Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Organisational Design & analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organisational Design & analysis - Case Study Example Organisations thereby tend to attempt at generating greater interests as well as value to the customers for the purpose of effectively controlling the internal business activities and obtain competitive benefits identified in the external business environment. Moreover, it can be observed that the marketers also focus upon evaluating different effectual mechanisms and strategies in order to enhance the level of obtaining better control of the organisational procedures along with attaining a competitive position in the fiercely growing business environment (Stahl and Voigt, 2006). Emphasising the present phenomenon of competitiveness along with changing trends in the global business environment, the primary objective of this report is to demonstrate and analyse major issues faced by Google Inc. (Google) relating to its organisational culture along with its design. The discussion of this report will also focus on identifying the major issues of Google that the company faced from the gi ven case study and analysing them through justifying different theoretical perspectives effectively. Brief Description of Google Google Inc. is widely known for its rapid transformation in the global online advertising based industry. The company is well-known as one the leading and dominating companies specialising in worldwide internet-based products or services. The company is basically renowned for online advertising along with ‘search’ advertising technology which enabled it to attain dominant position in the respective industry. Google was established by the duo named Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1996 and was incorporated in 1998 (Google, 2013). Since its emergence in the global internet-based computing business environment, it has been apparently observed that the company has gained a transformational growth through incorporating a wider range of pioneering products or services. In relation to the present day context, Google tends to offer series of products and services including online productivity software such as email, office suites along with other broader social networking services. Moreover, the organisation renders web browsing applications linked with photo editing tools and instant messaging services that enable the company to attain a superior competitive position. In addition, according to the present scenario, Google also offers effective telecommunication devices and online video sharing social media applications such as YouTube to its global users (Google, 2012). In relation to the organisational culture, it has been viewed that Google tends to incorporate exceptional organisational culture which makes the company more competitive than its rivals in the respective industry. The organisation incorporates an exceptional organisational culture which significantly reflects an adequate platform that enables the employees to gain their outrageous knowledge through innovating, experimenting along with risk taking initiatives. It h as been apparently observed from the organisational process or design prevailing in Google that it tends to promote the innate power of the workers and prefers to build a productive working environment. Moreover, the mistakes of the employees belonging to Google are used as the primary element facilitating the company to gain its potentials in terms of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Material Resource Planning Essay Example for Free

Material Resource Planning Essay A. what is Material Requirement Planning (MRP)? Material Requirements Planning is actually a tool for planning; mainly aimed at assembling all operations in a production system, in order to enable the supplier know the materials required by every unit of production and the associated time limits (Waldner, 2011). After knowing the product units required, it becomes possible to use Material Requirements Planning, to determine the materials that will be needed in the production of such products. The calculations of the material requirements and subsequent planning are enabled by computer software in most working and business organizations (Waldner, 2011). B. How Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) might be applied to: 1. The surgery suite of a hospital In a surgery suite of a hospital, Material Requirements Planning may be helpful in determining the type, amount, quality and quality of the materials required, for a specific number of a given type of surgery. Material requirements planning may be applied through grouping of various types of surgeries that are offered or required over specified duration or period of time (Waldner, 2011). After dividing the surgery suite into different surgery units, where specific types of surgeries are done, the number of every type of surgery required is then calculated. In each unit, Material Requirements Planning can be used to calculate the specifications of the materials that will be required to carry out a single surgery. Therefore, MRP is a vital aspect in this field, and it enhances planning for efficiency, effectiveness, and timeliness of surgery operations being carried out (Waldner, 2011). 2. Scheduling university classes University classes have to be scheduled in order to avoid appearance of different classes at the same time. Material Requirements Planning will be helpful in scheduling university classes, by making arrangements to ensure that every class is allocated its own time, and that, no other class appears within that particular time set for a specific class (Waldner, 2011). When scheduling classes, there is need for estimation of the materials required especially when making the budget (stationeries, equipments and other learning materials). For instance, after knowing what the class intends to do, MRP can be applied to determine the material requirements for each class (Waldner, 2011). 3. A chain of restaurants In a chain of restaurants, Material Requirements Planning will be important in separating the restaurants into single units, and to determine the materials, or any other necessities required for each restaurant. The only thing that is needed is to know the type of activity, or the product intended to be offered in each restaurant, and the associated specifications. This information will enable calculation of all the raw requirements for every restaurant to achieve the intended purpose, or come up with the intended products and services. Examples of the requirements that will be calculated include construction materials, food materials, and furnishing materials (Waldner, 2011). 4. Hotel renovations When renovating a hotel, there is need for planning of the materials required to carry out an effective and efficient renovation practice. Over-estimation or under-estimation of the materials required, will lead to either wastage of funds, or shortage of materials. Material Requirements Planning will actually help in coming up with planning process, which will see the whole project consume exact materials needed without wastage or shortage (Waldner, 2011). After knowing the kind of renovation required and the outcomes expected, Material Requirements Planning program can be used to calculated the exact quantity, quality, and price of the materials, and other  requirements, that may be necessary to accomplish the whole renovation process. Material Requirements Planning, in this case, can be used to plan for labor and other physical materials necessary (Waldner, 2011).

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Hsun Ching’s Life Changing Journey :: essays research papers

Hsun Ching’s Life Changing Journey The journey Hsun Ching would embark on began as nothing more than weight on his shoulders. Little did he know, it would be an expedition that would change his life forever. Not only changing his perspective on the world, but also life, his personality, and character. All the risks and sacrifices that Hsun Ching has to make during his journey are a very small price to pay for the positive benefits on his life. The journey not only revolutionizes his outlook on the world and life, but also on the Sutra and what it truly means to the world. Before Hsun Ching embarks on his journey he has nothing but negative feelings toward the expedition. He sees it as a complete and total waste of his time and doesn’t see the way the journey will revolutionize his life. The beginning of the novel depicts Hsun Ching as a man who does not go back on his word, and always follows through on what he says he is going to do. I think this is the main reason that Hsun Ching goes on the journey in the first place. He does not want to be looked upon as a coward and feels as if it is his duty to uphold his word. Throughout the beginning of the novel Hsun Ching makes his views on the sutra perfectly clear stating that the sutra is nothing more than a waste of time and is not real what so ever. His outlook on the sutra will rapidly begin to Senkbeil 2 change as his journey progresses and he soon begins to realize that the journey his is embarking on is one that will change his life forever. I believe the true reason why he finally decides to embark on his journey to find the sutra is because the sutra will bring eternal life to whoever finds it. Despite how much Hsun Ching dislikes the idea of the journey he cannot resist everlasting life and therefore agrees to go on the journey. The beginning of the journey for Hsun Ching is quite pain staking and certainly unmemorable. He begins to question why he ever agreed to go on the journey in the first place. The trail is hard and very unforgiving and as a result it gets Hsun Ching’s hopes way down. But despite all the negativity he still presses on in search of the almighty sutra.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Behaviour Awareness Essay

