Immigration and Social Problems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Immigration and Social Problems - Research Paper Example Immigration brings many benefits for the developed countries, such as, increase in the GDP, increase in the available workforce, increase in precious talent, and increase in the number of hardworking individuals. However, immigration also causes some problems for the developed countries, such as, increase in the number of crimes, increase in violence, law breaking, and decreased employment opportunities. This study will focus on the benefits that immigrants bring to the United States of America. Along with this, crimes and drug trafficking, which are two of the major problems caused by immigrants in the United States, will also come under discussion. The study will also show how people can think positively about immigrants and how they can solve problems caused by immigrants. Thesis Statement The thesis statement for the paper is that: People should understand that not all immigrants are bad; rather they play a very considerable role in strengthening the economy of the United States. Problems Caused by Immigrants A major part of the illegal immigrants living in the United States is originally from Mexico. Researches prove that approximately 13.2 million illegal immigrants living in the United States are Mexican-Americans. Increase in the number of crimes and drug trafficking are the most significant problems caused by the immigrants in the United States of America. ... If we talk about the United States of America, increased rate of crimes due to illegal immigrations is not an exception. Various researches show that illegal immigrants have increased the overall number of crimes in the country and the main reasons behind that increase are the social and financial issues of the immigrants. Moreover, the mindset of some immigrants is such that they like to get involved in criminal activities, such as, rape and adultery. Such immigrants are sexually frustrated and when they find easy target somewhere, they do not hesitate to fulfill their desires. However, women of illegal immigrants are also not safe and they are also the targets of smugglers and criminals. Taxin, in an article, gives a proof of such cases and states, â€Å"An 8-year-old Salvadoran girl who reported she was raped by immigrant smugglers in Mexico has been reunited with family in the United States†. Increase in the terrorist attacks in developed countries and threats of terrorism are also associated with the issue of illegal immigrations. The famous and dreadful incident of 9/11 is also an outcome of the illegal immigrants’ issue where a group of terrorists hijacked a couple of planes and hit them with the world trade center. Drug Trafficking Drug trafficking, is also one of the most critical issues associated with large-scale immigrations to the United States of America. Go states, â€Å"The US suffers an annual loss of about 70 billion dollars due to drug-related illnesses, death, and drug related crimes†. Drug trafficking is a business which earns a lot of money to the drug dealers, manufacturers, and all other people involved in this business. The immigrants involved in this

