomics (MCG) database, (http://maize.jcvi.org/cellgenomics) have bene developed that represents major subcellular structures and also developmentally important progenitor cell populations (Krishnakumar et al., 2014). A nother noteworthy approach was the use of subcellular organelle expression microarray to study the organic acid changes in post-harvest Citrus fruit (Sun et al., 2013) and organelle membrane proteome during germination and tube growth of lily pollen (Pertl et al., 2009). In addition, proteomics efforts have revealed secretome, extracellular matrix, cell wall (14), vacuoles, plastids, and peroxisomes-specific changes in plants are catalogued (Liley and Dupree, 2007; Dai and Chen, 2012). Similarly, proteomics-based approaches for characterization of seed proteomes have been reviewed recently (Repetto and Gallardo, 2012). Rapid subcellularfractionationin combination with targeted proteomics allowed for measuring subcellularproteinconcentrations in attomole per 1000cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Weinkeeop et al., 2010). The importance of the spatial resolution of plant cellular metabolomes have been realized (Sumner et al., 2011). However, such efforts and databases are missing for plant subcellular metabolomes. Recently, the need for understanding the challenges in cellular compartmentalization for successful plant metabolic engineering was identified (Heining et al., 2013). The enrichment of other omics-based subcellular localization tools would allow understanding of the metabolic pathways operative in them for tinkering them for commercial success. Some widely used computational approaches for proteome level assignment of localization include, Some widely used prediction programs are: TargetP, http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/TargetP/, Predotar,http://www.inra.fr/predotar/, iPSORT, http://hc.ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp/iPSORT/, and SubLoc, http://www.bioinfo. tsinghua.edu.cn/SubLoc/, etc. For example, LocDB is a manually curated database with experimental annotations for the subcellular localizations of proteins inA. thaliana (Rastogi and Rost, 2011). Recently, the Peroxisome database (http://www.peroxisomeDB.org) was released which serves as a huge resource for cross-lineage comparison of functiona l genomic and metabolomic information on organisms such as fungi, yeasts, plants, human and lower eukaryotes, with an ensemble of 139 peroxisomal protein families and ~2706 putative peroxisomal protein homologs (Schlà ¼ter et al., 2010). On the other hand, databases such as SUBA (Heazlewood et al.,2007) are excellent inventories of subcellular compartmentation supported by experimental evidence mainly drawn from organellar proteome studies, which enable the integration of experimentation and prediction (Tanz et al., 2012). In the AraGEM genome-scale model ofArabidopsismetabolism the vast majority of reactions are assigned to the cytosol (1265 reactions in the cytosol, with 60, 159, and 98 reactions assigned to mitochondria, plastid, and peroxisome, respectively) (de Oliveira DalMolin et al.,2010). However, there are no available collage of information on subcellular metabolomes of plants to our knowledge, and hence this effort. Plant subcellular metabolome studies revisited: non-aqueous fractionation (NAF) methods There has bene several successful attempts at obtaining the qualitative and quantitative snap shots of sub-cellular metabolomes in plants. These efforts relied on fractionation of the or isolation of pure organelles followed by characterization of the metabolomes by gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry (LC-MS) among other approaches. Cell fractionation and immunohistochemical studies in the last 40 years have revealed the extensive compartmentation of plant metabolism from protein-based information (Lunn, 2007). Majority of the classical studies in compartmentation of plant metabolism focused on plastids, mitochondria, and vacuole and reflected on their structural and functional heterogeneity operative primary metabolic (photosynthesis, respiratory etc.) pathways (Lunn, 2007, Bowsher and Tobin, 2011). Plastids are involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, in particular nitrate and ammonium assimilation, the Calvin cycle, oxidative p entose-phosphate pathway, glycolysis, and terpenoid biosynthesis, and these have been reviewed from a metabolic perspective (Tobin and Bowsher, 2005). Thus plastidial proteomics have interested researchers for a long time (van Wijk and Baginsky, 2011). Analysis of the chloroplast proteome confirmed indicated biosynthesis of fatty acids, lipids, amino acids, nucleotides, hormones, alkaloids, and isoprenoids, Calvin cycle enzymes and proteins belonging to the light-harvesting apparatus and