Self concept is created by two main concepts, self image and self esteem. How you see yourself, your personality and how others see you are all part of a persons self concept. The more positive a person views themselves, the greater the chance of that individual reaching their full potential and being able to maintain a positive attitude. Self image being how you see yourself and your appearance. It does not have to necessarily reflect that of reality, someone suffering from anorexia for example who is visibly thin may, â€Å"have a self image in which the person believes they are fat. (1) The development within children and their self concept is quite significant. Young children will only possess a limited self concept of few descriptions which are usually physical. Older Children develops to a series of â€Å"factual categories†, these being things such as, hair colour, eye colour and height. In the adolescence period the self concept begins to expand further. Incorporating many likes and dislikes along with beliefs and may include details regarding others. Once self concept is in an adult stage it includes personalities and details of the quality of their life. If a person sees themselves as being a success it is likely that their self esteem will be high. With a positive self belief and a positive self image comes a positive self concept. According to Seligmon’s cycle of failure, if a child was attempting a certain activity and failed they could develop a negative concept of their abilities perhaps reinforced by others. With the negative builds a low self esteem leading the child not to try at the activity which in turn would lead to them failing once again. The cycle could also work in a positive way, If an individual performed an certain action and was rewarded for it they would repeat that action. For children to be able to develop need to have a role, a sense of worthiness. This could be as simple as tidying their bedroom or toys away. To have a positive self esteem children should also be praised and rewarded for good behaviour, and on the same principle have criticism and discipline for any bad actions. The case study of Emily illustrates aspects of her development and self concept, it is stated that, â€Å"she was an unsettled a baby and spent the first three months of her life crying. At this stage in a child’s development the baby would have little concern over self image or self esteem and is therefore crying for comfort, safety, love, in pain or just hungry. Due to the unhappiness of Emily it is unlikely that she was receiving the sufficient care or attention she needed. As Emily grows older her role is diminished even more, being blamed for the collapse of the family and the walking out of her father. The lack of belonging will damage Emily’s ability to find her identity, causing her a low self esteem. This only encouraged as she grows older, being neglected and left in her playpen. With the lack of interaction Emily is unable to make any form of attachments and develop any social skills. She is constantly being compared to her brothers in a unfair fashion yet again breaking down her self esteem and therefore her self concept. The sense of rejection from the family is renewed later on when the father collects her brothers to go and play football. With the reasoning, â€Å"she is a girl and girls do not play football! Not only presenting a sexist attitude, Emily is once again denied any form of acceptance. This denial of acceptance could influence her gender concept and develop the thought that she, and women in general are the weaker sex when compared to the male race. When Emily starts school, she does not mix with the other children. She instead isolates herself, a lack of confidence and social skills instantly signal a low self confidence and self image. This is most likely to be a result to her previous life experiences, she has not been encouraged to interact with others and therefore not know how to. As the case study explains in regard to Emily‘s social interactions, â€Å"Her brothers have little time for her† and that her mother, â€Å"was too depressed to care for her. † A lack of interactions may have given her a low self concept, the feeling that she was not worthy of positive attention. This lack of communication would have had a profound impact on Emily’s own attitude hence the lack of interacting with others once she begins school. If not improved Emily’s isolation could lead on to more serious problems such as depression in Adolescents and later life. Her perspective on socialising will impact her in a very negative way once she moves into her teenage years, it is during this period that relationships shift and close attachments are formed with friends. However, if she is unable to mix with others, unable to fit in the pressure could become too much. She could fall victim to bullies without the protection of friends or display what is often described as, â€Å"off the rails† behaviour. Drinking, smoking taking drugs and self harming to numb her disappointment with herself as she compares herself to others created a low self image and therefore low self concept. Teenage depression is a major issue often dismissed as â€Å"emotional teenage behaviour†, in actual fact it is said that, â€Å"one in seven children† develop depression with, â€Å"More than 70 percent† of these not being diagnosed and treated (2) An individuals self concept has both primary and secondary influences. Primary influences can be those of most significance to a person. Examples such as, friends and family who have a profound impact due to the closeness of the relationship. A person’s upbringing, how an individual is treated whilst growing up. The perspective on life and the morals of an individual all depend upon the atmosphere they have learned from. If a child for example had little attention or care from the parents, they may be badly behaved to get that attention even if it is in a negative form. Life experiences all depend on the depth of the example, if it was as simple as starting school it may not have such a dramatic impact when compared to a more serious situation like being moved due to a case of domestic violence. In the case of Emily her primary influences all possess negative elements, her family appear to disregard her displaying little love and affection towards her. The upbringing that she receives seems very â€Å"hands off†, her mother is suffering from a form of depression so therefore does not grant Emily much positive attention. Her brothers are fed lies from their mother who tells them that Emily, â€Å"is the reason why their father left. † and as for her absent father figure, he comes by and takes her brothers out leaving her behind. Secondary influences include, the influence of the media, certain situations such as arguments and role models. In regard to the case study of Emily, only negative influences are represented. With exception of the teacher who is the only one who appears to show any concern for her. From being a baby, Emily has had no close relationships. Her father left, and for this her mother and brothers both set the blame onto her. The upbringing she has received is simply that of neglect and disappointment. With all this rejection Emily must have an extremely low self esteem and sees herself as a failure. She has many life experiences, being blamed for them has affected her confidence and may be partly responsible for her self isolation. As for role models, Emily must be in envy of her brothers and the praise they receive so she may see them as her ideal self. The situation that Emily must be in is awful, she is aware that her family feel as though she is to blame and punish her for the break up of the family however, Emily has little concept on why others are treating her this way and so believes it must be her actual self developing her low self concept. As humans we all make comparisons. Comparing looks, styles, personalities ect. Children are less intrigued by style and dress size, instead many tend to focus on possessions. A friend having a certain new toy however, parents sometimes curse they children after they question the appearance of someone with a visible disability. It is just the curious nature of a child as they develop. Michael Argyle stated that self concept was made up of four factors, one of these being the comparisons we make. One website states, â€Å"If the people we compare ourselves with (our reference group) appear to be more successful, happier, richer, better looking than ourselves we tend to develop a negative self image BUT if they are less successful than us our image will be positive. † (1) This statement is relatable to most individuals as based on others we create our self image, am I as pretty as them? Am I more successful? These are questions that many ask daily and based on their personal answers the self image may change as a result. Comparisons can be negative but at the same time positive. By comparing yourself to someone in a negative way will only damage your self confidence and therefore, self concept. Emily is regularly compared to her brothers by her mother and also by her father in the form of neglect. This resulting in comparing herself to her brothers, her possible â€Å"ideal self†. It is because of this that any comparisons she makes will be negative towards herself. Once she begins attending school, it would be expected that she also makes comparisons between her parents and everybody else’s. Presumably enhancing the lack of love she receives from her mother and distant father. Many people have role models, someone they can look up and aspire to. They may also compare themselves to this person, their ideal self. As a child heroes tend to be a fictional character rather than an actual person although some may favour their parents or close family. By having a superhero as a role model, children want to act in the same way as them. Claiming that sense of power and authority they appear to possess. The mind of a child should be full of imagination and the ability to make believe. With this the self esteem and self image of a child can be fulfilled. As people grow older and develop more the hero’s they once looked up to seem outdated and childish. Role models at this stage tend to develop into real inspiration people. Someone who’s actions have had an impact and influenced an individual. . A persons self concept can have a very dramatic effect upon relationships. Some of the negative effects of having a bad self concept may include, lack of confidence, little interaction, isolating yourself, a low self esteem and a low self confidence. All of these reactions having a deep impact on the way we form and present friendships and relationships. If someone has a low self concept for one reason or another, they could become distant and withdrawn. This affecting others who are close to the person. If this was to occur with children they would not have the knowledge to understand that there might be a problem and dismiss it and maybe find new friends, rejecting the withdrawn one. As people grow older and become wiser it would become more apparent that there was a problem. Hopefully in this situation any friends would address to problem and support their friend. Depending on past experiences it may be difficult for some people to make or maintain friendships or relationships. A lack of trust or social skills would make it hard for an individual to express themselves and be themselves. In the case of Emily when she starts school, she makes no effort to make friends or socialise. From past experience she has had no real friends to be able to base future friendships on. The only actual relationships ships she has encountered are those of her mother and brother, which is filled with hatred and guilt. Bearing this in mind, in future Emily will always be conscious that she might cause the relationship to fail, and therefore never just be herself. On the other hand, due to her experience of abuse, neglect and negative attention it is possible that these qualities are those of what she will encounter in future relationships as to her this may be viewed as the norm. Michael Argyle was a theorist. He said that self concept is developed and affected by four main things. These being, the comparisons we make, our reactions to others, the roles that we play and the identification with role models. Comparisons we make: we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, this occurs most during the adolescence stage when individuals are attempting to find who they are and look at others for inspiration. Comparing almost everything in either a negative or positive way. The reactions towards others: how people interact, confidence or lack of social skills. If a person is happy and has a high self concept it would be more likely they would interact more. The roles that we play: does a person have any value or a role in life? It is important for an individual to have a role in life, to make them feel worthy like they have a purpose. Our identification with role models: means someone that an individual can aspire to and follow giving them some reason in life, an ideal self. Erik Erickson was a German theorist who set about a theory which suggests humans experience eight stages. At each of these we are faced with a crisis, a life experience. They are presented as opposites for example, trust Vs mistrust. It is said that we learn both positive and negative parts from each stage, which we never fully resolve. Instead take them and live by them in the next stage. For a healthy development throughout life the positive experiences must outweigh the negatives. His theory can be viewed as a lifelong description of ego. Either loosing or gaining the strength of ego as a result of each stages developmental experiences. All of this creating and shaping a persons personality, who they are. The development of his theory being influenced by both biology and genetics. The sequencing of events due to genetics and when each stage occurs as a result of biology. The theory which consists of both social and mental development, was also influenced by interactions with the environment.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A vision on a nursing profession Essay