Structure Of Retail Sector In India

Structure Of Retail Sector In India Abstract Despite the ongoing wave of incessant liberalization and globalization, the Indian retail sector is still aloof from progressive and ostentatious development. This dismal situation of the retail sector undoubtedly stems from the absence of a Foreign Direct Investment (hereinafter referred as FDI) encouraging policy in the Indian retail sector. In this context, attempts have been made to study the strategic issues concerning the structure of Indian retail sector, current FDI policy and its limitation. Moreover, the latest move of the government to allow 51% FDI in multi-brand retail in India and increasing the FDI limit in single brand retail in India to 100% (from the existing 51%) is facing opposition which has raised significant hurdles for effective implementation of the reforms. FDI in retail has been opposed citing fears of loss of employment and that traditional retail may be affected. However, adherents of the same indicate easy access to capital for domestic retailers, increa sed transfer of technology, enhanced supply chain efficiencies, increased employment opportunities and curtailment of inflation as the perceived benefits. By analysis of the debate thats raging over opening the retail sector to FDI it is pointed out that opening up of FDI in retail in India could potentially be a mixed blessing for domestic players and negative impact if any is expected to be short-lived and to weaken over time. Also, the advantages of allowing unrestrained FDI in the retail sector evidently outweigh the disadvantages attached to it. Though its time for opening the door for FDI in retail the same should be treaded cautiously and the proliferation of foreign capital into retailing needs to be anchored in such a way that it results in a win-win situation for India. Introduction The retail industry comprising of organized and unorganized sectors is of late often being hailed as one of the fastest growing sectors in India. According to the Investment Commission of India, the retail sector is expected to grow almost three times its current levels to $660 billion by 2015. Though initially, the retail industry in India was mostly unorganized, however with the change of tastes and preferences of the consumers, the industry is getting more popular these days and getting organized as well. The Indian retail sector is ready to take on challenges from global retail players such as Wal-mart and Carrefour. Recently, to encourage the organized retailing in the country government decided to allow 51% FDI in multi brand retail and 100% in single brand retail in November, 2011.While this long awaited approval, come as a relief to many organised retailers and foreign players, oppositions from state government, political parties etc., raises significant hurdles for effective implementation of the reforms. Structure Of Retail Sector In India Before we go into the intricacies of the issue we must know what retail means and what the structure of retail sector in India is. Retailing can be said to be the interface between the producer and the individual consumer buying for personal consumption. This excludes direct interface between the manufacturer and institutional buyers such as the government and other bulk customers. Retailing is the last link that connects the individual consumer with the manufacturing and distribution chain. A retailer is involved in the act of selling goods to the individual consumer at a margin of profit.  [1]  Also, the High Court of Delhi  [2]  defined the term retail as a sale for final consumption in contrast to a sale for further sale or processing (i.e. wholesale). The retail industry in India is divided into organised and unorganised sectors. Organised retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses. Unorganised retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local kirana shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand cart and pavement vendors, etc. Unorganized retailing is by far the prevalent form of trade in India.  [3]   Current Fdi Scenario With Respect To Retail In India The advent of FDI in India was witnessed during the end of 1990s when the Indian national government announced a number of reforms which aimed at helping in the process of liberalization and deregulation of the Indian economy.  [4]   FDI in Single- Brand Retailing was, permitted in 2006, to the extent of 51%. Since then, a total of 94 proposals have been received till May, 2010. Of this, 57 proposals were approved. The proposals received and approved related to retail trading of sportswear, luxury goods, apparel, fashion clothing, jewellery, hand bags, lifestyle products etc., covering high-end items. FDI in cash and carry wholesale trading was first permitted, to the extent of 100%, under the Government approval route, in 1997. It was brought under the automatic route in 2006. But, FDI in Multi-Brand retailing is prohibited.  [5]   Limitation Of Present Setup Limitation in the present scenario calls for relaxation of FDI norms. These limitations are as follows: Infrastructure There has been a lack of investment in the logistics of the retail chain, leading to an inefficient market mechanism. Though India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables (about 180 million MT), it has a very limited integrated cold-chain infrastructure, with only 5386 stand-alone cold storages, having a total capacity of 23.6 million MT. , 80% of this is used only for potatoes. The chain is highly fragmented and hence, perishable horticultural commodities find it difficult to link to distant markets, including overseas markets, round the year. Storage infrastructure is necessary for carrying over the agricultural produce from production periods to the rest of the year and to prevent distress sales.  [6]   Lack of adequate storage facilities cause heavy losses to farmers in terms of wastage in quality and quantity of produce in general.  [7]  Though FDI is permitted in cold-chain to the extent of 100%, through the automatic route, in the absence of FDI in reta iling; FDI flow to the sector has not been significant. Intermediaries dominate the value chain Intermediaries often flout mandi norms and their pricing lacks transparency. Wholesale regulated markets, governed by State APMC Acts, have developed a monopolistic and non-transparent character. According to some reports, Indian farmers realize only 1/3rd of the total price paid by the final consumer, as against 2/3rd by farmers in nations with a higher share of organized retail.  [8]   Improper Public Distribution System (PDS) There is a big question mark on the efficacy of the public procurement and PDS set-up and the bill on food subsidies is rising. In spite of such heavy subsidies, overall food based inflation has been a matter of great concern. The absence of a farm-to-fork retail supply system has led to the ultimate customers paying a premium for shortages and a charge for wastages.  [9]   No Global Reach The Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has also suffered due to lack of branding and lack of avenues to reach out to the vast world markets. While India has continued to provide emphasis on the development of MSME sector, the share of unorganised sector in overall manufacturing has declined from 34.5% in 1999-2000 to 30.3% in 2007-08  [10]  .This has largely been due to the inability of this sector to access latest technology and improve its marketing interface. Prospected Changes In Fdi Policy For Retail Sector In India Recently in July 2010, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) had put up a discussion paper proposing FDI in multi brand retail. In July 2011, a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) had cleared the proposal to allow upto 51% FDI in multi-brand retail and increasing the FDI limit in single brand retail to 100%, which has been approved by the Union Cabinet in November 2011, albeit with a few drivers  [11]  . These drivers in bill are as follows: For multi-brand retail- Minimum investment of US$ 100 million by the foreign investor is required and atleast 50% of the investment by the foreign company to be in back-end infrastructure. The proposal restricts the location of stores to cities with a population of one million or more (53 cities as per 2011 Census); given constraints around real estate, retailers are allowed to set up stores within 10 km of such cities. Also, at least 30% of manufactured items procured should be through domestic small and medium enterprises (SMEs). While the proposals on FDI will be sanctioned by the Centre, approvals from each State Government would be required. For single brand retail- While allowing FDI limit in single brand retail to 100% with government approval, some restriction is again laid down. The foreign investors are to be an owner of the brand and products to be sold should be of a single brand only. Also, in respect of proposals involving FDI beyond 51%, 30% sourcing would mandatorily have to be done from domestic SMEs and cottage industries artisans and craftsmen. Further, like in multi-brand retail state government approval is needed. But, the mounting opposition by several political parties and State Governments has prevented the effective implementation of the key reform measure. Challenges For Foreign Firms In Organized Retail In India The first challenge is competition from the unorganized sector. Traditional retailing has been established in India for many centuries, and is characterized by small, family-owned operations. Because of this, such businesses are usually very low-margin, are owner-operated, and have mostly negligible real estate and labor costs. Moreover, they also pay little by way of taxes. Consumer familiarity that runs from generation to generation is one big advantage for the traditional retailing sector. It is often said that the mom-and-pop store in India is more like a father-and-son enterprise. Such small shops develop strong networks with local neighbourhoods. The informal system of credit adds to their attractiveness, with many houses running up a tab with their neighbourhood kirana store, paying it off every fortnight or month. Moreover, low labor costs also allow shops to employ delivery boys, such that consumers may order their grocery list directly on the phone. These advantages are sig nificant, though hard to quantify. In contrast, players in the organized sector have to cover big fixed costs, and yet have to keep prices low enough to be able to compete with the traditional sector. Getting customers to switch their purchasing away from small neighbourhood shops and towards large-scale retailers may be a major challenge. The other major challenge for retailers in India, as opposed to the US, is the storage setup of households. For the large-scale retail model to work, consumers visit such large stores and return with supplies likely to last them for a few weeks. Having such easy access to neighbourhood stores with whom, as discussed above, it is possible to have a line of credit and easy delivery service, congested urban living conditions imply that few Indian households might be equipped with adequate storage facilities. Concerns Causing Roadblock In Implementation Of Relaxed Fdi Norms History has witnessed that the concern of allowing unrestrained FDI flows in the retail sector has never been free from controversies and simultaneously has been an issue for unsuccessful deliberation ever since the advent of FDI in India. The recent proposal for relaxation of FDI norm is also facing the same challenges and opposition creating roadblock for implementation of suggested reforms. The antagonists of FDI in retail sector oppose the same on various grounds which are as follows: Move will lead to large-scale job losses.  [12]  International experience shows supermarkets invariably displace small retailers. Small retail has virtually been wiped out in developed countries like the US and in Europe. South East Asian countries had to impose stringent zoning and licensing regulations to restrict growth of supermarkets after small retailers were getting displaced. India has the highest shopping density in the world with 11 shops per 1,000 people. It has 1.2 crore shops employing over 4 crore people; 95% of these are small shops run by self-employed people. Adverse impact on domestic small and unorganized retailers as the move would lead to unfair competition and ultimately result in large-scale exit of domestic retailers, especially the small family managed outlets.  [13]   Global retail giants will resort to predatory pricing to create monopoly/oligopoly. This can result in essentials, including food supplies, being controlled by foreign organizations.  [14]   Disintegration of established supply chains by establishment of monopolies of global retail chains, leading to their control on both ends of the supply chain.  [15]   Farmers to get affected on account of non-remunerative prices paid to them by these corporate giants.  [16]   Key Perceived Benefits In spite of the recent developments in retailing and its immense contribution to the economy, it still continues to be the least evolved industries and the growth of organised retailing in India has been much slower as compared to rest of the world. Over a period of 10 years, the share of organised retailing in total retailing has grown from 10 per cent to 40 percent in Brazil and 20 percent in China, while in India it is only 2 per cent (between 1995-2005).  [17]  One important reason for this is that retailing is one of the few sectors where foreign direct investment is not healthily and liberally allowed. Given this backdrop, it is widely acknowledged by the advocators of the reform that FDI can have some positive results on the economy, triggering a series of reactions that in the long run can lead to greater efficiency and improvement of living standards, apart from greater integration into the global economy.  [18]  Some of the benefits claimed by implementing FDI in re tail sector are as follows  [19]  : These would enable cash-starved domestic retailers to deleverage their overly stretched balance sheets by plugging the gap between capital required for growth and the ability of local players to raise capital. Local incumbents will be benefited from technical inputs, investments in supply chain, and investments in human capital. There could be a potential shift in bargaining power of these retailers with FMCG companies (at present, large FMCG players are better positioned vis-à  -vis retailers in discussing terms of trade) once these retailers become large and attain size and scale. Improvement of supply chain/ distribution efficiencies, coupled with capacity building and induction of modern technology, which will help arrest wastages (in the present scenario, lack of investment in logistics and inadequate storage facilities have been creating inefficiencies in the food supply chain, leading to significant wastages). Though FDI is permitted in cold chains to the extent of 100% through the automatic route, in the absence of FDI in front-end retail, investment flows into this sector have been insignificant. The move to open up retail sector to FDI will reduce inflationary pressures as : Farmers will be able to directly sell their produce to retailers, thereby reducing margins for middlemen. Investments in cold-storage and warehousing will ease supply-side pressures that have driven inflation close to a double-digit. Improved supply chain contributes to savings in food wastages which has been rampant on account of inadequate infrastructure. Further, consumers would also benefit from wider choices and better quality products.  [20]   Improvement in productivity and realizations for farmers through direct sales to these large organised players, thus eliminating the margins outflow to the middle-men who have been dominating the value chain, and whose pricing lacks transparency. The opening of the sector to FDI is expected to result in creation of over 10 million jobs (including 6 million jobs in the logistics sector alone) in three years, across agro-processing, sorting, marketing, logistic management and the front-end retail business. Expectations are that it would create jobs not only in the retail industry but also in related areas like real estate and construction. Consumer Benefit In the fierce battle between the advocators and antagonist of unrestrained FDI flows in the Indian retail sector, the interests of the consumers have been blatantly and utterly disregarded. Therefore, one of the arguments which inevitably needs to be considered and addressed while deliberating upon the captioned issue is the interests of consumers at large in relation to the interests of retailers.  [21]   In wake of relentless protests for the opening up of the Indian retail market for the reception of unrestrained FDI, the Investment Commission in July, 2006, opined that that foreign investment would help in improving the retail and supply chain infrastructure, and generate large-scale employment in the country. In addition, the Indian retailers could absorb some of the best operational practices of these international retailers and gain in experience. Ultimately, the consumers would benefit due to the availability of more product offerings, lower prices, and efficient service. The entry of large low-cost retailers and adoption of integrated supply chain management by them is likely to lower down the prices. Also, FDI in retailing can easily assure the quality of product, better shopping experience and customer services. They promote the linkage of local suppliers, farmers and manufacturers, no doubt only those who can meet the quality and safety standards, to global market and this will ensure a reliable and profitable market to these local players.  [22]   Also, from the stand point of consumers, organized retailing would help reduce the problem of adulteration, short weighing and substandard goods. FDI will not just provide access to larger financial resources for investment in the retail sector but simultaneously will rationally allow larger supermarkets, which tend to become regional and national chains to negotiate prices more aggressively with manufacturers of consumer goods and thus pass on the benefit to consumers and to lay down better and tighter quality standards and ensure that manufacturers adhere to them.  [23]   Authors View In principle, governments should not prevent anybody, Indian or foreign, from setting up any business unless there are very good reasons to do so. Hence, unless it can be shown that FDI in retail will do more harm than good for the economy, it should be allowed. Authors are of view that concern raised by opponents is exaggerated. Opening up of FDI as per reform in India could potentially be a mixed blessing for domestic players and negative impact if any is expected to be short-lived and to weaken over time. A major argument given by opponents of FDI in retail is that there will be major job losses. Frankly, the jury is out on whether this is the case or not, with different studies claiming different findings. Big retail chains are actually going to hire a lot of people. So, in the short run, there will be a spurt in jobs. Eventually, theres likely to be a redistribution of jobs with some drying up (like that of middlemen) and some new ones sprouting up. Infact, the government has added an element of social benefit to its latest plan for calibrated opening of the multi-brand retail sector to foreign direct investment (FDI). Only those foreign retailers who first invest in the back-end supply chain and infrastructure would be allowed to set up multi brand retail outlets in the country. The whole idea is that the firms must have already created jobs for rural India before they venture into multi-brand retailing. Also, fears of small shopkeepers getting displaced are vastly exaggerated. Whe n domestic majors were allowed to invest in retail, both supermarket chains and neighbourhood pop-and-mom stores coexisted. Its not going to be any different when FDI according to the reform is allowed. It is also pertinent to note here that that with the possible advent of unrestrained FDI flows in retail market, the interests of the retailers constituting the unorganized retail sector will not be gravely undermined  [24]  , since nobody can force a consumer to visit a mega shopping complex or a small retailer/sabji mandi. Consumers will shop in accordance with their utmost convenience, where ever they get the lowest price, max variety, and a good consumer experience. The argument that farmers will suffer once global retail has developed a virtual monopoly is also weak. To begin with, its very unlikely that global retail will ever become monopolies. Stores like Wal-Mart or Tesco are by definition few, on the outskirts of cities (to keep real estate costs low), and cant intrude into the territory of local kiranas. So, how will they gobble up the local stores. Mega retail chains will keep price points low and attractive thats the USP of their business. This is done by smart procurement and inventory management: Good practices from which Indian retail can also learn. The benefits of larger FDI in other sector has been tangibly felt in the domains pertaining to technological advancements, generation of export, production improvements, and hastening of manufacturing employment. Capital inflow into India has increased and so have the exports from the country. Allowing healthy FDI in the retail sector would not only lead to a substantial surge in the countrys GDP and overall economic development, but would inter alia also help in integrating the Indian retail market with that of the global retail market in addition to providing not just employment but a better paying employment, which the unorganized sector (kirana and other small time retailing shops) have undoubtedly failed to provide to the masses employed in them. Apart from this, by allowing FDI in retail trade, India will significantly flourish in terms of quality standards and consumer expectations, since the inflow of FDI in retail sector is bound to pull up the quality standards and cost-com petitiveness of Indian producers in all the segments. Further, with regard to the concern raised about limit of cap for FDI in multi- branding authors would like to highlight that Industrial organisations such as CII  [25]  , FICCI, US-India Business Council (USIBC), the American Chamber of Commerce in India, The Retail Association of India (RAI) and Shopping Centers Association of India (a 44 member association of Indian multi-brand retailers and shopping malls) favour a phased approach toward liberalising FDI in multi-brand retailing, and most of them agree with considering a cap of 49-51 per cent to start with. RECOMMENDATION FDI in multi-brand retailing must be dealt cautiously as it has direct impact on a large chunk of population.  [26]  Left alone foreign capital will seek ways through which it can only multiply itself, and unthinking application of capital for profit, given our peculiar socio-economic conditions, may spell doom and deepen the gap between the rich and the poor. Thus the proliferation of foreign capital into multi-brand retailing needs to be anchored in such a way that it results in a win-win situation for India. Therefore, apart from the drivers incorporated in the bill negative effect if any can be further diluted and given below are the recommendation for the same: Reconstituting the poverty stricken and stagnating rural sphere into a forward moving and prosperous rural sphere can be one of the justifications for introducing FDI in multi-brand retailing. To actualize this goal it can be stipulated that at least some percentage of the jobs in the retail outlet should be reserved for rural youth and that a certain amount of farm produce be procured from the poor farmers. Public Distribution System is still in many ways the life line of the people living below the poverty line. To ensure that the system is not weakened the government may reserve the right to procure a certain amount of food grains for replenishing the buffer. To protect the interest of small retailers the government may also put in place an exclusive regulatory framework. It will ensure that the retailing giants do resort to predatory pricing or acquire monopolistic tendencies. Besides, the government and RBI need to evolve suitable policies to enable the retailers in the unorganized sector to expand and improve their efficiencies.  [27]   A National Commission must be established to study the problems of the retail sector and to evolve policies that will enable it to cope with FDI- as and when it comes. The proposed National Commission should evolve a clear set of conditionalities on giant foreign retailers on the procurement of farm produce, domestically manufactured merchandise and imported goods. These conditionalities must be aimed at encouraging the purchase of goods in the domestic market, state the minimum space, size and specify details like, construction and storage standards, the ratio of floor space to parking space etc. Giant shopping centres must not add to our existing urban snarl.  [28]   In order to address the dislocation issue, it becomes imperative to develop and improve the manufacturing sector in India. There has been a substantial fall in employment by the manufacturing sector, to the extent of 4.06 lakhs over the period 1998 to 2001, while its contribution to the GDP has grown at an average rate of only 3.7%.  [29]   The government must actively encourage setting up of co-operative stores to procure and stock their consumer goods and commodities from small producers. This will address the dual problem of limited promotion and marketing ability, as well as market penetration for the retailer. The government can also facilitate the setting up of warehousing units and cold chains, thereby lowering the capital costs for the small retailers. Set up an Agricultural Perishable Produce Commission (APPC), to ensure that procurement prices for perishable commodities are fair to farmers and that they are not distorted with relation to market prices. Quality regulation, certification price administration bodies can be created at district and lower levels for upgrading the technical and human interface in the rural to urban supply chain. Credit availability for retail traders must be encouraged with a view to enhancing employment and higher utilization of fixed assets. This would lead to less wastage (India has currently the highest wastage in the world) of perishables, enhance nutritional status of producers and increase caloric availability. CONCLUSION Indias retail sector remains off-limits to large international chains especially in multi-brand retailing. A number of concerns have been raised about opening up the retail sector to FDI in India. But, after in depth study it can be safely contended that the advantages of allowing unrestrained FDI in the retail sector evidently outweigh the disadvantages attached to it. While initially the small indigenous retailers business would be impacted once modern retail enters the locality, this adverse impact is expected to be short-lived and to weaken over time. Indias experience between 1990-2010, particularly in the telecommunications and IT industries, showcases the various benefits of opening the door to large-scale investments in these sectors. Arguably, it is now the turn of retail. It is expected that organized retail could help tackle inflation, particularly with wholesale prices. It is also expected that technical know-how from foreign firms, such as warehousing technologies and distribution systems, for example, will lend itself to improving the supply chain in India, especially for agricultural produce. Creating better linkages between demand and supply also has the potential to improve the price signals that farmers receiv

