Developing a technology model for a social entrepreneur case that you Research Paper

Developing a technology model for a social entrepreneur case that you can pick - Research Paper Example First factor addresses the social problems or needs by approaching some innovative ideas and techniques. Second factor addresses significant awareness and efforts towards balancing responsibility in the best interest of stakeholders. The main aim of social entrepreneurship is to achieve social and environmental goals by working for the welfare of society. On the other hand, the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship is based on entrepreneurs. The term â€Å"social entrepreneurs† is accredited to the class of people who recognise the social difficulties and try to solve them with the help of primary entrepreneurship approaches. In present world, there are many organizations that are using social entrepreneurship models for the welfare of human being. Social entrepreneurs come in many types ranging from large non-profits to single-person causes. They also come in differing orientations such as non-profit or profit making organizations. (examples) The essence of any social entrepreneurial venture is to solve a problem or cater to a need in the society. Social entrepreneurs all over the world use different ways to solve the problems that concern our society such as poverty, illiteracy, and pollution. The use of technology in this cause has been able to develop some excellent business models and social development ventures. Technology entrepreneurship (or Technopreneurship, as commonly called today) and social innovation make an excellent combination for the development of the world. Many small, medium or large social ventures have sprouted up which use technology to solve the problems. With the help of PCs, notebooks, PDA, mobile phone devices, GPS, and wireless technologies, entrepreneurs find it easy to come up with innovative and cost effective solutions. One such venture is â€Å"Engineers without borders† which we will study in this paper to see how they add value through technology to their target market and society in general. â€Å"Engineers without

The Lord of the Flies -Plot Outline Essay Example for Free

The Lord of the Flies -Plot Outline Essay A group of well manned English boys were put on a plane and sent to a boarding school because of their country being in a nuclear war. On their way to the school, their plane gets shot down and they end up on an inhabited island. The first character we meet is Ralph. He is a typical school boy who is very athletic with fair hair. His character is portrayed as smart, wise, insightful and one with very good leadership skills. He is elected as chief by the boys because of these qualities. Then we come across Piggy, a fat boy who wears glasses and has asthma. In spite of these insecurities, Piggy is very wise, highly intelligent, insightful for his age. He is the reason behind Ralphs ideas and plans. He always thinks things through and likes to have order. He is actually the one to discover the conch. Then there is Jack who is accustomed to leading because he is the leader of the choir boys, but because Ralph is elected as chief, Jack becomes jealous and revengeful. Jack is the first boy to turn savage and primitive and does things impulsively. He becomes very cruel and violent and just wants to hunt and kill. Jack starts painting his face to take on a different persona. Then theres Simon, a typical shy school boy who is extremely wise and intelligent. He is very mature and has an adult understanding of life. He is very compassionate and sensitive. He is the only one on the island who is in touch with his inner most feelings. As time progresses, they boys start reverting to savagery behaviour and they move more away from civilization. They start separate tribes : Ralphs tribe and The Hunters (following Jack). The boys who are following Ralph wants to be rescued, and the ones who follow Jack wants to hunt and be free. With all this erg to hunt, they end up killing two innocent boys. After the murders, the hunters are now out to hunt Ralph. At the end, whats left of the boys are rescued. In this novel Golding shows that every human being has evil in them, even if you the most holy person on earth. Everyone isnt perfect, some has more evil in them than others. Some keep in all in and one day they snap and do something theyll regret forever! You can have the worst evil in you and you wont realise it until something happens

Health Promotion Strategies for Obesity

Health Promotion Strategies for Obesity Introduction Australian Health Ministers have identified obesity as an area of National Health Priority Area as evidenced and supported by Durand 2007 â€Å"reversing the obesity epidemic is an urgent priority†. Through this essay we will discuss the determinants of health, what is obesity and possible strategies for primary, secondary, and tertiary health promotion for obesity. Most of the primary strategies used are targeted towards children as most of the programs used to promote healthy eating and exercise, according to the literature, reside predominantly in schools while secondary and tertiary promotion are targeted at adults and families. The key feature of the primary strategies of health promotion to deter behaviors and lifestyle choices that leads to obesity is education, which is why the school aged population is targeted. The discussion of the primary strategies in health promotion will generally focus on school run programs and activities. From here we will explore the options of screening and testing under the secondary health promotion for obesity which will be aimed at children, adults and families before delving into management of obesity, patient education and other tertiary health promotions available although in this instance most will mostly be targeted towards the adult population. Through the discussion of this health promotion, will we analysis and determine possible limitations and implications for nursing practice. We will commence with the definition of the determinants of health which in this case refers to the causes of obesity in our community and briefly explore possible causes and reasons for obesity. Determinants of health Buttriss (2008) theories that the current obesity trend threatens public health and the research (Galani, Al, Schneider, Rutten, 2007)supports that not only does obesity become a precursor to morbidity and mortality but an economic drain on government funds the healthcare system in turn cause implication for nurses to accommodate a bariatric patient who will become physically difficult to manually handle and becomes a drain on the nurses resources for a condition that could have been prevented or minimized through deterrences and patient education. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the accepted measurement to determine at what state the body is currently in. Chapman, (2004) explains that a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is a normal weight range and is therefore the desired state however, the trends in this research confirms a steady increase of BMIs over the last 20 years. As a western style nation we have unlimited access to promotion of fast foods and sedientry like activities (internet, video games etc) and in turn have allowed unhealthy food of convience that are econmically and geographically avaliable destroy our health. Television advertisements target young children during children programming hours inluence there decisions and according to Galani (2007) most of the underprivileged suburbs contain the most amount of fast food outlets. So from the research gathered can we establish the obesity impinges on the under privilaged, uneducated and the easily influenced minds of children who in turn influence the main purchasers of groceries. Obesity and other related chronic health condition order to maintain a healthy body weight you must be able to â€Å"balance intake with expenditure† (Frable, Dart, Bradley, 2002) which is were the health promotion strategies take effect by educating about how to conduct this balancing act and why it is important to be within a normal weight range. Primary Health Promotion strategies for obesity Primary health promotion is encouraging behviours that will improve health and over all well being, when relating primary health promotion to obesity we are identifying programs and strategies avaliable to the public in paticular, school aged children. Durand, Logan, Carruth (2007) have labeled childhood obesity â€Å"as a critical public health threat for the 21st century† and so we will examine how some of the programs being run at school will benfit not only the general health of children but also reduce future implications on the nursing practice as these children become adults. The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National Programs (Better Health, 2009) is a government funded program for primary school children that teaches them to grow and harvest their own fruit in vegetables in a school garden, how to cook and appreciate fresh and seasonal foods and has the benefits of teaching them lifelong skills, keeps them moving and activate in the garden and linking good food choices to optimal health. School ride-a-thons, and walk to school day are also school promoted activities to encourage movement and exercise while portraying exercise to be fun and social activity. Physical education has become an integral part of primary school life where children are encouraged and given an incentive to participate in team sports and activities with a little healthy competition to help motivate and in some children serve a purpose to an exercise. Programs that are inclusive to all children and are made fun provide the incentive they need to get moving and exercise. By promoting positive healthy eating and exercise will help them the healthy choice the easy choice. Schools are enforcing healthy lunch policy where children are encouraged to bring along healthy foods for lunch and monitored by the teachers. Teachers are encouraging experimenting with foods by awarding points or awards for the healthiest food or most interesting food brought during the week and also undertaking a session on the food pyramid and the 2 and 5, 2 fruit and 5 veg a day theory and to enforce these positive attitudes you only have to look to the likes of Sesame Street where the characters explain what a â€Å"sometimes type of food is† meaning food and treats in moderation and on occasion. Popular fruit commercials with catchy jingles such â€Å"Bananas, make those bodies sing† all equate healthy food choices to being healthy. Commercial campaigns like â€Å"Life be in it† displaying fun activities that children can partake in and new adventures to ha ve all while being active and involved in some sort of physical activity. Opposed to secondary and tertiary health promotion of behaviour modification (Galani, Al, Schneider, Rutten, 2007), these programs influence children and their food and exercises choices to have a positive relationship with food and link good food and physical exercises choices with optimal health. Although these programs are designed for children, the influences of their learnings may well sway their parents and family to also adapt a healthier lifestyle pattern and in turn succeed in promoting health and the healthy choice to their families, friends and well into their communities. These programs run at school are addressing the childhood obesity epidemic by providing education in a fun way about healthy choices and in turn will decrease the amount of children becoming obese adults. Although Kelly Melnyk (2008) research shows that the combination of nutrition, physical activity and education decreases BMI, this theory, however, is partial to the limited research on the affects of these programs and a study should be conducted on how these principals may change or influenced once leaving primary school and progress through the life span as according to Buttriss (2008) â€Å"as yet, no indication of a decline in the rates of obesity in children and adults† although Barl ow et al (2002) argues that these health promotion preventions may lead to favourable long term outcomes. Regardless of the limitations discussed these positive approaches to healthy eating and embracing an active lifestyle will set them ultimately as an adult with good lifestyle choices and therefore reduce the risk of obesity in adulthood. Secondary Health Promotion Strategies for Obesity Interventions and screening for obesity are necessary in order to battle this increasing epidemic plaguing the general population. As with the education and programs being run at school with the primary strategies of health promotion, schools are now undertaking responsibility of some possible interventions and screening. As Physical Education has become an integral part of the schools curriculum, the subject measures the BMI students in conjunction with fitness tests and provides information, strategies and resources to those most vulnerable to obesity and how as a family they can combat the prevalence of obesity. As its teachers who are involved with students for most part of the day, they are able to accurately assess using observation of a pupils motivation and participation in activities and according to Larson, Mandleco, Williams, Tiedman (2006) â€Å"a happy child if often a healthy one.† Australian Goverment Department of Health and Ageing (2009) has introduced a health check program called â€Å"Get set 4 life†. It is avaliabe to all Australian residents aged 4 years and serves the purpose to detetrmine if these children are fit, healthy and ready to learn as the enter their first year of primary school. Carried out by a GP or a nurse registered with the program and involves a history collection and assessment and in return provided with interventions and health advice. Using age appropriate tools and resources, this program teachers parents how to teach there children from an early age about better health while making it fun. The benefits of the program is that it is covered by medicare and so can they be bulk-billed and that they can recieve this check with their 4 year old vaccination. These health checks are used as an early detection device to examine those most at risk of childhood obesity and the research conducted by Durand et al (2007) illustartes th at only 1 in 5 mothers were able to correctly identify that they child was in fact overweight which was prevalent in low education knowledge and a high risk of obseity themselves on the mother behalf and â€Å"may be the barrier to prevention of childhood obesity.† This is imperative as Larson et al(2006) research identifeys a link between paternal obesity and the risk of children developing obesity .These health checks provide a professional health care point of view and dilvierd with the best possible intentions and most up-to date resources. Some of the limitations of this program is that it is only avaliable for 3 to 5 year olds and only one health check can be made. With no review or follow up of how effective these interventions and strategies actually are, we are implementing a program that the research in unable to justify. Moving away from just child secondary health promotions we can also explore the Australian Better Health Intiative Campigan, (2009) called â€Å"Measure up† targeting 25-60 particularly families and older Australians most likely to already be suffering from one chronic health condition possibly exacibated by high BMI. This campigan however does not differ from other screening and prevention tools as the goals are still to make healthy lifestyle choices and associate good life style choices with optimal health. This campaign sends measureing tapes out to the population to measure their waist and given an indication of what sort of risk they may be in developing chronic health conditions related to expanding waist lines. This campigan offers the population the chance to investigate for themselves options in reducing their risk of chronic health conditions and to seek further advice from health care professionals with any concerns or further testing while encouraging an invested intrest in their own health as well as that of their families. Tertiary Health Promotion for Obesity Tertiary health promotion in obesity is often when obesity has been identified and management of the condtion which includes â€Å"a wide variety of treatments for obesity are avaliable including diet, physical exercise, behavioural modifications, pharmacological treatmet and surgery† (Galani, Al, Schneider, Rutten, 2007). In order to undertake these treament , assessing and â€Å"identifying at risk families as early as possible† (Buttriss, 2008) is benficial to ensure exstreme measures of treatment are not offered when aquate patient education will suffice. Of course the best way to intervene is to modify behaviours and lifestyle choices to encourage opitmal health. If these means are in no way effective, then surgical options â€Å"should be offered to patients who are morbidly obese, well informed, motivated and willing to accept the operative risks† (May Buckman, 2009)

