Sunday, December 29, 2019
Poverty Phillipines vs Canada Essay - 1062 Words
I have conducted extensive research on the needs of the country in question. Throughout the course of my research it has become clear that there can be many trends in the data and statistics of economic concerns of many countries. In order to better illustrate my point I have chosen to compare two different countries while observing one economic concern. I have decided to illustrate the concern of poverty in the economy of the Philippines and Canada. The Philippines is a country that has been destroyed by widespread poverty. The economic concerns in this country have multiplied in the past decade. There are many causes to the many problems and not enough effective reforms to rectify them. They currently have a population ofâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦The high crime and drug rates, the low education rates, the lack of knowledge of technological advancement, and the poor living conditions also play a large role in the high poverty level. Table 1Poverty incidence in selected Asian countries1(percent) Years Annualreduction Firstyear Lastyear PhilippinesIndonesiaKoreaMalaysiaThailand 1971Ãâ"941970Ãâ"901970Ãâ"901973Ãâ"871962Ãâ"88 0.72.00.91.61.4 5258233759 361951422 Sources: World Bank, 1996, and Philippines, National Statistical Coordination Board, 1996. 1Defined as proportion of families living below the poverty line. A lot has been done to benefit the situation in the Philippines; however, few changes have actually been made. Industry is highly monopolized. Mismanagement caused the land to be unequally distributed. Reforms that were made had little progress. Income was highly monopolized as well. The 10% of the rich population got richer. There was a small attempt to redistribute the money, but the only people who seemed to benefit from this were the middle class. President Aquino made an effort to destroy the monopolies, boost the economy, and create more jobs for the lower class. She was only able to bust down the state protected monopolies and because her efforts failed, poverty continued to weigh heavily on the Philippines. Table 1 shows the slow rate in which the poverty level has improved in the past years. This can mainly be blamed
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Analysis Of Eriksson s Article The Ways We Lie
In Erikssonââ¬â¢s article she shows the reader that lies come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it be a good lie like a white lie or a bad lie like being delusional. She backs up her definitions of lies with examples from her own life to teach you about them. She ends by saying that lies shouldnââ¬â¢t be accepted anymore or weââ¬â¢ll all get so used to it that itââ¬â¢ll become the social norm, she says ââ¬Å"Our acceptance of lies becomes a cultural cancer that eventually shrouds and reorders reality until moral garbage becomes as invisible to us as water is to a fish.â⬠(Ericsson, Stephanie. The Ways We Lie. 1992. Print.). It used to be that a good person never lied but now everyone lies itââ¬â¢s just the sad truth. The only good people left in this world are the ones that refuse to lie. Itââ¬â¢s gotten to the point where the lines between being a good person or a bad person are getting blurred. Weââ¬â¢ve tricked ourselves to believe that having integrity m eans you can lie every once in a while, which is just false. Being honest and having integrity are one in the same. Integrity to me means being honest all the time, not lying when you can get away with it or you think someone needs it. There are some people that say lying builds character, I think thatââ¬â¢s just false. Being Honest and having integrity is one of the best things in the world. Although some people will lie to make themselves seem like better people but ultimately just let you down. Everyone lies itââ¬â¢s something that is becoming more and moreShow MoreRelatedRegionalization and Marketing Mix Strategies of a Company14027 Words à |à 57 PagesAwuah 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all we are thankful to our almighty creator who bestowed us the courage to complete this work. Then well wishes and heartiest prays of our parents have the right to be acknowledged here. Besides it, various individuals have contributed directly and indirectly to this thesis. Through out the study, we interacted with Telenorââ¬â¢s lady Hilde Widerà ¸e Wibe (communications) and she always welcomed us in her office. We are thankful to the management and specially theirRead MorePodiatry Rhuematoid Arthritis8124 Words à |à 33 Pagesrheumatoid arthritis (RA); particularly concerning the conclusions on its aetiology, diagnosis techniques, pharmacological management, physical therapeutics and surgical treatment interventions. I shall explore the expected prognosis and the key developments we can expect in the future. Aetiology and Prevalence RA is a chronic, systemic and inflammatory disease that progressively impacts peripheral joints (Panayi 2011).The damage that occurs is predominantly symmetrical and polyarthropathic (RindfleischRead MoreCase Studies: Sas Airline Ryanair80169 Words à |à 321 PagesHelterlin and Nuno Ramalho Acknowledgements We would like to express our gratitude to all who have contributed to the realization of this Master Thesis. A warm thank to our supervisor, Hà ¥kan Bohman from USBE (Umeà ¥ School of Business), for his guidance, his precious help and his advises during the last months. To Mr. Lundvall, from LFV (Luftfartsverket), Mr. Valinger from Scandinavian Airline and Mr. Wilsberg from SAS Braathens, Jessica Eriksson and Thomas Pettersson from USBE, thank you forRead MoreAutobilography of Zlatan Ibrahimovic116934 Words à |à 468 Pagesfit in. Those who are seen for the wrong reasons. It s OK to be different. Continue being yourself. It worked out for me. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER 1 Pep Guardiola, the coach in Barcelona, with his grey suits and troubled face, came up to me looking concerned. I thought he was all right at that time, certainly not a Mourinho or Capello, but an ok guy. This was way before we started our war. It was the fall of 2009 and I was living
Friday, December 13, 2019
Transformational Leadership Free Essays
A lot of research has gone into the subject of leadership skills as seen from a number of several different perspectives. As a matter of fact, from the early years of 1900 onwards, analysis on the types of leadership and their models have been going on, and initially the point of concentration was on the leader, and his followers. Researchers of the time, however, came to the conclusion that no single characteristic or trait could be taken as being fully explanatory of any particular leaderââ¬â¢s abilities and his capacity, and thereafter researchers began the process of analyzing and examining the situation and its influences on a leader and his abilities, and also made several attempts to try to distinguish effective from non-effective leaders. We will write a custom essay sample on Transformational Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now The purpose of such analysis was actually to determine which leadership behaviors were exactly exemplified by effective leaders, and which were not. (History of leadership Research) Therefore, in order to better understand why some people were effective leaders and some were not, researchers used the so-called ââ¬Ëcontingency modelââ¬â¢ in order to analyze and to conclude the various connections that must exist between personal traits, situational variables, and the effectiveness of a leader. In later years, especially during the 1970ââ¬â¢s and the 1980ââ¬â¢s, the point of concentration for studying effective leadership qualities in an individual shifted to the individual characteristics of a leader which served to make him a better leader, and which brought his company immense profits. The research more often than not concluded that leaders and leadership are important and in fact crucial and vital components of any organization. (History of leadership Research) In fact, the basic notion of leadership and its influence process has been a very important one through the years, especially when taken in the context of human relations and public relations within an organization. This is the framework, then, upon which much research on the various models of leadership have been carried out through the years and it is often considered to be the more useful one upon which to conduct analyses. This is because of the widely acknowledged fact that the very social process through which one individual tries to exert his own influence on others in his own way is actually demonstrated in a large number of inter personal relationships between a number of people anywhere in the world. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) Some examples of these are the relationship between the ââ¬Ësuperior and his subordinateââ¬â¢, the staff with the line, the salesman with his customer, the consultant with his client, a teacher with his student, the husband with his wife, a parent with his child, and so on and so forth. These are the normal relationships that always occur in the context of groups, and within organizations, and also within a set of cultures, and are in turn influenced by the organizations and cultures themselves. Therefore, it can be stated that when one desires to understand leadership better, then one would have to try to gain a deep insight into the very nature and character of a personality or of a group or of an organization. Thereafter, one must attempt to analyze the various cultural variables that would invariably be present in any one group of several different individuals, and then analyze the various interrelationships between them and the variables that are seen in a system of influence of this particular kind. The two most important elements in such a framework of leadership analyses are, primarily, the so called ââ¬Ësocial sensitivityââ¬â¢ or what is also known as ââ¬â¢empathyââ¬â¢, and ââ¬Ëaction flexibilityââ¬â¢, or what is also known as ââ¬Ëbehavioral flexibilityââ¬â¢. Both these variables are of extreme importance when analyzing leadership, and its effectiveness and its causes. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) It must be noted that the word ââ¬Ëleadershipââ¬â¢ as such is a very widely used word indeed, and social workers, political activists, orators and scholars and of course numerous others all utilize it in their speech and in their writing. However, what must also be noted is the fact that not everyone agrees about its actual and true meaning; among the social scientists, leadership has come to represent something that will always constantly shift and change, and transform its primary focus first on one thing and then another. There is a lot more work to be carried out before it can be truly stated that there is indeed a systematic and a basic theory for leadership, and a full fledged framework developed upon which to accurately measure effective leadership. When taken through history, leadership studies have been effectively showing the shifting focus on theoretical orientation of leadership studies; whereas early studies concentrated on the study of the leader as a person, to the exclusion of various other variables, later studies laid emphasis on isolating the physical and the psychological characteristics of the leader, and these were considered to be traits which were in fact differentiating the leader from all the other members of the group. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) Likewise, the concept of spirituality in leadership is a relatively newer idea, and one that researchers have started to analyze only recently, having been ignored as a concept for the past hundreds of years before today. However, one must not forget that throughout our social history, man has been able to identify his own inner moral as well as spiritual standards, and seen them for the influence they tend to cast upon human actions in general. In fact, it can even be stated that it is manââ¬â¢s inner sense of spiritual wholeness that defines mankind as such, and also determines manââ¬â¢s inner values, his sense of morality and justice, and therefore tends to direct manââ¬â¢s actions and the various decisions that he makes in his daily life and also in his working life. (Fairholm, 1997) Therefore, it must be remembered that spirituality plays a very important role in a leaderââ¬â¢s various actions and in his process of decisions making, as well as in the followersââ¬â¢ lives. Every single individual has an innate sense of who he is, what he is doing, and where he is going, and all these various concepts are guided by his inner spirituality. As a matter of fact, it can be stated that it is this true inner self that actually guides man in general and a leader as well. Spirit is therefore an inseparable part of the leadership of an individual, and it is this that guides him in his various actions. In todayââ¬â¢s fast paced world, the workplace in fact becomes a central part of oneââ¬â¢s life, and this means that one would have to relate oneââ¬â¢s own personal spiritual values with his workplace vales, and this in turn becomes the most important and central part of leadership. (Fairholm, 1997) There are, to date, numerous models of leadership, that have been found to be effective after intensive research conducted through many years, and the interest in what exactly makes a good and effective and efficient leader is still an extremely interesting topic. Some of the better leadership models are, according to research, the following: the participative styles of leadership, which, according to studies conducted by Hawthorne and Kurt Lewin and Likert, invariably lead to an enhanced job satisfaction, and also to a better performance. Another is the ââ¬Ëcontingency theoryââ¬â¢, which argues that the proper or the right or the most effective leadership style is something that constantly changing accord to the present context. One example of this model is that explained by Blake and Moutonââ¬â¢s managerial Grid, according to which organization developmental practices can be easily analyzed. (Leadership Theories, 1) Another is the ââ¬Ëinstrumental theoryââ¬â¢, according to which a lot of stress is placed on the task, as well as on the person oriented behavioral patterns, like, for example, delegation, and participation on the part of the leader in order to gain better effectiveness from the others in his team. Inspirational leadership theories are based on the fact that a single individual, with his inspiring personality and way of life and method of thinking, be able to influence his team into better performances. These leaders are, more often than