Practitioner

Counseling as describe by Reform (2010) is a proactive, holistically oriented process for helping persons learn to cope with problems of living and for promoting healthy development. It is an interpersonal process Involving a professional with the requisite graduate education and experience In counseling (the counselor), using scientifically validated methods, working with an Individual, family, group, organizations or segment of a community that Is seeking assistance (the client).Reform (2010) describe Psychotherapy as an assumed a medical model, meaning the arson receiving help was sick. The goal of psychotherapy was to alleviate the sickness, with therapist as expert using Information about the clients past to provide Insight Into thoughts previously kept out of awareness. A good understanding of counseling and psychotherapy will contribute to my development as a scholar-practitioner.Walden offers courses that help their students to understand what counseling is about, the diversi ty of ways we can help clients and how to become a prepare counselor. Walden have the tools to help students to become good counselors and enable them to understand and use the psychotherapy theories as a guide in our Journey as scholar-practitioners; this will help me to help the people in my community. I believe that a good understanding of what is counseling and how to use the psychotherapy is going to help me to become agent of positive social change.I'm interested in a few fields of counseling, but at this moment the one that have my attention is mental disorders. I believe that a mental disorder is an increasing illness in our communities; this is the area that I will like to focus on. I will like to help people with mental illnesses to become a successful part of our society. Reference Reform, B. T. 2010). Orientation to the Counseling Profession: Advocacy, Ethics, and Essential Professional Foundations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.Practitioner By gamekeepe r development. It is an interpersonal process involving a professional with the requisite graduate education and experience in counseling (the counselor), using scientifically validated methods, working with an individual, family, group, organizations or segment of a community that is seeking assistance (the client). Sickness, with therapist as expert using information about the client's past to provide insight into thoughts previously kept out of awareness.

Traditional Sports in Assam

Traditional sports in N-E Games soon| A STAFF REPORTER| | A traditional sport in progress during the recent Bihu festivities. A Telegraph picture | Guwahati, May 22: The newly-formed Assam Traditional Sports and Dragon Boat Association claimed that efforts were being made to include some traditional sports of Assam in the North-East Games in near future.Addressing the media, regarding the proposed traditional sports carnival — Amar Khel, Amar Utsav — on Saturday, one of the founder office- bearers of the association, Subhash Basumatary, said he was making efforts to get a few disciplines included in the North-East Games, organised annually by SAI. Basumatary is also the director-in-charge of the SAI regional sub-centre, Guwahati. Boat racing, one of the most popular traditional sports, is all set to be the first from among a dozen traditional deciplines which could make it to the North-East Games.The Dragon Boat carnival, to be held here on Saturday, will include 10 oth er disciplines apart from boat racing at Dighalipukhuri. The field events at the carnival at Latasil ground include dhop khel, koni juj, ghila khel, malla juddha, rashi tana, tel khuta, tangon tona, kelah loi dour, tekeli bhonga and dighal thengia dour. â€Å"The idea is to conserve the traditional sports and bring them out of the remote villages to the urban areas. We hope to get co-operation from the government too in organising the event.So far, the tourism department, the State Sports Council of Assam, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration and few others have already come forward to help us in the noble venture,† the association’s president Taher Ahmed said. | Dhopkhel The most popular indigenous game in the state of Assam is Dhopkhel. An ancient game, it is closely related with the development of the state as such. The game requires absolute physical fitness – speed, stamina and acrobatic skills. Dhop is a seasonal game, played during the state's Sprin g Festival, known as Rangoli Bihu.The game really flowered under the royal patronage of the Ahoms. There are two types of Dhop, one played by men and the other by women. The game, which uses a rubber ball, is played by two teams comprising 11 players each, in an open field, 125 m in length and 80 m in breadth, with a central point in the right middle of the arena. Two lines called kai are drawn at a distance of 12 ft on each side of the point at the centre. At the four points where the kai meets the 125 m lines, four flags are planted. Similarly, four flags are planted in the four corners, known as chukor nishan.Parallel to the central point in each half of the field, is one point each, at a distance of 13'6†³ from the centre, and circles surrounding them known as gher. The game begins with the dhop i. e the ball being thrown in the air, by a player. If the ball does not fall in the opponent's court, it is to be thrown again. The dhop has to be caught by the opposing team, and if they fail, then the other team takes the throw. If caught, the player who takes the catch proceeds to the gher of the court, and throws it to the katoni, who stands on the other gher.If the thrower fails on either count, his team forfeits the chance of a throw at the katoni, and the guilty player is requested to deliver a high lob to the opposing team, like the lob which started the game. The opposing team thus gets a chance once more for a catch and throw, at the opponents' katoni. If the katoni is hit below the waist, it is considered a kota, and the katoni becomes a hoia or a bondha, and automatically loses his status of a ghai – a name initially used for all the players. The bondha goes over to the opposing side and tries to prevent the players of the team from catching the dhop. This move is known as aulia.If a bondha succeeds in catching the dhop in the opponents' court and can recross over to his original side without being touched by any of the opponents, he become s a ghai, and this move is known as hora. However, he has to cross both kais and he cannot leave the court in the process of crossing over, or catching the dhop in the zone between two kais. If a team loses ten ghais as hoia or bondha, then the last ghai will be named ghai katoni, and if a kota can be done to him, then it is known as piriutha, which signifies victory for the side. If at the end of the game, there are equal number of ghais, the game is pronounced a draw. Rang GharLocation: Joysagar, 4 km to the west of Sibsagar town Built By: Ahom King Pramutta Singha Built In: 1746 AD Highlights: Oldest amphitheatre in Asia Rang Ghar is one of the major attractions of the state of Assam. It is said to be the oldest amphitheatre in the whole of Asia and has often been referred to as the ‘Colosseum of the East'. Situated to the northeast of the Tolatol Ghar, in the Joysagar area of the Sibsagar district; is the two storied Rang Ghar, which was the royal venue for witnessing a nu mber of games, like buffalo fight, bull fight etc. This ancient amphitheatre was constructed by the Ahom ruler Swargadeo Pramutta Singha.Rang Ghar dates back to 1746 AD, when it was basically built for the purpose of amusement and fun. The theatre is a double storied building and on the roof, there is a design of an Ahom royal long boat. It is overall oval in shape, unlike the multi-storied Tolatol Ghar situated just adjacent to it. Every year, during the occasion of Rongali Bihu, Rang Ghar used to be the royal sports pavilion, from which the Ahom kings and nobles witnessed games in the Rupahi Pathar below. The Rupahi Pathar is a vast field, where various activities like bull fighting and other such traditional games used to be organized for the entertainment of the royalty.The Rang Ghar was even the symbol of the recently concluded 33rd National Games, which was held in February (9th to 18th) 2007, in Guwahati, Assam. In case you are planning to visit Sibsagar district of Assam in the near future, do make sure to pay a visit to the Rang Ghar as well. Rang Ghar (Assamese: , rong ghor) (meaning â€Å"Amusement House†) is a two-storied building, which was the royal sports-pavilion from which the Ahom kings and nobles witnessed games like buffalo fights and other sports at the Rupahi Pathar (pathar meaning field in Assamese) specially during Rangali Bihu festival in the Ahom capital, Rangpur.On the roof of the Rang Ghar is a design of an Ahom royal long boat. The building was constructed during the reign of Swargadeo Pramatta Singha in 1746. It is located north east to the Talatal Ghar a multi-storied royal complex in Joysagar west of Sivasagar town, on the other side of the Assam Trunk (AT) Road in Sibsagar district in Assam, India . The Rang Ghar is said to be the oldest amphitheater in Asia[citation needed]. The base of the monument has a series of arched entrances and atop the roof is a decorative pair of carved stone crocodiles.In many of these, only the brick framework exists with vestiges of sculptural adornments here and there. The Ahoms, who used special thin baked bricks, did not have the use of cement and, therefore, used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar for their construction. They also made use of powdered mixed lime and bricks to cover the surface of the inner walls. It is said that this layer of powder used to keep the inside of Ranghar cool. The entrance to Sankardev Kalakshetra at Guwahati is made in the style of the Rang Ghar.The Rang Ghar was the logo of the recently concluded 33rd National Games that was held from 9 to 18 February, 2007 in Guwahati, Assam. About a kilometer towards the north east of Rangh Ghar is the Jaysagar Pukhuri. It is a manmade tank, encompassing an area of about 120 Bighas of land. It was dug in memory of Rani Joymati, the mother of Rudra Singha, the most illustrious of the Ahom kings. Guwahati, Apr 6 (PTI) Seisimic survey work by the ONGC is posing a threat to Assam's 18th century amphi theatre, ‘Rang Ghar† at Gargaon in Sibsagar district, perhaps the largest stadium in Asia, which has proudly stood the ravages of time.Lesser known than the internationally famous `Colosseum' in Italy, the ‘Rang Ghar' bears mute testimony to the state's chequered history. The most potent symbol of the glorious 600 year rule of the Tai-Ahom kings hailing from Thailand, the monument constructed in 1746 AD, has been in the news after a report carried by PTI on cracks appearing on its facade. The report prompted the Assam government to constitute a seven-member expert committee to examine the damages on the walls of the heritage site.The damages to the protected monument have prompted the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) which maintains it, to threaten legal action against the public sector Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) The ASI move comes after eight 10 metre cracks have appeared on the Rang Ghar walls following blastings in the seismic survey work at nearby Rupohipathar, an open oil field. The ONGC officials when contacted refused to comment on the matter and only maintained â€Å"that precaution had been taken not to harm the heritage sites and historic monuments during survey works†.The damages have created a public outcry with a local students body, All Assam Tai Ahom Students Union (AATASU), calling an ‘indefinited ONGC bandh' from March 5 and the proscribed ULFA issuing a warning to the ONGC to stop all seismic work or face dire consequences. The Rang Ghar, stated to be the oldest outdoor stadium in Asia, bears mute testimony to Assam's history. The medieval Tai-Ahom kingdom (1228-1826) was founded by Sukapha in the 13th century establishing its suzerainity over the Brahmaputra valley and putting paid to Mughal expansionism in the North-East seventeen times sucessfully.The monument also saw the annexation of Assam by the British Empire through the historic Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 paving the way for the advent of t he Britishers into the state and the end of the 600 year old Ahom rule. The monument at Gargaon was the crucible of the proscribed ULFA movement with its leaders congregating under Rang Ghar's portals on April 7 nearly 30 years ago to script one of the most violent chapters in the annals of the state in its fight for an independent homeland.The original ampitheatre was constructed with wood and bamboo by King Rudrasingha, also known as Siukapha who ruled between 1696-1714, but was rebuilt into a permanent structure by King Pramatasinha (1744-1751). With no knowledge of modern day cement, the Ahoms used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar and special thin bricks for construction of the Rang Ghar, that has withstood decades of neglect till Independence. As its name suggests, ‘Rang Ghar' was a `merriment house or a place of joy'. It was in this sports pavilion that elephant, buffalo, bullock and hawk fights, wrestling, besides Bihu (Assamese cultural festival), etc. were held. The Mongolian style oval-shaped two-storyed pavilion is 10 metres high, 11 metres across and 27 metres long with a steep flight of steps leading to the higher elevation from where the royal patrons and nobles are presumed to have watched the contests on the Rupohi Pathar (field) below surrounded by a huge meadow meant for the royal subjects. The monument's base has a series of archways with vestiges of sculptural adornments, and its roof is designed like a royal long boat with a pair of carved stone crocodiles on either ends.The ampitheatre is located north east to the royal palace `Kareng Ghar' in modern day Sibsagar town in Upper Assam. The Ahom kingdom with a successful multi-ethnic polity made major advances under king Susengpha Pratap Singha who revamped the administration and established the first military and diplomatic contact with the Mughals. Under King Gadadhar Singha, Mughal influence was, however, completely removed from the Brahmaputra valley and the Ahom Kingdom achieved its golden period under his son Rudra Singha.The Ahom rule declined with the rise of the Moamoria rebellion and subsequently fell to a succession of Burmese invasions. The defeat of the Burmese after the Anglo-Burmese War and the treaty of Yandaboo on Fewbruary 24, 1826, control of the once glorious Ahom kingdom passed into the British hands. Though during the colonial and subsequent times the Tai- Ahom rule was called the `Ahom Kingdom', the Ahoms called their kingdom `Mong Dun Shun Kham (casket of gold), while others called it Assam. The Rang Ghar was the logo of the 33rd National Games held in Guwahati from February 9 to 18 last year.