Charlie Chaplin :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the geatest themes I have picked up from the few Charlie Chaplin movies that I have seen is that he always has the things that he charishes most taken away from him. Chaplin's life so much reflects his charectors, because at a young age Chaplin's mother went mad and for a time he and his brother had to live on the streets until they were put into an orphanage. It directly relates to him because he was and you see how he sees the world even in the silent movies he made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Kid" Chaplin "The Tramp" looses the child that he took in as his own, and raised they boy as if it were his own, and when the boy gets sick "The Tramp" is forced to call a doctor and when the doctor asks if this is his son he shows the doctor the note that he recieved when he found the baby and the doctor leaves and say's, that this child needs proper care. So later comes the orphanage to take away the boy, and "The Tramp" puts up a huge fight but looses and then tracks them down before they can reach the orphanage and this goes on with the "bad guys" taking the boy and him retrieving him until they reach the boys biological mother who takes them in. This movie relates to Chaplin's own life very closely because, at the begining the women has to give up her baby because she is not fit to be a mother and almost the same thing happened in Chaplin's own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "City Lights" Chaplin also has somthing taken away from him that he most cherishes. In this movie the thing he most charishes is seeing the blind girl he loves, and when charlie is wrongly accused of stealing money from a drunk freind he is put in jail but not after he gives her plenty of money to be well off and get a cure for her blindness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaplin's movies may have this theme but, always at the end he ends up on the Charlie Chaplin :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the geatest themes I have picked up from the few Charlie Chaplin movies that I have seen is that he always has the things that he charishes most taken away from him. Chaplin's life so much reflects his charectors, because at a young age Chaplin's mother went mad and for a time he and his brother had to live on the streets until they were put into an orphanage. It directly relates to him because he was and you see how he sees the world even in the silent movies he made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Kid" Chaplin "The Tramp" looses the child that he took in as his own, and raised they boy as if it were his own, and when the boy gets sick "The Tramp" is forced to call a doctor and when the doctor asks if this is his son he shows the doctor the note that he recieved when he found the baby and the doctor leaves and say's, that this child needs proper care. So later comes the orphanage to take away the boy, and "The Tramp" puts up a huge fight but looses and then tracks them down before they can reach the orphanage and this goes on with the "bad guys" taking the boy and him retrieving him until they reach the boys biological mother who takes them in. This movie relates to Chaplin's own life very closely because, at the begining the women has to give up her baby because she is not fit to be a mother and almost the same thing happened in Chaplin's own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "City Lights" Chaplin also has somthing taken away from him that he most cherishes. In this movie the thing he most charishes is seeing the blind girl he loves, and when charlie is wrongly accused of stealing money from a drunk freind he is put in jail but not after he gives her plenty of money to be well off and get a cure for her blindness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaplin's movies may have this theme but, always at the end he ends up on the