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a nurse, caring for those in need. This feeling ultimately led me to the career choice of nursing and continues the path of higher education in the profession. . Nursing is more than treating an illness, rather it is focused on delivering quality patient care that is individualized to the needs of each patient. As nurses we protect, promote and encourage others to optimize their health abilities, prevention of illness, alleviate suffering and advocate in caring for the individual, their families and the community. Fruechting (2010) states, every discipline has its philosophical foundations and nursing is no different. The purpose of a philosophy is to answer the questions of what nursing is, why does it exist and what ethics and values underpin these beliefs. Fruechting continues to say that nursing philosophy, like any other disciplines-specific philosophy, is what directs and drives research and knowledge development to advan ce the discipline. My philosophy of nursing incorporates the knowledge of medicine, the importance of prevention and the promotion of wellness, while combining it with relational, compassionate caring that respects the dignity of each patient, their families and community. I believe nursing care should be holistic while honoring patient families and community’s values. A crucial aspect of nursing is interprofessional relationships, collaborative efforts among healthcare professionals promoting quality patient care, and making health care easily accessible. A reflection of my philosophy of nursing and the pursuit of higher education. I look at the theories and have not identified any one at this point to ground me and my philosophy, and what learning strategies appeal to me. I have always reflected on patient –centered care and health promotion model as a great fit in my profession and now the possibility of my philosophy. Nursing theory (2013) states that the Health  Promotion Model was designed by Nola J. Pender to be a â€Å"complementary counterpart to models of health protection.† It defines health as a positive dynamic state rather than simply the absence of disease. Health promotion is directed at increasing a patient’s level of well-being. The health promotion model also describes the multidimensional nature of persons as they interact within their environment to pursue health. Nursing theory (2013) states that Abdellah’s Twenty-One Nursing Problems theory of nursing, â€Å"Nursing is based on an art and science that molds the attitudes, intellectual competencies, and techni cal skills of the individual nurse into the desire and ability to help people, sick or well, cope with their health needs.†. The nursing model is intended to guide care in hospitals, but can be applied to community nursing, as well. The model has interrelated concepts of health and nursing problems, as well as problem-solving, which is an activity inherently logical in nature. Abdellah’s theory identifies ten steps to identify the patient’s problem and 11 nursing skills used to develop a treatment typology. Abdellah describes health as a state mutually exclusive of illness. There is no definition of health given by her theory, but she speaks of total health needs and healthy state of mind and body in the description of nursing as a comprehensive service. I would choose both choose this framework due to the emphasis and importance that it puts on relationships, trust, empathy, warmth and being in the present and in tune with one’s own patient –centered care comfortable and at peace to be able to allow one’s self to reflect on the many feelings and emotions that we experience and that changes from minute to minute, day to day and year to year. Therefore, this is the theory that I base my therapy and supervision upon.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

buy custom Prediction of Future Conflicts essay

buy custom Prediction of Future Conflicts essay The clash of Civilizations is a theory that Huntington proposed in his article The Clash of Civilizations (1993) and his book The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order (1996). Based on the assertion that similarity between ideas, individuals, parties or states causes peaceful relations whereas a difference generates conflicts and disorder, Huntington suggests that culture and cultural identities will be the leading causes of war in the post Cold War world. Culture and cultural identities; they are fundamentally civilization identities, are presently the main shapers of the patterns of conflict, disintegration and cohesion in the post-Cold War. This paper discusses the reasons why this theory is a strong predictor of the future conflicts. It is crucial to note that the main thesis of this theory is that the great divisions that will occur among humankind and the leading source of conflict are to be cultural. In this line, he divides the cultures of the world into seven civilizations: the Western civilization: consists of the West and Central Europe, Australia and the North America; the Latin American civilization, which involves the Central and South America; Buddhist civilization is mainly Asian states; Confucian civilization which is China and its Diaspora, Singapore, Taiwan; Hindu civilization, which is India ad Nepal; Japanese civilization; African civilization and Islamic civilization. From this division, Huntington indicates that the conflicts will most likely occur between the Western civilization that currently dominates the worlds power and its greatest challengers that include Islamic and Confucian civilizations. It is evident that the East Asia, China in particular, is a significant threat to the West due to the rapid economic growth. The US, for instance, worries of what the Rise of China can do to its status of being the worlds superpower, considering that the Chinese military continues to get stronger. Additionally, the Islamic civilization also threatens the West. This is clear since the September 9/11 incident that led to the US militarys invasion to Muslim countries; especially Afghanistan where they recently killed the Al-Qaeda leader. Most of the Islam civilizations possess the Anti-Americanism attitude and general opposition to the West and its culture and ideas. The pattern and history of events that take place between these two civilizations only m ake one expect the worst in future. Also, according to Huntington, he sees some states as the swing-states. Such countries are those that will favor either the West, or its challengers. They include India, Russia and Japan. Their acts will destabilize the world further since thheir affiliations are not clear, though their power is hefty enough to cause the significant changes. Another prediction is that there will be future conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims. This will mainly be found along their borders. The conflicts in Sudan, Bosnia, Nigeria, Philippines and Kashmir are a proof of this. Historical clashes of Muslims and Christians date back to the middle ages, and both Islam and Christianity are universal religions, whose mission is to spread their faith; which are the main reasons for the current as well as future conflicts between the Islamic civilizations and the Christian-West civilizations where attack on Iraq is a proof of this. In conclusion, ethnic conflicts and cultural differences are extremely relevant issues for shaping international politics. Since the ethnic identities and cultural affiliations are responsible for making group relations, the conflicts have caused extreme human suffering and remain a crucial threat to the international security. From the above explanations, it is clear that the clash of civilizations has been the main contributor of wars and can, according to the current global situation among civilizations, only predict a future recurrent of conflicts. Given the complexity associated with cultural and ethnic conflicts, there is no direct solution of solving issues relating to them. Buy custom Prediction of Future Conflicts essay