not, inspirational persons, and they are at times called transformational leaders too. This type of leader would appeal to the inherent value and visions of the team of followers around him, upon whom he would be able to cast a great influence. He would not only be able to inspire and instill confidence among them, but also be able to motivate them to change wherever and whenever necessary for the progress of the organization. (Leadership Theories, 1) The ââ¬Ëinformal leaderââ¬â¢ is the person who has not exactly been appointed to leadership, but would be able to, in general, assume leadership in manifold other ways. Another leadership theory is the so-called ââ¬Ëpath goal theoryââ¬â¢, according to which the expectancy theory of motivations comes to the fore, wherein a leader is responsible for motivating his team well, and into giving better performances in general. This theory draws on the following four different styles of leadership: supportive, directive, participative, and finally, direction oriented. The actual choice of style finally depends on the task to be performed, and the individual who is expected to perform the task. For example, a routine task would need a more supportive style of leadership, while a complex and tough task would need a directive type of leadership. (Leadership Theories, 1) Compare and Contrast Leadership Models: It is now quite evident that one of the predominant themes as far as management studies is concerned is the most important role that an effective and an efficient leader would play in the effective running of an organization, of any kind, and, as a matter of fact, the position of the leader has been elevated to someone of heroic proportions, and he is termed as someone who is the prime determinant of his organizationââ¬â¢s success or of its failure. The model leader is, therefore, an individual who is in possession of a set of known and researched set of behaviors and patterns, as acknowledged by researchers all over the world, and who would be able to effectively motivate his team of members in such a way that they would be able to give their optimum bets performances for the benefit of their organization. These are some of the better known and accepted leadership models, which some of the very bets leaders in the industry have been known to follow and emulate for the betterment of the firm. One model is the ââ¬ËContingency Theoryââ¬â¢. (Chapter 12, Leadership) It must be stated here that for as long as there have been research on leadership, there has been a widely acknowledged claim that for every different situation there is, a different leader and a different leadership style would be suitable. Weber, for example, in the year 1946, in his research on the bases of legitimate authority in the state as such, has managed to identify three entirely different types of leaders: one type is an individual who would base his authority on tradition, another who would base his authority on rationality, and a third who would base his authority on exerting his own charismatic influence onto others in his team. Each leader would achieve success in one type of situation, and not in others, thus showing that one type of leadership would not suffice for all kinds of diverse situations. (Chapter 12, Leadership) Fiedler, in the year 1996, has identified some of the more important aspects of the contingent view of a leader. First and foremost, the relevant literature does not offer any clue about the existence of certain universal traits, or behavioral patterns, or characteristics that can be associated with a good leader and effective leadership qualities. Secondly, it has been stated that the effectiveness of the leader depends on how well and how quickly he would be able to match the situation in which he is expected to operate. Thirdly, the most important mediating factor between a leaders traits and the situation in which he operates is the way in which the leader is able to cope with stress within the situation. Equally important is what exactly the leader thinks is a stressful situation, according to him, and how he is able to motivate and engage his team into coping and facing the stress in a positive manner so that the organization does not get affected in any manner whatsoever. Furthermore, it has often been noticed that most organizations generally tend to adapt and become more internally complex so that they may be better bale to respond to the external complexities, according to Lawrence and Lorsch in research conducted in the year 1967. According to Galbraith, in 1994, the best way in which an organization would be able to effectively deal with stress both outside and within the organization is to organize the entire effort around the team of members. This would also mean that the team would be responsible for conducting and carrying out the basic work of the organization, and since teams are more often than not staffed with differing levels of permanence, they are often responsible for bridging historic line organizations. The contingency theory also stresses on the fact that different periods of either planned or unintended organizational change would most definitely need effective leaders with particular attributes and characteristics, so that he may be able to help the organization to handle the difficult change process effectively. (Chapter 12, Leadership) Situational Leadership is another style of leadership which is a widely acknowledged and recognized leadership model. When taken in simple terms, a situational leader is an individual who would be able to quickly adapt his thinking and his methods of leadership to the present situation at hand, and can even change his style wherever and whenever necessary. Ken Blanchard, the well known ââ¬ËManagement Guruââ¬â¢, and the author of the ââ¬ËOne Minute Manager Seriesââ¬â¢, along with Paul Hersey, created a model for situational leadership during the 1960ââ¬â¢s. This model would allow the leader to analyze the needs of the situation that he is at present involved in, and then adopt what he thinks and knows would be the very best and effective management and leadership style to solve it. This is a leadership model put in a simple square grid, that has retained its basic popularity over the years, because of the fact that it is very simple to comprehend, and also because it can easily be used in the most difficult of situations. (Famous Models: Situational Leadership) According to the model, the ââ¬Ëdirecting leadersââ¬â¢ are the individuals who define the tasks and roles of their followers, and also supervise them very closely. All the major decisions to be taken would be declared by the leader, and this means that communication would generally be one-way. ââ¬ËCoaching leadersââ¬â¢ on the other hand, would define roles and tasks, in the same way as the directing leaders would, but would look out for any suggestions or ideas form his followers, while a ââ¬Ësupporting leaderââ¬â¢ would more often than not typically pass on the several day to day decisions within the organization, like for example, task allocation, and processes, to his followers. Here, although the leader does indeed take part in the decision making processes, most of the control remains with the followers. A ââ¬Ëdelegating leaderââ¬â¢ would remain involved in the major decisions and in the problem solving processes within the firm, but he would be involved only upon the discretion of the follower; it is the follower who decides when and how the leader would have to become involved. An effective leader would have to have the capacity and ability to be able to move around the simple grid easily, according to the needs of the situation, and thus become a situational leader. (Famous Models: Situational Leadership) Yet another leadership model is Bruce Tuckmanââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËForming Storming Norming Performing leadership modelââ¬â¢. According to this model, it is as the team within an organization begins to develop maturity and ability that they would be better able to establish relationships with each other, and because of this, a leader would be able to change his style as the team grows and matures. This type of leader would at the outset start with a directing style, after which he would move on to a coaching style, after which he would adopt the participating, and then the delegating and finishing styles, and finally on to the almost detached style. At this particular point, the team may be able to produce a successor leader, and the previous leader can move on to another team. Therefore, the progression of the leader from one stage to the next, according to Bruce Tuckman, would be from forming to storming, and then to norming, and finally, to performing. (Bruce Tuckmanââ¬â¢s 1965 Forming Storming Norming Performing team-development Model) The Effectiveness of Leadership Models: The effectiveness of any particular model depends on the leader himself, and on the various traits and the charisma that he is in possession of. A leader, in general, tends to be identified by position, as they belong to a virtual hierarchy. They are the people to whom the team in the organization looks to for help or for answers, and the leader, with his vision and his efficiency and his ability, would be able to provide the answers wherever necessary. They are also people who have certain special qualities and traits that tend to set them apart form others, and this is very useful because it defines the gap essential between a leader and his followers. This is a view of leadership that is generally taken as being the best explanation of a leader, and it is followed not only in businesses but also by the government and by the armed forces. A leader may be participative or directional or transformational, but he still would have his own style, and it must always be remembered that a leader is a man who would possess a great amount of power, and one must be careful that there is no misuse of this power. (Classical Leadership) Evaluate the supporting research contributing to development of leadership Models It is during the past few decades that a lot more attention has been given to the concept of analyzing various leadership styles and finding the bets one, which would be able to improve the leadership style of an individual within an organization, so that the leader would be able to lead his tem better, and goad them into giving better performances. Theories about transformational leadership, in particular, have become even more important today than they were yesterday, and more and more evidence of these theories have been amassed for all the different levels of the organization. (Bass, 1993) Transformational leadership, it can be stated, has today become almost an obsession with researchers on leadership styles, and why the model is so very appealing is because it is the actual antecedent of a true hero. He is an individual who seems to have circumvented all his weaknesses, and he is also a person who holds great promise of bringing about great organizational changes. Bernard Bass is a very active campaigner for the cause of a transformational leader, and he is of the opinion that research on the subject had literally boomed in the past few decades. In fact, a transformational leader is today, an individual who makes up the ââ¬ËNew leadershipââ¬â¢ types of the modern world. Transformational leadership is so very popular because of the fact that it effectively overcomes every shortcoming that a hero of yesteryears may have possessed, and even though they do have their own flaws, they seem to be better leaders than any others. Typically, a transformational leader seems to tempt his followers with the ââ¬Ëcarrot and stickââ¬â¢ approach, wherein he can control them with a positive approach. (Gronn, 1995) A transformational leader can also put a lot of passion and energy into everything that he does, and he is able to inspire others with his development of a vision and a view of the future that will inspire his numerous followers. He has to be able to create trust in his followers, and this then will inspire them to follow him. He is a leader who will seek to transform, and he can eventually become a person who would have been personally responsible for saving his organization form ruin. (Transformational Leadership: www.changingminds.org) He is a leader, who is able to recognize as well as exploit a certain need in his followers, analyze their various motives, and engage the complete person of the followers. Some examples of transformational leaders through the years are: Rousseau, Madison, reformers like Alexander and Grey, revolutionaries like Lenin, Castro, Luther, Mao, heroes like Kennedy, Joan of Arc, and Muhammad. (Boje, 2000) Evaluate the impact of environmental factors on transformational leadership: A transformational leader would through his charisma and his vision for the future can inspire his followers into transcending their own self-interests so that they may work for the betterment and for the profit of their organization. He is an individual who uses with regularity, contingent rewards to positively impact and influence his followers, and he at times takes the initiative himself only if he feels that there are problems, and things are not progressing as well as he thought they were. A transformational leader today is extremely important and relevant in todayââ¬â¢s workplace because of the traits that he possesses, which are that he is flexible, and he is original and innovative. In fact, a transformational leader is one individual who can be said to be the essence of creating, developing, and ultimately maintaining the so important competitive edge in his organization. (Leading: Management Modern BMGT 1301DCCCD) According to Jan Carlzon, in 1987, an individual who was a very effective transformational leader for SAS Airlines, a leader must be able to both encourage and also to facilitate the formulation of an organizational vision, wherein the numerous stakeholders of the organization may feel that they have participated in. He must also be able to create and maintain an environment in which the employees of the organization may feel able to accept and execute all their various duties and responsibilities with a certain ease and confidence. The leader must be able to communicate what he wants to these employees, and teach them the companyââ¬â¢s vision, and ask them for inputs about how to turn the vision into reality. He must be able to inspire his followers with his vision, and this is the essence of a transformational leader. (A Systemic View of Transformational Leadership) Visions may be either positive or negative, and when the vision is indeed positive, then it would also be an idealized design, which would in turn impact the environment. The operational viability of this positive design must be therefore designed in such a way that it would be able to survive if it came into existence in the present environment. Therefore, since a transformational leader is driven by visions and ideas, and not by othersââ¬â¢ expectations of him, he will be able to effectively beat the system and the environment, and not surrender to it in any way, and this in essence is what a transformational leader is all about. (A Systemic View of Transformational Leadership) How to cite Transformational Leadership, Essay examples