Molson Canadian Beer to China Essay

This paper will analyze a products potential to enter a foreign market. The product, Molson Canadian, is a well known and reputable Canadian beer with a rich history. For our purposes, we have attempted to formulate a plan for Molson Canadian to enter the Chinese beer market. Utilizing empirical data, statistics and research on the Chinese beer market, we have gathered significant information regarding entry into this market. After analyzing China as a country, their beer market and relevant business information, we developed an effective way for Molson Canadian to be introduced into the Chinese market. In addition, we have highlighted some potential opportunities and threats associated with this plan, thereby rationalizing the entry mode we have chosen. After all the information was presented, we concluded that the most effective way to introduce Molson Canadian to the Chinese market was to export the product, utilizing distributor and import contacts to have the beer sold at on-trade sites such as upscale bars and eateries. The following information provided explains our direction and reinforces our decision to enter the market in this fashion. Introduction. The beer brand Molson is one of Canada’s oldest consumer brand names and one of North America’s oldest brands. John Molson established Canada’s oldest brewery in 1786 near the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, Quebec. The Molson company has a range of beer selection including: Molson Canadian, a lager beer containing 5% of alcohol per volume, Molson Canadian Light contains about 2% of alc/vol, Molson Canadian 6. 0 Cold Shots (6% of alc/vol), Molson Canadian Sub Zero (it can served at temperatures below freezing through innovative technology) and its new Molson Canadian 67 (contains only 67 calories). Along with the Molson brand of beverages, Molson also owns the rights to other brands such as the various Rickards brands as well as distribution rights of popular imports such as Heineken from Holland. Molson Canadian is the company’s signature beer, using freshwater from Canadian lakes and the best quality barley in the recipe. Molson’s brewing methods do not utilize preservatives in order to maintain crisp, clean and fresh taste. Instead, they use traditional best methods along with skilled brew masters to ensure best quality from suppliers to retailers. As a result, Molson has received numerous awards in the past, including the gold for â€Å"North American Style Lager† in 2008. In 2005 Molson Brewery merged in equal parts with American brewing company Coors, forming the Molson Coors Brewing Company. The purpose of this report is to introduce a marketing plan for Molson to enter the Chinese consumer market. The main objective is to analyze and determine possible ways to successfully distribute Molson’s signature beer (Molson Canadian) to the Chinese consumer market. The next sections provide country and business analysis as well as the marketing mix in order to construct an effective and efficient marketing plan. Also, an action plan will be prepared to consider implementation of strategies and their associated budgets. Country Analysis China is located in eastern Asia and is the fourth largest country in the world. It borders a number of countries including Vietnam, North Korea, India and Pakistan. China also has the largest population in the world with more than 1. 3 billion (1,338,612,968) people. China also has several languages and dialects spoken throughout the country, but the major ones are mandarin and Cantonese. (CIA Fact book 2010) China is a communist state, however in the last 30 years the nation has gradually changed from a centrally planned economy to a more market oriented economy. This transition has benefited China because it opened its’ boarders to international trade, increasing the countries import/export figures dramatically over the years. In addition, the more open economic system allowed for an influx of foreign direct investment into the country. China’s rampant growth in the past 30 years is evident in the country’s economic statistics. 2009 country GDP numbers place China as 3rd overall worldwide in total GDP with $8. 791 Trillion (US$), only second to the European Union and the United States. (CIA Fact book 2010) This figure can be put into perspective however when analyzing GDP per capita where China places 128th worldwide with only $6,500 (US$), a figure which has been improving throughout the years. Although china is one of the fastest developing countries in the world, its’ government still faces several challenges including reducing corruption, sustaining adequate job growth rates and environmental concerns such as pollution. In addition, China has long been perceived by other nations as a country not up code regarding certain policies such as human rights and intellectual property rights. However, their inclusion into the World Trade Organization in 2001 has vastly improved their global standing and many joint and domestic initiatives have been undertaken to improve the perception of China globally. Rationale for Choosing China There were several key reasons for choosing China as our target market. China’s vast population was an influence because it provided a large potential consumer base. Another reason is the large demand for beer which continues to grow as middle and upper class income levels continue to rise in the country (Datamonitor 2004). In addition, several international beer brands have not managed to effectively penetrate the Chinese market. Therefore, if an international beer company in china survives an initial tough few years, it has the potential to make significant profits going forward. The beer industry in China will be analyzed in more detail in the following sections. Other important reasons for the selection of China was that its’ healthy trade relations with Canada throughout the years. China is Canada’s 2nd largest trading partner, only second to the United States of America with bilateral trade between China and Canada reaching over $50 billion(CAN) in 2009 (Statscan, 2010). Finally, notion that China is the fastest growing nation in the world and is predicted to be the world’s largest economy by 2025 had a significant impact on our selection. (Foreign affairs and international trade Canada, 2005) (See Appendix A) Environment of the Beer Industry in China â€Å"China is one of the world’s largest alcohol producers in the world and in the next few years it is expected to go surpass the United States as the largest alcohol producer in the world† (Newman, Ian 2006). China has a very large beer market worth around $6. 154 billion (USD$) and produced more than 26,244 million litres in 2004 (Datamonitor 2004). Both of these figures are significant increases from the previous year 2003. For the majority of brewers around the world, the Chinese beer market is too large to ignore and at times, too hard to grasp because of its complicity. China is viewed as the next big opportunity in the beer industry because its large population and its high economic growth is unmatchable elsewhere. However, many international brewers have failed to penetrate the Chinese beer market. This could be due to unfamiliar market dynamics and the presence of too many domestic beer brands in the Chinese market. Although many international brands have failed, some like SAB Miller have succeeded. It is believed that focus on quality brands and long term entry plans were contributors to the success companies like SAB Miller have had in the Chinese market. Some of the leading brewers in China include Tsingato brewery, SAB Miller, Fosters Group Limited and Noble China Inc. (Datamonitor 2004) Threats and Opportunities Having looked at the general environment of the beer industry in China, our focus will now shift to the threats and opportunities in the market. First, one of the main threats is the other large beer companies and breweries that we are going to be competing with, both domestic and international. Chinese domestic beer accounts for a large percentage of consumption in the country, and as an international product, we will be facing stiff competition from other international companies already present in the market. A less concerning threat is that the older demographics in China prefer to drink more wine than they do beer. This however is contrasted by the increasing popularity of beer in the nation. The biggest opportunity is the fact that the China has largest population in the world and also that it is the world’s fastest growing country. Another opportunity is that there is steady growth rate predicted in the next few years for the beer industry (Datamonitor 2004). Another key opportunity is that Chinese consumer’s value taste and reputation in their beverage products, we believe that Molson Canadian can cater to this need with our product implementation. (Industry Digest, 2005) On the technological side, the Chinese market has several domestic brewing companies in the nation. This could be very useful because the technology to produce beer in China is readily available. On the negative side, China incorporates strict restrictions on content through various media. For example, internet censorship is common in the nation, leaving marketers with limited when choosing which type of media to use for marketing purposes (Human Rights Watch, 2006). Socially, alcohol plays an important role in Chinese tradition and Chinese society as a whole. Alcohol is used in a lot of Chinese traditional festivals and celebrations, as well as it is also a very important part of Chinese religions. Alcohol can also be found in traditional Chinese medication and also used for cooking (Newman, Ian 2006). Market Buyer Characteristics Many of the beer buyer characteristics in the Chinese market are similar to those of Canada. First, gender plays a large role in that the majority of beer consumers are males. However, the female segment of the market has steadily continued to increase as china develops further, mainly due to increased spending power of Chinese women. However, this gender bias cannot be overlooked as the female segment of the buyers is very important because in some major cities like Beijing, women make up to around 30% of beer drinkers in the city. Most of the buyers of beer in china are between the age groups of 25 to 44, similar to the demographics found in Canada (Industry Digest, 2005). Another important aspect about buyer behaviour in China is that it varies according to the region or province. The same applies for the beer market in China, for example people from the southern regions of China drink more beer at bars an pubs and banquets whereas people in the northern regions are more likely to drink beer while dining because they believe that it ads flavour to their dining. Also in the south of China the climate is very hot so casual drinking as a means to cool down is common similar to Canada in the summer months. (Industry Digest, 2005) Furthermore, reasons why people buy beer in China are important aspect for marketers. For consumers in China, value and good taste are important characteristics that consumers tend to look for. These qualities of beer products precede the importance of other factors such as price and brand reputation. Brand loyalty to domestic brands is more common in certain locations such as Beijing, but brand loyalty overall in general is not a decisive factor for many consumers in the Chinese beer industry. â€Å"People between the ages of 16 to 44 who live in Guangzhou and shanghai, switch brands on a regular basis† (Industry Digest, 2005). Selection of and Rationale for Chosen Mode of Entry into the Target Country The entry mode that we have chosen for entering into China will be exporting through an import contact that will then use local distributors to sell our product. The reason that we have selected this option is that although there is a huge potential for companies to succeed in the Chinese beer market, there are still many risks of doing business in China. By choosing exporting as our first step, it allows us to reduce financial and investment risks. Many studies have shown that having a good relationship with the Chinese government and business owners is a significantly important factor for foreign companies to success in China (Owen, 2010). Therefore, before moving into further actions such as partnerships and joint ventures, we want to have Molson establish a good working relationship with the Chinese government. At the same time, this entry mode will also give Molson ample time to develop the relationship with potential Chinese partners, as well as get better understanding about the government regulations for foreign ownership of land & building resources. Last but not least, comparing this mode of entry to partnerships and joint ventures, exporting requires less finical investment. For example, Molson does not need to build factories or set up mass manufacturing operations right away which will save a significant amount of money right from the get go. In addition, if anything goes wrong initially, this entry mode allows us to withdraw the business from China much easier than if we had already established manufacturing operations in the country. Objectives. Due to the risks that beer companies are facing in expanding into the Chinese market, Molson Canadian wants to move slowly into the Chinese market. In other words, the company wants to test the environment first and then take the necessary steps to further the expansion process. First of all, Molson Canadian will establish the mode of entry which is the exporting strategy, and then the company will choose a well known Chinese beer company such as Tsingtao as our distributor, because this will reduce the uncertainties. While working with Tsingtao, Molson Canadian wants to ensure distribution networks are reaching desired locations for sale of product and look for other possible distributors and partners as well in order to get it prepared for our future development purposes such as joint ventures or partnerships. The next objective that we suggest is gathering forecasting information for potential future margin and feedback from consumers. This step will help us to make sure if the Chinese market is really worth to investing in and develop strong indicators to our customers’ preferences, in order to better serve our customers. During this stage, Molson Canadian will also be able to get more familiarized about the Chinese regulations related to the beer companies, especially for foreign companies. After the completion of this stage, the company will be able to develop plans for future operations based on the information that it has collected from before. If the information does not support the expansion, then Molson Canadian should stop developing, and possibly withdraw the business from China. If everything goes well, the company will pick the right distributors and partners that have been evaluated before to start the joint ventures or partnerships with local Chinese companies. The reason that we decided to do joint ventures or partnership eventually is that based on information from the Euromonitor International, which states by doing a joint venture it will allow foreign companies to gain local market knowledge â€Å"These joint ventures should provide foreign companies with a necessary foothold in the market which can, in the future, be exploited by their own products† (Euromonitor International, 2004). The last objective is to work towards generating steadily increasing profits in the future, which will be in more details in our action plan. Limitations There are also limitations that could affect Molson Canadians entry into the Chinese market. As we mentioned before, the uncertainty of the Chinese market is a huge concern. First of all, the government regulations and standards are different from what we have seen in the North American market. Based on the article written by Owen, issues included the â€Å" Chinese top-down approach to standards and conformance, Openness and transparency, Low confidence in private-sector standards setting and conformity assessment, and Inconsistent implementation creates uncertainty†(Owen, 2010) are all the concerns that Molson needs to pay attention. The second uncertainty is that