Monday, October 21, 2019

How Homeschooled Students Should Prep for the SAT

How Homeschooled Students Should Prep for the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips According to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Education, about 1.7 million students are homeschooled. If you're part of this 3.4% of the population and are planning to apply to a 4-year college, then you'll probably be taking the SAT (or ACT). This guide will go over the best preparation strategies for succeeding on the SAT, while keeping in mind theunique strengths you bring to the tableas a homeschooled student. Before delving intospecifics of the SAT, let's consider the advantages that your homeschooled education has afforded you. Reflect On Your Strengths Homeschooled students don't always take as many timedor standardized tests as those in traditional schools. If you're concerned that homeschooling puts you at a disadvantage for doing well on the SAT, pause and reflect on some of homeschooling'spositive aspects. You likely have a more individualized curriculum and have been encouraged to pursue your individual interests. Perhaps you've had the freedom to reallyreflect on your strengths and weaknesses, where you excel and where you need to grow as a learner. This kind of self-awareness is hugely helpful for homeschool SAT prep, as you can target your weak areas, customize your study plan, and focus your energies where you can make the most progress. If you feel you've had less practice with standardized tests like the SAT, consider the kind of learning you have had and how it caninform your approach to test prep. Self-Awareness and SAT Prep Having a sense of your strengths and weaknesses can be a huge aidfor designing your SAT study plan. Do you speed through geometry problems, but get tripped up by probability? Do you absorb vocabulary like a sponge, but feel like it's impossible to write a whole 5-paragraph essay in only 25 minutes? Try to get a realistic sense of where you have cultivated skills and developed strong content knowledge. Rather than delving into everything at once, you can set small, manageable goals for yourself and make progress towards them with steadiness and purpose. To address the above examples, you could gather official SAT sample questions about probability and thoroughly studythe problems and answer explanations. You could read strategies about how to time your essay writing and come into the SAT prepared with versatile examples that work for many different essay questions. The best way to achieve your target scores on the SAT is to identify the areas that most need improvement and focus your test prep there. How (and where) do you learn best? Customization and Self-Teaching Does your homeschooled education allow you to be relatively self-directed in your learning? If your educators agree with Lee Binz,founderof The HomeScholar, then their "long-term plan is to make learners who can absorb material by themselves." If you have received this kind of "self-teaching curriculum," then you've had the opportunity to develop your independence, perhaps more so than have students in traditional school settings. Students who are most successful on the SAT don't study every concept all at once or mimic someone else's study and test-taking schedule. Instead, they customize their test prep for their own unique learning styles and needs. They take control of their test prep by setting aside time each week to focus on the material and benefit from being a self-directed learner on their homeschool SAT scores. Besides having the independence to shape your study plan and follow through with it, you may also have some input into shaping your curriculum and homework assignments and projects. If this is the case, it would be helpful to ask if you can integrate SAT prep into your classes and therebyconnectyour math, reading, and writing to SAT practice questions. Tilt YourCurriculum If you're encouraged to explore and articulate your interests and goals, as Binz described above, then your educators may be open to your suggestions. Gaining admission to a 4-year college is a notable goal, and gaining strong SAT scores are an important part ofachieving this goal. If this is your motivation, find out if you can integrate SAT prep into your curriculum. Perhaps you could add SAT math questions to your math studies, or practice writing timed persuasive essays. In addition to whatever other books you're reading, perhaps you can incorporate Critical Reading passages and questions. Practice answering objective multiple choice questions, which may or may not be a skill you're accustomed to in English class. Review SAT grammar rules and edit writing samples to practice for "improving sentence," "improving paragraph," and "identifying sentence error" SAT Writing questions. If you can integrate homeschool SAT prep into your studies, then you can link your classroom learning with the test and apply your understanding of math, reading, and writing to each section of the SAT. In order to do this successfully, you must have a thorough understanding of the content and skills that are tested on the SAT. Throwsome SAT prep in the mix. Understand the Content of the SAT Do you know how many questions are in each section of the SAT, and how much time you have to answer them? In order to effectively incorporate test prep into your curriculum or out-of-school studying, you should gain a deep understanding of what exactly is tested on the Math, Critical Reading, and Writing sections of the SAT. The following is a quick overview of the content in each section. Math tests number and operations, probability/statistics, algebra, and geometry. Most of the questions are multiple choice, but there are 10 grid-in questions that you will answer directly on the bubble sheet. Critical Reading asks you to read long, short, and paired passages and answer multiple choice comprehension questions. These often ask about the general purpose of the passage, along with tools of literary analysis like tone, style, inference, and interpretation of various details. These questions also often ask you about vocabulary in context, while the current SAT has stand-alone vocabulary fill-in questions as well. The new SAT in 2016 will continue to ask about vocabulary, but is eliminating these stand-alone questions in favor of providing more context. Writing starts out the SAT with the 25-minute essay, in which you are asked to provide your opinion and support it with examples from reading, observation, current events, or any other area. Additionally, you will answer multiple choice questions and use your understanding of grammar rules to identify sentence errors and improve sentences and paragraphs. Even if you are unused to timed standardized tests, all of these skills are basic math, reading, and writing skills that you practice inyour general education. Again, if you have some input into shaping your curriculum and homework assignments, then you can try to incorporate SAT practice and essay questions and reinforce your learning on the context of the SAT's tricky questions and strict timing. Outside of your classroom learning, you will need to make time devoted specifically to prepping for the SAT. Make Time for Test Prep Before you take your test, I would recommend spending at least ten hours really getting to know the content, format, and instructions of the test so you know exactly what to expect on test day. A study plan involving about 40 hoursmight get you ready to take the test for the first time, but a regimen of around100 hours of targeted practice would be more effective for improving your scores. While the amount of time you need to put in to boost your scores varies for each students, these are rough estimates of how many hours you should prep to raise your overall scores. SAT Composite Point Improvement 0-50 points - 10 hours 50-100points- 20 hours 100-200 points - 40 hours 200-300 points - 80 hours 300-500 points - 150 hours+ If you start early and spread your study plan out over months or even a year or more, then you can gradually improve and these hours won't seem like such a daunting task. You could spend about 2 to 3 hours a week starting 6 months before your test, and then increase your study time as the test date approaches. Of course you also don't want to put in more time than you need to, when you could be focusing on other areas of school, life, and preparing for college. So how can you maximize the effectiveness of your study time? One important part of test prep is simulating testing conditions to train your time management. Time flies when you're taking the SAT. Practice Timing Yourself The SAT is a strictly timed test, and once you've finished a section you can't revisit it or revise any answers. I would say these strict time limits are perhaps the biggest source of stress for students, especially those who like to process information at a more relaxed pace. Luckily, you can use strategies to improve your efficiency, as well as time yourself while you study and take practice tests to get better and better at working fast and well. I would recommend starting with a diagnostic practice test and simulating testing conditions. Sit in a quiet room with fewdistractions and time each section. Yourinitial score will just be a baseline. After studying and targeting your weaknesses, take another timed practice test and note your progress. Even if finishing in time is something you struggle with, practicing this skill at home will help you pace yourself on the SAT and manage your time effectively. You should also learn about and experiment with different strategies, like speed reading and using process of elimination to answer multiple choice questions. Get Strategic On Each Section While an understanding of certain math concepts and skills in reading and writing are important for doing well on the SAT, so is simply learning the tricks of the test and developing your ability to work quickly. For example, you don't have time to leisurely read the Critical Reading passages and take notes on what you find interesting. Instead, you should practice habits of skimming for important introductory points, transitions, and details related to the corresponding questions. While the essay might seem like a hard part of the SAT, you can basically use a tried-and-true 5 paragraph formula and show up prepared with dynamic examples that will work for most questions. Strategies for how to tackle each section, answer questions, and even fill in the bubble sheet (answering in chunks in your booklet and then transfering all at once can help save time) arehugely helpful in combination with your content knowledge for conquering the SAT. By trying out strategies, reviewing concepts and vocabulary, and sticking to your study schedule, you will see improvements in your SAT scores. Besides the strengths many homeschooled students bring as self-directed, independent learners, do they have any extra responsibilities when it comes to taking the SAT? Homeschooled Students and the SAT As a homeschooled student, you might not have as large a community of college-bound peersand guidance counselors as those in traditional school settings. Depending on your situation, you may have to shoulder more responsibility for designing and sticking to your homeschool SATprep schedule, keeping track of your academic progress and application materials, and meeting your college deadlines. If this sounds like, what can you do to stay on top of things? Be Proactive About Your Schedule This is easier said than done for a lot of students, but try to make the most of your time and establish routines for yourself, just as you would when learning how to playguitaror practicing soccer. Use a planner with hourly (or half-hourly) time increments or an online tool like Google Calendar. Set aside time to work towards your goals, like achieving your target SAT scores, and fulfill your college aspirations. If you're someone who's motivated by an approaching deadline or test date, then design your schedule to reflect that (while still leaving enough time to learn). If you prefer to spread out studying or practice and reap the benefits slowly over time, then honor that approach. These skills of actively taking control of your time will help you stay organized and achieve your goals in high school, college, and beyond. Do Your Research Part of your SAT prep plan is knowing what your target scores are, and part of determining that (apart from your own personal goals) are knowing your colleges' expectations. What are the average SAT scores for last year's accepted students? How much are SAT scores emphasized in the admission process? Does the school have a test flexible policy? When are your deadlines? Planning for college starts early. Check out websites, visit campuses, speak to admissions officers, and gain a clear sense of your colleges' expectations and requirements. Then figure out how to tell your story and stand out from the competition. Since you probably don't have a guidance counselor keeping you up to date on the SAT and prep courses, you need to seek out helpful homeschool SAT test prep resources. PrepScholar's online test program is one way to prepare, along with official practice tests, books, and SAT Question of the Day. Khan Academy is another good online resource, especially because it has recently offered sample questions for the upcoming redesigned SAT. Besides online and book resources, you can also make an appointment with a counselor at your local high school and seek his/her advice on SAT prep and college planning. Through it all, work onstaying organized to keep track of requirements, deadlines, and all the online passwords you're sure to collect. Stay Organized The best way to plan your schedule and keep track of your college planning is to create a system of organization that works for you. Write everything down, whether on paper or virtually, and stay on top of deadlines and test dates. If you start early with SAT prep, you can take the test several times and prep between each real test to improve your scores. If your homeschooled education helped you develop independence in your organization, learning, and time management, then use these skills to your advantage in the SAT and college planning process. Start early, study the test, and put in the time and effort to achieve your target SAT scores and gain admission into your college of choice. What's Next? Using official practice questions from the testmakers and taking timed practice tests are an essential part of your study regimen. Download official SAT practice tests and score them to diagnose your level and gauge your progress toward hitting your target scores. When exactly should you register to take the SAT? Are some test dates preferable to others? How many times should you take it, anyway? Learn how to choose your test dates and shape your study plan accordingly. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also feature thousands of practice questions, 10 official SAT practice tests, and personal feedback on your essays from an expert instructor. We work with a lot of homeschooled students who like the self-paced, self-guided nature of our online prep program. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Carrot Seed Is a Delightful Classic Picture Book