The Presence of Stereotyping in Western News Media Essay

The Presence of Stereotyping in Western News Media - Essay Example The Chambers English Dictionary defines making a stereotype of a person as characterising or categorising too readily or simplistically. In the field of Psychology, stereotypical thinking is identified as a vehicle for prejudice, and is defined more precisely as being comprised of the processes of condensation and displacement. Condensation is the outcome of fusing a number of images or ideas to make a single composite. It is this that tends to be typically either simplistic or something entirely unrelated. By displacement is meant, â€Å"feelings of hostility or anger are directed against objects that are not the real origin of those feelings†. Stereotypes thus highlight contrasts between the stereotyping and stereotyped groups, and serve to perceive what is being stereotyped as the ‘other’. Stereotyping in the media occurs most frequently when news is to be covered pertaining to a foreign culture, race or religion, or a society about which little is known.

Research paper about India. ( How people make a living in india Essay

Research paper about India. ( How people make a living in india Current countrys economic status - Essay Example India grows and export major food commodities such as rice, sugar, wheat, cotton, and vegetables. The country also produces and export animal agricultural products, which include buffalo milk, eggs, meat, and chicken. Most of Indian farmers are small-scale farmers who grow their crops or rear their animals on small pieces of land. However, the country has favorable climate and soils that support agricultural activities. The agricultural sector contributes about 16% of the country’s GDP and provides employment opportunity to about 50% of the total Indian population (Department of Revenue web). The agricultural sector provides employment mainly to rural Indian population. The industrial sector is a major contributor to the Indian economy. Currently the sector contributes about 14% to the Indian GDP (Panagariya 453). India is known worldwide as a major manufacturing country. The sector employs about 25% of the Indian population. Majority of industrial workers live in urban centers and other industrial towns that spread across the country. The Indian industries are recognized worldwide for their production of affordable and long lasting commodities. Indian industries produce products ranging from heavy duty equipment such as steel beams to light duty equipment such as bicycles. Indian industries are also involved in production of pharmaceutical products that are marketed across the globe. Currently the industrial sector is eying the booming technology sector. The industrial sector provides employment opportunity to both the skilled and unskilled labor force. In addition, the industrial sector has small-scale industries that provide opportunities to tho usands of Indians. Cottage industries or home-based industries produce basic commodities for export and domestic market. Indians are known to be business people. Indian are successful business people who have set up businesses in many parts around the globe. The

Managing Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Project - Essay Example This paper includes the study of two cases using the Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) or network diagram. In case 1, network diagram was shown using the activity node. Calculation of Earliest start time (EST) and Latest start time (LST) was done to be able to show the Slack or total float of the activity. Critical path was used to be able to complete the given task without budget constraint. The study will be able to show the importance of the said technique in managing a project. Cost estimation was presented using principles and other theory. Diagram and other tables were presented in the appendixes. At the later part of this paper the difficulties and risks in project management were discuss to further develop the needed project. The purpose of this study is to be able to show the importance of project managing in a company that needs to be developed and managed well. It also allows us student to be able to demonstrate the learning and competence in respect of management of resources generally but in particular elements of time, finance and human resources. In case 1 The Design and Print limited is a printing SME in the UK supplying design and printing services. The project manager is planning for a new project. To start a network diagram using the activity on the node was structure. We will be able to construct the diagram using the table below: In the network diagram shown in appendix 2, each... 1 L N Packaging for Delivery 2 M O Delivery 5 E,N P Payment collections 10 O Appendix 2 F(5) A(1) B(2) C (2) D(1) H(1) L(3) M (1) N(2) E(10) G (4) I (2) J(2) K(2) P(10) In the network diagram shown in appendix 2, each node (circle) represents an activity and is labeled with the activity number and the associated completion time (shown in brackets after the activity number). The network diagram (appendix 1) assumes that activities not linked by precedence relationships can take place simultaneously. For example activity L is preceded by H,K therefore we can do L after H or K. (see diagram). It means that Printing can be done after sizing or type-setting. In the above diagram the activity start at Enquiries (A) , preceded by Quotation (B) you cannot proceed to B without finishing the first task (A). Finance checks on customer (E) and Order confirmation (C) can be done simultaneously since it is not linked by precedence relationship. After task (C) is completed 3 activities or task can be done at the same time since these three are all preceded by C, Purchasing (F), Scheduling (D) and Design (G). The task continues up to the last task the P. To be able to determine the total float, we must need to calculate for the earliest start time and latest start time. This allows scheduling of the work in such a manner that project duration is minimized. Some activities can be implemented simultaneously, and some activities can be delayed while efforts are concentrated on completing other activities which impose a time

Speech 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Speech 101 - Essay Example It is normal that when people interact, they give and receive wordless signals. The gestures people make during communication send or portray strong messages. What people talk by word of mouth is distinct from what gestures portray. Therefore, the speaker needs to understand that vocal and physical speech is very significant in sending the message to the audiences. The use of physical signs or nonverbal communication has the ability to demonstrate our feelings, thoughts, and can emphasize on our points (Dozier 32). During speech delivery, the speaker needs to make use emblems of emblems since they enable him or her to translate the information to the audience who does not understand the language. It is important to note that emblem is related to sign language than daily body language. For instance, sometime when speaking about Greece mythology, the speaker could hold his or her arm with all fingers sealed in, apart from the second and index fingers, which are wide apart, may signify victory or harmony of the ancient Greeks. Additionally, the speaker needs to use a gesture called illustrator or iconic gesture, when complementing a Greek heroes such as Aristotle and Plato for what they did especially in the field of philosophy and politics. When presenting a speech about Greece, the speaker needs to deliver clear information or messages that are matching both in verbal and nonverbal dimension. They have organized ideas or thoughts, pay attention to what he or she want to say and ensure that they win the attention of the audience. It is important for the speaker to focus on public speaking because he or she will be delivering a message to many people. Therefore, the speech will be organized on five aspects, speaker, speech, occasion, audience, and effect (Dozier 46). The speaker should build a suitable speech for distinct audience on distinct occasion or time and for distinct

