Introduction to Operating Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Introduction to Operating Systems - Assignment Example While for creating an interface with the software it makes use of the application programs. The elementary function provided by the operating system is that of interface for interaction between the hardware and software, since both are equally important for the suitable working of a computer system (Null & Lobur, 2010). For the hardware that is connected to the system, specific softwares are needed which allow recognition by the operating system. This task is accomplished by the drivers which make it possible for the operating system to interlace the hardware with the application softwares and other components of the system. Drivers also help in ensuring the proper working of hardwares (Andrews, 2009). The best practices for keeping the system current are updating it on regular basis. Downloading of the necessary patches that might be required with new drivers. Best practices also include ensuring the authenticity of downloading material and checking its compatibility with the existing hardware and operating system kernel. Hence operating system is that part of the entire system without which the computer cannot exist. Operating system is like the heart to human body that controls all other components and provides them with necessary

Summary Industrial Organization Essay Example for Free

Summary Industrial Organization Essay A perfectly competitive industry has 6 main characteristics: 1) large number of buyers and sellers 2) producers and consumers have perfect knowledge 3) the products sold by firms are identical 4) firms act independently and aim at maximizing profits 5) no entry or exit barriers 6) firms can sell as much output as they want at the current market price NEOCALSSICAL THEORY: Static conception, focus on long-run According to Schumpeter and the Austrian School, the fact that a firm earns an abnormal profit (monopoly) profit does not constitute evidence that the firm is guilty of abusing its market(monopoly) power at the expense of consumer: entrepreneur, creative destruction monopoly status is only a temporary phenomenon competition is a dynamic process Disequilibrium reflects imperfect information or ignorance on the part of buyers and sellers!! Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) Paradigm Structure is the central element. It influences conduct which in turn has an effect on the performance STRUCTURE Number and size of firms, entry conditions, product differentiation, vertical integration, diversification; fixed int he short-run CONDUCT Business objectives, pricing, design and branding, advertising and marketing, RD, collusion, merger; refers to the behaviour of a firm PERFORMANCE Profitability, growth, quality of products and services, technological service, productive and allocative efficiency; Chicago School about abnormal profit: causes may be cost advantage and superior efficiency STUDY CASE: EUROPEAN BANKING To prevent from damaging implications for consumer welfare, there can be interventions of the government. The government policy is regulatory intervention to promote competition and prevent abuses of market power preventing a horizontal merger, break up of a large incumbent producer price controls, punishment of unlawful collusions The Chicago School is a group of prominent academic lawyers and economists, whose promarket, pro-competition and anti-government views were perhaps of their most influencial during the 1970’s and 80’s Critics of the SCP Paradigm the theory does not always specify precise relationships between S, C, P variables it is often difficult to decide which variables belong to which category performance is only some measure of the degree of success in achieving desired goals the definition of market or industry structure has a number of dimensions danger of overemphasizing the role of concentration little comprehensive information is available on more subtle aspects of market structure and essentially no systematic data aside from accounting profit rates is available on conduct and performance relationships are oftein quite weak in terms of statistical significance no explanation is offered as to the evolution of the market structure variables, and the influence of the current co nduct and performance on future structure according to the collusion hypothesis, a positive association between concentration and profitability was interpreted as evidence of collusion or other abuses of market power designed to enhance profit according to the efficiency hypothesis (Chicago), a positive relationship between concentration and profitability reflects a natural tendency for efficient firms to be successful and to become dominant in their industries Strategic management: 5 forces model 1) Extent and intensity of competition 2) Threat of entrants 3) Threat of substitute products and services 4) Power of buyers 5) Power of suppliers Porter’s approach: static, underemphasises the problem of uncertainty caused by change in the competitive environment, competitive advantage is measured by the value the firm is able to create in excess of its costs, Porter introduces the concept of the value chain, which disaggregates the firm into its strategically relevant activities: Primary activities (physical creation of produt/service), Support activities (support primary activities and each other) each activity is linked to another, this approach examines how these links can be improved in order to increase margins on each of the firm’s products Kay argues that each individual firm is inherently different, and therefore dismisses the notion of generic strategies. Instead, firms develop distinctive capabilities in an ettempt to achieve competitive advantage. This shift away from analyzing the characteristics of the environment, and towards examining each firm’s unique attributes strategies mirrors the shift of emphasis away from structure and towards conduct that is imlicit in much of the NIO literature. Sources of distinctive capabilities: Innovation, architecture, reputation determinants of performance Firms can only maintain a competitive advantage if they can protect their strategies from imitation The strategic management approach has been criticized for placing insufficient emphasis on the interaction between firms at the level of the market or industry. Instead, the focus is mainly on strategic options available to the firm. †¢ Chapter 2: Microeconomic foundations: The short-run relationships between inputs, outputs and production cost is governed by the law of diminishing returns, and the long-run relation is governed by economies or diseconomies of scale!! The Production Function: q=f(L,K) inthe short run labor is variable but capital is fixed!!! Law of Diminishing Returns: As increasing quantities of labor are used in conjunction with a fixed quantity of capital, eventually the additional contribution that each successive unit of labor makes to total output starts to decline Marginal Product of Labor (MPL): It is the qunatity of additional output the firm obtains by employing an additional worker. Average Product of Labor (APL): It is the ratio of total output to quantity of labor employed. It is important to notice that APL is increasing whenever MPLAPL and APL is decreasing when MPL2f(L,K) f(2L,2K)=2f(L,K) f(2L,2K)1 price elastic sensitive quantity PED =1 unit price elasticity PED 0 for substitutes, 2: more weight to larger firms if for above average performers. †¢ Business unit effects form low performers o The new empirical industrial organization. The new empirical industrial organization shifts the focus from structures analysis to conduct analysis. It is grounded firmly in microeconomic (oligopoly) theory. NeIO makes direct observations of conduct in specific industries, and draws inferences about what these observed patters of conduct might mean for structure. The Rosse-Panzar revenue test is based on empirical observation of the impact on firm-level revenues of variations in the prices of the factors of production that are used as inputs in the production processes of a group of competing firms. The H-statistic is defined as sum of elastic ties if a firm’s total revenue w.r.t. each of its factor input prices. It differs under perfectly competitive, imperfectly competitive and monopolistic market conditions. See page 336 for graphs. If H = 1 conduct perfect competition If H O conduct monopoly If 0 H 1 conduct imperfect competition Empirical evidence: †¢ Commonly, price-setting behaviour in accordance with intermediate competition models is detected. Limits: †¢ Offers a determination of only what the market structure of degree of monopoly is not, and does not suggest what it is. o The persistence of profit Persistence of profit approach examines the time-series behaviour of firm-level profit dates. It suggest: profitability in more profitable industries tends to fall and profitability in less profitable industries tends to rise. tendency for profit rates to converge. supports the disequilibrium hypothesis. Firm level studies suggest there are significant differences between firms in long run equilibrium profit rates, and differences in the speed of convergence. Industry level studies: †¢ If current profitability is higher than expected, entry should take place causing profitability to fall and v. v. the empirical results suggest the process of adjustment towards l.r. equilibrium takes about four years. Industry level variables such as entry barriers, concentration and growth in demand determine the speed of adjustment. There is evidence of a tendency for profitability to persist, especially in highly concentrated industries. †¢ Firm level studies: o If competition is anything less then perfect, and there are barriers to entry, it may take some time for any abnormal profit to be eroded. s.r. profit persistence. o L.r. profit persistence: where there are barriers to entry, there no convergence of firm level rates towards a common l.r. average value. If some firms posses and are able to retain specialized knowledge or other advantage, theses firms may be able to earn profits that remain above the norm persistently, in the long run. o L.r. persistence refers to the degree of variation between firms in the l.r. average profit rates no convergence (empirical result) Part 3: analysis of firm strategy: †¢ Chapter 10: Pricing: o Critic of neoclassical theory: do firms have enough information to apply the profit maximization rule MR = MC? o Cost plus pricing Under cost plus pricing, the firm calculates or simply estimates its AVC and then sets it price by adding on a percentage mark-up that includes a contribution towards the firm’s fixed costs and a profit margin. P = (1+m)AVC This is simple to understand and can be implemented using less information. AVC is relatively flat over a relevant range of output levels; minor variations in the level of demand need not