The Carrot Seed Is a Delightful Classic Picture Book The Carrot Seed, first published in 1945, is a classic children’s picture book. A little boy plants a carrot seed and takes care of it diligently even though each member of his family gives him no hope that it will grow. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, with illustrations by Crockett Johnson, is a story with a simple text and simple illustrations but with an encouraging message to be shared with preschoolers through first graders. Summary of the Story In 1945 most children’s books had a lengthy text, but The Carrot Seed, with a very simple story, has just 101 words. The little boy, without a name, plants a carrot seed and every day he pulls the weeds and waters his seed. The story is set in the garden with his mother, father, and even his big brother telling him, â€Å"it won’t come up.† Young readers will wonder, could they be right? His determined efforts and hard work are rewarded when the tiny seed sprouts leaves above the ground. The final page shows the real prize as the little boy carries his carrot off in a wheelbarrow. Story Illustrations The illustrations by Crockett Johnson are two-dimensional and just as simple as the text, with emphasis on the boy and the carrot seed. The features of the little boy and his family are sketched with single lines: eyes are circles with a dot; ears are two lines, and his  nose is in profile. The text is always placed on the left side of the double-page spread with a white background. The illustrations found on the right side are yellow, brown, and white until the carrot appears with tall green leaves and a bright orange color highlighting the prize of perseverance. About the Author, Ruth Krauss The author, Ruth Krauss was born in 1901 in Baltimore, Maryland, where she attended the Peabody Institute of Music. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Parsons School of Fine and Applied Art in New York City. Her first book, A Good Man and His Good Wife, was published in 1944, with illustrations by the abstract painter Ad Reinhardt. Eight of the author’s books were illustrated by Maurice Sendak, beginning in 1952 with A Hole Is to Dig. Maurice Sendak felt fortunate to work with Krauss and considered her to be his mentor and friend. Her book, A Very Special House, which Sendak illustrated, was recognized as a Caldecott Honor Book for its illustrations. In addition to her children’s books, Krauss also wrote verse plays and poetry for adults. Ruth Krauss wrote 34 more books for children, many of them illustrated by her husband, David Johnson Leisk, including The Carrot Seed. Illustrator Crockett Johnson David Johnson Leisk borrowed the name â€Å"Crockett† from Davy Crockett to distinguish himself from all the other Daves in the neighborhood. He later adopted the name â€Å"Crockett Johnson† as a pen name because Leisk was too hard to pronounce. He is perhaps best known for the comic strip Barnaby (1942–1952) and the Harold series of books, beginning with Harold and the Purple Crayon. The Carrot Seed and Children The Carrot Seed is a sweet delightful story that after all these years has remained in print. Award-winning author and illustrator Kevin Henkes  names The Carrot Seed as one of his favorite childhood books. This book pioneers the use of minimal text reflecting the here-and-now of a child’s world. The story can be shared with toddlers who will enjoy the simple illustrations and understand planting a seed and waiting seemingly endlessly for it to grow. On a deeper level, early readers can learn lessons of perseverance, hard work, determination, and belief in yourself. There are numerous extension activities that can be developed with this book, such as: telling the story with picture cards placed in a timeline; acting out the story in mime; learning about other vegetables that grow underground. Of course, the most obvious activity is the planting of a seed. If you’re lucky, your little one will not be content to plant a seed in a paper cup  but will want to use a shovel, sprinkling can...and don’t forget the wheelbarrow (HarperCollins, 1945. ISBN: 9780060233501). Recommended Picture Books for Small Children Other books young children enjoy include Maurice Sendaks best-known classic picture book, Where the Wild Things Are, as well as more recent picture books like by Katie Cleminson and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean and Eric Litwin. Wordless picture books, such as The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, are fun as you and your child can read the pictures and tell the story together. The picture book  And Then Its Spring  is perfect for young children eager to plant their own gardens. Sources Ruth Krauss Papers, Harold, Barnaby, and Dave: A Biography of Crockett Johnson by Phillip Nel, Crockett Johnson, and the Purple Crayon: A Life in Art by Philip Nel, Comic Art 5, Winter 2004

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Change Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Change Theory - Essay Example Furthermore, the area of communication is a key essential, especially if motivating others towards a new direction, is the path that is underway. Without proper communication in this field of work, there are going to be roadblocks preventing a smooth transition from one way of doing things to a transformation into an improved interpretation of how the work is and should be carried out. There are many different theories for change out there, some more pronounced than others, but one of the best was Lewin's action research model for change. What this model actually utilizes is a self reflective type of summation, which often surrounds social situations (Infed Encyclopedia 2006). Action research focuses on the participants own thoughts that are formed, again in a reflective manner. This supposedly helps to draw upon a better comprehension of their own practices, so that improved care can be given to others. Kurt Lewin is the theorist responsible for coining this type of mentality, "action research", and through his model, motivation and change in the work place flow rather smoothly, especially in the atmosphere of health care nursing. The reason this theory works so well is it involves an action of planning and fact gathering before proceeding on to the next phase of action.

Theory and Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theory and Analysis - Coursework Example The amount to be recorded would be either the present value or the fair market value of the asset. In this case the amount to be recorded is the present value which is calculated by discounting annuity due payments by discount rate of 8%. Amount totaled to be $86,243 in comparison to $96,000 i.e. the fair market value. b) The costs associated with the lease are taxes, insurance, maintenance and depreciation. These costs are obligatory to pay as it is considered incidental to ownership. These costs would be determined during the operations conducted by or on the property. Depreciation can be charged through straight line method. c) Lani would record lease transaction on December 31st,2006 on the balance sheet as: {Principal-[Payment-(Principal*interest percentage)]} This will give you the amount to be balanced as â€Å"Lease† in the liability section as well as provide you with the proportion of interest payment from the Annual annuity paid. CASE 13-5: Lease in order should mee t the following criteria for Doherty Company to classify it as a capital lease: Firstly, the lease should transfer ownership of the good to the lessee at the end of the lease term. Also, it should be noncancelable plus renewal options and periods should be attached.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Air Arabia Formal Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Air Arabia Formal Report - Research Paper Example The hubs are world’s tourist destinations. The strategic position of the airline gives it the power to establish business with local investors (Airarabia.com, 2014). There have been vagaries within the regional economic platform of Middle East, but Air Arabia has managed to make a profit consistently. It has proved to be a cost-effective airline despite the increasing oil prices. The airline also has survived the rising inflation in Saudi Arabia market since 2008. It has maintained its budget airfares to gain public support. The airline has operated in situations of political unrest in Middle East and North Africa. Its business survived the political unrest in 2011 and Libya ousting of Gaddafi. It boasts of strict adherence to Shariah Laws because most of its destinations are in Islam-dominant countries (Katsioloudes and Hadjidakis, 2007, p.593). Air Arabia has established a sound business portfolio over the years and has gained the attention of passengers who want to travel between Middle East and North Africa among other subsidiary destinations. It caters for clientele seeking cargo facilities between the destinations covered by the airline. It chose Sharjah as the central hub for its flights. Sharjah is an Islamic cultural destination that boosts high tourist influx annually. The airline also operates across 90 destinations with diverse cultures, but the help of agencies has helped it to offer a customized service for each cultural group. The airline carved a unique technological niche whereby it operates in remote aviation hubs with outstanding adherence to current IT developments. In a bid to increase brand awareness, Air Arabia has been compelled to adopt In-Flight advertising campaigns that have been by initiated in United Arab Emirates airlines. Moreover, the airline industry now demands technological adjustments in the form of in-flight entertainment system, overhead bin doors and graphic tray tables (Lück, 2013, p.65). Air Arabia is an

Cultural Diversity and Globalization Case Study - 4

Cultural Diversity and Globalization - Case Study Example Hofstede’s cultural dimensions can be used to explain the cultural differences between the two countries. These differences are very important as they are the main cause why Euro Disneyland failed despite its huge name and publicity. The dimensions of culture are very well known in organizational behavior and sociology. They include power distance, collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity (Kwintessential, 2010).The first dimension is power distance. It is defined as the extent of belief in the inequality or equality of distribution of power in the society. The countries that have high power distance exhibit acceptance with regards to the inequalities of people. In these countries, people conform to the powerful and follow orders. Countries like China, Mexico and India. In these countries, we can witness disparity in incomes and power. The countries that have low power distance exhibit equality. In these countries, power is equally distributed in the society. The United States of America, Austria and Norway have low power distance. We can see less disparity of incomes and power in these countries.France has a relatively high power distance than the United States of America. This means that people of France accept, to a certain extent, inequality of power. For this reason, Euro Disneyland should have special rights for people in France and ‘rules are for all’ strategy is not appropriate for France. The second dimension is individualism. Countries that have high individualism, people there care about themselves and family only. Low individualistic or collectivist countries have people that care about the extended family and the whole clan. These countries lack personal initiative and people are dependent on family. The United States of America is a highly individualistic country. Personal values of the people are strong. France is relatively less individualistic and people still care about their families. The degree of individualism is less in France than in the United States of America where people have relatively strong family values.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Emergency preparedness flyer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency preparedness flyer - Essay Example The primary focus would be to draw up a community preparedness plan, the default thing to do in any foreseeable emergency in which certain things have to be taken into account. Firstly, know what to expect. Educating oneself about the kind of disaster along with some information regarding their location would help prepare them accordingly. Populations living near the coastline should prepare for a tsunami whereas those living near or on a fault line should know what to do in case of an earthquake. Coming up with an emergency plan related to the specific disaster would be much more highly effective than a generic plan encompassing all that could go wrong (Kehayan & Napoli, 2005). Ironically, the very technology that has been put in place to help during a calamity has also put us at a disadvantage, primarily due to our dependency upon it. Today's masses live in a very different world compared to an earlier generation, when cross community communications were an intrinsic part of life a nd as such are much more ill prepared when things such as electricity, internet, gas, and water, which they are so dependent upon, are suddenly unavailable.