Essay --

It is not a big secret that America’s quality of education is sub-par. According the article, â€Å"US 17th In Global Education Ranking; Finland, South Korea Claim Top Spots† by Amrutha Gayathri, it’s obvious from the title alone that the United States is falling behind. Without change, the United States will continue to be behind in education. An issue that currently plagues the American education system is gender bias. Gender bias in schools has been addressed in laws, but it still persists in American schools, such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the U.S. code Title 42, Chapter 21 regarding Civil Rights. Both laws attempt to discourage gender bias through the illegality of gender discrimination. Title IX addresses bias in federally funded educational and athletic programs in schools and colleges within the United States. Title 42, Chapter 21 of the U.S. Code prohibits discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion, and other characteri stics within a number of settings, including education. Despite these laws, gender bias is still prevalent within American schools. A proposed solution to gender bias is gender segregated classrooms, which has proven to be a popular alternative to co-ed classrooms. Leonard Sax, author of â€Å"Six Degrees of Separation: What Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences,† is a leading proponent of single-sex schools. Single-sex schools are not without critics though. Jaclyn Zubrzycki’s article, â€Å"Single-Gender Schools Scrutinized,† claims that single-sex environments â€Å"are not inherently beneficial for boys or most girls.† When considering both Zubrycki’s and Sax’s findings, it would seem that the ideal solution to liberate the American education system of gender... ... teachers to believe that boys are more intelligent than girls. Scantlebury found that teachers who do believe boys are more proficient than girls in mathematics, are more likely to reframe and breakdown questions â€Å"into a series of simpler questions† in an effort to assist the student to attain the answer. No such luxury is given to females in math classes. Teachers are more likely to restate the question and ask another student to answer; typically the student teachers selected to answer the question was a boy (Scantlebury). It’s clear that in classes which are perceived to be male oriented, teachers are willing to work more in-depth with males. Interestingly, Scantlebury found the opposite to be true in â€Å"subjects perceived as feminine.† Teachers spend more time with female students than with male students in subjects that the teachers believe are female oriented.

Books and the Internet Essay

The book industry has always been an integral part of society. However, recent surges in technology, especially the internet, have put this industry under pressure and have transformed it into a broader, more competitive entity. In the past, the book store was the only pace to buy and sell books but these buildings could be soon be obsolete with the introduction of online shopping for books and the more impressive and rapidly growing industry of e-books, as seen by the accompanying chart1. Figures from 2012 show that giant online bookstore Amazon, is now selling 1.4 e-books for every print book sold and this trend is showing no signs of slowing down2. These steps in technology give both readers and authors great opportunities. The introduction of online shopping and e-books have given consumers food for thought in regards to what way they go about buying a book. The somewhat â€Å"old-fashioned† way in some regards of visiting the nearby bookstore is nearly a thing of the past with the introduction of online shopping. The now giant online superstore Amazon.com was the first online bookstore back in 1994, created by Jeffrey Bezos3. It gave book readers the benefit of being able to buy books from home as well offering lower prices. Publishers don’t need to fill shelves with books, once a book is ordered it is produced and shipped to the customer4. The unneeded stock pile of books results in lower costs for the publisher and thus lower costs for the online buyer. These two options result in the customer buying a paper book. The third option differs from this and really brings technology to the fore. E-books are rapidly growing and are taking the book industry over by storm. E-books can be bought over the internet and downloaded to various devices (e-readers) such as Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad. They offer many advantages over paper books to readers5. Compared to some paper books which are big, heavy, cumbersome objects to be carrying around, hundreds of e-books can be stored on an e-reader. In terms of costs, e-books offer the cheaper option than paper books as no trees or ink have to be used in the sale of e-books. E-books also offer the benefit of privacy in regards to others knowing what book you are reading as well as offering certain tools such as a dictionary, built in lights, access to the internet etc. Special add-ons can also be included as part of an e-book such as additional pictures or content6. The introduction of e-books could possibly have a greater effect for authors than readers. Their introduction has expanded the book world, allowing the smaller authors to be seen as well as letting smaller business compete4. A similar technological progression in the music and movie industry resulted in some parts of the industry being destroyed as CDs replaced VCRs and cassettes, thus rendering the latter obsolete4. As previously mentioned, e-books require lower cost to be produced and do not require shelf space to be seen. This means that even small time authors can get their books produce without too much difficulty as publishing such e-books bears little costs to the publisher7. The lower cost also results in higher margins for the publisher as well as the author. On the other side of the coin, since e-books are downloaded digitally, once a customer buys one, they can easily send it onto another customer8. This piracy results in losses for both the publisher and author. The chart shows the increase in piracy and file-sharing since mid-2008 with the use of such file-sharing websites as Rapidshare. com, 4shared. com and Megaupload. net9. In conclusion, the progression of technology and the internet has changed the book industry drastically. Gone are the days where one had to make the journey to the bookshop in order to read the newly released classic. Online shopping has cut out that journey with the click of the button while e-books have cut out the physical book altogether. In my opinion, the future book industry will be taken over by e-books with paper books being left to be a thing of the past. References 1 Terra, Evo. (2012) ‘2008 – 2011 Book Sales Chart’, 2nd March 2012. Available at: https://plus. google.com/109993735355691141353/posts/fr3e3N171nr (Accessed 2nd December 2012) 2 BBC News (2012) ‘Amazon selling more Kindle eBooks than print books’, 6th August 2012. Available at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/technology-19148146 (Accessed 2nd December 2012) 3 Byers, A. (2007) ‘Jeff Bezos: The Founder of Amazon. com. ’. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. 4 Kagan, J. (2012) ‘How the E-Book Is Reinventing the Book Business, E-Commerce Times’, 2nd September. Available from: http://www. ecommercetimes. com/story/74383. html (Accessed 2nd December 2012) 5 Hess, S.(2012) ‘E-Books or Real Books: What Book Lovers Think – The benefits and drawbacks of e-books’, 31st January. Available at: http://www. webpronews. com/e-books-or-real-books-what-book-lovers-think-2012-01 (Accessed 2nd December 2012) 6 Willans, J. (2012) ‘The 5 most exciting ways tech has revolutionized the book industry’, 30th April. Available at: http://conversations. nokia. com/2012/04/30/the-5-most-exciting-ways-tech-has-revolutionized-the-book-industry/ (Accessed 2nd December 2012) 7 Bosman, J (2008) ‘Small Book Publishers Offered New Technology’ , 3rd September. Available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2008/09/04/books/04perseus. html? _r=0 (Accessed 2nd December 2012) 8 Messieh, N (2011) ‘Does e-book piracy really matter? ’ , 24th June. Available at: http://thenextweb. com/media/2011/06/24/does-e-book-piracy-really-matter/ (Accessed 2nd December 2012) 9 unknown (2010) ‘The Rise in eBook Piracy’, October. Available at: http://www. attributor. com/data/php/research/234-the-rise-in-ebook-piracy. php (Accessed 2nd December 2012)