lead to changes in price. So it reduces consumer’s search costs and also reduces destructive price competition. The mark up determination appeals to a sense of fairness. Otherwise it is not simply implemented for a multiproduct firm. The wide-spread use of cost plus pricing might suggest it as a convenient rule of thumb form firms that are really profit maximizers- cost plus pricing is equivalent to profit maximization pricing if AVC is approximately constant, and the mark up is set to a value of 1/(PED/1). Research showed that firms where more profit oriented where competition was more intense and also large firms turned out to be more likely profit maximizing. o Price discrimination A firm that enjoys some degree of market power might consider adopting a more complex pricing policy, for example to sell at different prices to different consumers. First degree price discrimination: †¢ Perfect price discrimination involves making the price per unit of output depend on the identity of the purchaser and on the number of unit purchased. Second degree price discrimination: †¢ Involves making the price per unit of output depend on the number of units purchased. Third degree price discrimination: †¢ Involves making the price per unit depend on the identity of the purchase. The term dumping describes the practice of charging a lower price to consumers in poorer countries than to charge in richer countries. Two conditions: †¢ Some degree of market power and the market has to be divisible into sub-markets different demand conditions, no trade or resale, significant transport costs can also help to achieve an effective physical separation of sub-markets. First degree: †¢ Each consumer’s reservation price is the max. price the consumer is willing to pay. The monopolist can exploit the differences in willingness to pay by charging each consumer high or her own reservation price. It is worthwhile for the monopolist to supply all consumers whose reservation price exceeds the monopolists marginal costs. It is also possible that if reductions in the prices of further units are offered, that the consumer is induced to buy three, four †¦ units. Another way to abtain surplus is to charge a two-part tariff: uniform additional price + fixed fee. In this form of pr. Discr. Producers earn an abnormal profit, there is no CS and there is no DWL. It is known as perfect price discrimination because all the available surplus is extracted by monopolists. †¢ Page 360 Second degree: †¢ In the case where the monopolist cannot distinguish between consumer, the best policy is to offer the same menu of prices and quantities to all and allow the consumers to self select. †¢ Page 362 †¢ If the monopolist sets a fixed fee slightly lower than PCAF, and charging a uniform price per unit slightly higher than PC, he can gain additional PS †¢ With Pc + P the fixed fee is reduced from WXY to W. †¢ Here the producer cannot extract all of the surplus. So first degree price discrimination (perfect information about consumer preferences) is more profitable than second degree (imperfect information) Third degree: †¢ Here the price per unit that each consumer pays is constant, but the monopolist can segment the market by offering different prices to different consumers. Partial market segmentation is achieved through age, membership, gender, profession etc. †¢ The monopolist should select the price quantity combination for each sub-market at monopolistic output. †¢ One price will always be higher and the other price lower than the uniform monopoly price in the non discriminating case. Consumers in the sub market with the lower price have more CS and are always better off than in the non-discriminating case. †¢ Examples: o With intertemporal price discrimination, the supplier segments the market by the point in time at which the product is purchased by different groups of consumers. Each consumer is willing to make his purchase in one of the two periods. (page 369). But: Coase: consumers may learn that prices will be cut and wait with purchasing. o Brand labels: do not really represent pr. Discr. More products are different because of genuine product characteristics. o Loyalty discount: 2nd degree pr. Disc. o Coupons: some from but connected with effort o Stock clearance: some form o Free on board pricing same prices neglecting different costs in different areas. o Peak-load pricing Much of the theoretical literature on peak load pricing is based on an assumption of social welfare maximization. When a peak-load pricing problem exists, often capacity cannot be adjusted. Page 372 The optimal price for each period is the total marginal cost incurred through the installation of additional capacity and the additional production in both periods minus the price charged in the other period. The peak-period consumers, whose demand or willingness to pay is stronger are charged a higher price than the off-peak consumers. MC of installing additional capacity is lowered to B’. Chapter 11: Auctions: o Auction formats, and models of bidder valuation An auction is a market mechanism for converting bids from market participants into decisions concerning the allocation of resources and prices, though a specific set of rules. price formation under conditions of uncertainty, asymmetric information and interdependence. There are four basic auction formats providing the cornerstone for the economic theory of auctions. The English auction (ascending bid auction) involves the price being set initially low and then raised successively until a level is reached which only one bidder is willing to pay. The Dutch auction (descending bid auction) works in the opposite way. In the first price sealed bid auction, each bidder independently submits a single bid, without seeing the bids submitted by other bidders. The highest wins and pays. The second price sealed bid auction (vickrey auction) works similar as the first prices sealed bid auction, but here the highest bidder gets the item and pays a price equal to the second highest bid. Asymmetric information means that seller and buyers typically do not have perfect information concerning the distribution of bidders valuations of the item being auctioned. There are also two alternative assumptions: †¢ In the pure common value model, the item is a single, intrinsic value that is the same for all bidders, but nobody knows the true value. †¢ In the independent private values model, each bidder knows the true value of the item to himself personally. no single value †¢ The affiliated valuation model includes elements of both. o The pure common value model and the winner’s curse The winner’s curse appears to be a rather common feature of many auctions in which bidders valuations conform to the pure common value model. It is very likely that the winning bidder, with the highest private estimate has overvalued the item. The winning bidder is very likely to turn out to be a loser, in the sense of having overpaid the item. Two possible estimates of the true value: a) original private estimate unconditional. b) revised estimate (knowing other valuations) conditional. In order to avoid the winners curse, the sealed bid should be based on a revised estimate, conditional on the bidder’s original estimate being the highest estimate. In fact, in a first price sealed bid auction, it pays to submit a bid some distance below the bidders opinion as to the true value. o Optimal bidding strategies and revenue equivalence in the independent private values model. Assumptions: private values are randomly drawn from a uniform distribution. Risk neutrality of the bidders. The English auction: †¢ Withdraw as soon as the price equals or exceeds the private value. You gain a rent equal to the difference between private value and winning bid, or nothing. Second price sealed bid auction: †¢ A bidder’s optimal bidding strategy is to enter a bid equivalent to his or her own private value. By raising your bid, you can only lose, you cannot possibly gain. The rival’s bid determines the price you would have paid if you had bid your private value. Therefore by lowering your bid you have forfeited an opportunity to buy the item for less than your private value. †¢ English and second price auctions can be described as strategically equivalent when everybody behaves rationally. In the terminology of game theory it is in both cases a dominant strategy. First price sealed bid auction: †¢ It pays to submit a bid that is below your own private value. †¢ Page 396: o P(0) = 0 o P(B) is and increasing function of B. The higher the bid, the higher P(B) to win. o P(B) is a decreasing function of l. The higher the number of bidders, the lower P(B) to win. †¢ By reducing the submitted bid below BH =Vi, bidder i gains by committing to pay a lower price, but also loses by accepting a lower P(B) of winning. The position of the P(B) curve depends on the bidding strategies of the bidders. †¢ Nash equilibrium’s optimal bid: ((N-1)/N) * Vi †¢ As the number of N increases, the optimal bid approached the bidder’s private value. Dutch auction: †¢ Wait until the price has fallen a certain amount below the private value. gain a positive rent. By allowing the price to drop, you can only gain and you cannot lose. Bidder I should bid when the price reaches ((N-1)/N) * Vi. So, also the two last auctions types are strategically equivalent. The revenue equivalence theorem: †¢ All four auctions formats are expected to yield exactly the same price to seller on average. The seller is expected price is always the expected value or expectation of the second highest private value (page 399). Sellers expected proceeds: o E(V2) = (N-1)/(N+1) †¢ It is important to remember that the revenue equivalence theorem relies heavily on the independent private values assumption. Evidence is rather limited o Extensions and additional topics in auction theory. To ensure a certain price for the seller, he can introduce a rule that the item is not sold if the price payable by the winning bidder does not at least match (or exceed) a reserve price. It can be shown that it is optimal for the seller to set a reserve price that is higher than his own private value. Inefficient allocation of resources can be consistent with the maximization of the seller private proceeds. The optimal reserve price does not depend on the number of bidders. The price should not be too high, because then the item won’t be sold anymore. Risk averse bidders: †¢ In an English auction, risk aversion makes no difference to the optimal bidding strategy. In a Dutch auction, in contrast, risk aversion causes the bidder to call out earlier. Therefore the revenue equivalence theorem breaks down if bidders are risk averse (Dutch auction yields higher profit for the seller). In a second price auction, risk aversion causes nothing to change. In a first price sealed bid auction, risk averse bidders tend to bid closer to their private values than risk neutral bidders theorem brakes down again. †¢