photosynthetic electron transport chain (van Wijk, 2004). Protoplast fractionation in combination with enzymatic determination of metabolites has been widely used to quantify a subset of metabolites like adenylates, phosphorylated sugars and Calvin cycle intermediates in different compartments(Kueger et al., 2012). The metabolomes of highly purified barley vacuoles isolated from mesophyll cell protoplasts by silicon oil centrifugation revealed the presence of 59 primary metabolites and ~200 secondar y metabolites by GC-MS and FT-MS (Fourier transform-mass spectrometry) such as amino acids, organic acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, shikimate pathway intermediates, vitamins, phenylpropanoids, and flavonoids, of which 12 were found exclusively in the vacuole (Tohge et al., 2011). Similarly, a single vacuole of single cell of the alga Chara australis revealed the localization and dynamics of 125 known metabolites(Oikawa et al., 2011). In plants, vacuoles are known for detoxification of xenobiotics (Coleman et al., 1997). In addition, the analysis of subcellular metabolite levels of potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum) indicated that either the cytosol or apoplast leads to a decrease in total sucrose content and to an increase in glucose and hexoses accumulate in the vacuole independently of their site of production (Farre et al., 2008). Furthermore, in the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus, LC-MS analysis of the phenols from isolated leaf vacuoles detected the presence of three caffeoy lquinic acids and four flavonoids(Ferreres et al., 2010). Another example of the use of vibrational (Raman) spectroscopy in metabolomics was exemplified in the localization of ÃŽ ²-carotene by its 1150 and 1515 cm−1 Raman bands with subcellular resolution (~550 nm per pixel) in the cells of alga Euglena gracilis. Complementary single-cell MS data were also recorded which indicated the colocalization of ÃŽ ²-carotene and the plastids containing internal antennae of photosystem II (Urban et al., 2011). Non-aqueous fractionation (NAF) is the most widely used method for studying metabolite pool sizes at a subcellular level in plants(Kueger et al., 2012), where NAF method is based on the enrichment of compartments within a continuous non-aqueous density gradient instead of purifying individual intact organelles. This method is associated with true metabolomics studies allowing the subcellular localization of a large number of metabolites to be analyzed in parallel (Farre et al., 2001, Krueger et al., 2011). Assessment of metabolome compartmentation of soybean leaves using non-aqueous fractionation by GC-MS of about 100 compounds indicated a greater number of compounds identified in vacuole when compared to cytosol or stroma (Benkeblia et al., 2007). Furthermore, the NAF method allowed the identification and quantification of the subcellular distributions of metabolites in developing potato (Solanum tuberosumL. cv Desiree) tubers which revealed that ~60% of most sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids, and amino acids were found in the vacuole, the substrates for starch biosynthesis, hexose phosphates, and ATP were found in the plastid, while pyrophosphate was located almost exclusively in the cytosol (Farrà © et al., 2011). Similarly, in A. thaliana leaves, using NAF methods about 1,000 proteins and 70 metabolites, including 22 phosphorylated intermediates were separated into plastidial, cytosolic, and vacuolar metabolites and proteins which indicated that cytosolic, mitochondrial, and peroxisomal proteins clustered together. Metabolites from the Calvin–Benson cycle, photorespiration, starch and sucrose synthesis, glycolysis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle grouped with their associated proteins of the respective compartment, indicating NAF as a powerful tool for the study of the organellar, and in some cases sub-organellar, distribution of proteins and their association with metabolites. Unfortunately, organelles extracted from whole tissue homogenates are generally originated from a range of cell types (Bowsher and Tobin, 2001), but from specific organs such as leaves. However, the single largest study depicting the compartmentalized A. thaliana metabolome (Krueger et al., 2011), revealed the subcellular distribution of 1,117 polar and 2,804 lipophilic mass spectrometric features associated to known and unknown compounds. In conjunction with GC-MS and LC-MS-based metabolite profiling, 81.5% of the metabolic data could be associated to one of three subcellular compartments: the cytosol (including mitochondria), vacuole, or plastids. Nonetheless, the authors conceded that localizations of several known metabolites and structurally undetermined compounds (unknowns) were difficult