Cultural Background Essay

I come from China, actually the south of Yunan. I learnt about Chinese culture from my father who was born in China and rise up with the Chinese culture. I have been taught by my father to behave as a good Chinese people and brings up good values in my life, the concept of Yin and Yang, the balance in life and especially we’re coming from east where the people there respect ancestors and older people much more compares to the western people. This will impact on how we communicate and interact with other people especially with the elder. China is believed to have the oldest continuous civilization. China has over 4,000 years of verifiable history. Beijing is the capital of China and is the focal point for the country. The official language is standard Chinese, which is derived from the Mandarin dialect. Most business people speak English. There are many dialects in China however there is only one written language. A Communist form of government rules China. The Chinese government promotes atheism although the constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The Chinese practice a variety of religions, however, Confucianism; despite not being a formal religion is practiced widely throughout the country. China is the most densely populated county in the world with approximately 1. 17 billion people as of 1992. Almost 100 percent of the population are ethnic or Han Chinese. There are strict rules regarding childbirth and each couple is limited to only one child. The tradition of digging up â€Å"dragon bones† (tortoise and cattle bones) has long been a part of Chinese culture. These bones are often used to predict the future. The bones were inscribed with questions then heated to reveal the answers. The tradition dates back as far as the Bronze Age (around 2100 BC during the Xia dynasty). The Geert Hofstede analysis for China is similar to that of Hong Kong where Long-term Orientation is the highest-ranking factor. However, the Chinese rank lower than any other Asian country in the Individualism factor. This can be attributed primarily to the Communist rule and its emphasis on a collectivist culture. Geert Hofstede analysis for China has Long-term Orientation (LTO) the highest-ranking factor (118), which is true for all Asian cultures. This Dimension indicates a society’s time perspective and an attitude of persevering; that is, overcoming obstacles with time, if not with will and strength. The Chinese rank lower than any other Asian country in the Individualism (IDV) ranking, at 20 compared to an average of 24. This may be attributed, in part, to the high level of emphasis on a Collectivist society by the Communist rule, as compared to one of Individualism. The low Individualism ranking is manifest in a close and committed member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. Of note is China’s significantly higher Power Distance ranking of 80 compared to the other Far East Asian countries’ average of 60, and the world average of 55. This is indicative of a high level of inequality of power and wealth within the society. This condition is not necessarily forced upon the population, but rather accepted by the society as their cultural heritage. China’s religion is officially designated as Atheist by the State, although the concepts and teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius (500BC) are woven into the society at large. Some religious practice is acceptable in China; however, the government sets rigid limits. You can find more information related with the religion in China. RELIGION IN GENERAL Before the Communist Revolution, a number of religious and philosophical systems were practiced in China. Traditionally Taoism and Confucianism provided ethical guides to the proper behavior of individuals and officials. Both of these systems originated in China during the so-called Golden Age of Chinese thought, several centuries before the beginning of the Christian era. Taoism sought to promote the inner peace of individuals and harmony with their surroundings. Confucianism, based on the teachings and writings of the philosopher Confucius, is an ethical system that sought to teach the proper way for all people to behave in society. Each relationship–husband-wife, parents-children, ruler-subjects–involved a set of obligations which, if upheld, would lead to a just and harmonious society. Following his teachings would also promote a stable, lasting government. Buddhism, which came to China from India as early as the 1st century AD, was a more conventional religion. Its followers attended occasional services, practiced rituals, and supported a temple on a regular basis. It has been estimated that more than 68 million Chinese still consider themselves Buddhists, though it is unlikely that they practice the religion regularly (See Buddhism). Prior to 1949, practices that may best be called folk religions were common throughout China. Although they incorporated elements of Buddhism and, especially, Taoism, these religions were usually local, often based on local gods, and served the local people. Christian missionaries have been active in China since Roman Catholics belonging to the Jesuit order arrived in the early 17th century. Protestant missionaries first appeared in the early 19th century. All the Christian missionaries had difficulty converting the Chinese because Christianity was associated in the popular mind with Western imperialism. By 1949 there were only 3 or 4 million Christians in China, less than 1 percent of the total population. Islam came to China mainly from Central Asia, where it was practiced by many of the Turkic peoples. Today there are believed to be more than 4 million Chinese Muslims. One autonomous region, Ningxia Huizu, has been designated for Islamic adherents. The Communists have discouraged religious practices, which they consider anti-socialist. Many temples and churches have been closed and their property taken. During the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (or simply the Cultural Revolution), a mass movement that lasted officially from 1966 to 1977, conditions were especially difficult, and religious practitioners were persecuted. The situation eased after 1977. A number of Buddhist temples were allowed to reopen. Worship services among Christians were permitted once again, and it is believed that as many as 2 million Christians are practicing their faith in China. The Chinese government is cautious about all religious activity, especially if it happens to involve foreign people in any way. THE AGE OF PHILOSOPHIES. *CONFUCIANISM CONFUCIUS is a latinized form of the honorific title K’ung-fu-tzu (Master K’ung), given to a wandering scholar from the state of Lu in Shandong Province in northeastern China. Although little known in his lifetime, Confucius was revered as the greatest of sages throughout most of China’s history. His teaching, Confucianism, was the state teaching from the beginning of the Han Dynasty in 202 BC to the end of the imperial period in 1911. Disturbed by constant warfare among the states, Confucius taught that most of the ills of society happened because people forgot their stations in life and rulers lost virtue. He advocated a return to the golden antiquity of the emperors Yao and Shun, when rulers were virtuous and people knew their places. Therefore, Confucius’ primary concern lay in social relations, proper conduct, and social harmony. Confucius defined five cardinal relationships: between ruler and ruled, between husband and wife, between parents and children, between older and younger brothers, and between friends. Except for the last case, all of the defined relationships are between superiors and inferiors. He emphasized the complete obedience and loyalty of the inferior to the superior but also mentioned the benevolence of the superior to the inferior. The ideal Confucian family was an extended one of three or four generations, in which authority rested with the elderly male members. Filial piety (obedience to parents) was one of the most important virtues emphasized by later Confucians. Confucius reportedly spent his last years editing and completing some of the books that came to be known as Five Classics. These include the `Classic of Poetry’, `Classic of History’, `Spring and Autumn Annals’, `Record of Rites’, and `Classic of Changes’, or `I Ching’. Memorized by scholars for generations in China, these books and four other works, including the `Analects’, a compilation of Confucian teachings, were the subjects of civil service examinations for over 2,000 years. (See Confucius) Confucianism commanded a greater following some 200 years later, during the time of Mencius, or Meng-tzu (371-289 BC). He was second only to Confucius himself in shaping Confucianism. His three main tenets were the basic good nature of human beings, the notion of society with a distinct distribution of functions, and the ruler’s obligation to the people. On the last point, Mencius elaborated on the concept of the mandate of heaven, which allows that rulers lose support of heaven when they cease to be virtuous. The concept served as the basis of revolts in China and the succession of new rulers. MENICIUS MENG-TZU The `Meng-tzu’, meaning â€Å"Master Meng,† was written by the philosopher Mencius (a Latinized form of the name Meng-tzu) in the 4th century BC. The work earned for its author the title of â€Å"second sage† in China. The book deals with government and asserts that the welfare of the people comes before all else. When a king no longer is good to the people, he should be removed–by revolution if necessary. Mencius, like Confucius, declared that filial piety was the foundation of society. One unusual doctrine that Mencius supported was that of the natural goodness of mankind, for which he found proof in the natural love children have for their parents. Two other philosophies that have had an enduring influence on Chinese thought are Taoism and Legalism. Taoism gave the Chinese an alternative to Confucianism–passivity and escape to nature–while Legalism provided the Chinese state with one of its basic doctrines. *TAOISM In the Chinese language the word tao means â€Å"way,† indicating a way of thought or life. There have been several such ways in China’s long history, including Confucianism and Buddhism. In about the 6th century BC, under the influence of ideas credited to a man named Lao-tzu, Taoism became â€Å"the way†. like Confucianism, it has influenced every aspect of Chinese culture. Taoism began as a complex system of philosophical thought that could be indulged in by only a few individuals. In later centuries it emerged, perhaps under the influence of Buddhism, as a communal religion. It later evolved as a popular folk religion. Philosophical Taoism speaks of a permanent Tao in the way that some Western religions speak of God. The Tao is considered unnamed and unknowable, the essential unifying element of all that is. Everything is basically one despite the appearance of differences. Because all is one, matters of good and evil and of true or false, as well as differing opinions, can only arise when people lose sight of the oneness and think that their private beliefs are absolutely true. This can be likened to a person looking out a small window and thinking he sees the whole world, when all he sees is one small portion of it. Because all is one, life and death merge into each other as do the seasons of the year. They are not in opposition to one another but are only two aspects of a single reality. The life of the individual comes from the one and goes back into it. The goal of life for a Taoist is to cultivate a mystical relationship to the Tao. Adherents therefore avoid dispersing their energies through the pursuit of wealth, power, or knowledge. By shunning every earthly distraction, the Taoist is able to concentrate on life itself. The longer the adherent’s life, the more saintly the person is presumed to have become. Eventually the hope is to become immortal. LAO-TZU (604? -531? BC). Some people believe that only one man, Lao-tzu, wrote the most translated work in all the literature of China, the `Lao-Tzu’ (also called `Tao-te Ching’). The book is the earliest document in the history of Taoism (â€Å"the Way†), one of the major philosophical-religious traditions that, along with Confucianism, has shaped Chinese life and thought for more than 2,000 years. It is a viewpoint that emphasizes individuality, freedom, simplicity, mysticism, and naturalness. (See Confucius) Knowledge of Lao-tzu is so scarce that only legends remain. His earliest biographer, who wrote in about 100 BC, relates that Lao-tzu lived in the district of Hu in present-day Henan Province during the Chou Dynasty (1122-221 BC). Presumably he worked in astrology and divination at the court of the emperor. The biographer tells of a meeting of Lao-tzu with the younger Confucius, which would mean Lao-tzu lived in about 500 BC. Another story says that he left China during the decline of the Chou Dynasty, and on his way west wrote the `Tao-te Ching’, after which he disappeared. He was worshipped as an Imperial ancestor during the T’ang Dynasty (618-907). Scholars today believe that the book cannot have been written by one man. Some of the sayings in it may date from the time of Confucius, while others are from a later period. It is possible that the name Lao-tzu represents a type of scholar and wise man, rather than one individual. `Tao-te Ching’ The `Tao-te Ching’, meaning â€Å"Classic of the Way of Power,† is one of the great works of ancient China not included among the Confucian Classics. The presumed author, Lao-tzu, is considered to be the founder of Taoism. He