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Chivalry by the Knight and the Squire Essa

Different Perspectives of Chivalry by the Knight and the Squire in Canterbury Tales  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the medieval period that is described by Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, chivalry was perhaps the most recognized quality of a true Christian gentleman. This quality is explored in Chaucer's two characters of the warrior class, the Knight and the Squire. The Squire is in fact the son of the Knight; both ride gallantly and have the air of true gentleman warriors. However, the two are very dissimilar despite their appearances. The Knight possesses the true qualities of chivalry, devotion to service, constancy in humility, and honesty. The Squire possesses none of these qualities truly, instead his demeanor is a shell that encloses a less virtuous constitution. Although both claim the same vocation, the Squire and the Knight display contradicting attitudes in respect to dedication, material possessions, and sincerity. The most recurrent point in the description of the Knight was the abundance and importance of his battles, while it was the least mentioned aspect of the Squire. While the entirety of the Squire's military exploits are named in two lines, "he had seen some service with the cavalry / In Flanders and Artois and Picardy.", the list of the Knight's battles clearly dominates the text of his description, running for many lines: When we took Alexandria, he was there . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In Lithuania he had ridden, and Russia, No Christian man so often, of his rank. When, in Granada, Algeciras sank Under assault, he had been there, and in North Africa, raiding Benamarin; In Anatolia he had been as well And fought when Ayas and Attalia fell... This pass... ...o some degree boastful, lusting, or superficial. The Squire was never directly criticized by Chaucer, but the implications that resulted from the description amounted to an extravagant, un-chivalrous image, a reflection of the actual knights of Chaucer's day. Because of the reality of the corruption that was portrayed by the Squire, the true and complete chivalry portrayed by the Knight was unknown. Therefore, it follows that Chaucer was not merely comparing two knights and delineating the virtues that comprised chivalry, but in a grander sense was re vealing many of the corrupting point of humanity by comparing the fundamental difference between the reality of our humanity with the ideal of perfection. Works Cited: Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed Mack, Maynard et al. W. W. Norton and Co. New York, NY. 1992.

Imperialsim †proper and legitimate course Essay

Have you ever wanted something because you felt you deserved it? Throughout history people have wanted to expand and take what they wanted. It is human nature to want things and set goals to acquire those wants. Imperialism was a proper and legitimate course of action for the U.S. Imperialism is the proper thing for America to practice. Reverend Josiah Strong wrote Our Country stating, â€Å"The highest civilization will spread itself over the earth. â€Å"This means that Americas are better than all the people who we took the land of. Alfred T. Mahan wrote The Interest of America in Sea Power which says, â€Å"The growing production of the country demands it.† This means that America needs to expand to allow more people to purchase our products. President McKinley said, â€Å"we could not leave them to themselves they were unfit for self government.† This means that our way of government is so much better than theirs in our eyes that we must take over them to help them prosper. Albert Beveridge, a Republican senator from Indiana said, â€Å"Almighty God He has marked us as His chosen people.† This means that it’s our god given right to pursue more land. Henry Cabot Lodge stated â€Å"Taking Philippines does not violate the princ iples of the Declaration of Independence, but will spread them among a people who have never known liberty.† This means he want us to force freedom on the Philippines and eventually more people. Imperialism is legitimate and proper however some people disagree with this statement. Senator George F. Hoar says â€Å"under the Declaration of Independence you cannot govern a foreign territory, a foreign people, another people than your own†. This being said means that many things America has done goes against the declaration which is unjustifiable. Anti-Imperialist League said, we hold that the policy know as imperialism is hostile to liberty and tends toward militarism, an evil from which it has been out glory to be free.† This is basically saying that imperialism is evil and goes against liberty. In conclusion, Imperialism was a proper and legitimate course of action for  the U.S. Imperialism is a very controversial topic that can prove to be just or not in many ways. In the end if America did expand we would of wasted or true potential to be what we are now. If one this imperialism isn’t just how ever then why will there option matter because without land there would be overpopulation and lack of commonly used resources.