to unambiguously explain on the basis of three compartments due to either unresolved compartments, or the interconnections of subcellular metabolic networks. Advances in mass spectrometry based lipidomics have enabled the simultaneous identification and quantification of lipid species from complex structures at the tissue, cellular and organelle resolution levels (Horn and Chapman, 2012). The authors showed that at the nano scale, ‘direct organelle MS’ (DOMS) holds immense potential to profile lipids at the organelle level by extracting lipids from organelles in isolation, or from intact cells, within a capillary tip, followed by their identification and quantification using direct-infusion nanospray MS. Furthermore, it was underscored that fluorescent protein technology can be used to image subcellular dynamics of plant cell organelles at a spatial and temporal resolution, and to manipulate the distribution of fluorescent markers to identify the genes responsible for the inner activities of plant cells by means of light microscopy alongside genomics (Sparkes and Brandizzi, 2012). Conclusion and future prospects Although used in most instances, NAF is static, invasive, has no cellular resolution, and is sensitive to artifacts. (Looger et al., 2005), validation of NAF technique is understood to hold the key for successful implementation (Klie et al., 2011). Spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) provide dynamic data, but poor spatial resolution. Thus, genetically encoded fluorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET) sensors (i.e., green florescence protein (GFP)-based, enzyme based etc.) have been proposed for visualizing metabolites with subcellular resolution (Looger et al., 2005). Flux-balance modeling of plant metabolic networks provides an important complement to13C-based metabolic flux analysis. Recently, several flux-balance models of plant metabolism have been published including genome-scale models ofA. thaliana metabolism (Sweetlove and Ratcliffe, 2011). Approaches for flux balance analysis have been reviewed else where (Lee et al., 2011; Lakshmanan et al., 2012). To achieve greater insights into metabolic fluxes across subcellular metabolomes several flux analyses tools are available, such as FiatFlux (Zamboni et al., 2005), OpenFLUX (Quek et al., 2009) that are based on 13C-based analysis, OptFlux (Rocha et al., 2010), FluxAnalyzer (Klamt et al., 2013), YANA (Schwarz et al., 2005). Model SEED, FAME, and MetaFlux have included several routines to facilitate the reconstruction of genome-scale metabolic models (Lakshmanan et al., 2012). NAF methods for obtaining subcellular fractions allows direct quenching of metabolism by snap-freezing in liquid nitrogen, thus, the combination of NAF with metabolic flux analysis using13C labeled CO2is a very attractive approach for the future (Keuger et al., 2012). On the other hand, MALDI associated secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging, on research-grade MALDI-MS instruments, MSI is possible with a spatial resolution of

Analysis of Sherman Alexies The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Hea

Analysis of Sherman Alexie's 'The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven' and 'Smoke Signals'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sherman Alexie based on some short stories included in his book, 'The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,' wrote the screenplay for the movie 'Smoke Signals.' Both the movie and the book portray problems that Indians had to deal with, and how they dealt with it. The book is far more complex than the movie, showing a wider variation of characters facing different situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the movie there is Victor, the main character, which tries to be the typical Indian, or maybe just a typical man. He shows just hate towards his father, who left Victor and his mother alone and fled to Phoenix. The picture Victor has about his father is that he was an alcoholic and always tried to talk with his fists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand there is Thomas, the other main character. He lives a mystical life and is far more emotional than Victor. Thomas has also another point of view about Victor?s father. He remembered him as a nice guy, who took him to Denny?s once.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Victor?s father died, Thomas offered money to help Victor to get to Phoenix and get his father?s ashes and belongings, as long as he could go with Victor. On this part of the movie, it is easy to understand how Victor sees the Indians before the whites. On the bus, he tells Thomas that the only way that white people would respect them is by being serious; showing no feelings, not even a smile, being ...