Community profile report Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Community profile report - Literature review Example It has also been defined as â€Å"a comprehensive description of the needs of a population ...and the resources that exist within that community, carried out with the active involvement of the community itself...."(Hawtin and Percy-Smith, 2007 cited in Teater & Baldwin, 2009). According to CIA (2008) a community profile is a summary of the history, present conditions, and anticipated future of an area. Community profiles can also contain data about crime, transport, health status and community service available. Through information about attitudes, perceptions of community cultural and historical character, it is also possible to determine the strengths, current issues, barriers, or changes in the profile (Love, Boxelaar, O’Donnell & Francis, 2007). Neighbourhood is the vicinity in which people live; it is the immediate social and physical environment in which people dwell (Berk, 2002). It also describes a socially distinguished area depending on residents’ perception. In the neighbourhood people interact for utility such as grocery stores, schools recreational parks, medical clinics (Lebel, Pampalon & Villeneuve, 2007). They also support or provide mutual aid in addition to interacting for pure socialization, thereby creating bond between individuals. Neighbourhood is the space in which people move around carrying on with their social and economic activities. This built environment contributes to one’s identity. Neighbourhood gradually becomes a reflection of one’s self, one’s values and aspirations and of the socioeconomic conditions. Only one percent of the total population was aged over 85 years but 18.3% of the population was claiming some form of benefit which is above the city-wide figure of 17.3 percent (Public Health Plymouth, 2013). The claimants for jobseekers allowance (4.7%) was also above the city-wide figure of 3.8 percent. In addition, the mortality rate is higher and life expectancy

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Emergency preparedness flyer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency preparedness flyer - Essay Example The primary focus would be to draw up a community preparedness plan, the default thing to do in any foreseeable emergency in which certain things have to be taken into account. Firstly, know what to expect. Educating oneself about the kind of disaster along with some information regarding their location would help prepare them accordingly. Populations living near the coastline should prepare for a tsunami whereas those living near or on a fault line should know what to do in case of an earthquake. Coming up with an emergency plan related to the specific disaster would be much more highly effective than a generic plan encompassing all that could go wrong (Kehayan & Napoli, 2005). Ironically, the very technology that has been put in place to help during a calamity has also put us at a disadvantage, primarily due to our dependency upon it. Today's masses live in a very different world compared to an earlier generation, when cross community communications were an intrinsic part of life a nd as such are much more ill prepared when things such as electricity, internet, gas, and water, which they are so dependent upon, are suddenly unavailable.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Case study (Public relations) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study (Public relations) - Essay Example Farmers consider blocking drillers from entering their farms; however, this is not easy since the company may sue them. Particularly, the farmers worry that the extraction will considerably affect sustainable farming. For instance, Mr. Back indicates that the practice would compromise his organic farming and force him to adopt chemical farming. Therefore, Mr. Back does not find the idea rational; hence, he is ready to engage in violent actions. Additionally, a concern arises that the procedure ought to weaken the aquifers. Phillip Jays, a landowner at Dulacca vows that he can never let the extractors into their land unless he is hugely compensated. Notably, he is surprised that the world has failed to learn from the earlier 10-year drought and wants to create another. Chinchilla, a farmer at Dane clarifies the issues associated with the case when he observes that there is no option besides confronting the practice based on unwarranted consequences. Chinchilla proposes an ideal solution to the case when he accounts that the companies can collaborate with farmers in promoting sustainable exploitation; however, engaging in dictatorial operations will not work for the company. In the case, the farmers occupy the position of the primary stakeholders since they present the most affected group. The extraction is threatening farmers’ activities since it has the potential of lowering the productivity of their farms (Poonia, 2010). Secondary stakeholders in the case include the bodies involved in the environment conservation particularly the Basin Sustainability Alliance (BSA) and the Friends of the Earth. The extraction activities contravene the interest of these environment organizations. The need of addressing the matter on the ground is apparent. Differences presented by the parties undermine the company’s activities. This plan aims at responding to the issues raised in the case by availing the

Monday, October 14, 2019

Prejudice in of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Prejudice in of Mice and Men Essay This essay is firstly going to look at racial prejudice. There is much racial prejudice shown in Of Mice and Men towards Crooks the black crippled stable buck. Crooks is more permanent than the other ranch hands and has his own room off the stables with many more possessions than them. This room is made out to be a privilege and also because it means he is nearer to the horses but in fact it is really because the other ranch hands do not want him in the bunk house with them. As a result of this prejudice Crooks has become bitter and very lonely. When Lennie comes to pet the puppies, not even realizing that Crooks room is `out of bounds, Crooks instantly becomes defensive and uncivil I aint wanted in the bunk room and you aint wanted in my room but Lennie in his childish innocence is completely without prejudice Why aint you wanted he asks. Crooks retaliates to this with: Cause Im black, they play cards in there but I cant play because Im black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, all of you stink to me This line showing that Crooks desperately wants to join in, be accepted, but because of his colour he cant and so he feels the only way he can make himself feel better is to cut himself off further. It is evident his life has become a vicious circle of resentment and mistrust of others. However, the author reveals that it has not always been this way. When Crooks realizes that Lennie means no harm, he invites him to Come on in and set a while before recollecting memories about his childhood. He speaks of it as a kind of paradise: The white kids come to play at our place, an sometimes I went to play with them and some of them were pretty nice. My ol man didnt like that. I never knew till long later why he didnt like that. But I know now. Crooks didnt experience racism directly in his childhood, making his current situation even worse. As the conversation continues, Crooks becomes fascinated by the strength of the friendship of Lennie and George, He questions their closeness, asking Well, spose, jus spose he dont come back. Whatll you do then? Crooks does not have any friends and wouldnt know how losing one unexpectedly would feel. His mixture of curiousity and envy about the friendship of Lennie and George reveal the deep-seated cynicism that has developed within him. Although Lennie is retarded, Crooks takes advantage of his rare position of power to torture him mentally- Crooks face lighted with pleasure at his torture. Steinbeck aptly demonstrates the corruptive nature of prejudice. The pain of rejection and maltreatment experienced by Crooks, combined with his jealousy of the two protagonists’ friendship leads him to take it out on others. He will probably never experience a similar relationship and hence wants people to feel the way that he does, completely alone. Crooks goes on to talk about his loneliness `A guy needs somebody to be near him He whined: A guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody. Dont make no difference who the guy is, longs hes with you he cried `I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick' Crooks is looking for sympathy, he is so incredibly lonely even to the point to saying that loneliness can make you ill. George continues to talk about his dream. Crooks, having been on the ranch for quite a while, has witnessed a lot of people with the same dream, he ridicules it Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land but when Candy comes in and backs up what George has been saying he begins to believe in the dream If you guys want a hand to work for nothing just his keep, why Id come and lend a hand Crooks sees the dream as his escape from what he is living in, somewhere like his childhood where his color wouldnt be an issue. There are different levels of racial prejudice exhibited throughout the book. Most of the ranch hands dont like or socialize with Crooks but would not go out of their way to insult him. Curleys wife on the other hand is rude without excuse. `Listen, Nigger , she said. `You know what I can do to you if you open you trap' She abuses her position and has no respect for him at all, she doesnt even refer to him by his name, looking down on him with utter contempt and disdain. It is attitudes like hers that have turned him into the bitter man he has become – Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego-nothing to arouse either like or dislike As with Crooks’ treatment of Lennie, however, the author reveals the reciprocal nature of prejudice and resentment in the farm. Curleys wife encounters a lot of discrimination because of her sex over the course of the novel. Living on a ranch where the large majority of the inhabitants are male, she is very lonely. George knowingly comments, Ranch with a bunch of guys on it aint no place for a girl . Perhaps as a further representation of her apparent insignificance she is always referred to as `Curleys wife, never given a name. She experiences further sexual prejudice in that none of the ranch hands will talk to her. This is partly because she can make up things about those she dislikes who will subsequently get `the can and also because she is a `looloo with a very flirtatious nature. She got the eye goin all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck they eye. I dont know what the hell she wants says Whit. The ranch hands dont trust her or understand her. An old lover told her that she coulda went with the shows, not jus one neither He promised her that he would write Soons he got back to Hollywood but he never did and so she married Curley. Because of this shes dissatisfied and feels shes been deprived by life. In fact she doesnt even like Curley He aint a nice fella. Because she has nothing to do but sit at home she goes out on the ranch under the pretence of looking for Curley. Some of the sexual prejudice she experiences is her fault, she scares the ranch hands with her femininity but she isnt really a tart, she just craves attention which she doesnt get from Curley. Ignored by both the ranch hands and Curley she has ended up very lonely, the one thing she most wanted to escape. It is ironic that the traditional social pressure to marry has perhaps decreased her social status and increased her loneliness. Candy, the old swamper is prejudiced against because of his age and his disability. Because of his hand he is unable to do a lot of the jobs that the other ranch hands do making him instantly an outsider. Also because he thinks that he is old he puts himself in a state of mind which handicaps him far more than his missing hand ever will. His life echoes that of his dog, he was once the best damn sheep-dog I ever seen but now is next to useless, Candys life has gone somewhat the same way. Curley experiences social prejudice because he is the bosses son. The other workers are scared of him because of the position of power he holds over them. Because they cant accept him he has become horrible This guy Curley sounds like a son-of-a-bitch to me, I dont like mean little guys. Curley is also very short, and therefore hates big men like Lennie. He is a very insecure man but hides these insecurities by acting as if he isnt scared by anything or anyone. He has cut himself off from people as much as they have cut themselves off from him. Lennie is a victim of social prejudice in the fact that, being retarded, he cant socially interact with the natural ease of George. He is left behind when the ranch hands go into town and he is left out of card games purely because he cant play. Because he like others experiences prejudice, and also because he is very easy to talk to in that they know he wont go blabbing', Crooks and Curleys wife feel they can talk to him. George and Lennie experience social prejudice in a sense that people cant accept the unusual relationship they have with each other. The novel is a microcosm, a cross-section of society at the time, reflecting the prejudice that permeated the era . At the time of the novel blacks in America had no rights, they were seen as nobodies. Because of this prejudice many of them, like Crooks retired into the terrible protective dignity of the negro. Women also had very few rights. There are many different levels of prejudice exhibited in Of Mice And Men. Through these prejudices the characters such as Crooks and Curleys wife have become intensely lonely but they are in hopeless position which they can do nothing about. These prejudices can still be seen in the world today.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Motorolas marketing strategies