Arabic Pop Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arabic Pop Music - Essay Example â€Å"The music of the Arab world is diverse; and includes several types of genres ranging from the classical tradition to the pop culture and from the sacred to the secular. While Arab music is an independent style of music with a distinct sound, it has a long history of interaction with different styles and genres of music† (Michigan Arab Orchestra, 2013). Pop music is extremely popular in Arab world at present. In fact, Arabs were able to develop a unique genre; Arabic Pop Music. Arabic pop music is popular in the Arab world since it is composed in Arabic language. Moreover, the composers of Arabic pop music consider the Arab cultural traits while composing it. Thus, Arabic pop music is more enjoyable to Arab people than other types of pop music since it is composed in their own language. This paper analyses various dimensions of Arabic Pop music. Definition of Arabic Pop Music Arabic Pop music is the form of pop music in the Arab World. It includes several genres and style s of music ranging from pop music to classical music. It contains secular as well as sacred music themes. â€Å"Arabic music, while independent and very alive, has a long history of interaction with many other regional musical styles and genres†(Arabic music, 2013). Such interactions with other music styles caused the evolution of different music styles in the Arab world. The interactions with the pop music helped the Arab world to formulate Arab form of pop music which is known as Arabic Pop Music now. Arabic pop singers The latter part of twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty first century have witnessed many changes in the Arabic Pop Music. Plenty of unique styles and rhythms were used in Arabic Pop Music during this period. Some of the prominent musicians and singers who contributed heavily to the development of Arabic Pop Music in recent times are; Sabah, Warda Al-Jazairia, Magida El Roumi, Nawal El Kuwaiti, Latifa, Samira Said, Angham, Asalah Nasri, Thekra, Kadhem Al Saher, Amr Diab, Diana Haddad, Najwa Karam, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Ehab Tawfik, Hisham Abbas, Wael Kfoury, Amal Hijazi, Elissa, Nancy Ajram, Haifa Wehbe, Maria Tekdep, Aldo (musician) and Natacha Atlas(Arabic Music Overview, 2010). Origin and Development of Arabic Pop Music In the 20th century, Egypt was the first in a series of Arab countries to experience a sudden emergence of nationalism, as it became independent after 2000 years of foreign rule. Turkish music, popular during the rule of the Ottoman Empire in the region, wa s replaced by national music. Cairo became a center for musical innovation (Arabic Music Overview, 2010). The 2000 years of foreign rule helped Egypt to get proper awareness about foreign culture. In other words, the life styles, cultural traits and the behaviors of the foreigners have caused huge changes in traditional Egyptian life styles. It should be noted that pop music was one of the favorite musical forms for the foreigners, while they were ruling Egypt. As a result of that locals in Egypt got plenty of awareness about the pop music composing and they started to blend pop music with their local music. The outcome was the evolution of a new music form in Arab world; Arabic Pop Music. Unlike traditional Arabic music, Arabic pop music composers started to compose music in a secular manner. The major theme of all traditional Arabic music was religion, customs and beliefs. However, the entry of pop music forced Arabic musicians to change the traditional norms of

How does having dyslexia impact on further education Essay

How does having dyslexia impact on further education - Essay Example It affects the choice of subjects in further learning. Though it is a major problem impacting on performance, students can be assisted through mentorship and other exercises that improve their language, coordination and organizational skills. Dyslexia is a term that refers to difficulties in learning, which is usually manifest in students while they try to pronounce or spell particular words in the course of learning. These are the major characteristics amongst many other aspects that can help in identifying a student with the problem. Research indicates that the problem is associated with the brain’s capacity to interpret verbal or written language. Students usually experience problems in schools and may not perform well in particular subjects or in all of them (Jamieson and Morgan 2007 p. 78). Intellectually, the dyslexic student is usually competent. Learning is the only situation where they fail to compete effectively with the rest of the students. Dyslexic students usually get upset leading to withdrawal and problems with their behavior, especially due to lack of self esteem and confidence. Their persistent difficulty in learning generates the feeling that they are unable to excel in life. This is because the society highly values the ability to learn, and attaching it to great prospects of a student in future. It can affect even the students whose performance in other activities is good. The problem can persist to adulthood. In the institutions of higher learning, it is usually a major problem since the content of education increases, and this requires high learning capabilities in order to accomplish the objectives of education and career choice (Ammon and Levin 1993 pp. 68-71). The aim of this research is to establish the impact of dyslexia on further education. In the teaching profession, it is important to understand dyslexia in order to develop the ability to identify dyslexic students, and be able to help them overcome

Problem Solving Paper Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving Paper Essay There are many steps in solving any problem at hand. People think that it is an easy process, unfortunately it’s not. A process was created in aiding in overcoming obstacles that may arise whenever an individual has to solve a problem. Solving any problem requires creativity in finding exactly what the challenge is in order to find a remedy to the problem. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the numerous stages in the creative process and select a personal challenge that I had to deal with throughout my life and venture through the creative process in order to solve the problem. Brainstorming is very important when it comes to solving a problem. By brainstorming it allows an individual to have many remedies to a problem no matter how difficult it may be. A person’s mind must be creative but in order for it to accomplish this there must be a challenge. Looking at chapter 5 of the course textbook I found that there are four stages of the creative process which are searching for challenges, expressing the problem, investigating the problem, and producing ideas. Stage one- searching for challenges: Serving my four years in the United States Marine Corps provided me with a challenge when it came to leading and solving problems quickly. One of my personal challenges that I had to deal with was when I was in Manama, Bahrain. I was a team leader with second fleet antiterrorism security team also known as FAST. We were tasked with having to provide security at the United States embassy. Upon arrival I knew that we were going to be faced with some challenges. I was a squad leader in charge of 25 Marines under me. In the military there is no point in planning because at the end of the day  plans fail and a person must improvise. Five days into providing embassy security my guys under me including myself was getting very sick from going outside into the heat and coming back into the freezing air of the embassy. I quickly had to make a decision on what I had to do to solve the problem fast. I set up a three-day post rotation splitting half my guys located at the outside and the other half located at post inside. I did this so it would minimize the exposure to the temperature changes that we were dealing with. A decision had to be made quickly on what needed to be done because protest was taking place outside the walls of the embassy and there could not be a lack when it came to security. Stage two- expressing the problem: For an individual to express a problem it takes a lot. At times it can be very difficult to point out a problem because of fear of getting into trouble. Bringing the issue up of my guys getting sick to leadership was a bit of a challenge because the Marine Corps do not like weak leaders. Leadership expects professionalism out of the squad leaders and they must depend on squad leaders to make good sound decisions. When I looked at the issue at hand it was a no-brainer I knew I would probably look weak but I was making a smart decision. If I wouldn’t had made a decision to prevent my guys from getting sick there would have been a lapse in security and that was an issue that was unacceptable to me and my leadership. Expressing the problem to my leadership gave me the confidence to go through with the plan and feel like I did the right thing. Stage three- investigating the problem: Looking at the problem I knew that it would be easy to implement the fix but I had to see if it was going to actually work. Now that we knew that going in and out of certain temperatures would make people sick we would know how to set up security positions with personnel that was available. The first three days didn’t go so well but after four days I noticed a dramatic difference in in the welfare of my Marines, including me. When I came to my leadership with the problem at hand and proposed the fix, they told me to really look at the problem and see if my plan would work. Upon investigation I concluded that the problem was fixed even though it took a little sacrificing. Fortunately, at the end of the day there was never a lapse in security and leadership was happy. Stage four- producing ideas: When coming up with a solution to the problem I checked with the leadership to make sure it was okay to implement my plan. Leadership told me not to over think the problem at hand, just come up with a quick fix to the problem considering we were only here for six months. Producing many ideas helped me have a choice of what I wanted to do. For an individual to come up with more than one idea gives an individual a broader choice, which makes solving a problem a whole lot easier. Being a leader is not hard to do; it’s about coming up with ideas, implementing them and leading from the front with integrity. Conclusion: Looking at and implementing each stage of the creative process gave me the opportunity to come up with a solution to the problem at hand. Making the right decision was important for me because it showed my leadership that I could perform under pressure. The creative process made me think of many ideas to the problem and what I had to do to fix the problem. If I would not have used the creative process the issue would not have been resolved. When you ask other people what their opinion is on an idea it shows a willingness to fix a problem at hand. Brainstorming is critical because it helps you come up with a solution and gives the individual many ideas on what they can do to fix the problem. Without the critical thinking process it would be difficult when it comes to solving problems. People depend on other people, but as long as you go through the steps of the creative thinking process anyone can find a fix to any problem that they may face in life. References Ruggiero, V.R. (2009). The Art of Thinking: A guide to critical and creative thought (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Product Life Cycle Essay Example for Free