The Northern Lights Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Northern lights are poetry, they are nature's light show, and they are quantum leaps in the oxygen atom. They are elementary particle physics, superstition, mythology and fairy tales. The northern lights have filled people with wonder and inspired artists; they have frightened people to think that the end is at hand. More exact explanations of the phenomenon could not be given until modern particle physics were developed, and knowledge about details in the earth’s magneto sphere has been based on measurements from satellites. When the northern lights are seen over Tromsà ¸, it happens in a set pattern, although this pattern varies considerably. The outburst starts with a phosphorocent glow over the horizon in northwest. The glow dies out and comes back, and then an arch is lit. It drifts up over in the sky. And new arches are lit and follow the first one. Small waves and curls move along the arches. Then within a few minutes a dramatic change is seen in the sky. A hailstorm of particles hit the upper atmosphere in what is called an aurora sub-storm. Rays of light shoot down from space, forming draperies, which spread, all over the sky. And they really remind us of draperies or curtains, which are flickering in the wind. And you can see a violet and a red trimming at the lower and upper ends. Or the colors are mixed all together, woven into each other. The curtains are disappearing and forming all over again by new rays of light shooting down from space. Above our head we cans see rays going out in all directions forming what is called an aurora corona. After 10 to 20 minutes the storm is over and the activity decreases. The bands are spread out, disintegrating in a diffuse light all over the sky. We can not see individual pockets of light, but the total effect is bright enough to enable us to make out details of the countryside around us. If we look very carefully, we can see the remains of the northern lights display as faint, pulsating flames. Clouds of light which is turned on and off regularly every 5 - 10 seconds as though by an electric light-switch. The natures own gigantic light show is over. What causes the northern lights? To answer this, we start with the sun whose energy production is far from even and fluctuates on an 11-year cycle. Maximum production coincides with high sunspot activity when processes on the sun's surface throw particles ... ...ll over the sky. 7) Bands of northern lights one above the other, raising towards the zenith indicates that the sub storm is starting. 8) Rays of light shoot down from space tells about higher activity. 9) Draperies are formed with waves at the lower end. 10) Curls and waves wave along the draperies. 11) The draperies look as if they are flickering in the wind. Maximum activities close. 12) The interaction between the moving charged particles and the earth’s magnetic field creates a charging magnetic field. The particles stream down along the magnetic field lines. 13) Rays and draperies can die out in one place of the sky, and form at another. 14) During the maximum of a sub storm, the whole sky can be full of light. 15) An all-sky (fish eye) picture showing that the draperies are stretched from east to west, through zenith. 16) When the activity reaches Zenith, by an optical illusion, it seems like the rays stretch out in all directions above our heads. This form of the northern lights is called aurora corona. Works Cited http://www.uit.no/npt/nordlyset/nordlysbilder.en.html http://www.uit.no/npt/nordlyset/ Way North Magazine, publication by Tromsà ¸ Museum.