the intense competition will be created by both local and foreign beers companies in the crowded industry. As represented by Euromonitor International, there are several foreign breweries doing business in this market now. Many of which have found that the market is more difficult to operate than they expected before entering the Chinese market. Problems included comparatively high production costs and a fragmented market, combined with oversupply, has caused a market slowdown which led many companies to cut their prices. Many of the companies have already chosen to exit the market and cut their losses (Euromonitor International, 2004). Criteria In terms of the time frame, we estimated that will take one year to complete the objectives from 1 to 3, which is also considered to be our primary expansion. As mentioned above this includes the establishment of the entry mode- exporting, develop appropriate distribution networks, and collecting forecasting information and feedback from consumers. The secondary expansion includes the envelopment future operating plans such as joint ventures or partnerships; after everything has been created our final goal will be work towards generating steadily increasing profits in the future. We estimated that will take 1 or 2 years to finish framing the joint venture or partnership structure. Segmentation For our segmentation we decided to focus on 5 main demographic criteria’s. We obtained basic secondary data based on the past buying patterns of Chinese and other Asian consumers. From that data, we sorted and decided upon with segments of the market we would test for. We based the selection of the criteria on hypothesis testing and concluded that only traits that that appeared consistently within two standard deviations (95%) of each segment’s sample would be counted; these demographics being on age, region, ethnicity, financial capacity and lifestyle within the 18 – 45 age range. For this analysis we have ranked them in order of popularity and difference in cost relative to other premium beers; from this analysis we have distilled this ranking system. * Molson Canadian Subzero is loved for its flash and fancy appeal * Molson Canadian Lager is popular for its strong distinct flavour * Molson Canadian Light beer is popular for its smoother taste and lack of a strong after taste * Lastly Molson Canadian ‘67 is the least preferred. This is due to the misconception that diet beers are more diluted than regular beers and that consumers are getting less for their money. From our demographic analysis of Chinese consumers of a certain demographic tend to prefer certain tastes to be present in their alcohol and while these preferences are not as potent in affecting purchase decisions as they would be in north America, never the less they are significant to warrant analysis and attention. Characteristic| Characteristic Related| Price| Westernized | Stronger Alcohol| More expensive| Traditional| Smoother Alcohol| Less Expensive| Sichuan | Stronger Alcohol| Less expensive| Han| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive|. Tibetan| Stronger Alcohol| Less expensive| Southern| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive| Northern| Stronger Alcohol| More expensive| Old | Stronger Alcohol| average| Young| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive| (Data Extrapolated from China’s beer consumption and Barley imports) From our analysis we can conclude that as you move up north and become more westernized the taste for alcohol becomes steadily stronger and that people value alcohol more. We have found that there are many cultural factors that the affect the purchasing characteristics of each segment. Age: Age is a significant factor when incorporating this model, with younger generations preferring relatively cheaper products than the older generation. As China’s socialistic society progress, legislation has greatly altered the spending habits of consumers. Such like the 1 child policy has left a significantly smaller working force to support the country. With most average working couples supporting 3 generations simultaneously (Adams, 2008), this can impact greatly on the decisions regarding the purchase of the luxury items such as premium foreign beer. Region: In regards to region, there are smaller difference in the tastes and spending habits of northerners vs. southerners. While the South has a higher pay-grade than those of the north, historically the south has always been a more crowded and competitive place (Trent, 2009). Thus those living there adapt to have a more conservative outlook in regards to consumption and purchases. Contrary, while the average northerner earns significantly less money they are more likely to spend extra for what they want (Trent, 2009). Also cities along the coast tend to adopt more western ideals than those located on the interior of China. Ethnicity: While china’s population is 87% Han (Doan, 2008) there is a small population of minorities that also live in china. Though living in the same country this minority have significantly different tastes from your average Chinese. These Minorities include Tibetans, Wiggers and Manchus. Lifestyle: Since China has opened its doors to international products and cultures, there have been many Chinese that have adopted a more western-lifestyle. With Western styles often come more western tastes (Qingbin et at, 1998), in contrast to the smoother taste western-styled Chinese prefer a stronger tasting alcohol. Marketing Mix This section presents strategic alternatives that Molson Canadian should take into consideration, recommendation of the suitable alternative and implementation of marketing plan through the use of the controllable elements of marketing mix. Strategic Alternatives There are two strategic alternatives that Molson Canadian can use to expand its beer brand to Chinese consumer market. Molson Canadian can expand its beer brand to Chinese consumer market by exporting its product line on trade or off trade. Alternative 1: The first alternative for Molson Canadian is to export its product line on trade, meaning that their target locations for sale are establishments which serve alcohol. For our product, we want to target specifically high end restaurants, pubs and bars. High end restaurants, pubs and bars would offer high quality products; therefore the best quality beer would also be expected from customers. One of the main strengths of Molson Canadian is that they utilize high quality ingredients as well as a team of brew masters that make sure the beer follows the high quality standards, qualities that Chinese consumers would be drawn to. Additional strengths of Molson Canadian is that it offers product differentiation such as best quality barley and no use of preservatives for its production. Also, the products country image is perceived as good quality product since it is North American which means that the products symbolize Western civilization, status and modernity (Zhou & Hui, 2003). A weakness that should be taken into account is that Molson Canadian is not well known in the Chinese market, so it may be difficult to find consumers initially. However, opportunities in Chinese alcohol industry should be considered regarding this matter. For instance, an opportunity encountered is that there is an increasing demand for better tasting and premium products, meaning that premium beer sales will be more likely to increase in upcoming years (Euromonitor International, 2010). Also, another significant opportunity is that as consumers’ disposable incomes increase, consumers will be able to spend on leisure time such as going out to pubs and bars. In fact, there is a strong development of the consumer foodservice market, as well as, an increase of premium beer in forecasted years which accounts for 70% of total value growth from 2008 to 2013 in local currency (Euromonitor International, 2009). In addition to the above points, Chinese consumers are not price sensitive regarding on-trade places, indicating that premium and standard beer will become popular among the consumers (Euromonitor International, 2009). Lastly, a major threat towards this alternative is that the rise of prices for materials such as oil and energy can affect transportation cost. The National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC) had reported a price increase of RMB 1,000 per tonne for oil which is approximately equivalent to US$ 170 in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). This means that there will be a need for adjustments in terms of price of beer to circumvent export costs to China. Alternative 2: The second alternative for Molson Canadian to export in China is to sell its product off trade. For this alternative, Molson Canadian beer should be sold in small grocery stores and/or hypermarkets. In order to better analyze this alternative for better profitability of the company, a mini SWOT analysis should be established. A major strength for this company is that the beer could be sold as standard lager beer to Chinese market with product differentiation. For example, the beer could be differentiated towards its high quality ingredients used in the production such as barley and hops and its high quality control standards. A weakness encountered in this option is that Molson Canadian is not a well known beer brand among Chinese market. An opportunity for selling Molson Canadian beer off trade is that this is main channel of sales accounting for 68% of volume sales in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). Also, small independent grocery stores in rural areas account for 66% of total volume sales in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). However, threats should also be taken into account for this alternative. A major threat there is high competitive market between domestic and foreign beer brands. In fact, the three top companies China Resources Enterprise Co Ltd, Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd and Beijing Yanjing Brewing Corp accounted for 41% of total volume sales in 2007 (Euromonitor International, 2009). There are also two leading international companies participating in Chinese beer market which are InBev and Anheuser-Busch. Another threat encountered is that consumers are price sensitive towards beer in off trade channels as they have a range of beer selection as well as prices that differ from different brands issues (Euromonitor International, 2009). Recommendation. The best alternative for Molson Canadian is to target on-trade businesses, especially high end restaurants, pubs and bars. The main criterion for choosing this alternative was based on willingness to pay for high priced product. Also, Molson Canadian should consider the high competition with domestic and foreign beer brands in off-trade markets. In order to reach Chinese consumers, we have weighed the pros and cons of this alternative and believe that Molson Canadian would have the best chance for success by initially focusing on selling to high end restaurants, pubs, bars and so on. The first reason for this chosen alternative is that customers will pay for high quality at any price. The customers will pay for a product that provides better taste, healthier and premium packaged products (Euromonitor International, 2010) since their disposable income allows buying better quality products. In fact, according to China Alcoholic Association, beer volume production has increased 6 % in the first half of 2009 (Euromonitor International, 2010). Also, when beer is sold in high end restaurants, its price will be set much higher price than at grocery stores, so Molson Canadian can generate profit using this method. According to Euromonitor International (2010), standard and premium beer account for only 10% of total sales volume, but generate around 50% of total profits in China’s beer sector. One of downsides towards marketing on-trade is that it may be difficult to break into the market since Molson Canadian is not recognized publicly in China. Also, Molson Canadian may face fierce competition in Chinese on-trade markets. For example, Budweiser, Heineken, Tiger, and Carlsberg are the main multinationals that have majority of the premium beer sales on trade. This alternative is preferable to the other option since it provides the means to generate long term profit and on-trade customers will favour buying high quality product as their preferences change. Another reason for choosing this alternative other than off-trade is that grocery stores will offer a variety of beer brands that are cheaper and domestic Chinese brands, therefore consumers will have more general knowledge of the products available to them. Once the strategic alternative is implemented, there will be opportunities and challenges that should be relevant to Molson Canadian. A potential opportunity for Molson Canadian is to introduce Molson Canadian 67 which is a type of beer that contains only 67 calories. This is a significant advantage for this company since Chinese people are becoming more concerned about their health and wellness. In terms of challenges that Molson Canadian may face is that there will be competition within foreign beer brands such as Heineken that could affect Molson Canadian’s profitability. Implementation In order to execute the marketing strategy of exporting Molson Canadian beer to Chinese market in high end restaurants, pubs and bars, the company should consider the 4P’s of the marketing mix. First, the product provided is Molson Canadian lager beer by Molson Coors Brewing Company which is a high quality Canadian brand which Molson Coors will be able to sell its beer as premium brand because of it offers clean, crisp and fresh taste as well as the no use of preservatives. The price for Molson Canadian beer lager is planned to be high since most of target market in China is represented by medium to high income consumers. Consumers in high end restaurants, pubs and bars will able to buy a bottle of Molson Canadian lager beer for more than 20RMB or $3US(Eumonitor International, 2009) since high end restaurants will place their price three times its market price. For the promotional aspect of our product, Molson Canadian attempt to use practices similar to those found in the North American markets. The use of commercials and posters display the refreshing qualities of a Canadian lager beer will be a major focus of the promotional ads. However, unlike the Canadian and American markets where beer commercials incorporate sexual messages to sell their products, ads in China will mirror those of beverage companies already operating in the country. To do this, the sexual appeal found in North American type commercials will be replaced with the quintessential Chinese humor found very often in Chinese advertisements. In addition, another promotional campaign will be launched in China based on the current public relations department knowledge of Molson Coors regarding drinking and driving programs. This program will be shared with the government of China to increase awareness since drink driving is one of major factor causing traffic accidents. In fact,† according to the Ministry of Public Security, the number of road traffic accidents reached 107,193 during the first half of 2009, with the number of fatalities and injuries reaching 29,866 and 128,336 respectively† (Euromonitor International, 2010). This promotional tool will be helpful to reduce barriers that the government may place for Molson Canadian. Finally, another way to promote the beer brand is to provide an event marketing strategy since ‘international sporting, economic and cultural events are strong drivers for beer consumption† (All China Marketing research, 2008). For instance, Molson Canadian can potentially sponsor the 16th Asian Games in China which is taking place from November 12th to 27th, 2010 (Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee ,2010). Therefore, this sponsorship will bring brand awareness. Molson Canadian may have a backup plan if the sponsorship does not work out through donating a certain amount of money to the Asian Games event so then there will be also the brand name out there for consumers. A last marketing mix factor is place which could be achieved by utilizing the same distributors of Coors Light to d.