Product Life Cycle Essay Definition: Products come and go. A company’s challenge is to hold on to its customers longer than it holds on to its products. It needs to watch the market life cycle and the customer life cycle more than the product life cycle. Someone at Ford realized this: â€Å"If we’re not customer driven, our cars won’t be either.† One selects marketing tools that are appropriate to the stage of the product’s life cycle. For example, advertising and publicity will produce the biggest payoff in the introduction stage of a product; their job is to build consumer awareness and interest. Sales promotions and personal selling grow more important during a product’s maturity stage. Personal selling can strengthen customers’ comprehension of your product’s advantages and their conviction that the offering is worthwhile. Product Development and Life-Cycle Strategies: In the face of changing customer needs, technologies and competition, product innovation or the development of new products has become vital to a companys survival. Introducing new products, however, is not sufficient. The firm must also know how to manage the new product as it goes through its life cycle: that is, from its birth, through growth and maturity, to eventual demise as newer products come along that better serve consumer needs. This product life cycle presents two principal challenges. First, because all products eventually decline, the firm must find new products to replace ageing ones (the problem of new-product development). Second, the firm must understand how its products age and adapt its marketing strategies as products pass through life-cycle stages (the problem of product life-cycle, strategies). We therefore look initially at the problem of finding and developing new products, and then at the challenge of managing them successfully over their life cycles. Innovation and New-Product Development: Given the rapid changes in taste, technology and competition, a company cannot rely solely on its existing products to sustain growth or to maintain  profitability. The firm can hope to maintain market and profit performance only by continuous product innovation. Product innovation encompasses a variety of product development activities product improvement, development of entirely new ones, and extensions that increase the range or number of lines of product the firm can offer. Product innovations are not to be confused with inventions. The latter are a new technology or product which may or may not deliver benefits to customers. An innovation is defined as an idea, product or piece of technology that has been developed and marketed to customers who perceive it as novel or new. We may call it a process of identifying, creating and delivering new-product values or benefits that were not offered before in the marketplace. In this chapter we look specifically at new products as opposed to value creation through marketing actions (such as product/brand repositioning, segmentation of current markets). We also need to distinguish between obtaining new products through acquisition by buying a whole company, a patent or a licence to produce someone elses product and through new-product development in the companys own research and development department. As the costs of developing and introducing major new products have climbed, many large companies have decided to acquire existing brands rather than to create new ones. Other firms have saved money by copying competitors brands or by reviving old brands. These routes can contribute to a firms growth and have both advantages and limitations. In this chapter, we are mainly concerned with how businesses create and market new products. By new products we mean original products, product improvements, pnxhict modifications and new brands that the firm develops through its own research and development efforts. Risks and Returns Jri Innovation Innovation can be very risky for a number of reasons: 1. New-product development is an expensive affair it cost Tate Lyle around  £150 million to develop a new sugar substitute; pharmaceutical firms spend an average of . £100-50 million to develop a new drug; while developing a super-jumbo project could cost billions. 2. New-product development takes time. Although companies can dramatically shorten their development time, in many industries, such as  Pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, aerospace and food, new-product development cycles can be as long as 10-15 years. The uncertainty and unpredictability of market environments further raise the risks of commercialization. Roots had to withdraw Manoplex, a heart drug, less than a year after its launch in the United Kingdom, after a trial on 3,000 patients in the United States and Scandinavia suggested an adverse effect on patient survival. The pharmaeeudeals division lost about  £200 million on the drug, which cost nearly  £100 million to develop over a period of 12 years, and about S20 million was spent on promoting and marketing it. 3. Unexpected delays in development are also a problem. History is littered with grand pioneering engineering projects which have failed to satisfy the original expectations of bankers, investors and politicians. The Seikan rail tunnel, connecting the island of Hokkaido to mainland Japan, was completed 14 years late and billions of pounds over budget; the S10 billion cost of the Channel tunnel, which opened on 6 May ] 994, a year later than originally planned, is more than double the  £4,8 billion forecast in 1987. 4. The new-product success record is not encouraging either. New products continue to fail at a disturbing rate. One recent study estimated that new consumer packaged goods (consisting mostly of line extensions) fail at a rate of 80 per cent. The same high failure rate appears to afflict new financial products and services, such as credit cards, insurance plans and brokerage services. Another study found that about 33 per cent of new industrial products fail at launch. Despite the risks, firms that learn to innovate well become less vulnerable to attacks by new entrants which discover new ways of delivering added values, benefits and solutions to customers problems.