Power :: essays research papers

When a person has enough power in a society, it gives them a lot of control over certain things. When they have this control, they can have ownership over a person or a thing. By naming someone, or something, a person gains an unspoken ownership over him or her, they are now in control of him or her and it has created a new identity for them and erased their old identity. Power, naming and un-naming, control and ownership and identity are very important elements in â€Å"Mary† and â€Å"No Name Woman†. Both essays deal with power, identity, control and ownership, while â€Å"Mary† focuses more on naming and â€Å"No Name Woman† focuses on un-naming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One’s power and position in a society can give them the â€Å"right† or ability to name or un-name a person. Someone can gain this right by his or her status socially, financially, and even racially. If it’s their own child, of course, they have every right in the world to name him or her. But in some cultures, as is evident in â€Å"No Name Woman†, they have the right to take away someone’s name if they have disgraced their family and/or community. A name is very significant because it gives a person a sense of who they are, an identity. In â€Å"No Name Woman†, Kingston’s aunt had no identity except for the story her mother told her and in â€Å"Mary† Marguerite’s new boss, Mrs. Cullinan changed her name to Mary which then, in a way, removed Marguerite’s original identity and gave her a new one, one she didn’t want.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By changing Marguerite’s name, Mrs. Cullinan proves how much power she has over a little black servant like Marguerite. A rich white member of the society, in which Marguerite grew up, has more power and control over things than someone of a poor background or a black background. Mrs. Cullinan wasn’t the first to incite the drastic change of Marguerite’s name, although she started it off by calling her Margaret, it was in fact, one of her friends who suggested that â€Å"the name’s too long. I’d never bother myself. I’d call her Mary if I was you.†(5) As if showing off to her friends, and proving that she really does have control and power over black people, she starts calling her Mary, much to Marguerite’s disgust. Marguerite soon learned that Mrs. Cullinan had changed Miss Glory’s name twenty years ago.

Fair Play Means Using Sport to Make a Better World Essay

To be successful in sport, you need to have the right attitude. Honesty, dignity, fair play, respect, teamwork, commitment and courage are essential to lead a memorable sporting performance. All of these indispensible values can be summed up in the term ‘fair play’. Through various sporting events, the values of fair play can be put into practice in order to help make the world a better place. Hence, sport can be powerful by allowing young aspiring athletes to emulate their role models when playing in the spirit of fair play. Many people define fair play as abiding by the rules of the game and to accept defeat. However, this not only the case when it come to fair play. Fair play is a complex notion that comprises and embodies a number of other values that are fundamental not only to sport but also to everyday life. Respect, friendship, team spirit, fair competition, sport without doping, respect for written and unwritten rules such as equality, integrity, solidarity, tolerance, care, excellence and joy, are the building blocks of fair play that can be experienced and learnt both on and off the field. Sport is very influential in today’s world as it unites and brings many people together regardless of their gender, race and ethnicity. Therefore, promoting fair play through sport can surely be a tool that ultimately will help to create awareness and leads to a better social world. Fair play in different kinds of sport can be emulated through: Playing Fair: Winning is without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly. Cheating is easy, however it brings no pleasure and satisfaction. Playing fair requires courage and character. Fair play always has its rewards, even when the game is lost. Playing fair earns respect, while cheating only brings shame. Sporting individuals must remember that it is only a game and games are pointless unless played fairly. Playing to win but accepting defeat with dignity: Winning is the object of playing any game. Never set out to lose. If athletes or players do not play to win, you are cheating your opponents, deceiving those who are watching, and also fooling oneself. Never give up against stronger opponents but never relent against weaker ones. It is an insult to any opponent to play at less than full strength. Play to win, until the final whistle. However, it is difficult to win all the time. You win some and you lose some. Learning to lose graciously is the way forward and do not seek excuses for defeat. Genuine reasons will always be self-evident. Congratulating the winners with good grace is also another form of fair play. After a loss one must be determined to do better next time. Good losers will eventually earn more respect than bad winners. Observing the Laws of the Game: All games need rules to guide them in order to protect and safeguard the athletes taking part. Without rules, there would be chaos. The rules of in various sports are simple and easy to learn. As an athlete or player, understanding the game better will make you a better player. It is equally important to understand the spirit of the rules. They are designed to make the game fun to play and fun to watch. By sticking to the rules, the game will be more enjoyable and appreciated. Respecting opponents, team-mates, referees, officials and spectators: Fair Play means putting forward the value of respect. Without opponents there can be no game. Everyone has the