Battle of Frediericksburg Analysis

The Battle of Fredericksburg David P. Wrighten, CPT, MS Class 09-002 Small Group 6, MAJ Sims 03 April 2009 Abstract In early December 1862, the Union Army of the Potomac had massed on the northern bank of the Rappahannock River as it was in position to strike the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. The Union also position themselves to cut off the Confederate Army’s main supply route for the import and export of goods in the south. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia confronted the Union Army’s attempted strike on the south side of the Rappahannock by occupying the high ground overlooking the riverside town of Fredericksburg. Caught between the two opposing armies, Fredericksburg was destined to the battleground for a bloody prelude of major battles between the Union and Confederate armies in the open fields of the south. The Battle of Fredericksburg Introduction The Battle of Fredericksburg occurred on 11 December 1862 on the banks of the Rappahannock River near the small town of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Pitting three divisions of the Union Forces commanded by MG Edwin V. Sumner, MG Joseph Hooker, and MG William B. Franklin, approximately 120,000 Soldiers against the two Confederate Forces Corps of Northern Virginia commanded by LTG James Longstreet and LTG Thomas L. Jackson approximately 90,000 Soldiers. This battle emphasized the effective use of Weather, Maneuver, Observation Fields of Fire, Cover, and concealment, Obstacles, Key Terrain, and Avenues of Approach. The use of the Battlefield Operating Systems was instrumental in the success of the mission. The primary source used to gather information was, Decisive Battles of the Civil War: the Battle of Fredericksburg by LT. COL. Joseph B. MitchellDrama on the Rappahannock: the Fredericksburg Campaign by Edward J. Stackpole. Secondary sources used were The Battle of Fredericksburg a Special Edition of: Civil War Times by Edward J. Stackpole and Guide to the Battles of Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg by Jay Luvaas and Harold W. Nelson. Strategic Setting Fredericksburg, Virginia during the 1860s had developed into a family oriented community. This town happened to be the farthest point to navigate up the Rappahannock River. It was a very important site for trading for imported and exported goods. However, the larger, newer sailing vessels had difficulties in navigating the Rappahannock, which greatly hinder the international trade with other less modern customers of trade. This allowed members of Fredericksburg to live a more normal or less congested big city lifestyle. Militarily, this river is important for resupplying Soldiers critical supplies in order to fight effectively. The town of Fredericksburg changed hands many times throughout the war. Being located so closely to Richmond and Washington, it can greatly assist or resist in a potential attack on Richmond or Washington. In addition, this town could act as a staging area prior to launching an attack on the nation’s capital. Furthermore, four major battles fought within a seventeen-mile radius of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The major encounter during the Battle of Fredericksburg took place in Virginia. MG Ambrose Burnside’s Federal Army of the Potomac tried to countermine Gen Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and capture Richmond. However, this would be a difficult task, since the Confederates were deeply entrenched into a defensive position west of town. Tactical Situation 1. Mission: Gen Burnside’s was to cross the Rappahannock River and seize the heights behind Fredericksburg, Virginia before Gen Lee’s army arrived. After seizing the town of Fredericksburg, the Army of the Potomac would then advance south to Richmond. In order to cross the Rappahannock Burnside had to build multiple bridges; for this purpose, support elements sent pontoon bridge equipment to Fredericksburg. The Union Forces arrived to the northern banks of the Rappahannock; there were no Confederate Forces in sight. It ould seem as if the advantage would be on the side of the Union Forces. 2. Equipment: Gen Hunt deployed riflemen to provide covering fire for the engineers at each end of the three construction points. He also possessed 147 artillery pieces to serve as the main deterrent to the Confederate Forces opposing the Union effort and accommodate a moderate logistics train. His ammo and other classes of supply were plentiful but the distance wou ld slowly cause these resources to erode. The Confederates had sufficient food and water, but other classes of supply were scarce, particularly their ammo. Many carried hunting rifles and shotguns of varying caliber. The Union Forces had a clear advantage. 3. Terrain: The city and its environs along the Rappahannock River in north-central Virginia were significant obstacles to Union advances on Richmond, the Confederate capital. The battlefield consists of a series of flood plains and river terraces with gentle slopes paralleled by north-south ridges that provide structural boundaries on either side, all comprised of Tertiary and Quaternary Coastal Plain sediments. The Confederates, led by Gen Robert E. Lee, effectively used natural terrain features to impede attacks made by the Union army. Tactical benefits also accrued by the Confederates from manufactured obstacles on the battlefield, e. g. , stone walls and fences. After crossing the Rappahannock River, the Union Army, had to attack uphill with little cover in their unsuccessful attempts to dislodge the Confederates. This gave the Confederate Forces the advantage against the Union strike. 4. Troops: Strategically the Union Forces had the advantage with the number of troops under Gen Burnsides command at nearly 120,000. The Confederate Forces had the advantage as having set up their defensive positions and direct access through their supply routes to their headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. The Confederate Forces did lack military training in the ranks as well as standard issue items that would help in the success of their campaign. The Union Forces had a clear advantage as far as personnel, but Confederate Forces had an advantage for their ability to resupply the units. 5. Time: This historic Fredericksburg Campaign planned and executed over a two-month period in November – December of 1862. This was during an extremely cold and harsh winter season. It reduced both the Union and Confederate forces from quiet movements, clear line of sight during pre-dawn hours (fog on the river), heavy snowfall, which restricted movements, thick terrain made of oak, maple, cedar, and highly thick entangled brush cause limited mobility, counter mobility and reduced eyes on the enemy. Therefore, even though the weather did not favor either side, it did not kept tactical goals of either side from being established. The Battle After, the Battle of Bull Run both armies devoted the second half of 1861 and part of 1862 to make serious adjustments for more important battles to come. Procurement of supplies, training, recruiting new soldiers, and other military activities was the primary training mission of both armies. Neither force was in any particular hurry to conduct an offensive operation. An impatient President waited in the White House to see how his popular commanding officer will retrain and utilize his powerful forces. Gen McClellan moved his forces in March 1862, via water, to the Virginia Peninsula between the York and James Rivers. The intent of this move was to take Richmond, Virginia. However, Johnston countered this plan by moving his Confederate soldiers overland in the same direction. Therefore, Gen Mc McClellan staged his troops at Fort Monroe. At the same time, Stonewall Jackson began his Shenandoah Valley Campaign, wounded in battle General Johnston was succeed by Robert E. Lee. On Oct. 6, the President instructed Gen McClellan to â€Å"cross the Potomac and give battle to the enemy, or drive him South. Your army must now move,† â€Å"he said, â€Å"while the roads are good. † Twenty-four days spent in correspondence before Gen McClellan obeyed the order of the president. Gen McClellan complained of a lack of men and supplies to make it prudent to move forward. At length, October had nearly passed by and Gen Lee’s army thoroughly rested and reorganized, and communications with Richmond re-established, the Army of the Potomac began to cross the river (Oct. 26), 100,000 strong. The Nationals led down the east side of the Blue Ridge, but failed to strike the retreating Confederates over the mountain in flank or to get ahead of them; and Gen Lee pushed Gen Longstreet’s troops over the Blue Ridge to Culpeper Courthouse, between the Army of the Potomac and Richmond, ready to dispute the advance of the Nationals. Quick and energetic movements were now necessary to sever and defeat, in detail, Gen Lee’s army. (See Map 1) On Nov. 75, the President relieved Gen McClellan of command, and Gen Burnside took command of the Corps. A sense of responsibility made the latter commander exceedingly cautious. Before he moved, he endeavored to get his 120,000 men well in hand. Gen Burnside determined Aquia Creek Landing as his resupply hub and main base for his assault. His overall decision was to, and he moved the army towards Fredericksburg down the Fredericksburg Route towards Fredericksburg. The allowed his forces to cover Washington and assure better protection of his lines of resupply and communication. Oon Nov. 150 Gen. Sumner led the movement from Warrenton down the left bank of the Rappahannock and covered almost 40 miles in two and one-half days to Falmouth. By November 21, Gen Longstreet's Corps had arrived near Fredericksburg, and Gen Jackson's (which had been downstream along the Rappahannock to prevent crossings there) was following rapidly. Gen Lee at first anticipated that he would fight Gen Burnside northwest of Fredericksburg and that it might be necessary to drop back behind the North Anna River. However, when he saw how slowly Gen Burnside was moving, he directed all of his army toward Fredericksburg. The first pontoon bridges arrived at Falmouth on November 25, much too late to enable the Army of the Potomac to cross the river without opposition. Gen Burnside still had an opportunity, however, because he was facing only half of Gen Lee's army, not yet dug in, and if he acted quickly, he might be able to attack Longstreet and defeat him before Jackson arrived. Once again, he squandered his opportunity. The bridges arrived at the end of the month, and by this time, Gen Jackson was present and Gen Longstreet was preparing strong defenses. Gen Burnside originally plannedplanned to use Gen McClellan’s original plan of to crossing his army east of Fredericksburg; 10 miles (16 km) downstream at Skinker's Neck, but Early's division arrived there and blocked him. Therefore,So he Gen Burnside decided to cross directly at Fredericksburg. On December 9, he wrote to Halleck, â€Å"I think now the enemy will be more surprised by a crossing immediately in our front than any other part of the river. †¦ I'm convinced that a large force of the enemy is now concentrated at Port Royal, its left resting on Fredericksburg, which we hope to turn. † In addition to, his numerical advantage in troop strength, Gen Burnside also had the advantage of knowing his army could not be attacked effectively. On the other side of the Rappahannock, 220 artillery pieces had been located on the ridge known as Stafford Heights to prevent Gen Lee's army from mounting any major counterattacks. (See Map 1) On the morning of December 11, Union Engineers began the construction of six pontoon bridges in preparation for the passage of Union Forces across the Rappahannock River. Two placed north of the Town Center, a third on the southern end of town, and three further south near the confluence of the Rappahannock and Deep Run. During the assembly of the pontoon bridges, Union Engineers came under punishing fire from the Confederate Forces primarily from the sharpshooters of the Mississippi Brigade commanded by Gen Barksdale. Gen Burnside. tThen ordered his Union artillery batteries then to shelled the city. The artillery fire lasted for an hour in terrific bombardment in hopes to drive the Confederate sharpshooters out of their positions. The bombardment failed to dampen the spirits of Barksdale’s sharpshooters, as soon as the artillery fire ceased the musketeers popped out of the holes and resumed firing. Thus, the first attempt to cross the river was a failure due to the Confederates’ fires on federal engineers constructing pontoon bridges on the river. Gen Burnsides’ staff immediately began mission analysis on another plan to cross the river. Gen Hunt suggested the only solution to cross the river are volunteers to cross by ferry rowing in pontoons to secure the opposite side of the