may have been alive at the same time as Confucius but older. The book is not only significant philosophically, but it is also one of the most sacred scriptures of the Taoist religion. (See Lao-tzu) CHUANG-TZU (4th century BC), Chinese philosopher, author, and teacher; classic work bears his name; influential in development of Chinese philosophy and religious thought; interpreted Taoism (from tao, â€Å"way†) differently from Lao-tzu; Chuang-tzu taught that wise people accept the ebb and flow of life without attempting to challenge it; true enlightenment involves freeing oneself of traditions and personal goals that stand in the way of the mysterious, all-encompassing Tao. Communal religious Taoism is quite distinct from its philosophical counterpart. It emphasizes moral teachings and collective ceremonies. Good moral conduct is rewarded with health and long life, while bad conduct results in disease, death, and suffering in the afterlife. There is an array of gods who are administrators of the universe, of which they are a part. From these gods come revelations of sacred texts. There is an order of married priests who live in the communities they serve and perform exorcisms and complex rituals. Folk religion Taoism is part of the everyday lives of the people. The gods are intimately connected with each individual’s life as bringers of calamities or givers of bountiful gifts. Each object of daily life has its presiding spirit that must be consulted and appeased. All types of Taoism have in common the quest for a harmonious, well-ordered universe. They emphasize the individual’s and the group’s need for unity through mysticism, magic, and ceremony. *LEGALISM *BUDDHISM Although Buddhism first entered China from India during the Later Han, in the time of Han Ming Ti (AD 58-76), it did not become popular until the end of the 3rd century. The prevailing disorders, aggravated by barbarian invasions and the flight of northern Chinese to the south, heightened the attraction of Buddhism with its promise of personal salvation, despite its lack of affinity with the society-oriented thought of the Chinese. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, a prince of the Sakya kingdom on the borders of what are now India and Nepal and a contemporary of Confucius. Intent on finding relief for human suffering, he received a moment of enlightenment while meditating under a Bo tree. The Buddha taught that desires are the source of pain, and that by overcoming desires, pain can be eliminated. To this end, he advocated meditation and pursuing the Eightfold Path, similar to the Ten Commandments of Judaism and Christianity. The objective was to reach Nirvana, the condition of serenity of spirit, where all cravings, strife, and pain have been overcome, giving way to a merging of the spirit with eternal harmony. At an early stage of its development, Buddhism split into two major trends, Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) and Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle). Hinayana remained closer to the original Buddhism and is still the religion of the Southeast Asian countries. The Buddhism of China, Korea, Japan, Nepal, Tibet, and Vietnam, however, stems largely from Mahayana. Mahayana Buddhism contained more popular elements, such as belief in repetitive prayers, heaven and deities–bodhisattvas–who would help people gain salvation. It also readily adapted to the land and people it converted. In China, it split into several schools, including Ch’an (Zen in Japan), T’ien-t’ai (Tendai in Japan), and Pure Land. Ch’an [or Zen] Buddhism Through his popular book `The Way of Zen’ (1957), the British-born American philosopher Alan Watts introduced Americans to the Zen school of Buddhism, which has a long tradition of development in China and Japan. Zen (Ch’an in Chinese) is a Japanese term meaning â€Å"meditation. † It is a major school of Japanese Buddhism that claims to transmit the spirit of Buddhism, or the total enlightenment as achieved by the founder of the religion, the Buddha (See Buddha; Buddhism). Zen has its basis in the conviction that the world and its components are not many things. They are, rather, one reality. The one is part of a larger wholeness to which some people assign the name of God. Reason, by analyzing the diversity of the world, obscures this oneness. It can be apprehended by the nonrational part of the mind–the intuition. Enlightenment about the nature of reality comes not by rational examination but through meditation. Meditation has been an integral part of Buddhism from the beginning. Nevertheless, a school of meditation grew up in India and was taken to China by Bodhidharma about AD 520. When the meditation school arrived in China, it had a strong foundation on which to build: Taoism, the ancient Chinese religion (See Taoism). This religion is based on the idea that there is one underlying reality called the Tao. Taoists, like the followers of the meditation school, exalted intuition over reason. This Taoist tradition was easily absorbed by the Chinese meditation school, the Ch’an. Within two centuries the meditation school had divided into two factions: Northern Ch’an and Southern Ch’an. The northern school, a short-lived affair, insisted on a doctrine of gradual enlightenment. The southern school, which became dominant, held to a doctrine of instantaneous enlightenment. The southern school evolved under the powerful influence of Hui-neng (638-713), who is recognized as the sixth great patriarch of Zen and the founder of its modern interpretation. In a sermon recorded as the â€Å"Platform Scripture of the Sixth Patriarch,† he taught that all people possess the Buddha nature and that one’s nature (before and after being born) is originally pure. Instead of undertaking a variety of religious obligations to seek salvation, one should discover one’s own nature. The traditional way to do this, sitting in meditation, is useless. If one perceives one’s own nature, enlightenment will follow suddenly. The goal of adherents of the southern Ch’an is to gain transcendental, or highest, wisdom from the depths of one’s unconscious, where it lies dormant. Ch’an tries to attain enlightenment without the aid of common religious observances: study, scriptures, ceremonies, or good deeds. Reaching the highest wisdom comes as a breakthrough in everyday logical thought. Followers are urged to find within themselves the answer to any question raised within because the answer is believed to be found where the question originates. Training in the methods of meditation leading to such an enlightenment is best transmitted from master to disciple. Ch’an flourished in China during the T’ang and Sung dynasties (960-1279), and its influences were strongly felt in literature and painting. Ch’an declined during the Ming era (1141-1215), when Ch’an masters took up the practice of trying to harmonize meditation with the study of traditional scriptures. Meanwhile, sects of Zen had been transplanted to Japan. The Rinzai school was taken there in 1191 by the priest Enzai (1141-1215), and the Soto tradition arrived in 1227, taken there by Dogen (1200-53), the most revered figure in Japanese Zen. These schools had their origin in China during the 9th century, when Ch’an divided into five sects that differed from each other in minor ways. The Rinzai sect evolved from the work of Lin-chi (died 866), who was an exponent of sudden enlightenment. The Soto was founded by Liang-chieh (died 869) and Pen-chi (died 901). The Soto stressed quiet sitting in meditation to await enlightenment. A third group, the Obaku, was established in 1654. The Obaku school is closer to the Rinzai tradition except for its emphasis on invoking the name of Buddha. Zen gained an enthusiastic following among the Samurai warrior class and became in effect the state religion in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 16th century Zen priests were diplomats and administrators, and they enhanced cultural life as well. Under their influence literature, art, the cult of the tea ceremony, and the No drama developed. The focal point of Zen is the monastery, where masters and pupils interact in the search for enlightenment. A newcomer arrives at a monastery with a certificate showing that he is a regularly ordained disciple of a priest. He is at first refused entry. Finally being admitted, he spends a few days of probation being interviewed by his master. When he is accepted he is initiated into the community life of humility, labor, service, prayer and gratitude, and meditation. 2. Communication Style of Chinese people There are many things that you should know about the communication style of the Chinese people. They are really care with the appearance, behavior and the way we communicate to them since it will show them our status, are we coming from the lower economic status or high economic status or even more we are coming from the King’s ancestor or just an ordinary people. It is all can be seen from the way we communicate so it become so important according to Chinese people. Please find below the detail in each topic of the communication style of Chinese people: Appearance Appearance is quite important for Chinese people or even Asian, they sometimes judge people from their first sight (Dresser,1996). †¢ Conservative suits for men with subtle colors are the norm. †¢ Women should avoid high heels and short sleeved blouses. The Chinese frown on women who display too much. †¢ Subtle, neutral colors should be worn by both men and women. †¢ Casual dress should be conservative as well. †¢ Men and women can wear jeans. However, jeans are not acceptable for business meetings. †¢ Revealing clothing for women is considered offensive to Chinese businessmen. Behavior Some of the behavior or gestures are mentioned as follows (Axtel,1998) : †¢ Do not use large hand movements. The Chinese do not speak with their hands. Your movements may be distracting to your host. †¢ Personal contact must be avoided at all cost. It is highly inappropriate for a man to touch a woman in public. †¢ Do not point when speaking. To point do not use your index finger, use an open palm. †¢ It is considered improper to put your hand in your mouth. Avoid acts that involve the mouth. †¢ Gift giving is a very delicate issue in China. It is illegal to give gifts to government official however; it has become more commonplace in the business world. It is more acceptable to give gifts either in private or to a group as a whole to avoid embarrassment. The most acceptable gift is a banquet. Quality writing pens as considered favored gifts. The following gifts and/or colors are associated with death and should not be given: – Clocks – Straw sandals – A stork or crane – Handkerchiefs – Anything white, blue or black †¢ Always arrive on time or early if you are the guest. †¢ Do not discuss business at meals. †¢ Do not start to eat or drink prior to the host. †¢ As a cultural courtesy, you should taste all the dishes you are offered. †¢ Sample meals only, there may be several courses. †¢ Never place your chopsticks straight up in your bowl. By placing your sticks upright in your bowl your will remind your host of joss sticks which connotes death. †¢ Do not drop the chopsticks it is considered bad luck. †¢ Do not eat all of your meal. If you eat all of your meal, the Chinese will assume you did not receive enough food and are still hungry. †¢ Women do not usually drink at meals. †¢ Tipping is considered insulting, however the practice is becoming more common. Communications †¢ Bowing or nodding is the common greeting; however, you may be offered a handshake. Wait for the Chinese to offer their hand first. (Morris, 2003). †¢ Applause is common when greeting a crowd; the same is expected in return. †¢ Introductions are formal. Use formal titles. †¢ Often times Chinese will use a nickname to assist Westerners. †¢ Being on time is vital in China. †¢ Appointments are a must for business. †¢ Contacts should be made prior to your trip. †¢ Bring several copies of all written documents for your meetings. †¢ The decision making process is slow. You should not expect to conclude your business swiftly. †¢ Many Chinese will want to consult with the stars or wait for a lucky day before they make a decision. †¢ Present and receive cards with both hands. †¢ Never write on a business card or put it in your wallet or pocket. Carry a small card case. †¢ The most important member of your company or group should lead important meetings. Chinese value rank and status. †¢ Develop a working knowledge of Chinese culture. †¢ Allow the Chinese to leave a meeting first. 3. Communication style when interacting with people from a Different Culture When we do the communication with other people with different culture we expect them to follow our rules especially when we are talking to older people. But sometimes for teenagers or younger people they would like to adapt the communication styles according to the people’s culture he/she talking with. Chinese people is very famous for their good personality traits, in this case they are really diligent and always try to give the best and also sometimes very brave to take any action compares to those who are coming from the west. They would do directly what they consider the thing is right or correct this can be seen in the way they sell things, they open their store and etc. If you are coming from the west you need to understand what the people from the east thinking about. Below are the patterns of Eastern and Western people that we can analyze and use to communicate with them. You can find out that western people will look like they are more individual compares to the eastern people.