Private Peaceful

Private Peaceful†¦ Innocence, love, courage and cowardice. Michael Morpurgo is most famous for his children’s literature, such as The Butterfly Lion or War Horse, so it might seem odd that what is considered a children’s book should appear on a newspaper for students, but the truth is that this book is moving. The story is written from the point of view Thomas â€Å"Tommo† Peaceful, a young man born around the turn of the 20th century who is, for reasons unknown until the end, reliving his whole life in one night, with each chapter beginning with a different time reference and a short passage from the present before indulging us within the past.He tells the reader about his life as a child in a small English village: his school life, his family, the death of his father and the goings on up at the big house, but mainly he speaks of his admirable older brother, Charlie, and his love for his friend Molly and their growth into adulthood together. When war breaks out in Europe Charlie refuses to go and fight until he is threatened with the eviction of his family from their house, and is forced to sign up.Thomas, despite only being fifteen, signs up as well, rejecting the idea of letting his brother go and fight on his own. And so they go off to war, and the story tells of the horror of life along the front line in Belgium, of the bad guys on our side, and the good guys on theirs, from the point of view of an innocent country boy, with constant interjections form the present that build up, leaving the reading in suspense about what the dreaded morning will bring for Private Peaceful, with a climatic and beautiful finish.At its roots, Private Charlie Peaceful is an angry response towards the capital punishment of the soldiers on the front line during the First World War, however somewhere along the line Morpurgo managed to conjure up a beautiful story of brotherly love during a dark period of our history.The narrative style he adopts is touch ing and powerful in a subtle way, and his use of historical context and repetition create a believable and likable narrator and an older brother every reader wants in hard times. The imagery Morpurgo uses crafts the peace of the countryside and the madness of war perfectly, and his astounding knowledge of both the character’s social and historical background are fantastic and worthy of incredible amounts of praise.Why this book didn’t win the Whitbread Award it was shortlisted for will continue to confuse me, unless by some freak accident it was competing against the Bible and/or War and Peace. I would recommend this to any child that’s interested in action, love, war or is just looking for a good read. Morpurgo writes so many good books but by far this is the best. And I’m sorry I could not give away the ending†¦ ‘I have promises to keep. ’ Private Peaceful Private Peaceful†¦ Innocence, love, courage and cowardice. Michael Morpurgo is most famous for his children’s literature, such as The Butterfly Lion or War Horse, so it might seem odd that what is considered a children’s book should appear on a newspaper for students, but the truth is that this book is moving. The story is written from the point of view Thomas â€Å"Tommo† Peaceful, a young man born around the turn of the 20th century who is, for reasons unknown until the end, reliving his whole life in one night, with each chapter beginning with a different time reference and a short passage from the present before indulging us within the past.He tells the reader about his life as a child in a small English village: his school life, his family, the death of his father and the goings on up at the big house, but mainly he speaks of his admirable older brother, Charlie, and his love for his friend Molly and their growth into adulthood together. When war breaks out in Europe Charlie refuses to go and fight until he is threatened with the eviction of his family from their house, and is forced to sign up.Thomas, despite only being fifteen, signs up as well, rejecting the idea of letting his brother go and fight on his own. And so they go off to war, and the story tells of the horror of life along the front line in Belgium, of the bad guys on our side, and the good guys on theirs, from the point of view of an innocent country boy, with constant interjections form the present that build up, leaving the reading in suspense about what the dreaded morning will bring for Private Peaceful, with a climatic and beautiful finish.At its roots, Private Charlie Peaceful is an angry response towards the capital punishment of the soldiers on the front line during the First World War, however somewhere along the line Morpurgo managed to conjure up a beautiful story of brotherly love during a dark period of our history.The narrative style he adopts is touch ing and powerful in a subtle way, and his use of historical context and repetition create a believable and likable narrator and an older brother every reader wants in hard times. The imagery Morpurgo uses crafts the peace of the countryside and the madness of war perfectly, and his astounding knowledge of both the character’s social and historical background are fantastic and worthy of incredible amounts of praise.Why this book didn’t win the Whitbread Award it was shortlisted for will continue to confuse me, unless by some freak accident it was competing against the Bible and/or War and Peace. I would recommend this to any child that’s interested in action, love, war or is just looking for a good read. Morpurgo writes so many good books but by far this is the best. And I’m sorry I could not give away the ending†¦ ‘I have promises to keep. ’

Maya Angelou I know why the caged bird sings essays

Maya Angelou I know why the caged bird sings essays In this coming of age autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angleou goes from a young, awkward girl to a confident independent mother at the age of 16. Maya wrote this book in the early 1970s when women autobiographies were informing readers of the importance of all women in America, including African American women. Maya was living at a time when racism and segregation were at its highest. In her story, she writes about her life while describing the battles of being a young, black, and an independent female. These factors are already hard enough just being when society is being ruled by beauty and white standards, but she deals with going through even more tough battles. One of the most difficult battles of Maya was she was sexually molested and raped by her mothers boyfriend at the young age of eight. She also endured instability while moving back and forth from state to state repeatedly with her older brother throughout her younger years. But remarkably, she learns and grows from her life experiences and becomes an intelligent employed young woman, as the books theme explores her coming of age. At the beginning of the book, Maya shares with her readers her first learning experience, which foreshadows the problems she will face, when she cannot recite a poem out loud in her all black local church. She states that her fear is of people, even of her own color, mocking and laughing at her. While attempting to read her poem, she begins to get nervous, stutters, and then runs out of the church as she starts using the bathroom in her pant but is laughing at herself, which foreshadows her later ending success. In this book, Maya Angelou has grown as a young girl to a young adult all very fast. She showed her mistakes and showed her accomplishments. She came out in the end as stronger woman showing good can come out of a bad. Maya Angelou has written her autobiography not only because her fellow friends an...