river a lay suppressive fire on Confederate sharpshooters to cover the bridge layers. Because of a lack in confidence on his part, Gen BurnsideIf he was confident and swift in issuing was slow in issuing his tactical instructions,instructions; the Union Army of the Potomac may have caught the Confederates unready to defend their positions properly. In addition to the failure of the first attempt to cross, there wasAdditionally, a decrease in morale of the Union ForcesArmy of the Potomac and their senior commandeleadershipr due to the hesitation of Gen Burnsides decisionstheir overall commander on not just one critical occasion but several occasions. Other occasions of indecisiveness and lack of initiative in dealing with the blunder of getting the pontoons transferred from Washington also attributed to the decrease in morale of not only the Leadership leadership but also the Soldiers. Furthermore, the inability of Burnside to consider the advice advice, from Gen Halleck, was trying to give on where to cross the river showed the lack of communication from the field commander to Washington Headquarters. The Chief Engineer of the Army ordered his engineers in the following format (Stackpole, p122): (These were the actual orders that were issued) Engineers will place two pontoons bridges to be constructed at the site of old pontoon bridge, one of them to have approaches for artillery. One pontoon bridge at site of old canal-boat bridge; approaches for artillery. Additionally, we will place two pontoon bridges just below mouth of Deep Run, a mile below Fredericksburg one to have artillery approach. Major Spaulding to throw three uppe r ones: major Magruder to throw the next, and Lieutenant Cross the lowest one. Bridge equipage, now at White Oak Church, to move up and go into park near Phillip’s house by dark. At midnight trains to move down within 400 yards of river, and to move down and begin unloading a two in the morning. If enemy fire is kept down, bridges to be thrown as soon as are unloaded; if too hot, wait until artillery silences it† The battle opened south of the city at 8:30 a. m. on December 13, when Maj. Gen. William Franklin ordered two of the divisions from the Left Grand Division to maneuver themselves through an unseen gap in Gen Jackson's defenses on the right and head towards Hamilton’s Crossing. By 10 a. m. , a thick fog began to lift, and the initially sluggish movements picked up speed. Gen Meade's division of 4,500 men formed the main attack, in direct support of Gen Meade’sthese movements the divisions of Gen Doubleday and Gen Gibbon. The Virginia Horse Artillery under Major John Pelham stalled the attack, and an artillery duel between Pelham and the Union artillery batteries lasted for approximately an hour. MAJ Pelham started his artillery attack with only two cannons—a 12-pounder Napoleon smoothbore and a rifled Blakely—but continued with only one after counter-battery fire disabled one of the cannons. Gen Lee observed the action and commented about Pelham, age 24, â€Å"It is glorious to see such courage in one so young. † As Meade finally made traction, he ran into Brig. Gen. Maxcy Gregg's brigade, scattering it. Gen Gregg was shot and mortally wounded; he died two days later. To Gen Meade's right, Gen Gibbon's attack against the brigades of Brig. Gen. William Dorsey Pender and Edward L. Thomas made good progress, but Gen Meade and Gen Gibbon men became separated; by 1:30 p. m. , a heavy Confederate counterattack pushed them back to the beachhead of the Rappahannock. Because of the foggy conditions, Federal artillery could not provide much assistance because of the inability to discern between Union and Confederate Forces. Driven back and chased by the Confederate infantry, raised some concerns with Gen Burnside, his divisions may be trapped at the river. The Federal line strengthened with addition of Brig. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles and Brig. Gen. David B. Birney divisions, and Stonewall Jackson's counterattack grounded to a halt. The focus of action moved north to Marye Heights. The initial assaults west of Fredericksburg began at 11 a. . as French's divisiontwo divisions from Gen Couch’s Corps, Gen French’s division and Gen Hancock’s division, moved along the Plank Road, facing a steep-banked drainage ditch and a wide, open plain of 400 yards (370 m), dominated by Confederate infantry and artillery behind a sunken road and stone wall. Earlier, artillerist Edward Porter Alexander, â€Å"A chicken could not live on that field w hen we open on it,† had assured Gen Longstreet. The Union men attacking had to file d into columns over two small bridges across the drainage ditch, making them a massed target. Attempts to shift the attack farther to the right failed because of swampy ground. As in the south, Union artillery was prevented by fog from effectively silencing the Confederate guns as from Stafford Heights Union guns were unable to reach the Confederate positions. Gen Burnside had anticipated this attack on the right would be merely supportive of his main effort on the left, but Franklin had stalled and resisted entreaties to continue, so Gen Burnside shifted his emphasis. After French's division was repulsed with heavy losses, Gen Burnside sent in the divisions of Gen Hancock and Gen Howard, which met a similar fate. By this time, Gen Pickett's division and one of Gen Hood's brigades had marched north to reinforce Marye Heights. Gen Griffin's division renewed the attack at 3:30 p. m. , followed by Gen Humphrey's division at 4 p. m. At dusk, Gen Getty's division assaulted from the east and was repulsed. Gen Burnside sent six Union Divisions in, virtually one brigade at a time, for sixteen individual charges, all of which failed, costing them from 6,000 to 8,000 casualties. Watching the carnage from the center of his line, a position now known as Lee's Hill, Gen Lee quoted as saying, â€Å"It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it. The action on the heights also included the charge of the Irish Brigade, which lost 50% of its strength in the battle but advanced further up the heights than any other Union Brigade. Confederate losses at Marye Heights totaled around 1,200. The falling of darkness and the pleas of Gen Burnside's subordinates were enough to put an end to the a ttacks. Gen Longstreet later wrote, â€Å"The charges had been desperate and bloody, but utterly hopeless. † Thousands of Union soldiers spent the cold December night on the fields leading to the Heights, unable to move or assist the wounded because of Confederate fire. The armies remained in position throughout the day on December 14, when Gen Burnside briefly considered leading his old IX Corps in one final attack on Marye Heights, but with the suggestions of many of his officers, he reconsidered and abandoned his campaign sending his troops to northern bank of the Rappahannock River. That afternoon, Burnside asked Lee for a truce to attend to his wounded, which Lee graciously granted. The next day the Federal forces retreated across the river, and the campaign ended. SIGNIFICANCE 1. Short Term: The Battle at Fredericksburg clearly showed how disastrous the Union Army Tactics were; President Abraham Lincoln relieved Gen Burnside of command a month after this battle. 2. Long Term: This was a major victory for the Army of Northern Virginia and costly to the Army of the Potomac. Many believe that Gen Lee lost his best chances to destroy the Gen Burnside’s forces at Fredericksburg. Overall, the loss broke the morale of the Army of the Potomac and showed a weakness in the indecisiveness and lack of imagination in part of Gen Burnside. ANALYSIS Gen Burnside failed to achieve the tenant of Initiative and his overall objective of destroying the enemy forces securing the town of Fredericksburg because he violated the Principle of Security and the Battle Operating System of Intelligence. The bulk of his forces fought to cross the river and very few were concerned with providing suppressive fire for the unit crossing. Gen Lee’s forces upon making contact with what he believed to be the enemies fleeing main force at Devil’s Swamp, he committed himself to battle without pausing to use his cavalry to reconnoiter the country. Gen Lee used his CCavalry Troops conducted rereconnaissancecon'd to the east and west of the Rappahannock marshy lowlandsRiver;, an action that gave him an extreme advantage into witnessing the movement of Gen Burnside's forceswhich might have permitted him to cross unmolested at a point up or downstream from the swamp. Thus, outflanking Culpepper and forcing him to withdraw without an opportunity to spring his cleverly crafted trap. The use of the terrain also gave Gen Lee a clear advantage as the Rappahannock River and extended entrenchments gave Gen Burnside’s forces great difficulty. For his part, Brigadier CulpepperGen Lee effectively adhered to the Principles of Maneuver, Mass, and Economy of Force. Through the Tenant of Synchronization, these factors combined to create the culminating Principle of Surprise. Outnumbered and outgunned, he realized that he could not achieve his objective of ascertaining Morgan’s Gen Burnside’s force and denying it control of the rail and road junction, as well as Yearlingvilletown of Fredericksburg, by engaging in a conventional battle on anything approaching even terms he used unconventional tactics to achieve his goal. He possessed a clear understanding of what he had to accomplish and how he had to do so. He Gen Lee employed Maneuver and Mass of critical combat power at the decisive time and place while making effective use of both the weak and strong points of the units he led. By marring Morgan in the swampsstalling Burnside’s movement across the river, he placed his enemy in a position of disadvantage. He shifted the battle to one where he positioned his massed combat power into a fixed enemy whose only option was to sink and die discontinue its efforts of seizing the town of Fredericksburg and retreat to the north side of the Rappahannock River. Culpepper Gen Lee exercised effective Synchronization and Economy of Force, deftly controlling the movements and fires of the disparate elements of his force in accordance with the elements of an intelligently conceived and workable plan of action in order to bring about the desired combat power at the decisive point. His employment of his cavalry, guerrillas, and militia reflected a thorough thought process of utilizing each element in ana precisely orchestrated maneuver exact orchestration to achieve the desired effect of ousting the Army of the Potomac from the town of Fredericksburg back to the northern banks of the Rappahannock River. uring Morgan’s troops into the killing field of overwhelming force. His exploitation of Union Forces weaknesses in decisive movement and execution of a sound plan display Gen Lee’s his Seminole scouts’ superior knowledge of critical terrain features while denying the enemy the opportunity to effectively reconnoiter the same gro und gave the critical element of Surprise once the battle was opened in accordance with the time, place and circumstances of his own choosing. Stackpole, Edward J. Drama on the Rappahannock: The Fredericksburg Campaign. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1991 P. 23 Stackpole, Edward J. Drama on the Rappahannock: The Fredericksburg Campaign. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1991 P. 121 Stackpole, Edward J. Drama on the Rappahannock: The Fredericksburg Campaign. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1991, P. 122 O'Reilly, Francis Augustin, The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock, Louisiana State University Press, 2003, P. 148 Goolrick, William K. and the Editors of Time-Life Books, Rebels Resurgent: Fredericksburg to Chancellorsville, Time-Life Books, 1985, P. 87 BIBLIOGRAPHY FM 3-0 Operations. Washington, D. C. : Headquarters Department of the Army, 2001. Goolrick, William K. Rebels Resurgent: Fredericksburg to Chancellorsville. Time-Life Books, 1985. Kennedy, Frances H. The Civil War Battlefield Guide. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. Luvaas, Jay and Nelson, Harold W. The U. S. Army War College Guides to the Battles of Chancellorsville & Fredericksburg. Lawrence: the University Press of Kansas, 1994. Mitchell, Joseph B. Decisive Battles of the Civil War. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1955. O'Reilly, Francis Augustin. The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock. Louisiana State University Press, 2003. Palfrey, Francis W. The Army in the Civil War: The Antietam & Fredericksburg. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1885. Parish, Peter J. The American Civil War. New York: Holmes & Meier Publishers, Inc, 1991. Stackpole, Edward J. Drama on the Rappahannock: The Fredericksburg Campaign. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvannia: Stackpole Books, 1991.