Racial and ethnic inequalities as a social problem

Racial and ethnic inequalities as a social problem There has been a raging debate about the definitions of a social condition and a social problem. Some researchers have also likened these two concepts despite the distinction between the two concepts. A social condition is a condition regarded by some people as bad while a social problem is a condition viewed by everyone as bad.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Racial and ethnic inequalities as a social problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Leon-Guerrero defines a social problem as â€Å"a social condition or pattern of behavior that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or our physical world† (8). Race and ethnicity is among the major social conditions that exist in the contemporary society. It occurs as a result of increased international migrations across the continents and intermarriages between different communities in the world. Leon-Guerrero outlines two perspectives of defining of race namely the biological and the sociological perspectives. Race from a biological point of view is defined as a group or population that shares a set of genetic characteristics and physical features such as religion, skin color or species. However, sociologists such as Michael Omi an Howard Winant regard race as a concept signifying and symbolizing social conflicts and interests by referring to different types of human bodies (Leon-Guerrero 67). Racism is the belief by individuals that certain racial or ethnic groups are inferior and that discriminatory practices against them are justified (Leon-Guerrero 70). Discriminatory practices can be classified as individual or institutional. Individual discrimination includes actions against minority members by individuals whereas institutional discrimination is practiced by the government, social institutions and organizations and it includes segregation, exclusion or expulsion. Racial and ethnic inequalities affect an individual and the society in different ways including the socioeconomic position of an individual or of the society. Income and wealth of an individual is determined by the social class to which he or she belongs. In the United States, the measure of income and wealth is home ownership since it enables families to invest in their future. After the Second World War, the rate of White middle-class home ownership grew steadily as compared to the Blacks and other minority groups who were denied access to home ownership through discrimination and low income. A research by Hudson et al also suggests that â€Å"it is possible that experiences of racial discrimination could, in part, diminish the effects of increased socioeconomic position among African American men† (134). The racial and ethnic inequalities also determine the type of education that various individuals in the society would like the children to have. Gagnà © and Tewksbury, as quoted by Leon-Guerrero, argue that â€Å"schools hav e become economically segregated, with the children of middle or upper class families attending predominantly White suburban schools and the children of poorer parents attending racially mixed urban schools† (79). Thus it is evident that racial and ethnic inequalities have an indirect impact on the family income and wealth which in turn dictates the education system that their children would undergo.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Racial and ethnic inequalities have a profound impact on the health of an individual or the society at large. Leon-Guerrero quotes Gabard and Cooper who argue that â€Å"although race may be a social construct, it produces profound biological manifestations through stress, decreased services, decreased medications, and decreased hospital procedures† (80). The health institutions have put in place a system that discriminates agai nst the racial and ethnic minority group members. Some researchers have gone further to specify how discrimination is related to health. After an analysis and comparison of the relationship between racial discrimination and health-related outcomes, Benjamins argues that â€Å"discrimination was most strongly related to depression and was less consistently associated with physical health and health behaviors† (16). Racial and ethnic inequalities also have consequences on individuals who leave their country of origin to move to another. The security systems always target immigrants of ethnic and racial minority and they are associated with crime since they are believed to be illegal immigrants. The history of social problems is identified through a subjective process according to Malcom Spector and John Kituse who outline four stages of the subjective process (Leon-Guerrero 12). The first stage, which is defined as the transformation process, involves taking a private or person al problem and transforming it into a public issue. The transformation is done by an influential group, activists or advocates who call attention to and define an issue as a social problem. The second stage is known as the legitimization process which is concerned with formalizing the manner in which the social problems or complaints generated by the problem are handled. This process involves creation and implementation of policies to respond to the social problem. The third stage is the conflict stage that involves readjustment of the formal response system, renegotiation of procedures, reforming practices and engaging in administrative or organizational restructuring. The fourth and final stage begins when groups believe that they can no longer work within the established system. Advocates or activists of the social problem are faced with two options which are either to radically change the existing system or to work outside the system (Leon-Guerrero 12). Most social problems in a community, society, or a global social system are caused by the inequality in the distribution of resources. Some individuals or organizations in the community have more income, power and prestige than others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Racial and ethnic inequalities as a social problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This group of people develops vested interests in maintaining or even increasing their resources and therefore they come up with laws, ideologies, customs and informal norms which are viewed as legitimate by the whole society. As a result, they are able to maintain and control the available resources and block other low class individuals who may want to rise up the ranks. This yields frustration on the part of the majority low class individuals who must struggle to access the resources thus creating conflict. Leon-Guerrero explains that â€Å"conflict theorists focus on how the dynamics of raci al and ethnic relations divide groups while maintaining a dominant group defined by ethnic and racial categories or social class† (71). Marxist theorists argue that immigrants form a backup labor force that performs jobs that native workers no longer perform. This group of individuals provides a cheaper labor source that easily secures employment during economic growth and easily lay off during economic recessions. Conflict develops when higher paid native workers struggle to prevent importation of cheaper nonnative labor so as to maintain their advantage in the labor market. According to Edna Bonacich’s theory of antagonism, â€Å"the presence of a cheaper labor group threatens the jobs of higher paid workers and the standard for wages in all jobs. Under these conditions, the two groups of laborers remain in conflict with each other while the interests of capitalist business owners are maintained† (Leon-Guerrero 72). Benjamins, Maureen R. Comparing Measures of Racial/Ethnic Discrimination, Coping, and Associations with Health-related Outcomes in a Diverse Sample. Journal of Urban Health (2013): 1-17. Print. Hudson, Darrell L., et al. Are Benefits Conferred with Greater Socioeconomic Position Undermined by Racial Discrimination among African American Men? Journal of Mens Health 9.2 (2012): 127-136. Print. Leon-Guerrero, Anna. Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 2011. Print.