Working Across Boundaries: Advantages and Disadvantages

Working Across Boundaries: Advantages and Disadvantages This paper examines the perspective of working across boundaries from the lens of Hunan Resource Management. The paper is split into four main parts. The Introduction which provides the background to working across boundaries as it applies in HRM today. A definition section that examines the different aspects of working across boundaries i.e. social, physical, knowledge and mental. Further examination of some theoretical perspectives including the work of Heracleous. The reason that modern organisations need to work across boundaries together with consideration of strategy and leveraging capabilities. A section that looks at the advantages and disadvantages of working across boundaries with a focus on the public sector including healthcare organisations and local authorities. The conclusions summarise the key points. DEFINING WORKING ACROSS BOUNDARIES During the last decade, the concept of working across boundaries has become a popular concept. The basic premise is that individuals and organisation need to traverse boundaries if they are to achieve their goals. Essentially earlier concepts of fixed organisational demarcation lines no longer apply in modern day business concepts. Within the organisational framework the concept of boundaries can become a reasonably complex issue. There still remains an active debate as to whether the definitions of boundaries are realistic, objective or imagined. The concept has become more complex with the use of outsourcing and Public/Private partnerships in terms of lines of demarcation and authority. (Bishop, 2003) The concept of boundaries within organisations takes on different shapes and forms. Much of this has to do with social and knowledge boundaries. The explosion in technological and communication advances has simplified the concept of working across boundaries. Despite the fact that organizations still are challenged to collaborate and share information, nevertheless individuals seem much more liberated in this regard with advancement in social media. Russ Linden is one author who has investigated this, with particular focus on Public sector organisations. (Linden, 2003). The old fashioned concept of organizational design was the creation of silos or departments where functions, roles and responsibilities would be clearly defined within the context of a hierarchical matrix. For example Sales, Finance, Production would each be self-contained units within the organisation and clearly defined lines of demarcation within the business. The Heads of these Departments would be Senior Managers and expected to collaborate with one another but not trespass into the other domains. The holistic business strategy relied upon each unit to fulfil its role within the overall strategic plan. As organisations involved in size and complexity this model posed serious shortcomings and new thought processes were required. This required improved leadership thinking and more collaboration across boundaries. (Stevens, 2006). Working across boundaries remains an important part of Public Sector relationships and impose significant challenges to business operations but they create distinctive value sets and improved goals in the business relationships (Sullivan, 2007) Concepts of working across boundaries In management terms boundaries are often classified as lines of demarcation that often impose constraints. Those items that determine managerial effectiveness. For example: how a business works within the confines of a specific environment; the concept of specific leadership styles and the influence on organizational behaviour. It was Heracleous  [1]  who pointed out in 2004 that both organisations and the environments they function in are inter-related. They create structures and social orders that assist in the definition of the business and its purpose. (Heracleous, 2008) Understanding social boundaries This essentially relates to the relationships that are formed between groups of individuals within an organization. Heracleous maintained that boundaries have remained central to the thinking of social scientists in the establishment of social boundaries between groups and individuals. Particular reference made to that of transactions costs and how modern technology like sophisticated communications and the internet have had a profound impact here. It has directed whether the boundaries have either diminished or enlarged and the effect on production costs has influenced important decisions like that of outsourcing or internalisation of specific tasks. (Heracleous, 2004). Understanding social change can be studied by the adoption of Lewins Forecefield Analysis. There are numerous models that you can adopt to examine the impact of Change to the Organization. One common method approach is that of Lewins Forecefield Analysis. Fig 1 provides an example of the model. Figure Force field Analysis exampleThis enables you to examine both the driving and restraining forces that emerge as a result of the proposed changes. The model is particularly good for identifying forces that are considered to be polarized i.e. a change in one condition creates an equal and opposite effect in the other. The model was designed by Lewin to assist the Process Analyst to guide people through the unfreeze, move and refreeze stages of business process analysis. It is also an excellent means of demonstrating the dynamics that are in play. So by completion of the Force field Model you have acquired the data in order to complete Lewins Three Step Model. In the Unfreeze you examine the status quo and those driving forces for change. You can decrease the resisting forces against change. The move element involves taking actions and moving people. The freeze means make the changes permanent and establish new ways of doing things. Introduce concept of rewards for achieving the d esired outcomes. Understanding knowledge boundaries The sharing of knowledge has both an internal and external boundary. For example in the internal model it is desirous for information to be shared between the Sales and Marketing departments. This empowers both department to do a better job. Externally, there is the sharing and collaboration of knowledge and information between allies. For example a UK based company and its overseas subsidiary. In order for an organization to be successful it must manage its four pillars of knowledge. These being Leadership, Organization, Technology and Learning. Information Technology (Pillar 3) has achieved an amazing impact in the promotion and dissemination of knowledge in the business environment. Unfortunately Technology has had a greater influence on guiding the strategic planning of organizations, as opposed to the other way round. One example being that of Enterprise Planning Systems like SAP and J.D. Edwards One World system. Organizations have re-engineered their knowledge base and business processes in order to meet the integrated demands of the software application. (Bixler, 2002) Knowledge Managers need to understand that despite the many advantages Information Technology (IT) has to offer the workplace it is not a magic utopian panacea. Equally any Information Technology application that undervalues Knowledge Management will equally fail in the business place. (Mohammed). If Knowledge Management is to be considered effective with IT in business it must be treated as its equal partner. Knowledge Managers have criticised IT as being lacking in areas like tacit knowledge. Hence there is a need to incorporate items of behavioural consideration and cognitive function. (Bixler, 2002) There is an increasing demand and challenge being placed upon the CIOs of business organizations and as such Managers need to become more vocal about their expectations and use the four pillars as a framework in order to further improve the integration of knowledge in the organization. Understanding physical boundaries The concepts of boundaries are important because it is these that represent challenges which organisations must overcome. Although organisations are essentially construed as open systems and these providing a continued interface with their environment. Many academics still believe that it is management that defines the physical boundaries and how you differentiate between internal and external items. (Schnieder, 1987). In reality it is difficult for management to define these boundaries as organisations have multiple stakeholders; such only by the integration of the combined needs can you truly obtain an understanding of the organisational identity. AS such those members of the organisation are of a precarious nature and there are many different ways in which they may be depicted as being inside or outside of the organisational composition. (Lane, 2000). Understanding Mental boundaries Mental boundaries essentially relate to individual perception of what is considered to be internal or external to the organisation. This being what is considered to be acceptable and that which goes beyond this to the realm of external control. It is this form of cognitive schema that helps individuals to create and understand the different social boundaries within an organisation. These differentiations often create perceptions of attitudes related to us and them and the formation of symbolic boundaries that enable distinctions to be drawn. (Heracleous, 2004). The need to work across boundaries Essentially the need to work across boundaries relates to that of collaboration with other entities in order to help the development and growth of the organisation. This may range from that of strategic business alliances, creation of partnership arrangements, developing business networks and other forms of collaboration and communication in order to benefit the business. Further, the concept of business transformation and organisational change can promote the need to work across boundaries. Hence regardless of the barriers created, being real or imaginary, we are almost compelled to work across them. Advantages and Disadvantages of working across boundaries Advantages of working across boundaries There are numerous advantages to working across boundaries, particularly within the Public Sector environment. Briefly, these may be enumerated as follows: Increase in working collaboration Integration of partnerships with the Private Sector Reduction of costs and process improvements Expanding networks and building knowledge Response to complex public policies Leveraging strategy and operational capabilities Aligning organisations and cultures Improvement of leadership capabilities balancing risk and reward (Blackman, 2010). Increase in working collaboration Historically the concept of collaborative working was rarely recognised as having any strategic importance. Silos were created in both Public and Private sector organisations and many of these departments functioned self-autonomously. In modern day context this has all changed and it is recognised that collaborative working both inter and intra the organization has significant benefits. In particular the organisation is better equipped for: Dealing with business transformation and change Ability to provide better service levels and customer support Optimization of resources and cost reduction strategies Ability to innovate and create by improved knowledge acquisition Easier to transition to new change requirements Increased flexibility and ability to share successes and failures The concept of collaboration is an enabling function that allows you to bring people together with different views and opinions. This concept of diversity enriches the decision making process and improve the dynamics in business working relationships. This has been successfully introduced in the Health Sector in Wales. Here different local authorities were required to formulate med-long term strategic plans. Direct collaboration between the authorities enabled the sharing of knowledge and ideas which facilitated rationalization and a more improved overarching holistic result. (Sullivan, 2007). Another example of collaboration is the ability to bring key stakeholders together in a collaborative environment. This has been effective in both local and central government projects. Bringing the stakeholders together creates greater synergy and improved policy implementation with the organisational setting. Collaboration has extended into areas of joint policy making, as opposed to just sharing information. Geoff Delamare from Surrey County Council states there are some distinct learning points from collaborative working i.e. Creating the level of trust between partners, ensuring transparency in communications and sharing knowledge; admitting mistakes, creating a collaborative environment and not imposing a ruling regime. (McCann, 2012). Integration of partnerships with the private sector Partnership approaches have increased in popularity over the last decade. In the public sector they have obtained wide political support. This has been seen as a means of making process improvements whilst optimizing cost expenditures in order to provide improved value for money. The UK Audit Commission is an example of where they have crossed boundaries to embrace working relationships with counterparts in the European Union (EU). This has been effective in collaboration to help improve inter-governmental policy implementation. (McQuaid, 2000). Reduction of costs and process improvements In these difficult financial times both Central Government public sector bodies and local authorities have been faced with managing tight budgetary programmes and reducing costs. The latter meaning resource and cost optimization in order to show the best returns on investment for monies expended. This has focused attention on streamlining processes in order to create improved efficiencies and eliminate redundancies. In addition, concepts of outsourcing to reduce resource costs and capital expenditure. Local Authorities in the UK have been very active in this area. Barnet Council is implementing an outsourcing plan in order to save  £120m . Others like Cornwall Council have been examining strategic partnerships to outsource both front and back office functions. IT departments remain particularly vulnerable because they are capital intensive and expensive to both operate and maintain. (Terry, 2013). Expanding networks and building knowledge In order for an organization to be successful it must manage its four pillars of knowledge. These being Leadership, Organization, Technology and Learning. Information Technology (Pillar 3) has achieved an amazing impact in the promotion and dissemination of knowledge in the business environment. Unfortunately Technology has had a greater influence on guiding the strategic planning of organizations, as opposed to the other way round. One example being that of Enterprise Planning Systems like SAP and J.D. Edwards One World system. Organizations have re-engineered their knowledge base and business processes in order to meet the integrated demands of the software application. Knowledge Managers need to understand that despite the many advantages Information Technology (IT) has to offer the workplace it is not a magic utopian panacea. Equally any Information Technology application that undervalues Knowledge Management will equally fail in the business place. If Knowledge Management is to be considered effective with IT in business it must be treated as its equal partner. Disadvantages of working across boundaries The main disadvantages of working across boundaries are enumerated as follows: Complexity and Commonality People, Culture and Leadership Power and Politics Performance Accountability and Budgets Complexity and commonality The success to working across boundaries is where sufficient empathy exists to recognise shared goals and values in order to predicate a desired outcome. Where there is a lack of sufficient commonality this can be a serious barrier towards attaining a successful outcome. The importance of shared or common goals is therefore of paramount importance in any collaborative venture. Trying to force collaboration in the wrong environmental setting will most likely incur resistance and ultimately force of costs and resource effort providing little return on investment. One particular example in the Public sector relates to the large failure of IT projects that have often lacked sufficient commonality. In 2003 in the UK a poll stated that only one third of all IT projects were successful. Nearly 70% of all projects being severely challenged or failing in their entirety. (Post Report 200, 2003). People culture and leadership The people issue is extremely important when working across boundaries as it requires a structured but flexible work group that are able to collaborate over both hard and soft structure. In the public sector the staff need to develop cross-boundary skills in order to facilitate inter agency co-operation. These however can be highly influenced by both policy and political agenda. It has been argued that within the public sector the influence of Human Resource Management (HRM) groups have created significant barriers to cross-party working relationships. Lack of good leadership skills in the public sector provided the inability for many senior leaders to work across boundaries and manage complex business transformation programmes. This prevented optimum leveraging of resources between different organisations. Good leaders are important enablers as they are important for leveraging resources, motivating people and ensuring that the work gets done. As such poor leadership constitutes a serious barrier in order to enable working across boundaries. This results in what has often been referred to as silo management style, the inability to progress beyond your own defined domain. Power and Politics The concept of working across boundaries may have a serious influence on the reshaping of power and politics within an organisation. This can be particularly potent where an area is perceived to be under threat. In this sense both politics and power are intertwined and political endorsements have the ability to create tremendous barriers. Ministers set the signals for civil servants to work across boundaries but this is often towards the attainment of specific political agendas. These can be very fickle and subject to change, hence the civil service has to be articulate in how this is both managed and interpreted. Performance in accountability and budgets Improved performance targets have been very popular in recent years. This has meant working across boundaries to optimise business processes and resource effort. Failure in the reconfiguration of performance systems can create significant barriers and a great deal of disruption in provision of remedial action. Budget attainment has equally been criticised in terms of holding Managers responsible for achieving budget figures, despite the fact that cross border relationships have provided them with only limited control and influence over the finances. (Parton, 1998). CONCLUSION The concept of working across boundaries is not a new concept but one that has been with us for many decades. Technology has created more enablers in terms of making this more operationally efficient and the ability to share information and knowledge. The reality of globalisation, struggling financial markets, the need for cost cutting and austerity measures have increased the need for more collaborative working. The use of sharing information in a collaborative environment often results in better outcomes and an improved managed risk portfolio. Leadership skills have become of paramount importance and in particular the skills required to motivate and influence others in a collaborative teamwork environment. Local authorities have been particularly successful in working with private sector relationships in order to enhance service provision, increased efficiencies and implementation of cost reduction programmes.

Korean Buddhism :: Religion Korea Religious Essays

Korean Buddhism Buddhism was first brought from China to the Korean peninsula in the year 372 CE. At this time the dominant and traditional religion was Shamanism. While Shamanism was the belief in animism and nature-spirit worship, Buddhism expressed the idea that human beings as well as nature possess spirits and should be included in the rites of worship. This had no conflict with Shamanism and so it was easily adapted. The early elementary forms of Buddhism believed primarily in cause and effect related to the path of happiness (Buddhapia). More recent applications of Buddhist monks’ time goes to solving conflicts within different sects of Buddhism or among other religions. They also devote a great deal of time to solving doctrinal inconsistencies (Charles Muller). More traditionally a basic concept of Buddhism is that of interpenetration (t’ung) in which one must move along a path that has already been opened and just needs to be traversed. This is especially relevant in that of a sage’s mind capable of â€Å"penetrating† (understanding) the principles of things. Penetration as Charles Muller says, â€Å"Is a basic underpinning of both the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean, in both of which the inner and outer aspects of the person are understood to penetrate each other such that quality of the person's inner mind is always discernible in his outer appearance†. Other important aspects of Korean Buddhism are individuality, mental foundation and ideology, philosophical reformation movement, and the pursuit of harmonization and unification. Individuality is found all throughout the Buddhist culture where there are many different approaches to meditation, studying sutras and chanting. Buddhist ideology assisted in the foundation of many aspects of Korean culture including socio-political issues. Korean Buddhists devoted their thought to philosophical reformation in the overcoming of fixed concepts. Buddhism developed different levels as each one reached its level of conceptual development. A Buddhist’s final stage comes when their teacher sees that they are fit and sends them off to become a full member of the monastic community in which they will have five days of training and lectures before the actual ceremony (Buddhapia).