Social Awareness Essays

Social Awareness Essays Social Awareness Essay Social Awareness Essay Through Interactions with Diverse Peers by Shirley R. Greene Mark Kamimura University of Michigan Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education Portland, Oregon, November 12-15, 2003 The work reported herein is supported under the National Institute for Student Achievement, Curriculum and Assessment program, agreement number R305T990402-00, CFDA/Subprogram No. :84. 305T, as administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U. S.Department of Education. The findings and opinions expressed in this report do not reflect6 the position and policies of OERI or the U. S. Department of Education. Social Awareness INTRODUCTION Social awareness has it roots in the second wave of the feminist movement (Bickford Reynolds, 2002). It is viewed as one of the key components of consciousness-raising, the other being social action. For many researchers, awareness about issues affecting the community or raising social consciousness has always been a precursor to social movement(Steinem, 1983; Swift, 1990).The internal and external survival of organizations, particularly higher education institutions, requires that they engage their members and encourage them to develop a social awareness that will enable them to reach out to the broader community on these issues. More recent research conducted by Astin (1998), revealed a decline in the percentage of first-year students who voted in a student election and expressed interest in participating in a community action program, promoting racial understanding, and becoming involved with programs to clean up the environment (p. 32) Many traditional college-aged students lack the social awareness that leads to social change (Bickford Reynolds, 2002). Although they can easily identify the icons of social movements, such as the civil rights movement, they seldom appreciate the needs, impetus, and historical specificity that drives social change movements. Furthermore, they fail to understand how a democracy works and exhibit little interest in the U. S. political system (Giroux, 1987; Hepburn, 1985).Reformers view students who lack this type of knowledge, understanding and interest as lacking sensitivity to the needs of others and a willingness to be active citizens (Swift, 1990). 2 From a research perspective, social awareness is an important facet of student development to understand because of the recognized links between social awareness and social change, as well as the development of critical thinking skills (Tsui, 2000). From a practice perspective, higherSocial Awareness education institutions are being called upon to create an informed citizenry capable of understanding and addressing a myriad of social issues. 3 Steinem (1983) defines the social change process as follows: naming the problem; speaking out, consciousness raising, and researching; creating alternate structures to deal with it; and beginning to create or change society’s laws and structures to solve the problem for the majority. This paper focuses solely on those aspects related to increased awareness, specifically naming the problem, speaking out, consciousness raising, and researching (Ibid). We define social awareness in terms of the importance that students attribute to: 1) speaking up against social injustice; 2) creating awareness of how people affect the environment; 3) promoting racial tolerance and respect; and 4) making consumer decisions based on a company’s ethics. These dimensions constitute the type of social awareness that students need to develop during their college years, in order to function well in a complex and diverse society.REVIEW OF LITERATURE The relevance of exploring the development of social awareness among college students is supported by several theoretical and empirically-based studies. First, we examine literature linking social awareness development to student attitudes and cognitive development (Piaget, 1975; Tsui, 2000; Perry, 1970). Second, we review literature that discusses the influence of interaction with diverse peers on student awareness, growth, and development.Linking Social Awareness, Attitudes and Cognitive Development Students tend to develop their social and cognitive skills through social interaction with others. When interacting with diverse peers, students are able to engage in debates and actively confront the differences between their own point of view and that of others (Piaget, 1975). In addition, they develop the ability to manage the strong emotions that conflict can engender. Social Awareness These cognitive and affective processes are relevant to the development of the dimensions associated with our social awareness measurement.Tsui (2000) posits that social awareness and consciousness, along with political awareness, directly influences college students’ development of critical thinking skills. This researcher concluded awareness of political and social affairs may be relevant to critical thinking development because discussion about such topics tend to elicit more interest and participation among students (p. 432). Other research suggests that students who possess critical thinking skills demonstrate a greater degree of social and political consciousness.These students demonstrate a political awareness or concern for general social issues rather than a concern with 4 their own world and immediate social group (Enright, Lapsley, and Shukla, 1979; Hurtado et al. , 2002). During their college career, students are exposed to various social, political, and personal experiences that challenge their current view of the world. When students confront the dissonance between views presented to them and their own perspective, they move from being dualistic to more complex thinkers (Perry, 1970).In turn, they are able to accomplish the following: demonstrate perspective-taking skills, exhibit sociocentric behaviors, construct reflective judgment skills and broaden their perspectives concerning social issues (Selman, 1980; Perry, 1970). Other scholars similarly note how interaction across difference can be linked with cognitive growth in multiple dimensions. King and her collaborators discuss a theoretical connection between cognitive development and multicultural thinking (King Baxter Magolda, 1996; King Shuford, 1996).Adding further support for the exploration of cognitive, affective and attitudinal variables in our model, several studies utilizing national longitudinal data show student interaction with Social Awareness 5 diverse peers is linked with increases in cultural knowledge and commitment to promoting racial understanding (Antonio, 1998; Hurtado, 2001; Milem, 1994). In their work on intergroup contact theory, Stephan and Stephan (1996) discuss the effect that the mediators of contact- including cultural knowledge- have on interaction across differin g social identity groups (Cushner Brislin, 1996; Triandis, 1972).They also cite research on attitudes in their discussion of the mediators of intergroup contact and emphasize the importance of values in what they call personal factors within their model (Ashmore, 1970; Katz, Wackenhut, Hass, 1986; Stephan Rosenfield, 1978; Stephan Stephan, 1996; Wagner Schonbach, 1984; Weigel Howes, 1985). Social Awareness and Interaction with Diverse Peers More recent research has also explored the theoretical connections between interaction with diverse peers and dimensions of social awareness. Springer, et al. 1995) found that students who interacted with diverse peers reported more frequent discussion of complex social issues, including such things as the economy, peace, human rights equality, and justice. A few other works have addressed the impact of interacting with diverse others on racial understanding. Astin (1993), in a multi-dimensional study of college impact, found that socializi ng with someone from a different racial background caused increases in cultural awareness, commitment to racial understanding, and commitment to the environment.Later research by Chang (1996) confirmed the relationship between diversity and racial understanding. These studies indicate that students who interact with diverse peers also demonstrate beliefs (importance of speaking up against social injustice and creating awareness of how people affect the environment) and values (desire to promote racial tolerance and respect) consistent with the development of social awareness. Social Awareness A recent study of the University of Michigan and Harvard University law school students revealed that discussions with students from diverse backgrounds significantly influenced their views of the U.S. criminal justice system, as well as their views regarding civil rights and conditions within various social and economic institutions (Orfield and Whitla,, 2001). Fifty three percent of the stude nts also stated diversity in the classroom allowed students to confront stereotypes on social and political issues all or most of the time. Students who develop views and dispositions associated with social awareness are better prepared to take on social roles as decision-makers and agents of social change.METHODS Conceptual Framework Given that a theoretical framework for studying the development of social awareness has yet to be developed, we designed a conceptual model that would take into account varying sources of influence as suggested by Astin (1993), Chickering (1969), Chickering and Reisser (1993), and Tinto (1975). These sources include: (1) the preenrollment characteristics of students, (2) students’ academic experiences, and (3) students’ social or nonacademic experiences including interactions with major agents of socialization on campus (Chickering, 1969).As suggested by Astin (1993) and Chickering (1969), various pre-enrollment characteristics of studen ts must be considered when examining the impact of experience in college. In order to 6 clearly assess the impact of college interaction with diverse peers on social awareness, this study controls for several background characteristics including: precollege social awareness, academic ability, race/ethnicity, gender, and mother’s level of education. In addition to pre-college characteristics, Chickering (1969) emphasized assessing the impact of students’ academic and non-academic experiences, by examining not only the types ofSocial Awareness involvements but also the extent and nature of interactions within these experiences. Milem 7 (1994) has also suggested that certain classroom experiences, such as dialogue between students of different backgrounds and beliefs will encourage students to reflect more on issues of race and diversity. Hurtado et al. (1994) operationalized interactions with diverse peers as how frequently a student engages in activities with someone of a different race/ethnicity. The findings suggest that the more students interact with peers from different racial/ethnic backgrounds, the more open they are to diverse perspectives.We also utilized the research investigating how students learn and acquire skills and dispositions through interactions with others (Piaget, 1975; Selman, 1980). The model we developed was based on the items identified in the theoretical and empirical works discussed above. Additional items were added based upon their hypothesized significance to the model. In summary, we hypothesize that precollege level of social awareness, background characteristics, college experiences (i. e. academic, non-academic, and interaction with diverse peers), and attitudinal and cognitive growth measures influence the development of social awareness in college students. Data Source In an effort to better understand how colleges and universities are preparing students to participate successfully in an increasingly diverse so ciety, the Diverse Democracy Project, funded by the U. S. department of Education was launched in 1999. This multi-method study utilized a longitudinal survey, administered to students at the beginning of their first-year and at the end of the second year of college at ten public universities.The universities involved in the project were chosen based on the following criteria: (a) a strong commitment to diversity as evidenced by the university’s mission statement and the presence of a number of diversity Social Awareness initiatives on campus; (b) recent success in diversifying their student body; and (c) engagement in significant community-building activities with a diverse student body. 8 The current study seeks to increase our understanding of factors that influence students’ level of social awareness during the first two years of college.To accomplish this, we used data from the longitudinal survey that includes approximately 3,496 respondents from the Fall 2000 en tering classes at the nine participating institutions. These respondents were randomly selected to receive a survey either during summer orientation prior to starting college or via mail during their first semester of college. Respondents to the first survey were mailed a follow-up survey in the Winter of 2002. Both surveys were designed to elicit responses pertaining to constructs that measure cognitive, social-cognitive, and civic outcomes.Sample Participants in this study included 3,496 students who took the first-year and follow-up survey. White students comprised the largest group with 69. 1% of the students, followed by Asian American students (15. 8%), African-American students (4. 8%), Latino students (9. 1%), and Native American students (1. 2%). Female responses were higher than their male counterparts (61%). Mother’s educational level for respondents was high school (19. 3%), college (38. 9%) and graduate school (52. 1%). In this sample, the mean SAT score was 1169 . 7 (400-1600 scale) and standard deviation of this score was 164. 9.The SAT score includes the combined math and verbal SAT scores and ACT scores, which were converted into a comparable SAT score. Measures The names, types, and scales for each of the variables used in the model are identified in Table 1. The outcome variable in this analysis, social awareness, was derived from the follow- Social Awareness up survey. This variable represents a scaled index of multiple items (i. e. , speaking up against social injustice, creating awareness of how people affect the environment, promoting racial tolerance and respect, and making consumer decisions based on an company’s ethics).The social awareness variable had an alpha reliability of . 72. The remaining items in the model and their scale reliabilities are shown in Table 3. The model estimated in this study included five different variable sets: (1) students’ level of precollege social awareness, (2) background characteris tics of students, (3) attitudinal dispositions, (4) cognitive indicators, and (5) students’ college experiences (academic and nonacademic) including interactions with major agents of socialization on campus (Chickering, 1969).After entering the pre-college social awareness control variable, the second block of independent variables to be entered into the model was student background measures, including gender, race/ethnicity, mother’s level of education and SAT scores. This information was derived from institutional data provided by each of the ten schools participating in the study. Another background measures included a variable representing mother’s level of education. This variable was dummy coded so that graduate school completion served as the reference group. Attitudinal dispositions were measured by two scaled index items including identity awareness (? . 72) and tolerance of lesbian, gay and bisexual persons (? = . 76). Cognitive indicators were measure d by three scaled index items representing cultural awareness (? = . 70), interest in social issues (? = . 67), and Fletcher’s measure of attributional complexity (? = . 87). The final block of independent variables recognizes the relationship between student outcomes and student-student interaction (Astin, 1984; Weidman, 1989). Three variables were included in this block labeled college experiences (i. e. , classroom experiences, informal 9 Social Awareness 10 interactions (? = . 76), and interaction with diverse peers).Drawing from Astin (1993), Milem (1994), Springer et al. (1996), and Pascarella et al. (1996), we chose to incorporate frequency of interactions with diverse others into the model because of the hypothesized relationship with the outcome variable. The academic experiences of students were incorporated through a classroom experience variable that measured the number of diversity courses taken by respondents. Students’ social or nonacademic experiences w ere measured by a variable representing informal interactions. Analytic Procedures/Analysis Data analysis for this study required two steps.First, exploratory factor analyses were conducted on all items within various constructs of the survey instruments. By using principal axis factoring and orthogonal rotation methods, we were able to reduce the number of measured variables for analyses. When necessary, survey items were reversed coded. A reliability analysis using Cronbach’s alpha was conducted for each factor. Six of the factor-derived variables were included in our regression analyses (see Table 3). Factor loadings that contained a score of at least . 422 or higher were retained in the development of subsequent summated rating scales (i. . , pre-college social awareness, college social awareness, social identity awareness, cultural awareness, and interest in social issues, Fletcher’s attributional complexity, tolerance for lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons, and i nteractions in an informal context). Second, multiple regression analyses were employed to estimate the coefficients of the model. Independent variables reflecting precollege social awareness, student background characteristics, student acquired characteristics, academic experiences, and social experiences were entered in five blocks.Social awareness prior to college, gender, race/ethnicity, academic ability, and Social Awareness 11 mother’s level of education were used as control variables. Utilizing this approach, the relative contribution for each of the five blocks of independent variables could be examined. RESULTS The standardized beta coefficients for each independent variable are presented in Table 4. These standardized beta coefficients (regression weights) may be interpreted as direct effects of individual independent variables on the dependent variable, holding all other independent variables constant.Table 4 also presents each block of variables including the unst andardized beta coefficients of variables not yet added to the model. Examining the final regression model indicates that the model fits the data well, accounting for 41. 8% of the variance in social awareness. The results presented below are organized according to the five blocks of predictor variables in the model, including precollege social awareness, students background characteristics, attitudinal dispositions, cognitive indicators, academic and non-academic college experiences.Students’ Background Characteristics When entered in the equation, the precollege variables explained 28. 5% of the variance in social awareness. As shown in Table 4, pre-college social awareness and students who identified themselves as Asian American were the only two significant predictors of social awareness in terms of precollege characteristics. As expected, the level of social awareness prior to college was the strongest significant predictor in the model, accounting for 27. 8% of the vari ance (p

The Cali Cartel essays

The Cali Cartel essays For the last half-century Latin America has have been deeply involved with the foreign trade and production of drugs, primarily cocaine. The dominant economic player in this market is the highland country of Colombia, which has produced some of the most powerful and fearsome drug cartels to date. Through struggles between rival cartels, one cartel has evolved into the predominant force and emerged in the 90s as the most powerful drug cartel in the world. The Cali Cartels aspects of distribution, organization, involvement in government corruption, and overall control of the market has made it infamous throughout the world. Though in recent years its ability to maintain control is waning with increasing US intervention and opposition from other governments. In the 1980s the Colombian drug trade was at an all time high. At the forefront of the market was the Medellin Cartel lead by Pablo Escobar. Under the leadership of Escobar the cartel turned into the fiercest and most brutal force the Colombians faced. In efforts to control this epidemic the Colombian government cooperated with the smaller Cali Cartel in its battle against the Medellin Cartel. Cali provided intelligence to the government forces seeking to eliminate Escobar. As a result of helping the Colombian government defeat the Medillin Cartel and gun down Escobar, Cali replaced them as South Americas principal supplier of cocaine. Cali begins the cocaine trade by purchasing cocoa leaves from Bolivian, Peruvian and Colombian farmers. After it is processed into powdered cocaine in secret jungle labs the cocaine is moved from the surrounding Amazon jungle to the points of initial distribution in Colombia. The center of the Cali drug trade is in the third largest city of Colombia, Cali. The strength of Calis distribution depends on two aspects of its trade, the initial exportation of the cocaine to the international markets and the int...