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Pneumatic and Electric Drive for Hybrid Vehicles -myassignmenthelp
Question: Discuss about thePneumatic and Electric Drive Systems for Hybrid Vehicles. Answer: Pneumatic systems are known to use air or pressurized systems in their functioning. The pneumatic drive systems use a key mechanisms, where they use compressed air or inert gases to move their parts. The most functions on which these systems are used include in the train doors, mechanical clamps and some of the production assemblies. On the other hand, an electrical driver system is a systems which uses electricity in the control of its speed, torque and the direction of the electric motor or electric generator which is installed (Khajepour, Fallah, Goodarzi, 2014). In order to change the output, the key factors which are changed include the voltage and frequencies. A person has different factors to consider in the choice of either a pneumatic systems or to use the electrical drive systems (Subrahmanyam, 2011, p. 91). The two types of drives have their pros and cons and therefore it is important for proper analysis in order to maximise the production when facedwith the decision to c hoose one of them. Performance, cost factors and effectiveness factors are some of the key analysis elements which will help one to make viable decisions when faced with the difficulty of choosing between the two drive systems. The delivery situation for the pneumatic drives is usually achieved at high speed combined with low torque. Nevertheless, in these systems, the torque and speed are usually independent factors. In their application, the pneumatics drives are the most cost effective systems to be used. This is when the costs is a key factor to consider when the dilemma of which system need to be used. Moreover, compared to other systems, the pneumatic drives are able to offer implausible torque and velocity per each unit in comparison to the electric drives or any other apart from the hydraulic drive systems (National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry, 2008). Moreover, the pneumatic drives have small sized compressors, which make them cost effective and increase their efficiency. Moreover, the large compressors are only effective at situation when large pneumatic drives are driven. One key advantage of the electric drives over the pneumatic drives is the precisions control and positioning. The drives are able to play a critical role in the flexible adaptation of the machines and maintenance of low cost of operations. The economic nature of the use of electric drive is usually attained when the moderate scale of functionality is attained (Tan, Putra, 2011). The main reason which is tied to this is the low cost of replacement which is achieved. Some of the key electric drive systems in the market, used to control electric machines include the steppers and servos. At low speed and accurate positioning, the step electric motors are the most effective. On the other hand, the servos are able to deliver superior work at high speed although high cost of operations is achieved when they are used. In comparison, the electric drive systems are able to offer multiple advantages compared to the pneumatic drive systems. One of the key disadvantage of the pneumatic drive system can arrive where the air for compression is not available. This can be compared in placed like offices, where for electric drives, only the electricity is needed. This has seen the increased application of the electric drives over the pneumatic drive systems. In addition, the electric drives are controllable meaning that the output and input are set by the owners. In terms of the stroke length, the electric drives are able to provide end of stroke in the repetitive positioning and precisions described. Intermediate stops and flexible motion profiles are other key advantages which the electric drives are able to enjoy over the pneumatic systems. In addition, the installation and maintenance costs of the electric systems are much lower compares to the same costs in the pneumatic systems. Nevertheless, the pneumatic drives also have some key advantages over the electric drive systems. One of the key advantages is the low cost of the system. The electric systems are much expensive compares to the pneumatic systems. In addition, the pneumatic systems are able to offer high torque and velocities are very low unit costs. In comparison with the electric drive systems, this is one of the key merits of using the pneumatic systems over the electric drive systems. Moreover, it is important that the different components of a system to be controlled different and with ease. The torque and velocities in the pneumatic systems are independent and this makes it easy to control either of the factors. In addition, safety is a key consideration for any systems and the pneumatic system employs the use of oversi8zed cylinders to enhance the safety measures. In the pneumatic drive systems, it is easy and much practical to step up to a large diameter. In addition, when deployment is done i n large scale, the effectiveness in the pneumatic systems is able to exceed the effectiveness in the electric systems. This makes the systems much cost effectiveness in the use compare to the electric drive systems. In addition, in terms of the designs, the pneumatic systems are simple and therefore easy to understand. This is in comparison with the electric systems which are complex and therefore training for their use is usually required (Kiel, 2008, p. 121). Moreover, the pneumatic drives can even employ the use of automatic control application, which is not easy for the electric systems. Lastly, the air is less affected by harsh conditions such as weather and this makes the pneumatic systems more adaptable in the different conditions. In addition, in terms of safety, the pneumatic systems are much safer, since they can operate anywhere even in inflammable environments. Nevertheless, over loading the pneumatic system can lead to end of the use of the system due to failure (In Demenko, 2015). Moreover, the pneumatic systems are much friendly to the environment since they cause less pollution. This is unlike the electric systems which have oil and grease which are not friendly to the environment. The pneumatic systems can also be used in areas where clean air is needed system they are known to be able to release clean air. Nevertheless, the pneumatic systems have low accuracy level in comparison with the electric systems. The output operations are able to depend on the amount of pressurized gases fed into the system. Instability in output is a critical factor for the pneumatic systems. Air volume changes with temperature changes. This is a key con experienced when working with the pneumatic drive systems. Additionally, pneumatic drives only require low loading to avoid their failure. This puts a limit on the operations of the systems and therefore limiting the output production of the system. In addition, there are conditions which may increase the wear and tear of the parts (Crowder, 2006, p. 78). Most importantly, the changes in air volumes in the systems are able to bring uneven speed. Lastly, these systems are noisy and therefore cannot be used in quiet environments. On the other hand, the electric drives have high initial cost and are not compatible in all environments. High usage causes overheating and this increases the wear and tear. Additionally, the electric dives are motor locks therefore the speeds limits to a fixed setting value. Summary In terms of usage, the electric drives rely on electricity while the pneumatic drives use compressed air to generate the mechanical energy to drive the parts. The pneumatic drive systems use the pressurized air to operate their valves. Key factors which are considered in the choice of the systems are productivity, cost and performance of the systems on the different environments. Individual will therefore analyze these factors in the aim of choosing which will suit their use. References In Demenko, A. (2015). Modelling of magnetic and electric circuits. Khajepour, A., Fallah, M. S., Goodarzi, A. (2014). Electric and hybrid vehicles: Technologies, modeling, and control : a mechatronic approach. National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry. (2008). Blueprint reading for electricians. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar/Cengage Learning. Tan, K. K., Putra, A. S. (2011). Drives and control for industrial automation. London: Springer.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Wheaton College Admissions Data and Acceptance Rate
Wheaton College Admissions Data and Acceptance Rate If you are interested in attending Wheaton College, know that they accept aroundà three-quarters of those who apply. Learn more about what it takes to get into this college. About Wheaton College Wheaton College is a private, Christian liberal arts college located in Wheaton, Illinois, west of Chicago. The college is interdenominational, and students come from over 55 church denominations. The college has a 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and undergraduates can choose from 40 majors. The college frequently ranks highly among national liberal arts colleges and best value colleges. Wheaton is also one of the 40 schools Loren Pope included in his well-regarded Colleges that Change Lives. In athletics, the Wheaton Thunder compete in 22 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). Will you get in if you apply to Wheaton College? Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) Wheaton College Acceptance Rate: 79à percentGPA, SAT and ACT graph for WheatonTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 590 / 710SAT Math: 580 / 690SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanTop Illinois colleges SAT comparisonACT Composite: 27à / 32ACT English: 27à / 34ACT Math: 25à / 30ACT Writing: - / -What these ACT numbers meanTop Illinois colleges ACT comparison Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 2,901à (2,456 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 47 percent Male / 53 percent Female98 percent Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $34,050Books: $800 (why so much?)Room and Board: $9,560Other Expenses: $1,900Total Cost: $46,310 Wheaton College Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of Students Receiving Aid: 87à percentPercentage of Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 80 percentLoans: 53 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $17,344Loans: $7,108 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors: Biblical Studies, Business, Communication Studies, Elementary Education, English, History, International Relations, Philosophy, Psychology, SociologyWhat major is right for you? Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Retention and Graduation Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 95 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 82à percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 91à percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports: Football, Track and Field, Wrestling, Swimming, Tennis, Soccer, Golf, Basketball, Baseball, Cross CountryWomens Sports: Soccer, Swimming, Softball, Tennis, Basketball, Track and Field, Volleyball If You Like Wheaton College, You May Also Like These Schools University of Chicago: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphPepperdine University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBaylor University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphPrinceton University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphStanford University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphVanderbilt University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphYale University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Michigan: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphCalvin College: ProfileTaylor University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWestmont College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Wheaton College Mission Statement mission statement from wheaton.edu/welcome/aboutus_mission.html Wheatons mission statement expresses the stable and enduring identity of the College - our reason for existence and our role in society and the church. All the purposes, goals, and activities of the College are guided by this mission. Wheaton College serves Jesus Christ and advances His Kingdom through excellence in liberal arts and graduate programs that educate the whole person to build the church and benefit society worldwide. This mission expresses our commitment to do all things - For Christ and His Kingdom. Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Blogging and Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Blogging and Privacy - Essay Example Ellen Simonetti (2004), a Delta Air Lines flight attendant, for example, was fired after she posted some problematic photos of herself in uniform on her blog. Simonetti might want to show her blogger friends her daily life as a flight attendant through those pictures, but unfortunately, her pictures became a reason for losing her job. In general, visiting Simonetti's blog and looking up her pictures are exactly what most bloggers usually do. Yet, if someone would report her pictures to somebody without her permission, and so Simonetti might lose her job, this is certainly a violation of her privacy. If so, in what ways might Simonetti protect her personal information and privacy Regardless of any possible personal security issue, the number of blogs is still steadily increasing, and the purposes of using blogs is becoming more diversified from one blog to another blog. Hence, taking such diversity into account, bloggers must carefully consider the level of disclosure of personal information based on the content posted and the targeted audience. The rest of this analytic argumentative paper is organized as following. In the first two sections, two opposite tendencies of current bloggers towards their personal information, such as disclosing versus anonymity or hiding, are discussed with benefits and disadvantages. Then, in the next paragraph, it suggested way to efficiently manage such personal information problem in blogging will be addressed. Lastly, another helpful suggestion is explained while concluding this essay. Most of the bloggers reveal their personal information about themselves on blogs. Especially, young generation has a propensity to disclose their personal information. According to a research conducted by David A. Huffaker, Ph.D. student at Northwestern University, and Sandra L. Calvert, professor of Psychology at Georgetown University," Many teen bloggers expose their first name (70%), age (67%), and contact information (61%) as an email address" (2005, para.10). The reason why teen bloggers reveal such personal information often seems unintentional. This is just because their purpose of maintaining blogs is often to establish a close relationship with other bloggers. By sharing such type of personal information given above, the teen bloggers match the age groups that they want, and keep in touch with each other outside the blogs, too. From this point of view, blogs are an extension of the real world to teenagers in which they make more friends and share a matter of daily life. In addition to disclosing personal information, however, they also post diaries and photos which altogether have a chance of causing a security problem as which happened to Simonetti, a fired stewardess mentioned above. In regard to this issue, Mr. Henry G. Rhone, a vice provost at Virginia Commonwealth University, asserted that "[teen bloggers] have never had any problems with [their personal information and contents on their blogs], so they just assume that when they're online, they're safe" (quoted in Read, 2006, para. 17). As Mr. Rhone pointed out, Simonetti's case is rarely happened phenomenon for bloggers to realize its