Physics of the Turntable :: physics sound music

Have you ever wondered how a record player works? Probably not. After all, who still listens to records? Surprisingly enough, turntables are making a come back. With the recent surge of interest in hip hop music, popular attention has been turned towards the turntable, used by DJs to provide beats, loops and scratching for virtually all of today's hip hop groups. The inner workings of the turntable may seem complex at first but after reading this paper it should become clear that, like all things, the record player works on basic principals of physics. In fact, the turntable is remarkable in that the basic physical principles behind it are quite simple. Some of these will be explored here. Please enjoy your visit. How a record player works is quite simple. A motor is somehow connected to a solid disc so that the disc is rotated at a constant speed. On top of the rotating disc (platter), The record is placed on top, with a slip mat in between. The slip mat can serve two functions. In the past to hold the record in place so that it would not rotate independently of the platter. Now, however, the slip mat serves a much different function. Instead of holding the record in place, the slip mat is now used to reduce the friction between the spinning platter and the record. This way a DJ can scratch (manually move the record, usually at high speeds) the record while the platter continues to spin underneath. Once the record is rotating, a stylus glides along the grooves and picks up the vibrations, these are then converted into audible sound. There are many different models of turntables still being manufactured. Of those being sold, it is possible to divide them into two separate categories based upon their motor system. Virtually all record players being manufactured today have either belt drive or direct drive motors. For the reasons discussed below, direct drives are accepted as the industry standard for professional DJs and turntabilists. Belt Drive - There are two advantages to the belt drive design. The motor in a belt driven turntable is set away from the platter by means of a continuous belt loop. This minimizes vibration to the platter and thus needle skipping. Also, belt drive models tend to be much cheaper than their direct drive counter parts. These advantages, however, do not balance the many short falls of the belt drive design.

Shiseido in China

Case- Shiseido: Channeling Cosmetics in China 1. Marketing and distribution channels for cosmetics products performed mainly transactional and logistical function. Distribution channels such as the voluntary specialty chain stores perform transactional function when they buy these cosmetic products from the manufacturer and sell them in their individual stores. They share risk with the producer (Shiseido) as they stock merchandises in anticipation for sales.On the other hand, counters at departmental stores and door-to-door selling perform logistical function, whereby they gather, sort and disperse these cosmetic products at these specific counters. For example, some departmental stores may place all the cosmetics counters together on a single level/ specified area in order to serve its customers better. They can also store these products together at a single venue. Door-to-door selling brings the products directly to the consumers.Facilitating function can sometimes be performed in departmental stores as well, where they highlight the bestselling cosmetic brands/products through their own advertisements. Transactional function is generally more important than logistical function, as the former involves the exchange of value (transaction) of products and money, as well as the potential risk the intermediaries are taking up when they chose to sell these products. If the stock the intermediaries purchased is unsold, they suffer the loss and not the producer.Hence, this function involves tangible gains and losses of the intermediaries, which usually tend to value these aspects more. 2. Channel Length Channel Intensity Creation of the Aupres brand which was sold in 350 departmental stores in 2004 shows the approach of intensive distribution Shiseido undertook, Shiseido in China continued on this approach as it attempted to open specialty model stores for its own brands of cosmetic products (some imported from Japan- Shiseido UV White, and some locally produced bran ds such as WHITIA, ASPLIR) in China.This started in March 2004, which expanded to 800 stores by August 2005, and over 5000 stores by end-March in 2011 due to its success. Channel Type There are various channel types adopted by Shiseido in China. Generally, Shiseido in China is specialised and it initially focused on an exclusive group of consumers through the Aupres brand, which targeted top one percent of Chinese population. Additionally, Shiseido started to expand into medium-priced brands (Za, Pure Mild China, UNO, ASPLIR) and lower-priced brand, DQ, in 2010.It has now changed its target group towards the mass Chinese women and seeks to enhance their beauty and health. It generally segmented its range of products to suit the needs of the different consumer groups (looks for different price range of products). Under store retailing, Shiseido focuses on specialty stores through its voluntary specialty chain stores concept and selling its products through counters in departmental st ores. In 2011, Shiseido has plans to commerce in e-commerce initiatives (non-store retailing) to expand existing points of contact with customers.In 2010, Shiseido also launched a website for Chinese Mail-Order market. Factors influencing channel design and strategy †¢Customer Number/Dispersion The wide range of customers’ purchasing power in China results in the dispersion of consumer segments. -> More brands to target different marketing segments. †¢Market Practices/ Availability of Channels Large number of channels available in China – departmental stores and voluntary speciality stores. †¢Market Penetration and Coverage Initially selective (only in departmental stores) for high end products -> Intensive distribution through specialty stores. Service Quality and Response †¢Resources and Profits Improvements to be made to channel design Current channel design: Indirect channels Marketer/ Producer -> Retailers -> Consumers Shiseido can implement ot her channel designs to broaden its availability to consumers -> Implementing the multichannel marketing Shiseido can start a transactional website to increase sales and target a different consumer group from those who buy its products from retail stores. Eg. Males who find it difficult to purchase cosmetics good from retail stores. Promotional website to provide information about Shiseido’s vast range of products will also be helpful in targeting cross-channel shoppers. 3. What retail strategy does Shiseido in China adopt? How is this strategy related to its segmentation, targeting and branding strategies? Shiseido in China adopted a voluntary specialty chain stores concept and departmental stores promotion as well as drugstores recently for its in-store retailing. This uses indirect channels to distribute its products to consumers.This relates to segmentation as departmental stores and specialty chain stores cater to different groups of consumers because of the different bra nds of products they carry. More high-end and exclusive products are available in departmental stores and specialty chain stores. Medium-priced products specially designed for the China consumer market can also be found in these stores. Lower-priced brand such as DQ, can be found in drugstores instead. Evidently, different brands cater to consumer groups with diverse affluence. Shiseido is using multi-branding strategy to reach out to its consumer market.

Apush Paper (It’s Fail)

James Jun Pribaz APUSH 5 13 February 2013 Frontier Thesis- Summary, Agreement, and Why â€Å"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development. † In this article, Frederick Jackson Turner believes that, in relation to his frontier thesis, the history of the United States is most influenced mainly by how Americans had assimilated the West into the culture they held.The frontier, in Turner’s stance, was where settlers had restarted civilization as a whole and begun to redevelop the conditions present further east in the United States. By doing so, the frontier is classified as being the most rapidly Americanized area in the whole nation; however, the frontier also influenced the culture of the United States by promoting individualism, American ingenuity, and a restless amount of energy. Additionally supporting his argument, Turner also pointed out the dangers of having no frontier. Turner began to question the possible outcomes from the dissipation of the frontier.Historians, on the other hand, took up a different view on the frontier and its effect on American culture. The historians believed that, instead of the frontier, other factors had influenced the history of the United States, such as slavery, the Civil War, capitalism, and slavery. Furthermore, they hotly contested Turner’s claim of â€Å"free land. † The historians declared that the land, which was inhabited by the Indians, was in all actuality not free at all as countless wars had been fought for this land, resulting in many deaths.The historians also challenged Turner’s thesis by stating how communities, corporations, and even the federal government had allowed the inhabitation of the West, instead of individualism. Therefore, Turner’s thesis and the thoughts of the historians contrasted sharply; however, both sides acquiesced to the idea that the West had influenced u s to some extent. I disagree with the â€Å"frontier thesis† that Frederick Jackson Turner had claimed was true.Instead of the frontier influencing the history of the United States, I agree with the historians that many other factors had played a role in molding how the nation progressed. Events like slavery, the Civil War, capitalism, the railroad, immigration, and numerous inventions all had significant impacts on how American culture came to be. Turner also emphasized how the land was free on the frontier which could clearly and concisely explain the development of the nation. In contrast, I believe that the land in the west was free in thought, but not free in reality.As more and more settlers poured to the west after the Homestead Act, it became rather evident that the West offered little to no prosperity. The weather was dreadful, life was relatively isolated as most western settlers were farmers, and the soil was inhospitable to crops. Therefore, I diverge on the stanc e that Turner advocated for, which stated that the frontier had mainly impacted American history, and hold that countless other factors had played a great part in America’s development, not just one particular one.

Coral Divers Resport

Mr. Jonathan Greywell is contemplating a business decision in which there are four realistic options. He is the owner of Coral Divers Resort, located in the Bahamas on the island of New Providence. He caters to customers looking for a resort package that includes diving. This case discusses a decline in revenues for the three-year period of 2005-2007. His options include: selling the resort, partnering with another business, focusing on higher margin business, or improve his current business to be more competitive. Selling Coral Divers ResortThe most significant reason to sell the business is the declining revenues. However, Greywell would need to find another means of income such as another business venture or a new location for a similar business. Greywell could have a business valuation done, but since his equity in the business is low, he would not have much left over to start another business venture. Greywell has built a lifestyle around the Coral Divers Resort business and enj oys it. At this time, I recommend that he focus on his other options and keep the business. Partnering with Rascals in ParadiseEntering into a business agreement with Rascals in Paradise would change the direction of Greywell’s business to a more family-oriented business. In addition to rebranding Coral Reef Resort to target families, there would be additional capital improvement expenses. Cottage renovations would be nearly $50,000. The addition of a playground is estimated at $15,000. The wages expense to hire a chef could vary based on the quality and experience of the chef. However, making use of an existing facility such as the kitchen and dining room would add an additional stream of revenue and would help to offset the additional costs.In my opinion is it unrealistic for the resort to be at 100% capacity on a regular basis. Therefore, if we look at realistic numbers using historical Coral Reef Resort data, we can reasonably predict a 90% capacity in the high season â⠂¬â€œ an improvement over the current 70%. The revenue generated from this increase is approximately $100,000. Another factor to consider in making this decision is whether Rascal’s is worth the 30% commission. The fees for families (i. e. more people per room, etc. ) when compared to the operation expenses keep the profit margin the same with the added benefit of a unique identity in the market.Higher Margin Adventure Diving Adventure diving generates a higher margin and therefore it is a good idea for Greywell to consider adding it to the mix of dive offerings. However, it cannot be considered without weighing the risks involved. Coral Divers Resort has an excellent reputation and careful consideration should be given as to how to protect this intangible asset. Adventure dives would need specifically trained and experienced dive masters. Simply training existing employees might pose an additional risk since they aren’t too excited about diving with sharks and also la ck experience that might be helpful for safety issues.Within an hour’s distance away, competitors are already a part of this market and bringing in $115 per adventure dive which is $50 above the regular dive experience. An additional $600 per week can be earned on two days per week with an average of 6 customers each of those days. Despite hiring or training costs and additional $31,200 in revenue can be generated, after the expenses for shark food and the special dive suit. Perhaps more adventure dive business is possible, yet this estimate would need to remain conservative until the demand can be established and adjustments made accordingly.Improving Existing Coral Divers Resort Greywell should look at running the business more efficiently to see where he can lower expenses such as operating costs and both fixed and variable costs. However, improved efficiency alone will solve Greywell’s current problem of reduced revenue. He needs to be looking at additional revenue sources by bringing in more customers for existing business or new offerings. While it is a good benefit to customers to get free services such as afternoon rides, many of those customers would also pay to go.If he had an average of 9 free-ride customers per week pay only $25 for the ride, he would generate another $225 per week in revenue. He could add a box lunch for purchase, a snack package, or a cocktail option. Having more offerings will help to increase revenue. Although I don’t expect these food and beverage items on the boats to bring in much revenue and could be more work for too little reward. Greywell would certainly not want to be distracted from his core business. Conclusion Greywell should go with the Rascals in Paradise partnership. They can help rebrand and market the resort driving up occupancy rates.While increasing profits through occupancy and additional revenue streams are a positive move, Greywell will still need to solve his issue of high debt in orde r to make the renovations needed. In addition, he should already be running the business efficiently and regularly seeking out ways to maintain a high level of efficiency. I would not recommend that Greywell enter into the Adventure Diving segment of the business under the Coral Divers Resort name. The risks of injury are too high and an accident can have a very adverse effect on the business reputation.Also, in my opinion, a family business and an adventure business would serve different segments and have different branding messages. Having both under the same resort name will dilute the message and negatively impact the more profitable business segment. Instead, if Greywell feels passionate about pursuing the adventure business, I recommend he wait until his partnership with Rascals shows results and then begin a subsidiary or a separate business with its own branding that caters to the adventure diving market. This way, his businesses can feed each other and the marketing message s for each remain clear and focused.