Family-Related Vocabulary for English-Language Learners

Family-Related Vocabulary for English-Language Learners One of the most important categories of words for English learners to master is the group that includes family-related terms. Family members are likely the people that students interact with early in life and most often. Explain to students that the words and phrases below are used when talking about family and relationships. Each word is categorized and is used in an example sentence to provide  context for understanding. Families Learning words that describe family members  is  must for students who want to master English.  The table gives the word for the family member on the left, and a sample sentence using that term on the right. To make it easy to find just the term you want, the family-related words are presented in alphabetical order. Family-Related Word Example Sentence aunt My aunt tells me funny stories about my mothers youth. brother My brother is very competitive. cousin My cousin left for college last year. daughter She has one daughter and one son. father My father spent a lot of time on the road for work. grandchild That 90-year-old woman has 20 grandchildren! granddaughter / son His granddaughter gave him a birthday card with a bunny. grandfather / mother Do you remember your grandmothers and grandfathers? great-grandchild She has four great-grandchildren and is very happy to be alive and to have met them all! husband She sometimes argues with her husband, but thats normal in every marriage. ex-husband She had to divorce her ex-husband because he cheated on her. in-laws Many people dont get along with their in-laws. Others are happy to have a new family! son-in-law, daughter-in-law Her daughter-in-law told her to mind her own business. mother Mother knows best, or at least thats what my mother always said. niece His niece works in a shop in Seattle selling eyewear. nephew I have a nephew who lives in town. Its nice to have lunch every once in a while. parents All of us have two biological parents. Some people grow up with adopted parents. sister His sister drove him crazy with her constant complaining about the parents. son Many people say that sons are harder to raise than daughters because they cause more trouble. stepfather, stepmother She gets along wither her stepfather, but she prefers to not call him Dad. stepdaughter, stepson If you marry him, youll have two stepdaughters and one stepson. twin Its amazing how similar some twins are. They look, act, and talk alike. uncle My uncle lives in Texas. Hes nothing like my father. widow She became a widow 20 years ago and never remarried. widower The widower is very sad because hes all alone now. wife My wife is the most amazing woman in the world because she puts up with me. ex-wife His ex-wife took all his money. Marital Relationships Marriage brings change. Tell students that these words describe the state of relationships: Divorced: Jennifer is divorced, but shes happy to be single again.Engaged: Helen is engaged to be married next June. Shes making plans for the wedding.Married: Ive been married for over 25 years. I consider myself lucky.Separated: In many countries, couples must be separated for more than a year in order to divorce.Single: Hes a single man living in New York.Widowed: Hank became widowed last year. He hasnt been the same since. Becoming Family These verbs describe the process of becoming family: Get divorced (from):  My husband and I got divorced three years ago. Now, were best friends, but we know our marriage was a mistake.Get engaged (to): I got engaged to my wife after just two months of dating.Get married (to): Were planning on getting married in May.Marry someone: She married Tom 50 years ago today. Happy anniversary!Start / end a relationship with someone: I think we should end our relationship. Were not happy with each other. Family Vocabulary Quiz Use the context of each sentence to help your students find an appropriate family-related word to fill in the gaps. The answers are provided below. My father has a brother and a ______, so that means I have one _____ and one aunt on my fathers side of the family.Someday, I hope to have a lot of ______. Of course, that means that the children of my children need to have more children!After five years of marriage, they decided to get _____ because they couldnt get along with each other.  Upon her husbands death, she became a _____ and never married again.  My mother remarried last year. Now, Im the _____ of my stepfather.Peters _____, but he would like to get married and have children one day.  We started our ______ in Germany after we had met at an English-language school.  My _____ looks exactly like me, but I was born 30 minutes before she was.  He has an excellent relationship with his _____. They still celebrate holidays together with their children despite their divorce.Im ______ to be married in June! I cant wait! Answers: sister / unclegreat-grandchildrendivorcedwidowstepdaughter or stepsonsinglerelationshiptwinex-wifeengaged To continue practicing family-related vocabulary, create a  family relationships lesson plan  to further your students knowledge of this important vocabulary.

Set up a limited firms about sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Set up a limited firms about sports - Essay Example However, some business manages to enter the market successfully because they conduct research before venturing into the market. Market research is imperative because it helps the business overcome some challenges towards a acquiring a competitive advantage. Market research is vital because it helps an entrepreneur to establish and identify new business opportunities such as areas where there are fewer ventures (Wilkie, Johnson & White 2015). The aim of business is to make a profit with minimum input, and new opportunities are critical to achieving the goal. Similarly, market research helps businesses to design a marketing campaign that meets the interest of the target consumers, and business needs to increase revenues from sales (Wilkie, Johnson & White 2015). It provides valuable information about the targeted market and its segment as well as real-time information regarding the intended market (Wilkie, Johnson & White 2015). For this reason, it is very crucial because it assists business in reaching the intended consumers through a marketing campaign. New and existing business use market research to know the performances of their organizations and that of the competitors (Outsource 2015). Similarly, it is vital in comparing the organization with others through tracking the progress made as well as the competitors. Through this, the business can devise a competitive strategy that makes it gain advantage over the rest. In many occasions, new business fails because they do not know and understand the operation of the market as well as the strategies employed by competitors in the market (Outsource 2015). This makes new business to use old methods, which are not working to expand their market share. For this reason, conducting market research is important because it helps in monitoring the progress made as well as strategies used by the competitors towards gaining market share. Market research is

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Marketing - Essay Example Here all the unattractive ideas and unfeasible ideas are weeded out leaving only the ideas where future action is possible. Concept Development and Testing: Here in this stage the idea is presented to the customers and their views and opinions of the ideas are documented. This eliminates the risk of any losses if the ideas are not accepted by the customers (Kahn). Business Analysis: This stage involves the business and financial analysis of the ideas and here the financial risks and the other business related analysis are completed. Prototype Development: Here the idea is developed and the product is developed in the physical form and the basic marketing strategy is developed. Test Marketing: At this stage the company puts the product up for sale in a few areas to check for the performance under the marketing plan (Jobber). This provides an insight to the company for the effectiveness of the marketing strategy and the demand of the product. Commercialization: The last stage of the ne w product development stage is the commercialization, where the complete marketing plan is developed and the full production is set into action

German Development issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

German Development issue - Essay Example Indeed, Germany had openly supported the employment and financial reforms that were introduced in the meeting actually aimed to deal with monster rising unemployment and credit issues. â€Å"Unions were however heartened by the fact that German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who met a trade union delegation in Toronto on 26 June, supported trade union demands to reference the recent G20 Labour Ministers meeting in Washington in the final statement, and said that Germany stood ready to host a further G20 Labour Ministerial during the next year† (ITUC, 2010). The above is the evidence that German government authorities are eager to cooperate and coordinate with various trade unions and worker unions so that they could negotiate to reach a consensus for welfare and well – being of employees. Indeed, the meeting with Labor ministers of G – 20 nations would enable the concerned authorities to define the present state of labor market and to discuss possible measures for further improvement. Germany has also endorsed the idea of enhancing mutual macroeconomic cooperation and collaboration with other G – 20 member countries to successfully implement the new reforms that would help avert global financial crisis in future. Indeed, there is dire need to implement this framework to ensure survival, growth and sustainability of financial and economic institutions across developed and developing nations. Germany supported the idea to repair existing international financial system in the light of suggestions from authentic financial institutions such as IMF and the World Bank. For instance, there has been immediate need to develop a relatively flexible financial system that will help ‘reducing systematic risk and moral hazards’. As a result, the probability that the world may face another credit crisis in future could be reduced. (OECD,

Operations Management wk5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operations Management wk5 - Assignment Example On the other hand, in the stable workforce strategy, the output is varied by changing the work hours through flexible work arrangements. In the level strategy, a stable workforce which works at a constant output rate is maintained. According to Chase, et al. the â€Å"shortages and surpluses are absorbed by fluctuating inventory levels, order backlogs, and lost sales† (2005). Since production planning strategies involve demand forecasting, production planning and work scheduling, an activity where it can be applicable is in buying groceries. One must have an idea of his needs either for the week or month, depending on how often one goes to the grocery. He has to know his level of consumption of grocery items for a certain period of time to ascertain how many of such items he will buy. My organization is a T-shirt manufacturing firm. The material requirements planning systems (MRPs) are used in our organization. First, we get orders from customers and forward these data to the production department. The production department then comes up with a production schedule to meet delivery requirements. The purchasing department is also furnished a copy of the data on the orders to determine the amount of raw materials to order. The company has a bill of materials on hand which gives information on the amount of materials needed to produce the goods ordered. My company also makes use of an inventory record file which is always kept updated An advantage of the MRP is that the company is able to closely monitor and manage its inventory of raw materials and finished goods. The bill of materials makes it easier to specify the amount of raw materials needed to complete the orders. The major drawback of the MRP is that it requires accurate data. Another disadvantage of the MRP is that it only considers the materials and not the production capacity nor the conditions in the work area. An interesting fact on MRP that can be mentioned is that one is able to

Strategic Management Accounting Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Management Accounting Master - Essay Example As organizations have a decision-support system in place for continuous evaluation of their market position, business strategies and competitive analysis, there is a need for improved techniques for evaluating the same at regular intervals and SMA is one such tool that is increasingly being used as an appropriate tool for mangers to gauge the strategic position of their company and enhance it continuously. The issues related to the use of SMA and its resulting effectiveness is also studied and evaluated. It is seen that the use of SMA can be uniform for a set of similarly operating businesses which aids in the decision-making process of these businesses and hence this technique can be generalized and applied for a group of businesses with similarities in operational strategy. Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) has been defined by different authors in different perspectives. However, it is found that it serves the common goal of supporting the decision-making in any organization. Smith (2005: 15) observes that managers need to "take strategic decisions in a variety of areas like corporate strategy, competitive strategy and operational strategy". It boils down to the more mundane tasks of the manager to understand and make key strategic decisions on a regular basis to ensure profitability and sustainability of the business. Strategic decisions related to the corporate strategy include decisions as to what profile of business the company needs to be in, what products it should roll-out, the pricing of these products, the procurement, development and manufacture of the same, along with the operational strategy of the organization for enabling the business and its smooth running without being run over by competitors. This requires the managers to effective ly equip themselves with the cost and income of the activities involved and the net profit from these activities on the whole. Further, these activities of the organization are to be ensured to be in-line with the "organizational goals, the mission statement, objectives, operational strategies and the performance measurement" (Smith, 2005: 15). Smith defines SMA as "an integral part of the establishment of a decision-support system providing information to decision-makers" while Drury quotes Innes definition of SMA as "the provision of information to support the strategic decisions in organizations and Cooper and Kaplan's definition as it being a technique to support the overall competitive strategy of the organization, principally by the power of using information technology to develop more