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Tower of Hercules and Las Medulas Mines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Tower of Hercules and Las Medulas Mines - Essay Example This essay ââ¬Å"Tower of Hercules and Les Madulas Mineâ⬠investigates the history of Spain. It is unique in the sense that many of the historical buildings survived the turmoil of different invaders. The Tower of Hercules is one such monument, which stands erect on the Spanish soil since the first century. The architectural splendor of the tower is the achievement of Gaius Sevius Lupus, a famous imperial architect of that era. Tower of Hercules originally stood thirty-four meter high, with three levels. The first level has the structure of a typical Roman lighthouse, just near to the base of the tower is a rectangular roman building which provides for the purpose of a fortress. The final level contains a magnificent sculpture park, with several rock carvings surrounding it on all sides. These rock carvings are from Iron Age as known through architectural excavations. This tower signifies such glory that during the Muslim era, many aristocrats had a desire to rest in its protec tion when they die. A small Muslim cemetery exists in its pavilion, which certainly relates to the historical diversity of Spain. Sculpture Park consists of many interesting curvatures. These include a huge structure of a snail, tall enough to dwarf the existence of the humans, the park also includes small doors paved for entry into the park, and these doors include symbols of strength such as two lions guarding the door. The park extends to the central structure and provides a nice picnic spot for modern day tourists.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Migration Experience from the west Indies ti the US Essay
Migration Experience from the west Indies ti the US - Essay Example once they reach here are faced with challenges which they have to conquer if they are to have an easy life and eventually succeed in their new environment. This research examines the challenges immigrants go through with the discussion focusing on a family from Haiti. The paper will expound on how immigrants go about in settling in their new homes, general receptiveness of neighbors, race discrimination, jobs, deciding whether to assimilate or acculturate and young ones schools life. Marie Lafont, who is my aunt, migrated to the United States of America from Haiti in 1976, she settled in Brooklyn New York with her husband and three children. The area was predominantly black with a large Haitian community therefore the general reception they got was a warm one. Portes and Rumbaut state that once here, some immigrants enjoy better conditions than back home (18). This is demonstrable in my auntââ¬â¢s case where the house they were to live in was bigger than what they had been accustomed to back in Haiti. In their new home they had a front yard and the rooms were much larger than what they were used to. Transitioning into their new way of life was not easy with things like speaking English with a French accent being an issue but with the help of the community around them, transitioning was made simpler. Upon their settling down in Brooklyn, my aunt discovered that the race factor was a major problem in the US, an issue that had not crossed her mind back in Haiti and was a major defining factor in her new home. She found out that due to her skin color, certain barriers were erected for example being discriminated against when applying for her nursing job. This new dimension added on to the everyday difficulties she was starting to face. All of a sudden the complexion of her skin became a problem and to make matters worse, this was an issue she had no control over. Through her interaction with her neighbors, she found out that Haitians who had preceded her had faced and
Friday, November 15, 2019
A Comparative Financial Analysis Of The Mobile Phone Industry Marketing Essay
A Comparative Financial Analysis Of The Mobile Phone Industry Marketing Essay A comparative financial analysis of the mobile phone industry and three of the leading mobile phone manufacturers, so as to determine the investment prospects in this particular industry. Contents Title Page No. Executive Summary 3 Industry Profile 4 Effects of Recession on the Mobile Phone Industry 4 PEST Analysis of the Mobile Phone Industry 4 HTC Corporation 7 Introduction 7 SWOT Analysis Motorola Inc. 10 Introduction 10 SWOT Analysis 10 Nokia Corporation 12 Introduction 12 SWOT Analysis 12 Financial Performance Analysis 15 HTC Corporation 15 Review of Key Financial Analysis 15 Ratio Analysis 16 Stock Review 20 Motorola Inc. 21 Review of Key Financial Analysis 21 Ratio Analysis 22 Stock Review 25 Nokia Corporation 27 Review of Key Financial Analysis 27 Ratio Analysis 28 Stock Review 32 Review by Expert Market Analysts 33 HTC Corporation 33 Motorola Inc. 33 Nokia Corporation 33 Other types of Investments 34 Savings Account 34 Fixed Rate Bonds 34 Personal Assessment 35 Recommendations 37 References 38 Appendices 45 Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 1. Executive Summary The mobile phone industry is perhaps one of the fastest growing industries in the world today. A mobile phone is generally accepted as a necessity for every human. It has developed so much in the recent years that its hard to recognize its early incarnation. The original mobile phone was the size of a brick and affordable by a select group of people. Today, mobile phones are available in all sizes to suit every individuals needs. But, like all other industries, this industry too has been affected by the financial crisis of 2008-2009. In our financial analysis, we will be looking at the mobile phone industry and three of the leading mobile phone manufacturers. We will analyse the financial aspects of Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK), Motorola Inc., (NYSE: MOT) and HTC Corporation (TAI: 2498) We will look at the different financial reports published in the companies Annual Report, and calculate the different financial ratios to understand the investment opportunities in these companies shares. 2. Industry Profile The Mobile Phone Industry The mobile phone industry has grown dramatically in recent years. According to a report published by TomiAhonen Consulting, in January 2009, there were approximately 4 billion mobile phone subscribers around the world. Out of these, around 3.1 billion were unique. Also, new handsets have been selling at the rate of 1.15 billion per year. This figure keeps increasing year over year and so does the economy around it. 2.1 Effects of Recession on the Mobile Phone Industry The recent financial crisis of 2008-2009 has had severe effects on most companies of the world. As such, the companies from this industry too have felt its effect. In Q3 2008, Nokia lowered its market share outlook due to the weakening global economy (Silicon.com 2008). Nokias global device market share was 30% in the Q3 2010, down from an estimated 34% in the Q2 2009 (Nokia Corporation 2010). Nokia announced in July 2010 that their profits had dropped by 40% (Inside Ireland 2010) Even, HTC and Motorola have experienced slow growth as well as lower sales compared to earlier years, especially Motorola which incurred huge financial losses (HTC Annual Report-Motorola Annual Report 2008-2009). 2.2 PEST Analysis of the Mobile Phone Industry Political / Legal Mobile phone companies are largely multinational. As such they have to comply with the different legislations and regulatory bodies of different countries which have their own set of particular standards. An example of a regulatory authority would be the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) operating in the US and Office of Communications (Ofcom) in the UK. The mobile phone usage is spread geographically. As such, the companies from the mobile phone industry have a high exposure to different political climates. This increases the companies risk exposures. However, huge costs are incurred in complying with the different legal and reporting procedures in different countries. Also, sometimes, companies face stiff resistance from the national governments of some countries. A recent example of such a stand-off would be the one between RIM Blackberry and the Government of India (Daily News Analysis, 2010) and the Government of United Arab Emirates (Yahoo News, 2010). Economic Being global brands, mobile phone companies have to comply with the different taxation laws and trade laws applicable in the different countries of the world. Also, they have to take into account the foreign exchange rates while importing/exporting and pricing the devices. This generally has an effect on the device prices and subsequently on the operating income of the companies. Social Mobile phones have become an essential part of everyones lives. 9 in 10 adults in the US use at least one mobile device. 31% of mobile phone users check personal emails on their phones and 21% check their work emails. Internet browsing has become an important aspect of the mobile ecosystem. Approximately 1 billion users browse basic internet on their mobile devices, while around 450 million users use real internet on their devices. (Tomi Ahonen 2009) Access to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter is increasingly becoming an important feature of mobile phones. Health concerns have been raised by research institutes over the effects of radiation caused by mobile phones on the human body (NBC News 2008). Although the evidence is controversial, it has raised caution among the mobile phone users, and the companies are forced to develop new antenna systems for mobile phones to help reduce radiation. Technological The mobile phone industry is highly technology-driven. Mobile phone companies have to continually adapt themselves to the rapidly changing technology and introduce new products to keep up with the technological advancements and to meet the ever-changing demands from consumers. They need to keep investing substantially in the Research Development of new products and technologies. 2.3 HTC Corporation (TWSE: 2498)HTC Wordmark.png 2.3.1 Introduction: HTC Corporation (HTC) is a mobile manufacturer based in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Its principal aspects are the research, development and manufacture of smart handheld devices including smartphones and PDAs (HTC 2010). The company is generally considered to be a pioneer in the smartphone and PDA segments of the mobile phone industry. The company initially was involved in developing smartphones based on the Windows Mobile platform, having made the worlds first PDA based on the platform (HTC 2010). However, since 2009, HTC is increasingly developing more devices based on Google Inc.s Android Operating System. But, as a means to strengthen its relation with Microsoft, HTC has recently launched a number of devices based on Windows Phone 7 (Mann, J. 2009). HTC is a member of the Open Handset Alliance, a group of handset manufacturers and mobile network operators dedicated to the advancement of the Android Operating System (Reardon, M. 2007). The HTC Dream was the first mobile smartphone in the world to use the Android OS. It was marketed by T-Mobile, in some markets, as the T-Mobile G1 (Wired 2008 HTC Press Release 2008). As of 2009, HTC obtained nearly 43.8%, 30.4% and 20.8% of its total revenue from North America, Europe and Asia, respectively (HTC Annual Report 2009). HTC Corporation was formerly known as Hi-Tech Computer Corporation. 