The Decision of Johnson & Johnson Acquires Dabao.

The decision of Johnson & Johnson Acquires Dabao. Di Wang MGT 540 MI004 Professor: Arthur Annechino 20th February 2013 Table of Contents Executive Summary3 Introduction4 The reasons of decision6 Decision making style7 The problem in decision making process8 Recommendations9 Conclusion11 Reference12 Executive Summary This paper is talking about the Johnson & Johnson Acquires Dabao. It starts with review the two companies’ history, and then shows the problem of them before acquiring.Further analysis of Johnson & Johnson’s decision with the problems that in their decision making process and also the decision making style that could be found in the acquisition. At last, give some recommendations to JNJ and the conclusion for this whole paper. Introduction Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is an American multinational medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and t he company is listed among the Fortune 500.Johnson & Johnson is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey with the consumer division being located in Skillman, New Jersey. The corporation includes some 250 subsidiary companies with operations in over 57 countries and products sold in over 175 countries. Johnson & Johnson had worldwide pharmaceutical sales of $65 billion for the calendar year of 2011. Among JNJ’s well-known consumer products are the Band-Aid Brand line of bandages, Tylenol medications, Johnson's baby products, Neutrogena skin and beauty products, Clean & Clear facial wash and Acuvue contact lenses.Johnson & Johnson came to China in 1985, but until now, in majority of the Chinese people’s hearts, it still stay in the baby care products. In fact, Johnson & Johnson brand in the United States has more than a century history, is the products supplier with most comprehensive and the most diverse medical and health care products and consumer care in the world. The strong outstanding international performance did not make Johnson & Johnson achieve the comprehensive development of a leap in China.Especially in consumer and personal care products, Johnson & Johnson has Johnson & Johnson's Baby, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena and other brands. These brands almost cover each segment of the cosmetics industry. But in each market segment, the market share of Johnson & Johnson's product did not reach the top ten. Johnson & Johnson seems to be considered as a niche brand, which makes JNJ very depressed. In Johnson & Johnson’s view, in order to catch up with other multinationals in China, the best and quickest way is to acquire a local brand and expand its own brand extension and channel coverage.Dabao is undoubtedly the best choice to achieve this strategic goal for Johnson & Johnson. Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co. , Ltd. its predecessor factory is Beijing Sanlu Factory, is a state welfare enterprises established by the Beijing Government for the emplo yment of the disabled. And with as many as 35% of the disabled workers. The company was founded in 1958, 1985 converting cosmetics develops, produces, sells, and exports herbal cosmetic products in China and internationally. It offers various varieties of skincare, hair care, beauty care, perfume, and clinical series products.The company’s products include slimming creams, breast configuring creams, hair stimulators, senile fleck dispeller creams, eye-bag creams, anti-wrinkle creams, ginseng shampoos and conditioners, and ginseng both lotions. Its most famous product is â€Å"Dabao SOD cream†. It sells its products through department stores and shops. The company exports its products to the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, Greece, Tunisia, Bangladesh, and Cyprus. From in 1997, Dabao won the championship of the domestic sales of skin care products for eight consecutive years. In 2003, market share of Dabao in the skincare industry was 17. 9%, much higher than the oth er competitors. Dabao was trying to get rid of the low-end positioning, but the market performance is far from satisfactory. It seems that Dabao would never enter the high-end market in the industry. In 2004, its brand market share of negative growth, accompanied by declining net profit. Industrial output value and tax sales revenue declined slightly. The total profits and taxes in the decline stage, indicating that there was fierce competition in the market at that time, Dabao brand was facing the increase impact of foreign brands, price wars, increased costs, and many other heavy pressure.On February 27th , 2007, Dabao listing to start the transfer of 100% equity at a price of 2. 3 billion yuan in the China Beijing Equity Exchange. Its transfer form is equity overall transfer. Listing period, Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Co. , Ltd. , Unilever (China) Investment Co. , Ltd. , Kao Corporation and other international well-known cosmetics companies to come to counseling and due diligence. Johnson & Johnson and Unilever are interested transferee. The Unilever offer only 1. 7 billion yuan, much lower than the listing price. Finally JNJ won at the price of 2. 3 billion, the equity transfer agreement signed on April 18, 2008.July 30, Johnson & Johnson completed the acquisition of Dabao transactions from Beijing Sanlu Factory and the Dabao employee stock holding committee. Acquired the 83. 42% of state-owned shares and 16. 58% of employee shares from both of them. The reasons of decision There are three main reason why Johnson & Johnson make the acquire decision. Firstly, in order to catch up with other multinationals in China, the best and quickest way is to acquire a local brand and expand its own brand extension and channel coverage. Dabao is undoubtedly the best choice to achieve this strategic goal for Johnson & Johnson.Johnson & Johnson can access to the business development department directly, gain the time advantage in order to avoid time delays in pl ant construction. Secondly, Reduce a competitor, and directly get its position in the industry. Thirdly, get the use of high energy market forces. The two corporate uniform price policy, earnings higher than the revenue they gained when they were compete with each other. For example, a large number of information resources will be available for disclosure. Such as accounting income data can be used to illustrate the profitability of the enterprise, lso can be used to evaluate the changes of industry profitability. The acquisition will bring Johnson & Johnson the efficiency of production and operation, the most obvious performance was to achieved economies of scale to help Johnson to improve the control ability of Chinese market. Dabao in the second and third line markets has a strong marketing network and great attraction. Dabao have the mature path in these markets , especially advantage in the wholesale field of the second and third line markets, there will be conducive to the ex pansion of the Johnson & Johnson products field.Also can filling in gaps for Johnson & Johnson in the field of low-end mass cosmetics market. Share the Dabao development experience can reduce the learning cost of accumulated experience for Johnson & Johnson. And save the enterprise development expenses. Low-end cosmetics is very easy to research and development, but to cultivate a mature terminal need to spend more time. So acquire Dabao no doubt go a shortcut for Johnson & Johnson. But its original intention is to clear away the barriers to enter the industry and the market to get priority in China.From Dabao’s view, Dabao acquired by Johnson & Johnson who is more efficient and the replacement of managers has become inevitable, management efficiencies will brought new opportunities to Dabao in the future development. Decision making style For the decision making style in the decision making process, first I found the overestimation bias. â€Å"Overestimation occurs when peo ple overestimate their performance, chances of success or control of the situation† (Bazerman & Moore, 2009, p. 91). JNJ has full confidence for acquiring Dabao company and they believe they will gain most of the market share after they acquiring Dabao.So they give a high price to buy Dabao company, at the price of 0. 6 billion yuan more than their competitor Unilever. Actually, Dabao was facing many problems at that time and even can not survival in the market. So JNJ should did more research for the background of Dabao, and consider that seriously then give the right price to leave more chance for its self to the further development. Another bias I found is the Motivated Optimism bias. The Motivated Optimism bias is the tendency to feel positively about a situation turning out well despite evidence that proves otherwise.This bias was reflected in the staffs’ placement plan that accepted by JNJ. JNJ was positively about giving the disable employees continue working in Dabao even thought JNJ knew that is one of the mean reasons that caused Dabao developed slowly. I also tell the cultural bias from this issue. First there are culture differences between the US and China in doing business. And the two companies have totally different cultural with each other. Dabao is a state welfare company. So there must have many culture issues that JNJ can not avoid.It seems JNJ never make any prepares for that and acquired Dabao in a hurry. The problem in decision making process Because the purchase price failed to reach an agreement, the negotiations had reached an impasse after entered into an equity transfer intention agreement. Dabao listed price 23 million yuan is five times its net assets, 3. 4 times sales. Dabao audited total assets of 6. 45 billion yuan, net assets of 495 million yuan. In 2006, the main business income of 676 million yuan, net profit of 41 million. According to the 2006 assessment report, the total assets of Dabao is 2. 26 billion yuan, liabilities of 295 million yuan, the owner of the equity of 2. 241 billion yuan. The data shows that Dabao listed price of 23 million audited is of five times as net assets of 459 million yuan, which is not a cheap price. The reasonable price should be about 1. 5 billion yuan. In the others’ eyes, the price is debatable, but JNJ still acquisition of Dabao with the price ahead of the competition’s price of 600 million yuan. Another problem is the staff resettlement problem. Dabao has a characteristic, Dabao is a state welfare enterprises with as many as 35% of the disabled workers.And according to Chinese law, employees with disabilities have not been laid off, which is one of the reasons that makes Dabao development difficult. The staff placement problem hindered the acquisition process for a time. Therefore, in the acquisition, placement of workers become the most central issues in addition to price issue. After negotiated for many times, the staff placement plan has reached a consensus. After the acquisition the Dabao employees still be the employees in Dabao’s original parent company: Beijing Sanlu Factory , continues to serve Dabao brand.The employees who have not get the new jobs or do not accept the jobs of the new company's will continue as employees in Sanlu Factory. Recommendations In my opinion, I disapprove Johnson & Johnson’s decision of acquiring Dabao. Before a company makes a decision to acquire another company, two main issues must be taken into consideration: to recover the cost of investment in a short period of time; another is able to play the role of complement and enhance their own original brand. Before the acquisition, the two companies are in the decline stage.Acquired Dabao company for Johnson & Johnson is a certain risk, if Dabao continued its downward trend after the acquisition , then it will certainly contrary to the original intention of Johnson & Johnson to acquired Dabao. That will not only exacerba te the problem of Johnson & Johnson’s products market positioning in China, and it will also affect the overall development of Johnson & Johnson. If Dabao can not become a listed company, Johnson & Johnson will be difficult to recover the $ 23 billion investment cost for acquisition Dabao. Also the difficulty of integration will be to some extent prevent the development of Johnson & Johnson.The huge capital injection and Dabao placement of workers problem will increase the difficulty of the Johnson & Johnson Development. National circumstances and foreign investment risk will be a severe test. The products of the two companies does not match, the future development challenges than opportunities. After the acquisition, the biggest problem is if JNJ could make good use of the Dabao’s channel resources, after all, there are too many differences and even conflicts of the management style between multinationals and local companies.JNJ valued Dabao’s channel resources , however, these are not the hardware resources, if JNJ could not make good use of these channel resources, that may cause the channels unrest as well as loss of dealer. So I think JNJ should maintain the independence of Dabao, make Dabao like its other subsidiaries in the world, became a separate entity, independent operation. And achieve the integration of sales and channel. Dabao has weak research and development ability, so JNJ retain Dabao’s original flagship product and at the same time research and development of new products, in order to seize the market.Johnson & Johnson should change a senior management team for Dabao. Conclusion In order to catch up with other multinationals in China, Johnson & Johnson completed the acquisition of Dabao, a state welfare company has many channel resources but also has develop issues. During the decision making process, Johnson & Johnson met many problems such as the price issue, the employees settling issue. Johnson & Johnson gave a high price and accepted the employees settling plan that came up by Dabao.I do not think that is a good decision for Johnson & Johnson to acquire Dabao because it is difficult to recover the cost of investment in a short period of time and the development will be affected by the issues appeared in the decision making process in the future. Also for the further development I give the recommendations of make good use of these channel resources, maintain the independence of Dabao, retain Dabao’s original flagship product and at the same time research and development of new products, and change a senior management team for Dabao.References :analyzing the reason of johnson &johnson acquired dabao. (2008, August 06). Retrieved from http://bbs. 55bbs. com/thread-1836669-1-1. html Beijing dabao cosmetics co. , ltd.. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. dabao. com/ Enterprise merger case analysis of johnson& johnson acquired dabao. (2012, August 09). Retrieved from http://wenku. baid u. com/view/af14c431a32d7375a4178039. html Johnson&johnson. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. jnj. om/connect/ Johnson &johnson purchase dabao a sudden change in the situation. (2011, May 27). Retrieved from http://wenku. baidu. com/view/763309976bec0975f465e271. html Johnson & johnson ranks no. 1 in national corporate reputation survey for seventh consecutive year. (2005, December 07). Retrieved from http://www. harrisinteractive. com/news/allnewsbydate. asp? NewsID=999 Klovee. (2008, February 02). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://johnsonjohnsonblog. blogspot. com/2008/02/introduction. html