History of Taxation in Britain Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of Taxation in Britain - Research Paper Example The twentieth century started with high spending, which was based on war spending. The First and Second World Wars both lead to very large increases in public spending and rather smaller increases in tax. The Korean War is reported to have a discernible effect, but neither the Falklands (1982) nor the Gulf (1991) conflict seems to have had an impact on spending. The need for more revenue during the war led to increases in tax rates, increases in the coverage of existing taxes and the introduction of wholly new taxes. Perhaps the most dramatic change was to income tax. Prior to the war, income tax had never been a mass tax. It was first introduced in 1799 and was permanently in place from 1842, but there were still fewer than 4 million taxpayers in 1938. By the end of the war, the number of taxpaying families had increased to over 12 million, an increase which was sustained into the following decades. The two marked periods of growth in the last quarter of the century, in the early 1980s and the late 1980s / early 1990s; both the period experienced turmoil in the economic activities of the country, which led both to shrinking GDP and to higher cyclical government spending as unemployment increased gradually. ... pretend as, for each UK household the government allocated 14,000 and 15,000, the amount is equivalent to the post-tax income a childless couple would need to be in the middle of the income distribution, or the amount required by the retired UK national. Local taxes have been an important type of revenue for the UK economy, it accounted for one-third of total revenues, however, its importance declined after World War I and II. 'In the early twentieth century, these accounted for up to a third of total revenues, but their importance declined as the taxes required to pay for both World Wars were raised at the national level', (A. Dilnot and C. Emmerson, 'The economic environment', in A. H. Halsey with J. Webb, Twentieth Century British Social Trends, Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2000). Revising the British history of tax returns, local taxes, (chiefly a property tax called 'rates', which had both business and household components) was estimated to be seven percent of GGR. However, after 196 0, the local taxes represented more than 10 percent of GGR, and have remained consistent throughout. However, from 2000 onwards, local taxes have again become much less significant, representing only between 3 and 4 percent of revenues in the last decade of the twentieth century.  Ã‚  

Strategic Management Accounting Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Management Accounting Master - Essay Example As organizations have a decision-support system in place for continuous evaluation of their market position, business strategies and competitive analysis, there is a need for improved techniques for evaluating the same at regular intervals and SMA is one such tool that is increasingly being used as an appropriate tool for mangers to gauge the strategic position of their company and enhance it continuously. The issues related to the use of SMA and its resulting effectiveness is also studied and evaluated. It is seen that the use of SMA can be uniform for a set of similarly operating businesses which aids in the decision-making process of these businesses and hence this technique can be generalized and applied for a group of businesses with similarities in operational strategy. Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) has been defined by different authors in different perspectives. However, it is found that it serves the common goal of supporting the decision-making in any organization. Smith (2005: 15) observes that managers need to "take strategic decisions in a variety of areas like corporate strategy, competitive strategy and operational strategy". It boils down to the more mundane tasks of the manager to understand and make key strategic decisions on a regular basis to ensure profitability and sustainability of the business. Strategic decisions related to the corporate strategy include decisions as to what profile of business the company needs to be in, what products it should roll-out, the pricing of these products, the procurement, development and manufacture of the same, along with the operational strategy of the organization for enabling the business and its smooth running without being run over by competitors. This requires the managers to effective ly equip themselves with the cost and income of the activities involved and the net profit from these activities on the whole. Further, these activities of the organization are to be ensured to be in-line with the "organizational goals, the mission statement, objectives, operational strategies and the performance measurement" (Smith, 2005: 15). Smith defines SMA as "an integral part of the establishment of a decision-support system providing information to decision-makers" while Drury quotes Innes definition of SMA as "the provision of information to support the strategic decisions in organizations and Cooper and Kaplan's definition as it being a technique to support the overall competitive strategy of the organization, principally by the power of using information technology to develop more

Marketing Manager of the PVT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Marketing Manager of the PVT - Research Paper Example Thus, when it declines to list PVT among it best bidders, then there must a gross system or technological failure that Greg Morgan, the Solenergy’s chief electrical engineer noted from the electric equipment supplied to them by PVT. Morgan is portrayed as a competent person, especially in his judgments. Moreover, he has never misled Solenergy Company and its management in all matters left for him to deliberate upon thereby earning him the influence he has in the Solenergy development industry’s decision-making. Therefore, it will be pointless for the sales and marketing department of the PV Technologies, Inc. to peg their success on the personal relationship between Morgan and Salvatori. Apparently, the decision made from Morgan’s evaluation may not change based on the employee to employee relationship or business to business relationship but they can change on core values used as evaluating factors that led to the conclusion (Cespedes and Badame 05). From the understanding of the top management at the PV Technologies, PVT has been supplying reliable, durable, and efficient converters a fact that has not been confirmed by the customer, Solenergy in this evaluation. The evaluation parameters and the result are just but rumors that are yet to be confirmed to the PVT’s sale and marketing department or even to its executive. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that Morgan only pegged his evaluation on cost but not other factors that could be touching quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and durability. Moreover, it is apparent that PVT has been the main player in the market especially in the supply of electric converters. Since numerous players who have joined the same market, PVT must not assume that there are no other companies producing the same products, as in this case, converters with the same quality, durability, efficiency, and effectiveness and at lower costs than it thereby placing out of the  competition is.

Edmunds Corugated Parts and Services Essay Example for Free

Edmunds Corugated Parts and Services Essay There some issues that Edmunds Corrugated Parts and Services have faced that has made it to be in the position that it is currently. Initially, the company started with a problem of where to put up the industry. Otherwise, Larry’s grandfather was there to offer a barn where Larry would put up his first industry. The industry also had no money initially and therefore it had to start with loaned money from the grandfather (Stodghill, 2005). Through this, it made a break through to what seemed to be a dream at the first time to what it is currently. The company initially was not capable of employing many people as it had only one hundred employees who were mostly neighbors. Therefore, there were probably not professional. Nevertheless, they were termed as hardworking workers. After the industry grew, the company was suffering from the issue of replacing the current employees who at this time were skilled with the new ones ((Stodghill, 2005). The reason being that they were loyal and they could not have left the company to search for a job elsewhere as the rest young employees would do. The other issue that the company is succumbing on is the issue of competition. Initially, the company had a market share of 75% but lately, the market share has reduced significantly. This is due to the number of the company that has emerged manufacturing the same products. Otherwise, this has made it possible for the company to diversify their production. An example of the diversification that they have done is the production of the more flexible plastic films and reusable plastic containers. This has increased the customer demands on their products. The industry also suffered an issue of the losing several industries especially in U.S due to the consolidation that was done by the paper industry. This has made the industry wipe out most of the industries that were served by Edmunds. The rest of the people who survived opened other branches oversea as joint ventures. In addition, the few who were left were making higher quality machines that were rarely breaking up making their customers stay for very long without going back to the company ((Stodghill, 2005). This made the business sales turnover to decline significantly with time. This made the company to be dislodged by other manufacturers through the production of domestic and export goods. This is the reason that had made the company currently to be in cross road. Strategy for addressing the company situation at hand Looking at the situation that the company ids in at this time, it requires a strategy that will ensure that it will be revived; therefore, through a strategic formulation, it is capable to ensure that the company is capable of returning the company back to the course of its business. Therefore, it is paramount to ensure that there is strategic management that will comprise three phases to ensure that the company is back on it course and ensure that it achieve its goals and objectives (Ansoff, 1965). These phases in the strategic management are diagnosis, formulation and implementation. This is required to be an ongoing process to a point where the company will be in a position to be revived. In the first phase, the diagnosis of the company environment is required through performing a situation analysis. This will ensure that the company current mission is identified and formulated; strategic objectives are put in place to ensure that the current s8ituation of the company is solved. This will give results that will look at the major strength and weaknesses of the company. The analysis of the company’s environment will look at the major opportunities and threat for example the ones that have made most of the company that Edmund was working to be taken and go over sea (Ansoff, 1965). Some great opportunities such making quality goods can be used to ensure that increase their market share as the customers will be royal to their service. This can be used t ensure that they still sell their goods at higher prices. The strategic management that is formed is required to formulate ways in which the recommendation will be offered. These recommendations are supposed to have supporting justifications that will revise the previous objectives of the company and ensure that the required strategies have been offered. These strategies should ensure the company regains it competitive edge. This strategic management requires to be implemented through the resources that are available and it is required to be implemented in a period that is reasonable. The company management should ensure that the implementation of the strategy is cost effective, not disruptive and acceptable by the entire stakeholder to ensure that the current situation is salvaged. The strategy that would be hardest to implement The part that has been very hard according to the experience is the element of implementing the recommended change in the strategic plan. This is because it will require the management to fit the resources and the competencies and the opportunities that the company has in the market (Smit, 2000). It also requires fitting the recommended issues with risks and expectations. What makes this element of the strategy to be more complicated is the issue of making the stakeholders to unite and implement the put recommendation. This requires them to undergo training to ensure that they have what it takes to accept the changes that will be brought about by the changes that are there in the strategy. The implementation of the strategy is hard and risky if not well carried on. The reason being that if any hitch occurs in the process, all the resources that have been put in place will go to waste. It will be a waste of time and this may lead to complete closure of the company. Strategies Edmunds could use in the future to reduce potential crises There are different methods that Edmund can use to ensure that the company is not entangled in the crises that it is in today. Nevertheless, most of them should be amalgamated to ensure that they offer the best results. The first strategy that the company is supposed to embrace is development of research department that will be looking at innovation of the company t ensure that it is at a competitive edge at all time. This department will be in constantly interact with it environment and bring around feedback that will ensure that the company is always competitive. The second strategy is ensuring training to its employees. This will ensure that they are always at per with the upcoming technology and this will ensure that the productivity level will increase. The training will always make the employee assimilate the innovation that the research department has brought about to ensure that the company is capable of competing appropriately. Finally, the company should ensure that they recruit employees who are competitive to ensure that they bring on board workers who are capable of rising upon all challenges. This will also make the company have innovative minds in their company who will ensure that they bring about changes.