Female Participation in STEM Based The WritePass Journal

Female Participation in STEM Based Introduction Female Participation in STEM Based IntroductionCurrent TrendReasons for Current TrendConclusionReferencesRelated Introduction Never has there been an issue regarding the academic potential of women, however, their participation in STEM based subject post Key Stage 4 has always been a problem resulting in extensive research. There are many reasons for this trend in participation, such as those that are discussed by Hill, Corbett St. Rose (2010), that all provide some contribution to the reasoning. The ones which are deemed the most prominent, and have the biggest effect are discussed as well as the history behind how they came forward. Although the topic area has been heavily researched, there is not as much conflict as might have been expected. Differences seem to occur in the eye of the beholder and an individual’s take on the situation. Since the issue of female participation has been present since at least the 1960’s, where feminism was largely an issue through to the mid 1980’s, there has been a number of initiatives set up to counter this. An early journal such as that of Timperley, S.R. Gregory, A. (1971), suggests and shows gender differences but fails to take this any further. They relate a lack of science teachers, and excess of female Arts and Language teachers to simply just give some cause for concern. However with recent research such as that done by Beaton, A. et al (2007) regarding the effects of stereotype threat, can potentially be linked to the classical stereotype of a Math or Science created that has been created historically. The initiatives that have been set up are pushing to try and get more numbers into further education of STEM based subjects. All age bands are being targeted, from KS1 up to KS4 and beyond, in an attempt to broaden female participation and create role models for women. One such initiative is Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WiSET), who work with women of all ages and backgrounds and at all levels of STEM. Details can be found at the WiSET website at wiset.org.uk/index.php. Whether these initiatives are producing a change in current trends of participation levels is something that can be debated. Perhaps the most comprehensive argument for this is too look at virtually raw data that can be obtained from the Joint Council for Qualifications and analyzing the trend female participants in STEM based subjects over a period of years. This is an area that can also give an insight toward the future of women in STEM, and suggest how things need to change if at all. Current Trend The first part in assessing female participation is to find out a where we are now, and where we have come from. By doing this it enables you figure a correlation to see whether female participation is declining or whether it is growing. According to Results from the Joint Council for Qualification (2009), there were 29,420 female entries to the A-Level Mathematics examinations in June. Considering that there were just over 40,000 male entries, there is still quite a gap between them. When considering the case of Physics, what is considered a traditionally male domain as suggested by Arnot, M., David, M., Weiner, G. (1999), the gap is considerably larger. A mere 6538 females were entered for the examinations, 16,300 less than their male counterparts. Despite the difference, a sheer lack of females studying Physics post KS4 causes considerable alarm. For Chemistry, the numbers are relatively equal and there are actually significantly more females than males in Biology (8000). There are over 3000 more males than females in Technology subjects. Moving on from where we are now, it is clear to see that the big differences lie in what are deemed as the more Mathematical fields. To see whether this has been the trend over the last few years and also to assess whether a change is being brought about, we look at Appendix 1. This is a collection of data taken from the JCQ from the last 10 years. The chosen data is taken from 5 STEM based subjects from A levels (not including AS level), Further Math’s was not included. Appendix 1 shows that more girls are gradually taking up technology subject and the difference is becoming less. The difference in Mathematics decreased to a low point of 12,000, but has since increased slightly. This is still 4000 less than 10 years ago. This may seem misleading however as in comparison over the 10 years, there amount of girls entering Math’s is increasing up to a recent high of 29,000. Physics still seems a cause for concern as the number of girls participating seems to have plateau a nd is stuck around the 6,000 mark. Similarly with Chemistry and Biology, the number of female entrants seems to be consisting, and it is actually male entrants that are on the increase. In terms of results, the situation is quite different. Appendix 2 shows that on the whole, girl’s results are slightly better than their opposite sex. Arguably this could be related to the lesser numbers (particularly in Physics and Math’s). This is something that is discussed in the next part. Reasons for Current Trend Many researchers have come up with their theories as to why there has been such a slow uptake of women in STEM subjects. A large number of these relate to three main points, these being Stereotyping, Self-Assessment and Beliefs about Intelligence. Research by Campbell, P. B. and Storo. J. N (1994), on the common myth that girls are not as good at math than boys, shows evidence that there is almost a complete overlap on average results of girls as there is with boys. This is backed up by more recent results that are shown in Appendix 2. However, this myth seems to be a hard one to shake. The work of Dweck. C (2007), in her research on the apparent differences that a growth and a fixed mindset can have on both participation levels and results, shows evidence that females with a fixed mindset are likely to believe that this math is an inherent ability, and if they are not good at it from the outset, then this is unlikely to change. According to Dweck’s work, females with a growth mindset believe that with hard work and effort, they can become better through challenging themselves to be better. Therefore, with a growth mindset, historical myths can be overcome and females can prevent being influenced by these myths and ster eotypes. The issue therefore becomes as to whether women in science are in an environment promoting a growth mindset at an early enough age, if at all. In Dweck’s continued research, she found that in a classroom, or indeed a lecture theatre, where negative messages are sent out, those with a fixed mindset can quite quickly lose interest. Similarly in a classroom where the work is challenging, females who believe that intellectual-ability is a gift, suffer in grades. Work by Grant and Dweck (2003) shows this in their study of a first semester of a pre-med chemistry course. Interestingly, this study shows that for the females who believed their intellectual ability could be developed, actually outperformed their opposite sex. Mueller and Dweck (1998) showed that the solution is not quite as simple. It is easy to think that sending out positive messages and praising when work is done well, especially when facing a challenge will boost confidence and make them think they have ‘high ability’. However this is not the case. All this creates an individual (female in this case), that believes their ability to be a gift, and makes them unwilling to tackle challenges that pose a risk of failure. As a result there is likely to be a loss in confidence and a loss of interest in pursuing the subject. Therefore, if this is not the answer, then even further studies by Good, Aronson and Inzlicht (2003) show that in a test case study where a group of females were taught whereby it was expressed that (in this case) Math ability can be developed, when compared to a control group they outperformed them in results. Stereotypes in STEM are another cause for concern. Negative stereotypes affect a women’s belief in their intelligence, and makes them more conscious about how they are perceived by others. Farenga and Joyce (1999) show in the work that as early as primary school, students are exposed to these stereotypes and are already being influenced for their academic choices later in life. The effect if stereotype threat has been found by Nguyen and Ryan (2008) amongst others, to have a negative effect on girl’s aspirations and performance in STEM. Their research shows that even those women that believe themselves to be good in STEM can be affected by stereotypical views. Joshua Aronson has contributed many items of research into the field of stereotyping. In particular, his combined work with Good and Harder (2008), provide conclusive evidence that the effects of stereotype threat aren’t limited to those at the lower end of the ability, but also affects those at the top of end of the ability distribution. The common stereotype of a scientist, that the majority of students would draw, would be a white male man in a lab coat. The key word here is male. There is an interesting article on this and other myths regarding women in STEM by Live Science (2007) livescience.com/health/070827_girls_math.html, highlights this and notes how any female drawing of a scientist portray the scientist as very severe and unhappy. It is found that the persistence of these stereotypes are in fact turning girls off STEM, and by the time students are 14 years of age, there are twice as many boys that like STEM than girls. Another reason for the gender difference that has led to invested interest is the idea of Self-Assessment. By this, there is the idea that the difference seems worse simply because males believe they are better at STEM subjects and are therefore more likely to continue education. Sociologist Shelley Correll’s research shows how female careers in STEM are influenced by the belief that Science and Math’s are male domains. Correll (2001) looks at how cultural beliefs about gender bias individual opinions of their abilities in STEM. The study finds that males assess their ability to be generally higher than that of women. It also goes on to show that the higher the perceived ability an individual has of themselves, there is an increased likelihood of them persisting in STEM subjects and careers. The further work of Ridgeway and Correll in 2004 continues with the idea of Math’s and Science being a historically male domain. The study shows that the belief of STEM being a male dominated domain contributes to men’s higher self assessment of themselves. On the positive side, the research also shows that it is possible to change this trend.   This can be done by altering their historical beliefs, and creating an environment promoting women in STEM. Conclusion Evidence clearly shows that there is a gender difference in STEM, but it does show that the trend of this is changing. From as early as post World War it has been noted that STEM fields are typically male dominated and it is questionable as to whether this will ever change. Inroads are being made to close the gap between men and women and the in-depth research, of which only a selection I have discussed, is giving good direction and analysis to try and make the change. The underlying theme of the research points towards historical views of women in STEM and also women teachers. It seems that women are brought up with this view of STEM being a male domain, and seem to just settle. It has been shown is some of the papers mentioned earlier that at a young age roughly equal amounts of girls and boys enjoy STEM subjects. This begs for the conclusion that the lack of women continuing STEM must be related to nurture and the beliefs that are portrayed to them. If this is the case then surely by creating an environment promoting girls in STEM from an early enough age, or even later on, the gender gap can be decreased.   At a young age women (and men), look for role models and can be heavily influenced by stereotypes. If the traditional stereotype of a scientist is of a male, then women are unlikely to follow this. Stereotyping, Self Assessment and Beliefs about intelligence prove to arguably be the most common reasons for the trend. Research papers on all three of these areas show strong links and common themes between them. Such as the face that girls are exposed to historical views at an early age which then stays with through to later on in their educational careers, influencing their choices. As a result of all the investigations into gender differences, there is a clear direction to go to bring about change. There are initiatives out there such as the previously mentioned Women in Science Engineering and Technology. Initiatives like this are going to great lengths to create role models in Science, and create partnerships with large organizations committed to ‘Promoting change†¦. Broadening horizons’, as the WiSET slogan says. References    Arnot, M., David, M., Weiner, G. 1999. Closing the Gender Gap: Postwar Education and Social Change. Polity Press: Cambridge Beaton, A., Tougas, F., Rinfret, N., Huard, N. and Delisle, M.N. 2007. Strength in Numbers? Women and Mathematics. European Journal of Psychology of Education. 22, pp 290-310. Campbell, P. B. and Storo. J. N. 1994. Girls are Boys are†¦: Myths, Stereotypes and Gender Differences. Office of Educational Research and Improvement: US Correl, S. J. 2001. Gender and the Career Choice Process: The Role of Biased Self-Assessment. American Journal of Sociology. 106:6, pp 730-1691 Dweck. C. S. 2007. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books: US Farenga, S. J. and Joyce, B. A. 1999. Intentions of young students to enroll in science courses in the future: An examination of gender differences. Journal of Science Education. 85, pp 55-75. Good, C., Aronson, J. and Harder, J. A. 2008. Problems in the pipeline: Stereotype threat and women’s achievement in high-level math courses. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. 29, pp 17-28. Good, C., Aronson, J. and Inzlicht, M. 2003. Improving adolescents’ standardized test performance: An intervention to reduce the effects of stereotype threat. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. 24, pp 625-662 Grant, H. and Dweck, C. S. 2003. Clarifying achievement goals and their impact. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 85, pp 541-553. Hill, C., Corbett, C. and St. Rose, A. 2010. Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. AAUW: Washington, DC Joint Council for Qualifications. (2000-2009). Provisional GCE A-Level Results (All UK Candidates). Accessed 18/04/2010. jcq.org.uk/national_results/alevels/ Mueller, C. M. and Dweck, C. S. 1998. Intelligence praise can undermine motivation and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 75, pp 33-52 Nguyen, HH. D and Ryan, A. M. 2008. Does stereotype threat affect test performance of minorities and women? A meta-analysis of experimental evidence. Journal of Applied Psychology. 93, pp 1314-1334. Ridgeway, C. L. and Correll S. J. 2004. Unpacking the Gender System: A Theoretical Perspective on Gender Beliefs and Social Relations. Gender and Society. 18:4, pp 510-531 Timperley, S.R. and Gregory, A. 1971. Some factors affecting the career choice and career perceptions of sixth form school leavers. Sociological Review. 19, pp 96-114. Top 5 Myths About Girls, Maths and Science, LiveScience. 2007. Live Science Staff, US. Accessed 23/04/2010. livescience.com/health/070827_girls_math.html. Women in Science, Engineering and Technology. 2008. Centre for Science Education, Sheffield. Accessed 19/04/2010. wiset.org.uk/index.php

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Assignment - Essay Example Additionally, different from sex, which refer to biological dimension, gender is acquired through socialization. In fact, gender inequality consists in everywhere in the society. From birth, baby boys and baby girls are treated in different ways by their parents. According to MacDonald, parents always take care of their baby girls more carefully and gently. Besides, parents give different toys to different genders often unknowingly reinforcing gender stereotypes. For example, parents prefer to give computer games, vehicles and war toys to boys and dolls, dishes and jewelry boxes to girls. In addition, boys and girls are assigned different tasks when they are old enough to do some housework. Boys are usually asked to do maintenance chores, such as replacing bulbs and fixing roofs. Girls always end up doing domestic chores, such as cleaning rooms, cooking and shopping. Moreover, sociologists consider that the chores assigned to children can go on to effect children’s personal characteristics and future occupation choices. For instance, girls experienced in looking after their siblings may become nurses in future. Boys may learn computer science and in w ork IT areas and they may become engineers when they grow up. Some critics believe that the media should report the reality, while some others think the media can persuade the public into certain ideas. Among all kinds of TV programs, there are more male roles occurs than female ones. Indeed, the characters are significant different between male and female roles. According to Basow, male are always depicted typically aggressive, and heroic. Contrarily, female roles are various. In some video games, online games and electronic media women are objectified and are depicted in a poor light reinforcing negative stereotypes of women. Men are typically portrayed as â€Å"macho†, gun totting and as super heroes. These games encourage children to resort to violence as it desensitizes them against