Motorolas marketing strategies CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Problem Statement Motorola rapidly became the largest mobile phone seller in UK. In 2001, its asset was more than  £32.74 billion and it had 100 million subscribers. Until 2002, these figures have grown to over  £38.8 billion and more than 138 million subscribers (Motorola Company Profile, 2004, p1). However, the continued good performance of Motorola is threatened by a number of factors. These threats come from a number of places, the most important of these being the fierce competition with the three other state-owned companies. However, this competition will be increased in 2007 when the British Telecom (BT) Telecommunications Agreement comes into effect, allowing foreign companies access to UKs telecommunications market (Milner, 2003, p3). This pressure is reflected in the fact that the Mobile Phone Revenue per User has dropped 50% in the past three years (Milner, 2003, p3) to a figure of  £100 Yuan (Reuters, 2004, p1). Another major threat faced by Motorola comes from Nokia, which has gained significant strategic advantages through its security of exclusive rights to use the new CDMA network technology (Milner, 2003, p3). Purpose of the Study All of these mean that Motorolas marketing strategies, especially its advertising strategies, will become the most important element of its sustained and successful growth. The challenge for Motorola is to gain and maintain market share, and continue to seek future growth. Winning clients is one thing; keeping them an entirely different challenge companies have to adopt proactive strategies to retain hard-won customers. (How to maintain loyalty among risk customers, 1999, p1) Therefore, the application of successful advertising strategies is a critical factor for attracting new customers and keeping existing ones. Marketing research suggests that advertising is about attitudes, the attitudes of consumers towards products. Boyd, Ray and Strong (1972) propose that there are five strategies which marketing managers can pursue in relation to basing their advertising campaigns on attitudinal change. Aims Objectives The objectives of this research are consequently: To identify the current attitude of both existing and prospective customers towards Motorolas service. To examine to what degree Motorolas current advertising campaigns are related to the five marketing strategies mentioned above, which are based on changing customers attitude towards one brand. To suggest tentative recommendations to Motorola on how attitudinal strategies could be better incorporated into its future advertising campaigns. This objective is based on the findings of the current study and suggests various ways, in which Motorola can effectively influence the attitudinal sets of customers (see Chapter 2.0, p7), i.e. their attitude to products. Dissertation structure This dissertation consists of five chapters including Chapter One, the Introduction, which deals with background information, as well as giving a brief introduction to marketing strategies. In addition, the research objectives are presented here. Chapter Two provides the reader with an overview of the literature review, which first covers the background of the global and British telecommunications industry and second looks at some specific advertising strategies in order to construct a basis for conducting the research. Chapter Three refers to the methodology used, and discusses the limitations to the research carried out. Chapter Four presents the findings of the research together with the discussion of the conclusions reached. Chapter Five, the conclusion, discusses the possible implications of this research for future studies. Summary This chapter has provided readers with a brief introduction of the research background, as well as has identified the objectives that this study aimed to achieve. The next chapter begins a literature review, in which a comprehensive background concerning this study and some mainstream marketing theories will be presented. CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW History of British Telecommunications Industry The telecommunications revolution will have a profound impact on us all- on our everyday lives and our jobs. Indeed telecoms, together with the closely related but broader category of information technology, are going to be the biggest technological driver of economic and business change during the next decade and more. (Dadd, 1998, p1) The history of the world telecommunications industry has been a turbulent one. It has been common in western countries that the state controlled monopolies, such as that of British Telecom in the United Kingdom or Bell Atlantic in the United States have completely dominated their domestic markets for a long period (Local hero: mobile telephones, 1993, p1). However, a break up such as that of Bell Atlantic into the baby Bell companies, which occurred in following years, heralded a new era of the telecommunications industry (Dadd, 1998, p2-3; Pruzan, 1996, p1-3). After the failure of the dot com revolution, telecommunications emerged in the late 1990s as the new darling industry in the stock market with millions if not billions of dollars invested into it in the western world (Sarkar, Cavusgil and Aulakh, 1999, p1-2). Along with the universal growth in the telecommunications industry, it was the area of mobile phone networks which saw the most dramatic growth and highest profits of thi s industry. The deregulation of telecommunications however is not a phenomenon which has been restricted to western economies. Deregulation of the telecommunications industry is seen by many governments not only as a significant economic affair but also an important social one, A bold deregulation of the telecoms industry will, with luck, spread the use of the Internet in India and change millions of lives. However, the telecommunications industry is also a political matter in many countries such as UK, which sees foreign control of its domestic telecommunications companies as a serious issue (Harwit, 1998, p1; Milner, 2003, p1). Yet due to UKs accession to the WTO, it has been forced to deregulate its telecommunications industry and furthermore open the market to foreign investments (Stilson, 1999, pp1-2). The history of UKs telecommunications industry dates back to 1877 when the first telegraph line was installed. By 1911, there were 8,000 telephone subscribers and 8,800 telephone lines yet little improvement was made on this infrastructure during the rule of Chairman Mao (Harwit, 1998, p4). The British government realizing these changes responded early in the 1980s was aware that reforms of UKs stagnated telecommunications industry would become a vital and critical factor in successfully modernizing UKs overall economy (Harwit, 1998, p5). However, it was not until the 1990s that the pace of reform was quickened when the monopoly UK Telecom was split up (Lin Sun, 2000, p1). In 1994, Nokia was founded in order to compete with UK Telecom, followed by the formation of the Information Industry Ministry in 1998, which became UKs telecommunications industry regulator (Rothman and Barker, 1999, p1). Motorola Communications Corporation (CMCC) was established on April 20th, 2000 (Pangestu and Mrongowius, 2002, p5), and it became the biggest mobile phone seller in UKs telecommunications market (Motorolas net edges up as competition intensifies, 2003, p1). While the four companies originated from the same parent company, this common heritage however is not reflected in the highly competitive relationship which now exists among the four companies. Indeed this competition is set to increase with the recent development of information technology and the soon occurrence of 3G License permitted by the British government (Milner, 2003, pp3-4). It has been reported by various sources that the fixed lined operators intend to compete along with the mobile operators for the rights to operate these networks (Pangestu and Mrongowius, 2002, pp5-7). Motorolas Current Situation Motorola finds itself doing business in a market, which is in upheaval as well as of deregulation, internal competition and external competition (Motorolas net edges up as competition intensifies, 2003, p1; Einhorn and Roberts, 2002, p1-2). The fierce competitive environment in which Motorola operates therefore has meant that the company has had to embark on an aggressive advertising campaign, which is designed to solidify and increase its market share before the full effects of the WTO inspired reforms can be felt. According to Nielsen Media Research on advertising spending in UK, Motorola spent 1.3 billion advertising in 2002 (British brands dominate ads in local market, 2003, p1). Thus this is both a demanding time for Motorola and an interesting time for anyone who wishes to research a young and dynamic company in a period of rapid change for its marketing strategies. Theories of Marketing Strategy and Advertising Strategy The marketing concept states that you stand a much better chance of selling something if you understand why someone wants to buy it in the first place. (Michaels, 1982, p67) Marketing can be seen as those sets of business practices and related strategies which are applied by companies to attract potential consumers into purchasing their products (Kotler and Cox, 1988). But marketing is not only about enabling a company to attract consumers, but also about maintaining those existing customers over a period of time, in essence the building of a brand and the creation of a brand loyalty (Kotler and Cox, 1988, pp76-77). In order to achieve such a aim, one of the key strategies to be the most important for gaining and maintaining market share is advertising and sales promotion, increase advertising and sales promotion of superior products, services, or price benefits to underpenetrated or untapped customers; advertise new or improved benefits to all customers. (Kotler and Cox, 1988, pp76-77) Marketing research has suggested that advertising is about attitude, the attitude of consumers towards products, Our reason for selecting attitudes as our basic way of looking at a market is based on more than the fact that one function of advertising is to affect attitudes. There is considerable evidence to show that the way a person thinks and feels about a brand- his attitudinal set determines how he will behave. His reasons for wanting a product determine his selection. (Reiser cited in Boyd, Ray and Strong, 1972, p341) Boyd et al (1972) suggest that there are five strategies which marketing managers can pursue in relation to base their advertising campaigns on attitudinal change. These strategies briefly seek to: Affect factors which influence the choice criteria of customers; Add salient characteristics to products; Increase /decrease the ratings for salient characteristics; Change brand perception; Change perception of competing brands with regard to some particular salient characteristics. Telecommunications is one field in which it has been possible to find quite similar responses. Telegraph, post, and telephony have been organized as state monopolies almost everywhere, and states have