Article review

Should the Texas Legislature continue to serve as a part-time law making body, only meeting in regular session for 140 days every two years, or should it change to a full-time body meeting in regular session each year? The Texas Legislature should continue to serve as a part-time law making body. It would allow the most important matters to be addressed and taken care of first. The only downfall would be the less important matters may be overlooked. I believe that if the Texas Legislature were to meet in regular sessions each year there would be many changes in the law. I think that only meeting for 140 days every two years allows issues that occur a chance to resolve itself and allows the most important matters to be taken care of. Although having regular sessions would allow the small issues to be brought to the Texas Legislature’s attention it could harm the process of law making because the more crucial problems could be overrun by the many smaller ones, because of the increased time to resolve certain matters. Should the $7,200 annual salary for Texas legislators be lowered, maintained, or increased? I believe that the salary should be raised to that of a reasonable pay to which a person could live off of. Texas Legislatures deserve to get paid more than minimum wage for the work that they do not just for themselves, but for the state. They make decisions that effect Texan’s lives and with that reason I believe we should raise their salary to an amount that can accommodate their duties as a Texas Legislature. Texas Legislatures do get compensation which is about 168,000, according to The Book of the States, 2010 Edition, vol.42 (Lexington, Ky. : Council of State Governments, 2010), 113-116. This may be the reason many Texans do not want to raise their salary, but this allowance is only for regular and special sessions. The least that we voters can do is increase the pay for Legislatures of Texas because they serve an important role as a part of our state law making. The Texas governor is elected to a four-year term and there are no term limits on how many terms or yearâ₠¬â„¢s one person can serve as the state’s chief executive. Should term limits be implemented to restrict the total number of terms or years one person can serve as Texas governor? There should be term limits to restrict the total number of terms or years a person can serve as a Texas Governor, because it allows a Governor who may be better suited for the job a better chance to take office. Just as there is a limit for President, the same rules should apply, when it comes to limitations for serving. If a Governor is allowed to run for as long as he/she is elected than there is no chance for a change of certain policies that can benefit the state. Another candidate may have new and fresh ideas for the state, but have less of chance of being able to implement them because certain voters may favor the Governor already in office. People are also scared of change and tend to stick with what they are comfortable with. Having a new Governor may not be appealing to them. Without a term limit the Governor can be in office for longer than he/she should be.

Why do nontraditional students who are enrolled in online programs Research Paper

Why do nontraditional students who are enrolled in online programs decide to dropout - Research Paper Example (Gutmann, A.1987). Unlike traditional educational ways involving a classroom and a teacher, online learning does not involve direct confrontations with a teacher and does not provide the environment of a traditional classroom. In most cases, distance learning involves a media center or a computer laboratory. Therefore, distance learning is a field of education that combines technology with teaching methods and techniques to provide an opportunity for students to learn without being physically present in a classroom. (Briel, H. J. 2011). Due to technological advances, there have been a recent explosion in the field of online education but the history of distance learning dates back to as early as 1728, when Caleb Phillips, who was a teacher of Short Hand method, published an advertisement in Boston Gazette to seek students to whom he would send lectures on weekly basis. An Englishman, Isaac Pitman, is regarded has an early pioneer in providing distance education. In 1840s, Isaac Pitma n taught Short Hand using correspondence in the Great Britain. The importance of education in modern democratic society is beautifully portrayed by Amy Gutmann in the following words: â€Å"When citizens rule in a democracy, they determine, among other things, how future citizens will be educated. Democratic education is therefore a political as well as an educational ideal. Because being educated as a child entails being ruled, ‘You cannot be a ruler unless you have first been ruled.’ Because being a democratic citizen entails ruling, the ideal of democratic education is being ruled, then ruling. Education not only sets the stage for democratic politics, it plays a central role in it.’’ (Gutmann, A.1987). Now adays, the world has transformed into a global village and with the passage of time, online learning has become the best possible learning source. Due to increased commitments in life, it is hardly possible for everyone to physically attend a school in order to increase their educational qualifications. The only viable alternative remains are, online courses. Although the growth rate in online programs is high but yet the dropouts have been of great concern to many organizations and higher institutions. (Briel, H. J. 2011). Magnitude of drop out crisis: The non traditional students dropping out of online education fall into various categories: I. Non-starters, II. Students who did not even make an effort to complete the official withdrawal procedure are classified in the category of informal withdrawals, III. Students who completed the official withdrawal procedure fall into the category of formal withdrawals, IV. Academic failures, V. Non-continuers. (Darrow, R. W. 2010). Online education is more flexible and ensures that students can learn and progress to advanced levels at their own pace. Online courses provide more effective learning opportunities than traditional schools because they provide an access to a broad curriculu m so that students can enroll in multiple courses which they cannot in traditional brick and mortar schools. Most virtual schools provide courses that are enriched with challenges to help their students to attain high quality and flexible education. However, according to the retention literature concerning online education, the rate of non traditional students dropping out of online courses occurs at much a faster pace than the number of drop outs from on-ground or traditional brick and mortar classes. According to a report in Meister-2002, 70 percent of the online learners registered for online programs failed to successfully complete the course. The Corporate