2.3.2 SWOT Analysis: Strength HTC is a leading manufacturer of smartphones. It is a pioneer in many technologies. It had developed the worlds first PDA, and also the first smartphone using Windows Mobile. Now, it is a leading manufacturer of quality Android smartphones. As such, it has a good reputation as an innovative brand. Financial stability gives HTC the opportunity to invest heavily in Research Development of new technologies. Despite the financial crisis, HTC is doing significantly well in 2010 (HTC Report, Q3 2010). Also, good product quality has helped HTC establish itself as a reliable brand. HTC has been a pioneer in many of the technologies now common in modern mobiles phones. It has a plethora of patents designed and applied to modern communication devices (Google Patents, 2010). Also its product portfolio consists of a wide variety of smartphones based on a number of smart-platforms including the Android OS, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7 and HTCs own BREW OS. (HTC 2010) HTC has also developed a new cloud-based service called the HTC Sense to compliment its range of smartphones (HTCSense.com, 2010). Due to a number of quality products, HTC is steadily increasing its consumer base. Also, HTC is involved in exclusive tie-ups with respectable cellular companies such as T-Mobile (T-Mobile G1, G2), Orange (San Francisco) and Google (Nexus One). This helps better the image of the company in consumers eyes. Weaknesses HTC does not have a big brand image compared to its rivals Nokia, RIM Blackberry and Sony Ericsson. Also, its market share is significantly lower than that of its rivals. Also, HTC is involved in a number of law-suits with rival company Apple Inc. This is highly damaging to its reputation in the global corporate environment. (Reuters, 2010) HTC does not have an effective marketing strategy compared to its rivals, as a result of which its new product information fails to reach the consumers. Opportunities There is a huge demand for smartphones in recent times. HTC has the capability to satisfy these demands. HTC can continue to develop new touchscreen technologies and better smart features. Through effective marketing communication and public relations system, HTC can increase its brand value and target consumer base. Furthermore, HTC can enter new markets and establish its brand there. It can continue to develop and apply more of its innovative patents. Threats The threat of new technological developments and competition is high in the mobile phone industry. Also, one of the biggest threats to modern mobile phones is the huge mindshare commanded by Apples iPhone and its iOS Operating System. Every new mobile phone is consistently compared to Apples offering and its success or failure depends, to some extent, on how favourably it compares to the iPhone. This threat is present for HTC too, despite its large portfolio of Android devices. 2.4 Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) NYSE MOT.gifMotorola Wordmark.png 2.4.1 Introduction: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola) is a multinational telecommunications company based in Illinois, USA. It manufactures mobile phones and also designs and sells network infrastructure to worlds leading cellular companies. In 1986, Motorola devised the Six Sigma quality system which has become a global standard for quality improvement. In 1991, Motorola demonstrated the worlds first working-prototype digital cellular system and phones using GSM standard in Hanover, Germany. The worlds first two-way paging system was introduced by Motorola in 1995. Motorolas mobile department, as of 2009, has been solely focused on Google Inc.s Android Operating System. Motorola is an advanced innovator of mobile phone technologies. Motorola has just announced that its business will split into two separate publicly traded entities on January 4, 2011. The two new entities will be known as Motorola Solutions Inc. and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and will continue to trade on NYSE with the new ticker symbols of MSI and MMI respectively (Reuters 2010). 2.4.2 SWOT Analysis: Strengths Motorola is a leading manufacturer of smartphones. It is a pioneer in many technologies. It had developed the worlds first GSM mobile phone. Now, it is one of the leading manufacturers of quality Android smartphones. As such, it has a good reputation as an innovative brand. Financial stability gives Motorola the opportunity to invest heavily in Research Development of new technologies. Being the worlds oldest mobile phone brand, it has considerable brand image. Also, Motorolas devices have a good build quality which establishes it as a reliable mobile phone manufacturer. Motorola has developed a new interface for its mobile phones called the MotoBlur which integrates the different aspects of ones social life. This has been quite popular with the consumers (Motorola Report, 2009). Weaknesses Motorola is consistently losing its market share to its rival companies. One of the reasons is the lack of an effective marketing communication strategy and also a weak PR system. Also, Motorola fails to introduce new products as frequently as its rival companies. Motorola is also slow in providing software upgrades for its current devices, which generally has a negative impact on consumers who want to keep their devices updated to the latest software version. Also, Motorola is involved in a number of law-suits with Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corporation over intellectual copyright infringement. This is highly damaging to its reputation in the global corporate environment. (Reuters, 2010) Opportunities There is a huge demand for smartphones in recent times. Motorola has the capability and technology to satisfy these demands. Motorola can also improve its market position by means of effective marketing strategies and a better PR system. Also, Motorola can improve its after-sales service for its devices. Threats Apples iPhone and it iOS Operating System are considered a huge threat to virtually every mobile phone brand. Despite its growing portfolio of Android devices, Motorola still has to overcome Apples threat. 2.5 Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) Nokia wordmark.png 2.5.1 Introduction Nokia Corporation (NOKIA) is a Finnish multinational communications corporation based in Keilaniemi, Espoo, Finland. Nokia is engaged in the manufacturing of mobile devices and in converging Internet and communications industries. It has over 123,000 employees working in 120 countries. Its products are available in more than 150 countries. Nokia has global annual revenue of à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬41 billion and operating profit of à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬1.2 billion as of 2009 (Nokia Corporation 2009). It is the worlds largest manufacturer of mobile phones which currently accounts for about 36.6% of the market share for mobile phone technology (IDC 2010). Nokia is a public limited liability company listed on the Helsinki, Frankfurt, and New York stock exchanges (Nokia Corporation 2010). Nokia plays a very large role in the economy of Finland. It is the largest company of Finland. The brand value of Nokia is valued at $29.5 billion. It is listed as the eight most valuable global brand in the Interbrand Best Global Brands list of 2010 (Interbrand 2010) and also on Bloomberg Businessweek Best Global Brands list of 2009. It is the first non-US company to be included in the list. (Bloomberg Businessweek 2010) 2.5.2 SWOT Analysis: Strengths Nokia is highly respected as a global mobile brand and it has a high brand value. It is the most preferred brand for mobile phones in Europe, as of 2009 (Eurobrand 2009) Nokia has a worldwide distribution network which makes it easier for Nokia to make its products available to wider target consumers. Nokia has a healthy financial background, which enables Nokia to invest consistently in Research Development. Also, the phones made by Nokia have a fairly user-friendly interface which enables it to be accepted by a wide variety of consumers. Nokia has a large product portfolio with something to offer to every type of consumer. It offers a wide variety of phones from the basic lower-end phones to the more expensive high-end smartphones. Weaknesses There are reports that indicate Nokia consistently losing its market share, as it fails to address the competition it faces from rival smartphone manufacturers like Apple Inc., RIM Blackberry and Google Inc. (Reuters 2010) Also, Nokia is involved in several controversial law-suits with rival company Apple Inc. This is highly damaging to its reputation in the global corporate environment. (Reuters, 2010) Nokia also lacks diversity in its managerial aspects. It has only two directors out of ten who are not Finnish. This reduces its capability to understand the different demands and trends across different parts of the world. (Nokia, 2010) Opportunities Nokia can increase its market presence by launching its products in new markets. It can also increase its market share in current markets by launching innovative products at competitive prices. MeeGo is Nokias upcoming operating system, which if marketed and implemented properly will turn around the fortunes of Nokia. As the mobile industry grows rapidly, Nokia can increase its market share by extensive advertisements and through effective marketing communication. Nokia can better its reputation and increase its brand loyalty by having a healthy Public Relations System. Threats The threat of competition is omnipresent in the mobile industry. The big threats to Nokias dominance are the smartphones developed by Apple Inc. and RIM Blackberry, which offer better products and services than Nokia. Also, the Android Mobile Operating System developed by Google Inc. is supported by a number of other big mobile companies and is consistently increasing its market share through a variety of smartphones from the cheap to the more expensive. The phenomenal growth of Android OS is a big threat to Nokias devices until it can provide an Operating System that can best Googles offering (Reuters 2010). Financial Performance Analysis 3.1 HTC Corporation 3.1.1 Review of Key Financial Data The statement of comprehensive income, balance sheet and statement of cash flows for HTC for the years 2006 to 2009 are represented in the tables 1, 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b respectively. 2007 We can see from the figures shown in the tables below that 2007 was an average year for HTC. The net sales have improved by 11.61% and the profit has increased by 12.76%. While the operating profit has increased 14.31%, the operating expenses have increased by a substantially more 49.97%. The main operating expenses incurred in 2007 were for selling and marketing purposes (62.30%). 2008 The net sales in 2008 increased by 22.27% and the net profit decreased marginally by 1.06%. Once again the operating expenses by 52.85% which resulted in a decrease of 0.92% in the operating profit. The main operating expenses for this year were for RD and selling and marketing purposes which increased by 59.80% and 46.31% respectively. On the whole this year was not so bad for HTC. 2009 In this year, HTC experienced the effects of recession. The net profit decreased by 26.65% while the net sales decreased by 5.3%. Although the operating expenses have increased by just 5.93%, the operating profit hugely decreased by 25.16%. The RD saw its expenses cut by 11.83% and the selling and marketing expenses again increased by 18.85%. Q3 2010 When compared to Q3 2009, the net sales has increased by 39.71% and the net profit also increased by 30.97%. The operating expenses continue to increase substantially by 38.37%. However, the operating profit has increased by 31.31%. The RD expenses increased by 16.22% and the selling and marketing expenses have shot up by 49%. On the whole, HTC recovered greatly during the first nine months of 2010. 3.1.2 Ratio Analysis According to the data collected from the income statements, the balance sheets and the cash flow statements, the ratio analysis has been divided in five parts, Profitability, Efficiency, Liquidity, Financial and Investment. However to judge a business, getting the information about the planned ratios is also important. Getting this kind of information is hard for people outside the business. In that case, this report may be biased. The ratios are listed in table 4. Profitability Ratios It can be seen from the chart below that the ROCE is decreasing steadily by about 15% each year. However, ROCE of 42.77% is favourable for the company. The operating profit margin and the gross profit margin are also decreasing, but as the chart depicts these figures are improving. Efficiency Ratios The average inventories period of HTC decreased from 27.8 days in 2007 to 22.4 days in 2009. This represents the decreased demand for mobile phones. The trade receivables to trade payables ratio has remained fairly constant throughout these three years. This means that the creditor and the debtor for HTC did not change much. The sales revenue to capital employed ratio has improved from 2.3 times in 2007 to 2.56 times in 2009. Liquidity Ratio For the business to have good liquidity, the current ratio and the acid test ratio should generally be greater than 2. The current ratio has decreased from 2.42 times in 2007 to 1.89 times in 2009. The acid test ratio has also decreased from 2.24 times in 2007 to 1.8 times in 2009. However, HTC still has a high liquidity as its ratios are quite near to 2. Financial Ratios The gearing ratio for HTC is 0% for all the three years. This means that HTC has no long-term liabilities. Also the interest cover ratio is much higher. According to these ratios, the profit for the year 2009 can cover 188,926 times the interest payable in 2009. Investment Ratios These ratios help investors to evaluate their investment options about HC Corporation. A dividend yield ratio of 6.65% means that investors can get a good cash return on their investment in HTC. But the earnings per share has decreased from NT$1.56 in 2007 to NT$0.90 in 2009. Also, the P/E ratios show that the confidence among buyers of HTC shares is low. 3.1.3 Stock Review According to The Financial Times, HTC Corp. (TWSE: 2498) has consistently outperformed the Taiwan SE Weighted Index over the last five years. On Jan 1, 2007 the common stock of HTC was priced at NT$ 645 and as of Dec 10, 2010 the price has soared to NT$ 897. This means an investment in the HTC stock gave a return of 39.07% during this period. Wright Investors Service has given HTC Corporation a quality rating of AAA1 (Appendix 1) U:ManXPMy DocumentsMy Pictureshtc stock.png Stock Performance over 5 years. Source: FT.com 2010 3.2 Motorola Inc. 3.2.1 Review of Key Financial Data The statement of comprehensive income, balance sheet and statement of cash flows for Motorola for the years 2006 to 2009 are represented in the tables 5, 6a, 6b and 7 respectively. 2007 We can see from the information represented in the tables below that the net sales have declined by 15% and a loss has been incurred by 101%. The operating expenses have increased by 21.65% and the operating profit decreased by 114%. The main operating expenses are incurred for selling, general and administrative purposes. The dividend for 2007 was $0.20 per share. In general, we can say that 2007 was not a financial good year for Motorola. 2008 In 2008, the net sales of Motorola decreased further by 18%. Also, the net loss increased by 8561%. The operating loss increased by 332% while operating expenses increased by only 2.67%. The dividend remained constant at $0.20 per share. Overall, we can say that Motorola incurred huge losses in 2008, partly due to the recession. 