Impact Of Hurricanes In Florida Essays - Atlantic Hurricane Seasons

Impact Of Hurricanes In Florida Essays - Atlantic Hurricane Seasons Impact Of Hurricanes In Florida IMPACT OF HURRICANES IN FLORIDA INTRODUCTION According to the National Hurricane Center, a hurricane releases heat energy at a rate of 50 trillion to 200 trillion watts, which is equivalent to the energy from exploding 10 megaton bombs every 20 minutes. With such strength, it is no wonder why these natural disasters have such large destructive impacts on the environment. Furthermore, hurricanes are of extreme importance to Florida, since they have historically plagued the state, especially in 1992 with Hurricane Andrew. Since it is certain that hurricanes will hit Florida and equally certain that biological populations (including people) will exist in Florida, there is a need for researching methods to coexist with these monstrous storms. IMPACTS OF HURRICANES First, to be able to create solutions to hurricane damage, experts must understand the physical manner in which hurricanes actually cause damage. Roger Pielke, in his hurricane book, The Hurricane, identifies four impacts of a hurricane: storm surge, extreme winds, tornadoes, and rainfall. These impacts are not completely separate from each other; they interact, but are different in scope. Storm surge refers to the rapid rise of sea level as a storm approaches a coastline. This is the biggest impact of a hurricane and accounts for 90% of hurricane deaths (Pielke 1990). Storm surges are caused by three factors. First, the overlying atmosphere pressure drops. Second, strong onshore winds cause a piling up of water at the coast. Third, the decreasing sea depths as the ocean approaches the coast causes the surge to get steeper. A storm surge of 15 feet corresponds to a level 5 hurricane, and a surge greater than 5 feet can cause major damage and loss of life. Since surges diminish as they move inland, surges are mostly destructive to beaches. Extreme winds, which carry a lot of kinetic energy, can cause significant structural damage and even endanger life with dangerous debris. The damage of winds is proportional to the kinetic flow, which is exponential. For example, a wind of 50 ms-1 is four times greater than winds of 25 ms-1. In addition, winds are not restricted to the coasts; extreme winds appear and are destructive far inland. Tornadoes are connected with extreme winds. Although hurricane induced tornadoes are not as strong as the normal ones that appear in the Midwest, they still cause a lot of damage and are dangerous to life. Tornadoes are mysterious, but there are theories on their causes. Tornadoes form as a response to large vertical shears of horizontal wind that develop as lower level wind is slowed by ground friction. The large velocity shears tilt due to spatially varying vertical motion, which causes circulation to complete the tornado. Tornadoes can form far inland. Rainfall is the mildest impact, although it still causes major damage and erosion. Even weak tropical disturbances can cause extreme rainfall. This extreme rainfall can cause flash floods or cause body of waters to flood. Rainfall becomes excessive at and after the hurricane hits land. FLORIDA PROBLEMS WITH HURRICANES According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Florida had the most hurricane strikes from 1900 to 1996 of any other state in the United States with 57 hurricanes. Texas was a far second with 36. With such an intense hurricane history, it is no wonder why hurricanes are a major environmental problem facing Florida. For examples, a 1928 hurricane hit Lake Okeechobe and killed 1800 people (Stormfax Weather Almanac 1997), and 1994 Hurricane Gordon caused significant beach erosion along Floridas east coast and $275 million in agricultural damage by flooding Dade and Collier counties (NHC Hurricane Andrew 1994). The best example of the powerful destruction of hurricanes to Florida is hurricane Andrew. According to the National Hurricane Centers report on hurricane Andrew, total damage was estimated at $25 billion! Fortunately, good preparation prevented major loss of life as 26 people died directly from the hurricane. Over $2 billion dollars was needed to cope with environmental damage from the storm. Also, Ocean Oil reported that there were seven incidents of pollution from the hurricane destroying oil structures in the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps worst of all, the $15 billion of damage to private property left many people homeless, with most of their possessions destroyed. This hurricane caused

Popular Quotes From Fight Club (1999 Movie)

Popular Quotes From 'Fight Club' (1999 Movie) For those who get a high by watching action movies, Fight Club is a must-watch. The movie has lean mean macho-fighters, hard-core duels, and adrenalin-surging fight scenes. Brad Pitt fans will love him in the role of Tyler Durden. Secret fighting clubs and primal instincts are no longer taboo according to this movie. Let your adrenalin soar with these Fight Club quotes. Narrator: Fight club wasnt about winning or losing. It wasnt about words. The hysterical shouting was in tongues, like at a Pentecostal Church. Tyler: God Damn! We just had a near-life experience, fellas. Tyler: You have a kind of sick desperation in your laugh. Narrator: Is Tyler my bad dream? Or am I Tylers? Narrator: Life insurance pays off triple if you die on a business trip. Tyler: Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken. Narrator: I am Jacks cold sweat. Narrator: If I did have a tumor, Id name it Marla. Tyler: Its only after weve lost everything that were free to do anything. Narrator: I got in everyones hostile little face. Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, Im comfortable with that. I am enlightened. Narrator: I felt like destroying something beautiful. Narrator: When you have insomnia, youre never really asleep... and youre never really awake. Tyler: Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. Youre the s ame decaying organic matter as everything else. Narrator: On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. Narrator: This is your life and its ending one minute at a time. Tyler: Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessles life. His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I have ever had. Tyler: Hey, you created me. I didnt create some loser alter-ego to make myself feel better. Take some responsibility! Tyler: Three minutes. This is it... ground zero. Would you like to say a few words to mark the occasion? Narrator: [voiceover] With a gun barrel between your teeth, you speak only in vowels. Tyler: Fight Club was the beginning, now its moved out of the basement, its called Project Mayhem. Tyler: Only after disaster can we be resurrected. Tyler: [whispering] Tell him the liberator who destroyed my property has realigned my perception. Tyler: All right, if the applicant is young, tell him hes too young. Old, too old. Fat, too fat. If the applicant then waits for three days without food, shelter, or encouragement he may then enter and begin his training. Narrator: You wake up at Seatac, SFO, LAX. You wake up at OHare, Dallas-Fort Worth, BWI. Pacific, Mountain, Central. Lose an hour, gain an hour. This is your life, and its ending one minute at a time. You wake up at Air Harbor International. If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person? Narrator: We have front row seats for this theater of mass destruction. The demolition committee of Project Mayhem wrapped the foundation columns of a dozen buildings with blasting gelatin. In two minutes, primary charges will blow base charges and a few square blocks will be reduced to smoldering rubble. I know this... because Tyler knows this. Marla: Ive got a stomach full of Xanax. I took what was left of a bottle. It might have been too much. Tyler: Its getting exciting now, 2 and 1/2. Think of everything weve accomplished, man. Out these windows, we will view the collapse of financial history... one step closer to economic equilibrium. Tyler: In the world I see... you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. Youll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. Youll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, youll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway. Narrator: I am Jacks raging bile duct. Narrator: I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more. Narrator: After fighting, everything else in your life got the volume turned down. Tyler: Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing. Narrator: Look, nobody takes this more seriously than me. That condo was my life, okay? I loved every stick of furniture in that place. That was not just a bunch of stuff that got destroyed, it was ME!

Radio Wave Propagation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Radio Wave Propagation - Essay Example So waves lose strength rapidly. [1] Radio waves travel very fast but only in a straight line. Thus the curvature of the earth should limit the distance between transmitter and receiver, a distance of about 60 miles 100 km). However, the earth's atmosphere has properties that allow enhanced propagation. The atmosphere is layered, and these layers have important effects on waves that are propagated on the earth's surface. The layer called the troposphere is a heavy, oxygen filled layer that extends from the surface to about 30 miles (50 km) altitude. From 30m (50 km) to 260m (416 km) is a highly charged layer called the ionosphere. The ionosphere affects radio signals in different ways depending on their frequencies. [2] The frequencies used for radio propagation range from 30 kHz to 3 GHz. Frequencies are continuous but are defined in bands according to their properties and uses. Higher frequencies have shorter wave lengths and more energy: LF waves are propagated as ground waves which, as the name implies, travel along the ground. Because the ground and its terrain interfere with ground waves, transmission requires lots of power. LF waves are used mainly in maritime communications over the sea and the navigational system called LORAN. [4] Sometimes ground waves suffer from a reflecting wave off the ionosphere that can return to earth out of phase near the receiver and interfere with the direct reception. MF wave frequencies are used for AM radio broadcasting. They are also ground waves and during the daylight hours are limited to a range of about 60 miles (100 km). But radio waves can be bent or refracted by changes in the earth's atmosphere particularly by weather patterns and by the ionosphere. The Ionosphere consists of the "D" (30-60 miles [50-100 km]), "E" (60-100 miles [100-160 km]), F1 (90-160 miles [144-256 km]), and the F2 (160-250 miles [256-400 km]) layers. At night, the "E" layer disappears and the F1 and F2 layers combine to form the "F" layer (somewhere between 90 and 250 miles [144-400 km]). Since the "E" layer disappears at night, the lower frequency Sky Waves (MF) travel further up into the atmosphere, where they are REFRACTED by the "F" layer[ up to 300m]. That's why at night, your radio often picks up many more AM broadcast stations! [4] HF waves have enough energy to reach the ionosphere during the day and are refracted by its various layers. Thus short-wave can travelled much further than the curvature of the earth would normally allow. This Sky Wave propagation depends strongly on the ionosphere which is in constant flux. The ionosphere is affected by many astronomical events like meteor showers and solar flares; it is also affected by seasons. Because the ionosphere changes so much, short-wave is considered unreliable for important commercial use. However, some of the effects on radio transmission are positive. These so-called anomalous propagations are of