The Dark Child -Cmr Ly - Novel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Dark Child -Cmr Ly - Novel - Essay Example The story is told by a grown-up narrator-protagonist who recalls his years as a young boy. The autobiographical characteristic of the novel leads the reader to assume that this young boy (Fatoman), who is the main character of the book, is Camara Laye himself. Laye traces the development of his cultural and personal values as a young man coming of age within the Malinke tribe. He portrays nostalgically his happy childhood, his parents, education, initiation of Malinke culture, ritual circumcision, and the end of his youth. He then goes to Conakry for higher education; after completing it, he gets a scholarship to go to Paris for further higher studies. The story starts with the young 6 year old Fatoman (Laye himself) playing in his village Kouroussa. â€Å"I was a little boy playing around my father’s hut† (Laye 17). The relationship with his parents, especially his mother, is the link between the boy and his African roots. Laye is very proud of his parents, depicting both as outstanding characters. His father, a reputed blacksmith in the village, is also endowed with spiritualistic powers. His father tells Laye: â€Å"The snake is the guiding spirit of our race. Can you understand that?† (Laye 69). Although theirs is a patriarchal society where the father is the head of the family, in Laye’s household it was his mother who was dominant. â€Å"I realize that my mother’s authoritarian attitudes may appear surprising; generally the role of the African woman is thought to be a ridiculously humble one, but Africa is vast, with a diversity equal to its vastness.† (Laye 69). His mother had spiritual powers as well. â€Å"It was due to the strange powers she possessed.† (Laye 69). Among these powers was the ability to persuade animals to obey her commands and being able to approach crocodiles without being harmed. Laye lays great emphasis on

Ban Ki-Moon's Leadership Style Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ban Ki-Moon's Leadership Style - Research Paper Example However, Ban seems to be silent on these issues. He is not at all asking United States or Israel to stop their massacres at different parts of the world. Critics of Ban believe that he is keeping a pro-American stand in his functioning. Ian William (2010) pointed out that in a speech delivered at 22nd Summit Conference of the League of Arab States held in Sirte, Libya on March 27, 2010, â€Å"Ban commented on issues related to the situation in Gaza and stated his support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state† (Ban Ki-moon's Soft-Spoken Approach Belies His Straightforward Words, p.20). Even though Ban criticized some of the actions of Israel in this speech, he was keen to use only soft words to criticize Israel. In fact many people believe that he had no other way to avoid criticizing Israel in this meeting since the meeting was organized by Arab states. On the other hand, scholars such as Ian Williams believe that Ban is successfully handling some of the ma tters involved by Israel. He has pointed out that â€Å"Ban Ki-Moon's persuasion forced Israel to accept an international fact-finding inquiry into the Gaza flotilla assault†(Ban Ki-moon Engages Israeli Politicians, as Israel Remains Mum on Kosovo Precedent, p.19). Earlier, Israel was adamant in their approaches and they never accepted the offers to allow any international agencies to interfere in their matters. They never allowed any international agencies to enter Israel’s territories to conduct any enquiries. However, Ban was successful in persuading Israel to allow a neutral enquiry by an international body about Gaza flotilla assault. Schlesinger (2010) mentioned that America sidelined United Nations while dealing... This paper deals with the major criticism labeled against Ban Ki-moon’s leadership is that â€Å"he appointed his own people and stamped his own priorities on the organization†. In other words, Ban was keen in appointing those people who are supporters of his policies. While appointing UN officials at various parts of the world or while posting UN peace keeping forces at different parts of the world, Ban gave more emphasize to preserve his interests. â€Å"He tries to cement his position a little wonkily through issues, with the world financial crisis sharing the top of the priority list with global warming†. Many people believe that Ban like to have one more term in UN secretary’s office and for that purpose he deliberately trying to gain support from all major powers. Even though Ban is commanding respect from all the major powers in the world, he failed to command respect from some of the problematic countries. For example, it is reported that â€Å"Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is facing international pressure to end a crackdown on anti-government protestors, is not taking the U.N. chief's phone calls†.

Nursing Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Nursing Research - Assignment Example On the other hand, research process involves identification of the research tropic, doing a literature research, determine the methods of study collecting data and analyzing it then drawing conclusions of the data that are useful. In this, both method help to solve a specific problem even though, research has a broader field of application (Mary, 2010). Another similarity between the two processes is the promotion of extensive documentation and consent seeking. Both methods need consent and documentation of the finding and the whole process. These methods differ in that; whereas nursing process only identifies the problem it solves within the specifics of a patient or a community the research process is wide in perspective. It can be amalgamated in almost all the fields of study with numerous applications (James, 2013). Besides, whereas nursing process is a problem solving process with an aim of bettering the life of a patient, the research process has a wide application. Apart from solving a problem, it can be used to suggest for future further studies providing better ways to improve the earlier

Post Psrtum Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Post Psrtum Depression - Essay Example When the intimate partner is violent, especially during the period after childbirth, during which the women’s body is naturally undergoing several hormonal changes, women are more prone to feeling depressed and this in turn will have a negative impact on the growth and development of the child. In such cases it is necessary to offer counseling services both to the women and their spouses in order to ease their relationship and enable them to bring up their children in a healthy atmosphere. In the recent years the pediatric community has introduced screening of women with post-partum depression for any incidence of violence in the household. These sessions are to enable women to openly voice their problems and receive counseling from their doctors. An example of such a study is included in the article in which African American mothers were the major participant. The study revealed that one in 14 mothers who were suffering from post-partum depression were in a violent relationsh ip. It also found that those who were in a violent relationship were at a higher risk of developing depression. Children are exposed to violence right from a young age are more likely to suffer from health and developmental problems compared to children brought up in a healthy and normal household. In addition to their health, the emotional well-being of the child is also affected which could have serious consequences during their later growing years. How can these mothers be helped through post-partum depression and be relieved of its symptoms? As a possible solution the study has identified the need for psychiatric services that could be provided to the parents concerned as well as their families as it is vital to provide maximum comfort to the mother especially for the sake of the infant and other siblings. Several pediatric clinics are offering these services in the recent past. Proper counseling provided to both parents at the right

Write about your religion (islam) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Write about your religion (islam) - Essay Example This paper will discuss my life in the religion and how I share my ideas and leave with the world. I was born in a family that has always been part of the religion. I have always been encouraged by my family’s commitment in the way it attended the five prescribed daily prayers. I am glad I followed suit in the teachings of Islam and took up the challenge of to reading the Quran. As a Muslim, the faith has taught me that human beings exist for the core purpose of serving and loving God. The faith has also taught me that Allah is the only God and comparable to none (Quran 112:1-4). The words of the Quran are of divine origins that Allah revealed from Himself. It contains His words which already existed before creation and can, therefore, not be subtracted, added or amended (Brown 185). Unlike it is wrongfully believed by non Muslims, the Quran is not made up of Prophet Muhammad’s words because it was there before him. To enable Muslims get a deeper insight and understanding of the Quran and the life of Muhammad, a collection of traditions, known as Hadith, was compile d into comprehensive literature by various people. Muslims, just like Jews and Christians, believe that in death, the spirit departs from the body then waits for resurrection on judgment day (Quran 21:19-20). The three faiths’ doctrines on heaven and hell, angels, the devil, morals and the last judgment are very similar. This forms a strong basis of sharing the ideas of religion with the world. The best way of working with the world and conveying my ideas of religion is by convincing non Muslims to shun the stereotyping that every Muslim is an extremist or terrorist. There is a whole lot of genuine Muslims around the world that can be considered mainstream. It is my duty and responsibility as a Muslim to take an oath, follow the Five Pillars and uphold the Six

Nursing Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Nursing Research - Assignment Example On the other hand, research process involves identification of the research tropic, doing a literature research, determine the methods of study collecting data and analyzing it then drawing conclusions of the data that are useful. In this, both method help to solve a specific problem even though, research has a broader field of application (Mary, 2010). Another similarity between the two processes is the promotion of extensive documentation and consent seeking. Both methods need consent and documentation of the finding and the whole process. These methods differ in that; whereas nursing process only identifies the problem it solves within the specifics of a patient or a community the research process is wide in perspective. It can be amalgamated in almost all the fields of study with numerous applications (James, 2013). Besides, whereas nursing process is a problem solving process with an aim of bettering the life of a patient, the research process has a wide application. Apart from solving a problem, it can be used to suggest for future further studies providing better ways to improve the earlier

Write about your religion (islam) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Write about your religion (islam) - Essay Example This paper will discuss my life in the religion and how I share my ideas and leave with the world. I was born in a family that has always been part of the religion. I have always been encouraged by my family’s commitment in the way it attended the five prescribed daily prayers. I am glad I followed suit in the teachings of Islam and took up the challenge of to reading the Quran. As a Muslim, the faith has taught me that human beings exist for the core purpose of serving and loving God. The faith has also taught me that Allah is the only God and comparable to none (Quran 112:1-4). The words of the Quran are of divine origins that Allah revealed from Himself. It contains His words which already existed before creation and can, therefore, not be subtracted, added or amended (Brown 185). Unlike it is wrongfully believed by non Muslims, the Quran is not made up of Prophet Muhammad’s words because it was there before him. To enable Muslims get a deeper insight and understanding of the Quran and the life of Muhammad, a collection of traditions, known as Hadith, was compile d into comprehensive literature by various people. Muslims, just like Jews and Christians, believe that in death, the spirit departs from the body then waits for resurrection on judgment day (Quran 21:19-20). The three faiths’ doctrines on heaven and hell, angels, the devil, morals and the last judgment are very similar. This forms a strong basis of sharing the ideas of religion with the world. The best way of working with the world and conveying my ideas of religion is by convincing non Muslims to shun the stereotyping that every Muslim is an extremist or terrorist. There is a whole lot of genuine Muslims around the world that can be considered mainstream. It is my duty and responsibility as a Muslim to take an oath, follow the Five Pillars and uphold the Six