2009 Financial condition of Motorola improved over the course of 2009. Although there was still a net loss incurred, it was substantially less than 2008 which decreased by 99%. The net sales decreased even further by 27%. The operating loss decreased by 94% and the operating expenses decreased by 33%. The dividend for 2009 decreased to $0.05 per share. So, we can say that, although still in loss, Motorolas financial condition has recovered and this shows that Motorola has the ability to successfully implement solutions to its problems. Q3 2010 From the recent financial documents of Motorola, it is clear that it is slowly recovering its business. However, the financial condition of the company is still not very good. 3.2.2 Ratio Analysis Profitability Ratios As per the Ratio Table (Table 8) the ROCE and the operating profit margin for Motorola have remained negative for all the three years. This means the company has incurred losses throughout these years. But, the condition is generally improving since 2007. The gross profit margin is high for all the three years. This is not due to the product, but because of the low operating expenses. Efficiency Ratios The average inventories turnover period for Motorola is constantly increasing from 41 days in 2007 to 48 days in 2009. This means that there is a decreased demand for Motorola products over the years. It also means that recession has affected Motorola too. The sales revenue to capital employed is also quite low at 0.47 times in 2007 to 0.41 times in 2009. If trade receivables to trade payables ratio remains greater than 1, it means that the company has a good supply chain and has the ability to manage the trade receivables and trade payables. The TR/TP of Motorola is generally steady throughout these three years from 1.39 in 2007 to 1.24 in 2009. Liquidity Ratios The current ratio and acid test ratio of Motorola decreased from 1.78 times and 1.55 times respectively in 2007 to 1.63 times and 1.38 times respectively in 2008. However, in 2009, they increased to 1.92 times and 1.82 times respectively in 2009. This shows that the Motorola has good liquidity, although sometimes inventories can be seen as a risk to the company. Financial Ratios The percentage of long-term liabilities of Motorola is high, from 59.1% in 2007 to 63.5% in 2009. This is also a big risk for the company. The interest cover ratio is very low which means that Motorola does not make enough profit to pay its interests. Investment Ratios The dividend payout ratio shows a speculative situation of Motorola which is extremely low. Also the dividend yield ratio is low at 0.64% in 2009. The earnings per share is low. Motorola is not earning anything on its ordinary shares in issue. Even the P/E ratio is staggeringly low which means that the investors have no confidence in Motorolas business. 3.2.3 Stock Review According to The Financial Times, Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT) has outperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the last week. However, the overall performance has been mixed. On Jan 3, 2007 the common stock of Motorola was priced at $20.57 and as of Dec 10, 2010 the price has dropped to $8.64. This means an investment in the Motorola stock would have resulted in a 57.99% loss during this period. Wright Investors Service has given Motorola Inc. a quality rating of ABNN. (Appendix 1) U:ManXPMy DocumentsMy Picturesmot stock.png Stock Performance over 5 years. Source: FT.com 2010 3.3 Nokia Corporation 3.3.1 Review of Key Financial Data The statement of comprehensive income, balance sheet and statement of cash flows for Nokia for the years 2006 to 2009 are represented in the tables 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a and 11b respectively. These are compiled from the annual financial reports of Nokia for the said years. 2007 From the figures shown in the tables below, we can see that 2007 was a particularly good year for Nokia. The net sales have increased by 24.2%; and the profit has also increased by 67.3%. Although the operating expenses have a 17.8% increase, Nokia has gained more operating profit which increased by 45.5%. The main operating expenses incurred are for Research and Development (RD). The increase of sales and marketing expenses (32%) refers to the new products of Nokia (ibid). As can be seen from the table 2, the profit for the year is the highest compared with other years. The dividend for 2007 was à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬0.53 per share (ibid). Overall, 2007 was a successful year for Nokia. 2008 Nokias sales have decreased in 2008. The net sales also decreased by 0.7% compared to 2007; and the operating expenses have a significant increase of 33.5%. The Annual Report highlights the recession may have had a negative effect on the companys performance. The decrease in demand from consumers led to the profits reduction (NOKIA, 2008). In addition, the transfer of Finnish pension liabilities is a main reason for the increase of expenses (ibid). Both in 2007 and 2008, Nokia has recruited more employees because of which the wage expenses have also increased. The dividend for the year was à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬0.40 per share (ibid). To sum up, this year was not so good for Nokia. 2009 In this year, Nokias performance declined even further. The income statement shows a significant decrease in the net profit, which is less by 93.3%. The sales and the gross profit reduced by 19.2% and 23.7% respectively. The effect of recession was still evident on Nokias financial performance. As a result, the investment on RD remained same as that in 2008. Due to the reduced demand, the marketing and sales expenses have also reduced from à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬4830 million to $3933 million (NOKIA, 2009). The dividend for 2009 remained same at à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬0.40 per share. Overall, it is clear that Nokia started reducing the expenses to face lower demand in the mobile phone market. Q3 2010 Tables 5, 6 and 7 show the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement of Nokia in Q3 2010. It is clear that Nokia has slowly recovered its business in these 9 months. To be more specific, the net sales have a 4.7% increase compare to Q3 2009. Although the gross profit is lower than Q3 2009, the operating expenses have decreased substantially. In that case, the profit before tax has risen from -à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬426m to à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬403m, which is good for the company. 3.3.2 Ratio Analysis Profitability Ratios From the chart below it can be seen that the ROCE is steadily decreasing from 2007. To be more speci
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Religious Perspective of Cloning :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics
Religious Perspective of Cloning Many questions are raised about cloning a human being. It has moral and ethical issues and their affect on our society. The real question is, what is it to be a human being? Most of the organized religions' response to the issue of cloning is in an overwhelmingly negative fashion. They are not however outright eliminating the thought. Roman Catholics, Jewish, Protestants and other religions all have diverse opinions but there overall conclusions are the same. Their concerns are for the preservation of human dignity and the individual's freedom. Cloning is not only wrong it totally goes against the religious and biblical principles that have been deeply rooted for many centuries and have been past on from our ancestors many years ago. Cloning is condemned because of the violation of our dignity. Most religions are cautious against applying the new technology to humans, but for varying reasons. "Protestant theology emphasizes the view that nature is "fallen" and subject to improvement... But while they tend to support using technology to fix flaws in nature, Protestant theologians say cloning of humans crosses the line" (Herbert, Sheler and Watson 62). There are so many possibilities that cloning brings about; and most of them bring about nothing more than destruction of the human race. As we have known today and years ago, anything that is created with good intention will find it ways to destructive consequences. Religion has played a big part in our society today and will continue its role for many generations to follow. It is religion that provides us with moral and ethical senses. Once again we must seek their guidance. Roman Catholic Church argues their religious and ethical viewpoints. Their views are based largely on the interpretation of the story of creation. The dignity that has bestowed on us from God and cloning will violate our dignity as Godchildren. We are solely responsible for maintaining and preserving what God has created. "Cloned humans are manufactured in the image of existing people instead of created by a 'unique creative of God' " (Emig, Lau and Stone). Roman Catholics are strongly against any production of human cloning research, and believe an outright ban is needed. The Jewish on the other hand favor human cloning, with justifiable explanations. Their view on human cloning is based upon historical and sacred writings that focus on human destiny.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Discussion And Implications For The Eap Program Education Essay
IntroductionThe two old chapters demonstrated the importance of researching Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë demands and the academic civilization that they encounter while analyzing in British establishments which relate to their English acquisition experience in Saudi Arabia, including their positions about larning English in the UK and analyzing in a British graduate student programme and to uncover single demands and battles in larning EAP. Without analyzing Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë positions about their demands analysis from the beginning in Saudi Arabia, and the EAP class in the UK, I would non be able to do any relevant connexions between the EAP and postgraduate context and demo how their positions and behaviors vary in footings of linguistic communication demands and academic demands. It is apparent that the Saudi pupils sampled in this survey happen it hard to get by with linguistic communication demands and the academic civilization differences despite the fact that they are given the cha nce to fix themselves either in Saudi Arabia or in the UK before get downing their graduate student plans in the UK. It is, hence, imperative to analyze their current readying in footings of EAP and cultural differences and to propose possible ways to better the support that is offered to these pupils. The three major theories that underpinned this survey were Present state of affairs analysis ( PSA ) , Target state of affairs analysis ( TSA ) and civilization analysis. The PSA and TSA are based on the Huticon and Water ( 1987 ) theoretical account which suggested happening out the pupils ââ¬Ë current and future demands. The cultural demands analysis is based on different research workers e.g. as explained in the 3rd chapter which suggested look intoing the academic demands of pupils analyzing in English speech production states. Second, this research aimed to place the relationships between Saudi pupils analyzing in British graduate student plans and their version to their new academic environment and the possible struggles they encountered. Last, this survey conceptualised the nature of Saudi pupils, as a specific group through their experiences in British graduate student plans. Refering these theories, this research provided findings that reflect the current jobs Saudi pupils face and inside informations possible parts to Saudi pupils, British faculty members and policy shapers in footings of better apprehension Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë acquisition procedures in British graduate student plans, get the better ofing the cross-cultural issues viz. academic civilization and get bying with troubles in footings of the new academic context they need to accommodate to in the British context. The first issue raised in this research was related to ( PSA ) on the subject of larning English. It focused on discourses that might uncover of import facets of English linguistic communication troubles through looking at Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë experiences in larning the English linguistic communication in the two different instruction systems. Harmonizing to the research findings here, Saudi pupils sampled in this survey were accustomed to a teacher-centred acquisition environment. The development of Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë cognition about larning forms in this system seems non to fit them good to larn English for Academic Purposes. For illustration, it seems that it is slightly difficult for EAP instructors to set up what kind of troubles the pupils have in larning the English linguistic communication. Basically, the teacher-centred acquisition system is likely to forestall them from managing the jobs they face because most instructors in this environment are non regarded as feeders. I n a word, the instructors ââ¬Ë function in this system is non appropriate for Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë development in EAP unless instructors work hard to suit the pupils. To set this merely, it would be helpful if instructors guided the pupils to accommodate to the British system of learning English bit by bit, as making this would heighten Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë experiences larning EAP. Harmonizing to literature, pupils can develop their English through interacting with equals, and these synergistic discourses are really of import to make ways of developing the proficiency degree of EAP scholars. Saudi pupils sampled in this survey are mostly those who have shifted to a student-centred acquisition system and therefore encountered many jobs with their new larning environment specifically when they start their graduate student surveies. They would hence hold more opportunity of sing unexpected English linguistic communication troubles in footings of interacting with native and non-native pupils, faculty members and people in the host community. It is natural that a student-centred acquisition system should supply a better environment for Saudi pupils to make synergistic discourses which they could use for the development of their EAP abilities. With respect to the importance of a tutorial type of activity ; this is non a formal portion of the Saudi instruction system. There are similar types of Sessionss offered by the private sector in third Saudi establishments, but this is different from the British instruction system which regards tutorials as an indispensable portion of the acquisition and learning teaching method. This means that Saudi pupils are non prepared to take part in concerted