Consultancy Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Consultancy Project - Essay Example In 2004, Neary argued and said that strategic rationale and efficiency gain derived out of mergers and acquisitions are the two common reasons identified by Business Organization Literature (Neary, 2004, p.48). To study the literature on this research area, empirical researches done related to this study will be collected from the online books and journals. Most of the previous researches indicated that M&A activity has a 50 percent chance of success which is similar to the probability of getting a ‘head’ when an individual toss an unbiased coin. In 2004, Bruner argued and said that synergy means co-operate or work together and involves in merger when two organizations come together and pool in their resources and expertise for better performance, which is also known as synergy. Thus, in order to achieve continuous growth and survive global competition it is important for organizations to adapt M&A strategy. In today’s world the primary objective of a firm is to survive the cut-throat competition and one way to do that is to make more profits and add value to shareholders’ wealth. The ladder of success for any firm is ‘growth’ which can be achieved either by expanding existing resources or introduction of new products and services. Another way of achieving growth is through merger and acquisition (M&A). It has become an important an important way for firms to expand their product portfolios and gaining new markets. M&A also helps the firm’s to acquire knowledge, latest technology and improved management capabilities. In addition, M&A has been found to be extremely successful for specific sectors like pharmaceuticals where extensive Research & Developments are required. Tesco is the second largest company (after Wal- Mart) to earn profit as well as in the retail industry, the company holds the position of

Lawrence's horse dealer's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lawrence's horse dealer's - Essay Example She and her three brothers will have to live their separate lives now. All his brothers have found a way to support themselves but she has nowhere to go. She does not know what to do with her life and she felt that it was the end of the line for her. Her mind was on a turmoil and she thought, â€Å"This was at an end† (Lawrence, n.d.). I think that if she only had money left, she would not have thought of committing suicide. This can be concluded from the statement in the story, â€Å"But so long as there was money, the girl felt herself established, and brutally proud, reserved† (Lawrence, n.d.). But since there was no more money now, Mabel felt there was no reason to live anymore. All she wanted was to be with her dead mother. The other character that completes the love story is Dr. Jack Ferguson. Like Mabel, his life was also dull and pointless. There was nothing but work for him. He even said he hated the â€Å"hellish hole†, his description of the town where he did his practice. There is so much symbolism in this story by Lawrence. One such symbolism is the pond where Mabel tried to commit suicide. It was described as dead and cold. It symbolizes the feelings of both Mabel and Jack before the rescue incident. Both of them did not have any passionate feelings for each other.

Management decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management decisions - Essay Example First and fore most, visual interface for decision flow creation should be evident within the management system. This however, means that each techie in the line of engineering field should learn new tools and techniques each week or even months. I must however, ensure that flexible management of multiple decision flows are met since the technological environment do changes faster with time. Ability to use data from external data sources as well as other systems is an aspect that I should put in mind and manipulate. In addition, building scorecards and models within the employees is an aspect that I should consider since they trigger the evolution of new technologies and bring about management solution. Other solution to the prevailing management issue like defining flexibility between different participants and their decision making process should be given a forefront action to avail effectiveness in the management decisions which incur positive result in management mechanism. Summarily, it is therefore important while am making decision in my company to make sure that both portfolio and the projects within the company components are

Research Report - Experimentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Report - Experimentation - Essay Example The source of the trust-image (dependent variable) in the experiment was a store visit by a close ally and was manipulated as one/zero. The store image was manipulated as positive/negative implying positive or negative the impression on its ability and competence in carrying out basic store services. The experiment used apparel stores for its investigations. This was a good selection especially considering that there are a great number of new apparel stores being opened in India from time to time. This provided an excellent opportunity for carrying out a longitudinal experimental study on emergent stores. Sampling and subjects The subjects used in the experiment were students in a renowned Management Institute in India. Random sampling was used to gather the 160 subjects from four out of the institute’s seven largest dormitories. This is a good sampling procedure because it does not give room for the selection of a biased group of subjects for example subjects of a certain soc io-economic class, taste preference or whose parents own large apparel shops in India. Being college students, the subjects ranged from 20-28 years in age. This was very good considering that individuals in this age bracket were free from parental influence in terms of shopping preference for example apparel purchase. According to Kaul et al (2010), the use of male respondents is another positive aspect of this research and it improves the reliability of its results. This is because product quality for formal and informal men’s wear in large Indian apparel stores is relatively established. If ladies had been sampled in the experiment, the results would have had some levels of bias and unreliability. This is because their formal wears are western and are only available in limited range in few large stores and selected cities. However, the use of ladies under a parallel experiment would have been good for proofing further the reliability of the results obtained from male subjec ts. When the results of pre-visit and post visit scenarios were compared, they were similar. The participants also verified the research results by naming large apparel stores they could recollect after the experiment. As expected, all the participants mentioned various large regional and national apparel shops. This was in line with the hypothesis of the experiment and hence the experiment can be said to be worthy and valid in indicating that store image has an impact on the shopper trust. This was supported by use of a manipulation check to check the experiment’s believability. The manipulation check was in form of an open-ended question â€Å"According to you, on what has your friend probably based his opinion about the store?† Kaul et al (2010), In addition to the manipulation check, an additional item to test the respondents’ willingness to visit the store again was used.. However, it was not necessary to use the manipulation checks and additional test item because the data collected were too rich to be analysed. Therefore, it is true to say that the experiment was overdone. As much as the data collected was too rich, it could also be unreliable because it could just be a reflection of top-of-mind recall instead of all relevant cues. The experiment did not involve repeated experimentations which should have been done after some good

Cellular PathologyCritical Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cellular PathologyCritical Review - Essay Example Finally, the correlation between CDX-2 and MIB-1 was also not significant with r value of 0.29. Most of these findings were not consistent with the findings from the existing literature. There were some positive points present in this study. The author discussed the results with support of the available information. In the discussion, some points on the limitations of the study were stated very well; limitation due to small sample size and limitation due to interobserver and intra-onbserver errors which could have affected the results from visual analysis which was a subjective issue. Apart from these positive points in the account of the study, it had some weaknesses. The author discussed the role of CDX-2 in the introduction but there was no mention of the MIB-1 role and value. Due to which author, in fact, could not build a rationale for carrying out this study. Although, the study type was described as retrospective but further elaboration on the topic is missing. Who were the cases (with definition) or controls, and how were they selected Even the sample size was not mentioned in the methodology section but only in the discussion.

Research Report - Experimentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Report - Experimentation - Essay Example The source of the trust-image (dependent variable) in the experiment was a store visit by a close ally and was manipulated as one/zero. The store image was manipulated as positive/negative implying positive or negative the impression on its ability and competence in carrying out basic store services. The experiment used apparel stores for its investigations. This was a good selection especially considering that there are a great number of new apparel stores being opened in India from time to time. This provided an excellent opportunity for carrying out a longitudinal experimental study on emergent stores. Sampling and subjects The subjects used in the experiment were students in a renowned Management Institute in India. Random sampling was used to gather the 160 subjects from four out of the institute’s seven largest dormitories. This is a good sampling procedure because it does not give room for the selection of a biased group of subjects for example subjects of a certain soc io-economic class, taste preference or whose parents own large apparel shops in India. Being college students, the subjects ranged from 20-28 years in age. This was very good considering that individuals in this age bracket were free from parental influence in terms of shopping preference for example apparel purchase. According to Kaul et al (2010), the use of male respondents is another positive aspect of this research and it improves the reliability of its results. This is because product quality for formal and informal men’s wear in large Indian apparel stores is relatively established. If ladies had been sampled in the experiment, the results would have had some levels of bias and unreliability. This is because their formal wears are western and are only available in limited range in few large stores and selected cities. However, the use of ladies under a parallel experiment would have been good for proofing further the reliability of the results obtained from male subjec ts. When the results of pre-visit and post visit scenarios were compared, they were similar. The participants also verified the research results by naming large apparel stores they could recollect after the experiment. As expected, all the participants mentioned various large regional and national apparel shops. This was in line with the hypothesis of the experiment and hence the experiment can be said to be worthy and valid in indicating that store image has an impact on the shopper trust. This was supported by use of a manipulation check to check the experiment’s believability. The manipulation check was in form of an open-ended question â€Å"According to you, on what has your friend probably based his opinion about the store?† Kaul et al (2010), In addition to the manipulation check, an additional item to test the respondents’ willingness to visit the store again was used.. However, it was not necessary to use the manipulation checks and additional test item because the data collected were too rich to be analysed. Therefore, it is true to say that the experiment was overdone. As much as the data collected was too rich, it could also be unreliable because it could just be a reflection of top-of-mind recall instead of all relevant cues. The experiment did not involve repeated experimentations which should have been done after some good