same rights, including the right to be respected. Teammates are colleagues and they form a team in which all members are equal. Referees are there to maintain discipline and Fair Play. Sporting people must accept their decisions without arguing, and help them to enable all participants to have a more enjoyable game. Officials are also part of the game and must be respected accordingly. Spectators give the game its life and generate an atmosphere. They want to see the game played fairly, but must also behave fairly by respecting themselves and the other sets of supporters. Promoting the interests of the Game: The value of different kinds of sport always needs everybody’s help to maintain its greatness. Think of the game’s interests before your own. Think how your actions may affect the image of the game. Talk about the positive things in the game. Encouraging other people to watch and play fairly is also positive for the game in context. Honouring those who defend the Game’s good reputation: The good name of sports such as football has survived because the vast majority of people who love the game are honest and fair. Sometimes somebody does something exceptional that deserves our special recognition. Players should be honoured and their fine example should be publicised. This encourages others to act in the same way. Thus, helping to promote football’s image by publicising its good deeds. Rejecting corruption, drugs, racism, violence, gambling and other dangers to sport: Sports’ huge popularity sometimes makes it vulnerable to negative outside interests. Athletes and players should watch out for attempts to tempt them into cheating or using performance-enhancing drugs. Drugs have no place in sport or in society as a whole. On the other hand such athletes should help to kick drugs and out of the world of sports. Hence, all players must treat everyone else equally, regardless of their religion, race, sex or national origin. Showing zero tolerance for gambling on games in which you participate is also another type of fair play, especially nowadays that gambling activities are on the increase. It negatively affects one’s ability to perform and creates the appearance of a conflict of interests. Helping others to resist corrupting pressures: In some instances, athletes or players may hear that teammates or other people they know are being tempted to cheat in some way or otherwise engage in behaviour deemed unacceptable. These people need one’s help in order to give them the strength to resist the temptation. Reminding them of their commitment to their teammates and to the sport itself is essential. Denouncing those who attempt to discredit sport: Individuals must not be ashamed to stand up to anybody who is trying to make others cheat or engage in other unacceptable behaviour. It is better to expose them and have them removed before they can do any further damage. It is equally dishonest to go along with a dishonest act. They must denounce those misguided persons who are trying to spoil the true value of sport before they can persuade somebody else to say yes. Different kinds of sport, especially Football, have an incredible power, which can be used to make this world a better place in which everyone can live. Using this powerful platform can help to promote peace, equality, health and education for everyone. Furthermore, fair play allows making the game better, taking it to the world, and fostering a better world. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games said: ‘The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.’ Competition can be severe but you should always first look for joy when practicing any sports. You should never forget about the play even in the heat of the fight. Fair play, which is an essential and central part of successful involvement, promotion and development in both sport and life, can teach people tolerance and respect for others. It allows them to integrate into society and create a sense of teamwork. Fair play in sport is capable of giving hope, pride and identity, and it is able to unite where nationalities, politics, religions and cultures often divide. Cooperation in the spirit of fair play delivers even greater results than pure gamesmanship in all walks of life. It plays a key role, the role of a catalyst in today’s society as a means of improving quality of life and human wellbeing. In the history of sport there have been many athletes, from great and celebrated champions to lesser-known competitors, who lived and competed in the spirit of fair play. All of them were individuals with different characters but they must also all have had something in common. Their exemplary behaviour and heroic acts have shaped their environment and contributed to the enhancement of social wellbeing. Their stories tell us a lot about what we could do to build a better world. As an example of such sportsmanship, World and Olympic Champion pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka (Athletics, Russia, Fair Play Trophy for action) in 1995 he helped his South-African rival, Okkert Brits, on two occasions by lending him his equipment. Firstly, on 3 July after learning that Brits equipment had not arrived at the Paris Grand Prix, Bubka offered him his poles so that he could compete. Again, on 9 September at the IAAF Grand Prix Final in Munich, Bubka repeated his generous act. This time, however, it cost him victory as Brits vaulted a winning 5.95 m while Bubka’s final jump was just under at 5.90 m. This example teaches us that fair play is not a theory. Fair play is an attitude that manifests itself in behaviour. Whenever we act in the spirit of fair play we contribute to building a peaceful and better world. Values such as respect, friendship, tolerance and solidarity are the building blocks of fair play and can easily be expressed in the interactions of everyday life.