acquisition activities such as tutorials and squad work. They are non good at sharing thoughts or discoursing the issues that might be raised in category. This is a major trouble that Saudi pupils have in accommodating to cross-cultural differences faced in British graduate student plans. It is a new challenge for them to get the better of this indispensable undertaking in order to set about their classs successfully. However, it is besides true that this can non be changed in the short term because Saudi pupils have non been taught with a discussion-based manner including equals and instructors in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this is a important issue for both the Saudi instruction system and British third instruction suppliers. For the Saudi instruction system, policy shapers who are involved demand to be concerned that they provide a instruction teaching method in line with the subject of a concerted group larning environment for Saudi pupils. This is because the findings of this research indicate that pupils ââ¬Ë deficiency of experience in a concerted acquisition environment to a great extent impacts on their EAP acquisition and academic success. In add-on, British third instruction suppliers, and people who are involved in this country, need to pay attending to the fact that Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë trouble in tutorial engagement is one which interferes with or prevents pupils from developing EAP acquisition and academic success while analyzing in British graduate student plans. The findings of this survey with cross-cultural version in the subject of cultural theories presented in chapter two of this survey revealed Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë experiences of larning English at place and in British graduate student plans are different. First, Saudi pupils did non hold adequate opportunity to larn about Britain, even though the UK had been regarded as one of the preferable English speech production states Saudi pupils seek for their graduate student surveies. In fact, Saudi English instruction plans do non supply adequate information about English talking states in their course of study. This besides tended to take to a deficiency of cognition and cross-cultural consciousness for Saudi pupils in respects to their targeted states. On the other manus, Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë exposure to such cognition and cross-cultural facets was likely to be recognised one time they arrived in the UK and commenced their classs in British establishments â⬠plans. It can be argued t hat Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë well- organised readying before going their place state is important in guaranting better version to the new acquisition environment, particularly the academic environment. More significantly, the research findings in this context emphasised a deficiency of cognition of the academic context which is besides an of import issue. The fact that Saudi English instruction plans do non embrace the academic context is an excess concern. This may be the most serious job that causes current Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë English linguistic communication troubles when accommodating to the British academic context ( every bit good as other English talking states ââ¬Ë academic contexts ) . For this ground, Saudi pupils merely begin to gain the importance of the academic context as they encountered the new or existent academic environment. Refering the general tendency of Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë taking English speech production states for their instruction, it is necessary for people or administrations to originate plans of English linguistic communication for academic intents as an indispensable portion of the school course of study. These would better link with the demands o f the scholars in their new academic environment. In add-on ; consciousness about developing a better apprehension of academic cultural differences, particularly when aiming English speech production states, should be examined by both pupils themselves and policy shapers in Saudi Arabia prior to doing a concluding determination about who is traveling to analyze in English speech production states.Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë motions into British graduate student plansSaudi pupils are ââ¬Ëon the move ââ¬Ë to see other states. They are go forthing Saudi Arabia as tourers, pupils, and man of affairs. In recent old ages, they have shown a penchant for sing foreign states with an increasing avidity to larn foreign linguistic communications, particularly English and deriving recognizable makings e.g. Masterss or PhDs every bit good as to hold an escapade larning about different peoples and civilizations. This quickly turning tendency has been encouraged by King Abdullah ââ¬Ës scholarship . There is no uncertainty that an of import drift for Saudis ââ¬Ë attending to the outside universe has been the high rate of growing of the Korean economic system and its economic promotion. As a consequence of this advancement, the figure of Saudi pupils using to analyze in British graduate student plans has increased steadily over the last five old ages. Recent information from the Ministry of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia ; which relates the Numberss of Saudi pupils analyzing abroad, the UK came 2nd after the US in popularity. At present, the necessity for English linguistic communication accomplishments and their importance in the present epoch is a primary influence exciting travel to the UK for academic intents. A good degree of English and its wider use are now important demands for all working and academic countries in Saudi society. The proficiency degree of English is a major demand in judging pupils ââ¬Ë eligibility to come in to third establishments, every bit good as in the enlisting of human resources in Saudi Arabia. This enthusiastically supported societal phenomenon has become a major issue nation-wide since the proclamation of King Abdullah ââ¬Ës scholarships. This accelerated the societal phenomenon and led finally to more Saudi pupils set abouting abroad surveies. It resulted in an sweetening of Britain ââ¬Ës place as one of the preferable finishs for such intents.The Main Characteristics of Saudi Students ââ¬Ë Experiences of Learning the English Language in Saudi ArabiaThe pro be into the features of Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë experiences in larning the English linguistic communication in Saudi Arabia focused on how they had been taught English as a foreign linguistic communication in the Saudi instruction system and their positions on their English acquisition in Saudi Arabia. In general, it was found that Saudi pupils sampled in this survey indicated that they had been dissatisfied with the English class that was provided by the ministry of instruction. These consequences were non surprising as old research conducted by Al-Tuwaijri ( 1982 ) , who was analyzing in the US at that clip, asked them how satisfied they were with English the course of study, and learning methods and the consequences showed the bulk of his participants were dissatisfied. The underpinning attack can be concluded as a chiefly teacher-centred larning teaching method. Furthermore, this research found that there were some extra facets of their anterior educational experience in Saudi Arabia that impacted upon their ulterior acquisition in an English speech production environment viz. the UK. First, the background of Saudi pupils sampled in this survey was that many had non had an chance to larn or pattern the English linguistic communication with native English talkers. Even though some of them had experience with those who speak English as their first or 2nd linguistic communication, the chief focal point of the learning teaching method affecting their speech production abilities did non look to assist their development of English linguistic communication proficiency. Due to the dominant environment of exam-based English linguistic communication acquisition, speech production in a communicative context is non a precedence concern for Saudi pupils prior to entry into the esteemed universities in Saudi ââ¬Ës instruction system. Therefore, Saudi p upils do non hold to show unwritten proficiency. In add-on, Saudi pupils sampled in this survey revealed a deficiency of cognition about the IELTS trial system because of the laterality of the TOFEL trial in Saudi Arabia. There are many more readying plans for the TOFEL trial in Saudi universities and private English linguistic communication establishments than there are IELTS proving Centres. The British Council in Riyadh provides IELTS trial Centres in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, from the information it seems that there are non any specific third readying plans for domestic Saudi pupils who seek to analyze in English talking states like Australia, Canada, UK, US and New Zealand. More significantly, the consequences revealed that there is small concern about the importance of English for academic intents in general in the English linguistic communication larning teaching method in Saudi. Learning English for the interest of larning a new linguistic communication was wholly absent from the participants points of position. The consequences besides, showed that English acquisition is chiefly undertaken because the high force per unit area placed upon larning English as an of import measure for entry into esteemed Saudi Arabian third establishments, or to derive a better chance to be employed by major companies such as ARAMCO and this has ever been a important facet of larning English. Refering the issue of a pre-departure readying scheme for Saudi pupils meaning to analyze in the UK, there is grounds here that Saudi pupils were non sufficiently prepared in Saudi to run into the demands of the proficiency degree of English needed for most British graduate student plans. Students needed to fix for such demands, including the by heightening their proficiency degree in English and their apprehension of the academic environment of British graduate student plans. However, the Saudi pupils sampled in this survey revealed that they did non go to any plan in Saudi Arabia in order to help them in get bying with such possible jobs while analyzing overseas. In general, even though those who wished to analyze overseas realised the importance of taking official English trials, more than half of the pupils in this survey took them in Saudi Arabia. The grounds of the study outcomes in this survey reveals that the IELTS trial is the most preferable by Saudi pupils come ining British graduate student plans. This is non surprising because most, if non all, British third establishments emphasise this trial as a important measuring of international pupils ââ¬Ë ability when finding whether or non they can set about British graduate student plans. Harmonizing to the findings from the study, the Saudi pupils sampled in this survey had begun to larn English as a foreign linguistic communication at an inappropriate age in footings of their cognitive development as 2nd linguistic communication scholars. They were between childhood and maturity when they began analyzing English linguistic communication. Harmonizing to Park ( 2006 ) larning the English linguistic communication at the age of 13 old ages is instead late in footings of sing the most effectual development of their 2nd linguistic communication larning accomplishments. It seems that Saudi pupils were non to the full confident about why they had to larn English and how far they could come on in their English proficiency degree. The consequences revealed in chapter one that Saudi pupils were taught the English linguistic communication in Saudi Arabia by unqualified English instructors who required them to larn in a inactive the top down manner. This meant that Saudi pupils needed changeless counsel from their English instructors about their errors during the learning procedure.The Main Characteristics of Saudi Students ââ¬Ë Experiences in Learning EAP in the UKThe first issue raised in larning EAP in the UK context is about the composing of the scholars group inside the schoolroom as it might impact on the development of EAP larning procedure. Harmonizing to research findings about Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë experience of EAP larning in UK establishments, the groups of scholars larning English were chiefly composed of Saudis with two or three non-Arabic pupils who speak Arabic as their precedence. This means that Saudi pupils did non hold much chance to better their speech production proficiency degree. In add-on, it is natural that they would talk in Arabic if they had something to inquire to each other in category. It is necessary for EAP instructors to inquire or even to coerce them to talk in English. EAP instructors may state them that if they do no n talk in English they will lose some Markss. From the observation there were some EAP instructors who were truly rigorous about talking in English. It would be a positive move if the EAP instructors were to go on this pattern towards better proviso of the transmutation of the pupils ââ¬Ë wonts of speech production in English all the times at least in the schoolroom. A multicultural group larning environment, whether in the UK or Saudi Arabia, would offers Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë positive experiences including more chance to interact with pupils from different states who speak English as a 2nd linguistic communication. In these fortunes pupils have to utilize English in order to pass on with each other whether or non their proficiency degree of English is sufficient to pass on. One piece of grounds to back up this statement is that the consequences of this survey showed that Saudi pupils improved their English linguistic communication accomplishments one time they started conversation with those who speak English as a first or 2nd linguistic communication. Sing this result, it can be emphasised how of import it is to set up an appropriate environment for scholars of EAP. This is a ground why policy shapers in the UK should see the figure of each nationality in the schoolroom. In add-on to that the English instruction system in Saudi Arabia needs to enroll as many native English instructors as possible, particularly if the system does non germinate a multicultural group larning environment in Saudi instruction system. It is the best option to supply a similar environment to English speech production states. The last issue raised in this context is that linguistic communication intervention might happen during the