The Great Divorce Essay Example for Free

The Great Divorce Essay The Great Divorce, the narrator suddenly, and inexplicably, finds himself in a grim and joyless city (the grey town, representative of hell). He eventually finds a bus for those who desire an excursion to some other place (and which eventually turns out to be the foothills of heaven). He enters the bus and converses with his fellow passengers as they travel. When the bus reaches its destination, the people on the bus — including the narrator — gradually realize that they are ghosts. Although the country is the most beautiful they have ever seen, every feature of the landscape (including streams of water and blades of grass) is unbearably solid compared to themselves: it causes them immense pain to walk on the grass, and even a single leaf is far too heavy for any of them to lift. Shining figures, men and women whom they have known on earth, come to meet them, and to persuade them to repent and enter heaven proper. They promise that as the ghosts travel onward and upward, they will become acclimated to the country and will feel no discomfort. These figures, called spirits to distinguish them from the ghosts, offer to assist them in the journey toward the mountains and the sunrise. Almost all of the ghosts choose to return instead to the grey town, giving various reasons and excuses. Much of the interest of the book lies in the recognition it awakens of the plausibility and familiarity, along with the thinness and self-deception, of the excuses that the ghosts refuse to abandon, even though to do so would bring them to reality and joy forevermore. The narrator is met by the writer George MacDonald, whom he hails as his mentor, just as Dante did when encountering Virgil in the Divine Comedy; and MacDonald becomes the narrators guide in his journey, just as Virgil became Dantes. MacDonald explains that it is possible for a soul to choose to remain in heaven despite having been in the grey town; for such souls, their time in hell has been a period of testing, and the goodness of heaven will work backwards into their lives, turning even their worst sorrows into joy, and changing their experience on earth to an extension of heaven. Conversely, the evil of hell works backwards also, so that if a soul remains in, or returns to, the grey town, even its happiness on earth will lose its meaning, and its experience on earth would have been hell. None of the ghosts realize that the grey town is, in fact, hell. Indeed it is not that much different from the life they led on earth: joyless, friendless, and uncomfortable. It just goes on forever, and gets worse and worse, with some characters whispering their fear of the night that is to eventually come. According to MacDonald, heaven and hell cannot coexist in a single soul, and while it is possible to leave hell and enter heaven, doing so implies turning away (repentance); or as depicted by Lewis, giving up paltry worldly pleasures and self-indulgences — which have become impossible for the dead anyway — and embracing ultimate and unceasing joy itself. In answer to the narrators question MacDonald confirms that what is going on is a dream. The use of the chess game imagery as well as the correspondence of dream elements to elements in the narrators waking life are reminiscent of Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The narrator discovers that the vast grey town and its ghostly inhabitants are minuscule to the point of being invisible compared with the immensity of heaven and reality. This is illustrated in the encounter of the blessed woman and her husband: she is surrounded by gleaming attendants while he shrinks down to invisibility as he uses a collared tragedian to speak for him. Toward the end of the narrative the terror of the dreaming narrator of remaining a ghost in the advent of full daybreak in heaven is that of the man with his dream of judgment day in the House of the Interpreter of The Pilgrims Progress. The book ends with the narrator awakening from his dream of heaven into the unpleasant reality of wartime Britain, in conscious imitation of The Pilgrims Progress, the last sentence of the First Part of which is: So I awoke, and behold, it was a Dream. Main Characters The Narrator (it is implied that this is Lewis himself) — main focus of the narrative George MacDonald — the writer, who acts as guide to the narrator. And also many other small characters that play some pretty important roles in explaining Lewis ideas. Allusions/references to other works Lewis consciously draws elements of the plot from Dante (The Divine Comedy) and Bunyan; for example, comparing his meeting with MacDonald to the first sight of Beatrice. He also credits the idea that hell exists within heaven but is smaller than one atom of it to his scientifiction readings; travel by shrinking or enlargement is a common theme in speculative fiction, and the narrator alludes to its presence in Alice in Wonderland. In the preface, Lewis explains the origin of his idea that heaven is immutable to the ghosts from hell, referencing an unnamed science fiction work which gave him the notion of a character being unable to affect matter around him because he ha d traveled back in time to the unchangeable past.

Scm And Erp Implementation At Nike Commerce Essay

Scm And Erp Implementation At Nike Commerce Essay Nike, Inc. is an incorporated company which designs, progresses and markets worldwide athletic, footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories. This company is a large publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier which is based in United States. And it is the worlds leading supplier that supplies athletic shoes and apparel and it is a major manufacturer of sports equipment with revenue over $18.6 billion in year 2008. In that year Nike employed more than 30 000 people worldwide. [1] In 1964 the company started Blue Ribbon Sport which was founded by athlete Phil Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman. PRODUCTS Nike produces a wide range of products, such as shoes and apparel for sport activities like football, tennis, running, basketball, golf, combat sports, and American football for men, women and children. The first product of Nike was track running shoes which ware released by Nike in 1987. Some of the companys shoes reduce weight because they contain Fly wire and Linarite Foam. In 2010 Nike collection were worn by university teams like Miami, Alabama, Florida, Oregon, West Virginia, Pittsburgh etc. NIKES SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Supply Chain Management or (SCM) is the management of the entire value-added chain, from the supplier to manufacturer right through to the retailer and the final customer. Three primary goals of SCM are: Reducing inventory, increasing the transaction speed by exchanging data in real-time and increasing sales by implementing customer requirements more efficiently. [3] Shortly, SCM is a business network converting from buying, making, moving, and warehousing to selling. The aim of Nike was to do their products different or unique from other shoe producers thats why the supply chain management of Nike focused on that by maintaining its relationship with its suppliers in order to be able to do its production process better. Nikes supply chain includes all the activities, such as goods and services from the raw material stage, assembly, manufacturers, warehouse, parts suppliers, and distribution to the end-user whose primary goal is to maximize the value and shareholder wealth of the company. Supply chain management brought certain benefits to the company. Costs from outsourcing allowed Nike to focus on its core competencies such as product design, marketing, and Air Sole technology. Relationship of company with its suppliers made it contingent for them to have better quality product with low costs through reduced administrative and payroll costs. Nikes variety of 860 suppliers let them flexibility, also allowed them faster service in cases of emergencies and quality standard. The technologies of Nike like transferring data, orders, communication via internet and databases let them perform and meet the demands of customers in a timely manner and at the same time allowed them to have a good inventory and monitoring control. Nikes supply chain was confronted with many obstacles. One of the reasons was an expensive implementation of technical components; another reason was having too many suppliers which can lead them losing control of inventory and operations management. A fault of some shoe parts suppliers can result delay in its supply chain process; non implementation of suppliers of Nikes can once again dispose of the public perception of the company and also trend forecasts and unstable economy may affect consumers need. I2 SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION In 1999, Nike Inc. decided to implement the first part of the supply chain strategy. So they decided for demand and supply chain planning application software from i2 technology. [4] The cost of this strategy was $40 million. The strategy of Nike using i2 software was to help the company to enable them resolve and detect any problems effectively, to perform effective business planning, and help them to match the supply with demand by mapping out the manufacturing of specific products. REASONS FOR I2S SOFTWARE FAILURE The failure was heart  when the company announced that they had profits of $97.4 million and this sum was 48 million below from their earlier forecast for the third quarter ended February 28, 2001.They also mentioned that this revenue short fall was caused from the supply chain software that was  installed form i2s Technologies. By the way this failure affected companys reputation as an innovative user of technology. Some problems that were caused from the i2 software were as follows: Integration: it couldnt integrate with SAP ERP, the integration was required to be with ERP, SCM and CRM but this didnt happen in i2 SCM that was working so isolated. Customization: there was a high customization demand forecast which caused system operations to be very slow. Deployment using legacy system: the complexity for entering input information by the lack of integration in several languages and also subsystems results in crashes, bugs, enormous delays. There was no realistic time of goals: because there was an extreme pressure In timelines , this result in low level of testing before going alive and may be pushing the probability of errors. And the following problems were that the software was giving inadequate information, the market condition begins to change and NCS project complication and as a result of all this review of meetings. After all this problems the Nike and the company that produced software were pointing finger at each other. Software Company said that they had some specific templates and methodology for use and we always recommend to our customers to follow them but Nike instead chose not to do that. Also she added that Nikes problem is isolated incident and the other 1000 companies are not in risk. IMPLEMENTING SAP AFS This time Nike decided to implement  specifically  developed software for  apparel and for footwear industry the software called AFS which was a variant of the SAP R/3. With the single  Instance Strategy, Nike begin using SAP AFS application across all the geographies where Nike is sold and ,on the other hand they also decided to chose to implement the other SAP applications which include  Supply Chain management (SCM) and Business Information warehouse which was considered a pilot test of SAP Net Weaver platform for the near future. The company thinks that the single Instance Strategy would result in better integration  and also  provide  a competitive edge by enabling holistic view of its business. BENEFITS Nike spent six years and $500 million on the project. In 2004 the 80% of the project was completed, and the company gained several benefits from the project. The benefits were dividing: better financial management improved their  Ã‚  revenue of  Ã‚  forecasting decreased the inventory level quick manufacturer and design process Direct Benefits: Better integration between departments Improved level of decision making Better visibility into costumer order transactions Non-quantifilable benefits CONCLUSION As  a conclusion we can say that every company leers by their mistakes even though this mistakes cost a lot.  As we discussed below one of the biggest mistake of the Nike was choosing a poor quality company that had never designed such big software and tried first time on Nike and when the problem occurred they werent able to accept their faults. By the way also we learned the importance of pilot test because of the pressure they couldnt test the software and they faced a problem such that  the lose was felt 9 months in the company. There was a vision gap in the company, where the role of forecasting wasnt clearly defined and it had a hard influence on supply chain management. And finally if there existed any  experienced external consultant, both previous problems would  have been managed.