procedure of English linguistic communication acquisition in a different environment. The acquisition environment where Arabic linguistic communication is dominant ( as in Saudi Arabia itself ) does non supply specific linguistic communication intervention. However, Saudi pupils in the UK are straight influenced by the differences between their first linguistic communication, Arabic, and English. For Saudi pupils sampled in this survey, English is their chief precedence, so it is natural that the distance between the two different linguistic communications would make linguistic communication intervention whenever they use English in activities that are a portion of the British academic context. However, both faculty members and EAP instructors in the UK should be able to place this job in order to better pupils ââ¬Ë proficiency degrees in the English linguistic communication .The English Language Difficulties that Saudi Students Face in the British academic ContextThe 2nd dimension of the first research inquiry was to place the English linguistic communication troubles that Saudi pupils faced from an educational position while they were enrolled in British graduate student plans delivered in English which related to both present state of affairss analysis and mark state of affairs analysis. The research findings revealed that Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë reading and authorship jobs are the chief issues to get the better of during their classs. There are several of import factors lending to pupils ââ¬Ë troubles in these two facets in the British academic context. As discussed in the background to Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë experience in larning English in Saudi Arabia, these factors could be related to jobs with English linguistic communication teaching method and learning methodological analysis in Saudi Arabia or in the UK. It can be said that Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë background experiences in larning the English linguistic communication straight reflect the jobs of Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë reading and composing troubles in the British academic context. The findings obtained from this research clearly indicate that EAP plans did non supply adequate chances for the development of pupils ââ¬Ë reading and composing abilities. This survey indicates that engagement in tutorials or group activities and giving a presentation were amongst the more hard undertakings for Saudi pupils to get by with. The analytical results obtained from the three different methodological analysiss applied to this survey, viz. the descriptive consequences of the study, observation, and in-depth interviews, indicated three contributory factors. The first is a deficiency of assurance with their proficiency degree in English as a 2nd linguistic communication, which was due to a self-fulfillment about the insufficiency of their readying and tuition, with respect to the manner they were taught English in Saudi Arabia. Acerate leaf to state as many Saudi research workers have found ( ) , Saudi pupils were taught English in an examination-based and text-based system. These learning experiences tend sometimes to do them dying when required to take part in tutorial Sessionss and group meetings, which is the prevailing teaching method in th ird instruction. Furthermore pupils ââ¬Ë anxiousnesss arise from a deficiency of assurance with all major English linguistic communication accomplishment classs, including speech production, listening, reading and composing. These anxiousnesss as Park ( 2006 ) claimed besides lead to pupils holding psychological emphasiss. Consequently, it can be concluded that the displacement from a teacher-centred to student-centred acquisition system and being critical, non merely in composing but in all facet of larning are the chief cross-cultural factors that causes jobs. In short, Saudi pupils in this survey who spoke English as a 2nd linguistic communication and were presently enrolled in British graduate student plans were shown to hold troubles in accommodating to the usage of the English linguistic communication. With respect to version troubles, two of import findings of this survey were a deficiency of exposure to a existent English speech production environment and strangeness with the usage of English, peculiarly for academic intents. The research findings from sample responses in this survey clearly indicate that Saudi pupils chiefly face reading and composing jobs. The consequences of this survey revealed that Saudi pupils have trouble in reading rapidly through a text to acquire a general position of the content when reading. It was besides evident that they are unfamiliar with the construction of English academic authorship, have trouble in showing thoughts when composing and happen it hard to organize thoughts in a logical sequence. The research findings here indicate that Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë troubles in reading and authorship activities are affected by learning and larning methods that were adopted in the Saudi instruction system. Acerate leaf to state the teaching method in Saudi is preponderantly reliant on an examination-based model. Despite the attempts of EAP instructors in the UK Saudi pupils still find it hard to get by with academic reading and authorship. The difference between the two instruction systems in footings of learning authorship and reading are besides of import factors that were reported to impact Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë ability to get by with EAP in British graduate student plans.The Main Cross-cultural Factors that Impact on Saudi Students ââ¬Ë Troubles in the British ContextLast, this research asked about the chief cross-cultural fluctuations that impact on Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë troubles in the British graduate student acquisition environment. In general, the research findings indicated that cross-cultural discourses presented fewer jobs when compared to English linguistic communication troubles. However, the most of import determination of this research is that Saudi pupils are to a great extent influenced by changed forms in their acquisition environment, peculiarly traveling from a teacher-centred to student-centred system. This was besides shown to hold an impact on Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë troubles in take parting in some tutorials and some other in-class activities. The impact of this displacement besides influenced Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë assurance with the English linguistic communication and created anxiousnesss and emphasis in tutorial Sessionss. The research findings indicate that the Saudi pupils sampled were affected by different types of academic activities and cross-cultural differences as the research worker expected. In add-on, the undermentioned three of import facets of the new academic context influenced the Saudi pupils sampled in this survey. These were traveling from a teacher-centred to a student-centred, discussion-based and critical thinking-based acquisition system as found in British graduate student plans. Harmonizing to the consequences, pupils who had experience of go toing the EAP plan tended to hold fewer jobs in the discussion-based attacks of the instruction system. The older pupil participants in this survey, in peculiar, were likely to meet fewer jobs accommodating to a different acquisition system. Whilst younger pupils were likely to hold some trouble in accommodating to a British single ability-centred academic environment. Harmonizing to the survey ââ¬Ës findings, the pupils that undertook EA P plans still have trouble in fixing assignments. In contrast, these pupils showed a higher adaptability in all other classs with regard to the cross-cultural issues raised in this survey.The Best Preparation for Saudi Students to Succeed in British graduate student PlansThe research findings can lend to the treatment and preparation of schemes to develop more effectual ways for Saudi pupils to fix for British graduate student plans in footings of their linguistic communication and academic demands. Successful accomplishment of their ends and deriving an apprehension of their new academic context are the existent loads for Saudi pupils. Presently, these are barriers that prevent them from accommodating both academically and linguistically. The Saudi pupils sampled in this survey clearly indicated that they had shown different degrees of version harmonizing to the old plans they experienced prior to come ining British graduate student plans. The old two chapters detailed the current public presentation of Saudi pupils sampled and their responses in seting to the British academic context. More than half of the Saudi pupils who participated in this survey had experienced EAP plans before get downing their classs in British graduate student plans. In peculiar, a bulk of them attended a class offered by the university plan that was chiefly designed to fix them to come in the university and run into its demand but non for the official IELTS trial or any other trial. Saudi pupils sampled in this survey are likely to hold spent less than 12 months analyzing in such a readying plan. Typically, the Saudi pupils sampled in this survey appeared to depend on go throughing the EAP plan to derive permission to analyze in British graduate student plans one time they arrived in the UK. I would propose that the EAP plans provided by the universities should besides be concentrating on the IELTS trial because the consequences from the pupil interviews revealed that they are non confident about the university assessment process. Therefore, fixing pupils for the IELTS would forestall any misinterpretations on the pupils ââ¬Ë portion over whether they were tested based on their background. For the present sample of Saudi pupils, nevertheless, it has been revealed that as clip has gone on the IELTS trial is recognised to be merely one step of entry degree ability and non needfully the 1 that predicts success in third acquisition. In fact, this research indicates that most Saudi pupils continue to confront English linguistic communication troubles and academic cultural challenges in the academic context while set abouting their graduate student surveies. The EAP instructors who had old experience of learning Saudi pupils in this survey believed that the proficiency degree of English acquired by go throughing the IELTS trial differs from the proficiency degree of English which would be utilised in the existent life state of affairss which arise in the class of academic survey. A deficiency of cognition and accomplishments associated with English for academic intents is a major ground. Saudi pupils sampled in this survey admitted that the degree of English acquisition and instruction does non run into the degree that British graduate student plans require because the current Saudi English instruction system and its acquisition environment are non practical plenty to accomplish the high proficiency degree of English that is indispensable for Saudi pupils. The research findings clearly indicate that Saudi pupils who had experienced an EAP plan showed better public presentation in their academic surveies compared to those pupils who had non attended any EAP plans. The consequences besides showed that Saudi pupils were found to hold experienced trouble in run intoing the needed degrees of proficiency in the English for British graduate student plans. The acknowledgment of the English linguistic communication jobs that pupils encounter while set abouting their plans presently is described by sources as the deficiency of their cognition about the mark linguistic communication because of the manner it was taught in the EAP plan. Howevet, the research found that with regard to academic cultural issues, pupils who had undertaken EAP plans demonstrated more adaptability in most countries of subsequently larning. For illustration, some pupils responded that they were satisfied with proficiency degree of their English speech production and were confident and had less anxiousness when they needed to talk in a category. While others besides had trouble in organizing thoughts in a logical sequence when composing English. Furthermore, they were probably to hold fewer jobs than other nationalities when giving a spoken presentation in category.6.5 Chapter sum-upThis chapter discusses the results from the information analysis and connects them with the theories that have been discussed in chapters two and three. It was clear that pupil linguistic communication proficiency was non high plenty for Saudi pupils to get down their graduate student surveies at British establishments. It was besides revealed that pupils are confronting troubles in get bying with their new academic environment. Consequently, the research suggests that the best readying for Saudi pupils as they enter British graduate student plans and achieve successful consequences is to go to EAP plans where they can accomplish early socialization and pre-preparation by sing interaction with native English talkers in existent academic state of affairss. This suggested tract would probably offer future Saudi pupils a more realistic chance to get the better of jobs presently faced by Saudi graduate student pupils. These Saudi pupils must be regarded as grownup scholars when sing their age harmonizing to the consequences of the study. As grownup scholars, they would probably recognize the importance of EAP and the academic differences in their new academic environment. It can be said that their greater realization of this context was chiefly based on experiences of interacting with the British academic acquisition environment. As a consequence, they came to gain what kind of readying they needed and how they might better get by with unexpected jobs faced in British plans. It means that they had chances to detect, through their experiences, how to cover with EAP troubles and academic cultural differences at this degree. In add-on, these Saudi pupils revealed that their anxiousness, emphasis and deficiency of assurance with English as a 2nd linguistic communication created a psychological trouble when take parting in tutorials. Sing the issues discussed supra, a scope of possible recommendations can be offered that might supply a valuable way for Saudi pupils, the policy shapers in Saudi Arabia and British establishments, private suppliers and other people who are involved in this sector. These might be considered in order to better Saudi pupils ââ¬Ë public presentations in British graduate student plans in the hereafter.
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