acted as policy makers, regulators, and service providers all at once. National telecommunications regimes have surprisingly similar features from Europe to Asia, and from America to Africa (Noam, 2006, 2007). Naturally, there are exceptions (for example in the United States, where the monopoly is private and the state acts only as regulator and policy maker). Still, the similarities in the organization of the telecoms sector are unique compared with the diversity of institutions and governance mechanisms of other sectors. The old telecommunications order is now undergoing radical changes. The sector, which for years served as the economics textbooks most cherished example of a natural monopoly, has been transformed to a competitive sector (although competition is imperfect and partial). Surprisingly, despite the widespread changes, sectorial homogeneity in the move to liberalization remains remarkable across countries, continents, and level of economic development. In telecommunications, changes are indeed global and they include radical change in the economics, technology, and organization of the sector as well as in the role of the state and the mode of governance. The extent of change in telecommunications is so radical that it is now seen to epitomize the hollowing out of the state. Telecommunications, argued Susan Strange, serve as an extreme example of one process by which authority has shifted massively away from the governments of states to the corporate management of firms The result of this shift has been to narrow the options open to supposedly sovereign states, and to extend the opportunitiesand riskof those enterprises engaged in the supply of services and the hardware by which the services are offered on the market (Strange, 2007, p. 100). As competition increases and markets widen, telecommunications may become a paradigmatic case exemplifying perceptions of reality and change in political economy among the general public and social scientists alike. Telecommunications thus acquires the characteristics of a critical case for theory testing. If suggestions regarding the retreat of the state prove false or one-sided in telecoms, it should be even more difficult to support them in other cases. The scope of change and the extent of regulatory innovations make telecommunications highly interesting for retailers of politics, political economy, and public policy. It becomes the paradigmatic case, one which shapes beliefs about organization of the economy and relations between politics and economics. At the same time, it generates new knowledge about the regulation of other sectors. This is also observable in popular journalism. Take, for example, the following passage from the Economist: In recent years, the telecom business has demonstrated that when deregulation and innovation, strong forces in their own right, come together, the results can be startling. What is true in telecom is now coming true in electricity (my emphasis). Indeed, beyond electricity, telecommunications has come to be conceived as a regulatory laboratory in which experiments are conducted and experience is accumulated for future implementation in other sectors such as road transport, railroads, water, and gas. The restructuring of the telecommunications sector during the last decade has generated a global telecommunications market for the first time. Increasingly more parts of telecom equipment are no longer produced nationally, but are traded on extra-national markets. Foreign direct investment in the sector is booming and the liberalization of services has been accompanied by the entry of foreign investors as competitors but also as partners in global alliances. Instead of one national network for telephony, different networks now exist, characterized either by the same technology (wire telephony) or competing technologies (internet telephony, mobile telephony, and cable telephony). The striking changes in the national arenas of telecommunications are repeated and enforced by several international agreements such as the WTO agreement on the liberalization of government procurement (2007), the Information Technology Agreement (2007), the WTO agreement on trade in basic telephony (2007), a nd the Mutual Recognition Agreements on the testing and certification of telecommunications equipment (2007). Side by side with the transformation of the sector, the creation, extension, and perfection of the regulatory capacities of the state may be observed. The administrative state is relinquishing the provision of services, but instead of retreating it is assuming new regulatory roles. These new roles are enforced and diffused through the constitution of the single European market, emulation of the American regulatory structures, policy learning, and even international pressures. The diffusion of regulation may serve a wide range of social goals, from universal supply of essential services and products to price control in situations of market failure. This paper concentrates on one particular aspect of regulation, namely regulation for competition. Market competition, as will be shown in this paper, is not only the natural outcome of state retreat from the economy or a matter for any invisible hand. Competition is politically, socially, and administratively produced and it takes the form of highly complex regulatory regimes that are devised to govern micro-segments of the telecoms sector. The paper distinguishes two types of regulated competition: regulation-of-competition and regulation-for-competition. While the first is a liberal form of intervention which aims to correct market failure, the second has a mercantilist character and aims at market creation by the state. This second form of competition is a critical aspect in the restructuring of the telecoms sector, which is often misunderstood as simply deregulation. The critical place of reregulation-for-competition in the governance of the new telecoms regime, as will be demonstrated here, underlines the rise of a competition state which is not a liberal state and not a welfare state. The competition state, without transforming the whole apparatus of the state and with an important but limited effect on society, is assuming a very traditional role, with a neomercantilist character, which it always had. It is revitalizing and reforming economic sectors in order to promote national competitiveness. Restructuring Motorolas Markets The introduction of competition to the telecommunications market is a multi-level process. On the intra-national level the introduction of competition may be characterized first as a movement towards corporatization and increase market share of Motorola. The statists provision of telecom services was replaced by a new regime which was based on a mixture of regulations, reregulations, and deregulations. Corporatization means the transformation of a government-administered service into a legal entity of a joint-stock company. This company may still be state-owned, but in contrast to the past it now enjoys a measure of autonomy from the state (Noam Kramer, 2007, p. 278). In most countries where ministerial departments formerly supplied telecommunications services, corporatization was one of the first steps towards a more economic and market-oriented provision of services. Corporatization thus reflects a retreat of the state only if one understands the relations between the state and th e market as mutually exclusive, or zero-sum (i.e., more market means less state, and vice versa). However, if the states strength is not defined in terms of its direct provision of economic services, then outsourcing services may result, exactly as in corporate restructuring, in more power rather than less. In many countries corporatization also led to increase market share of Motorola, namely transfer of shares or functions from public to private hands. In some countries, increase market share of Motorola has been a major milestone in the restructuring of telecommunications. British Telecom was privatized in 1984 and NTT of Japan in 1985. Other countries followed this road a few years later with a partial increase market share of Motorola of their Telecom Operators (TO). In Israel, Bezeq was privatized in 2006; in the Netherlands KPN was privatized in 2007; in Germany, Deutsche Telecom was privatized in 2007; France Telecom was privatized in 2007, and Brazils Telebras was privatized in 2008. Different strategies of increase market share of Motorola were employed in different countries, and following the initial offering of part of the governments shares, the process proceeded at varying rates towards complete increase market share of Motorola. Still, the move to privatize the telecommunications sector has become common around the world. Increase market share of Motorola may not affect, however, the extent of competition in a specific market segment. Private monopoly, as the American example of ATT monopoly shows, does not necessarily entail more competition. But increase market share of Motorola, like corporatization, is definitely a step forward in the introduction of market considerations into segments of the economy formerly that followed (or were supposed to follow) public service criteria. The corporatization of telecommunications services has contributed to the creation of a political space in which public officials can more clearly distinguish their function as providers of telecommunications services and their regulatory and policy making functions. Regulation is a distinctively American approach of state intervention; its introduction to Europe, on the national and European Union levels, is admirably discussed by Majone (2007). Regulations, rather than public ownership, planning, or centralized administration, are increasingly used in telecommunications. While the process of substituting the dirigiste state by the regulatory state is observed beyond the sphere of telecommunications, in this sphere the scope of change is most impressive. The separation of government functions in the sector allowed the creation, development, and consolidation of regulatory capacities in readiness for the new business-like corporations which were still under government control. The process was further accelerated and strengthened following increase market share of Motorola, which marked more clearly the distinction between public and private. National Regulatory Authorities for telecommunications were established or are in the process of being established throughout Europe (e.g., Oftel in the UK, OPTA in the Netherlands, BMPT in Germany, ART in France) and elsewhere (i.e., Brazil, Israel, South Korea, and Australia). Although these regulatory agencies vary in their institutional design, autonomy, and regulatory capacities they command they often enjoy considerable control over the development of the industry. One demonstration of this paradox is the dynamics of the regulation of interconnection regimes with respect to the unbundling of telecommunications services. The enthusiasm, indeed the near religious zeal, that the competition state manifests in the introduction and enforcement of competition, even in the most difficult terrain, shows the critical role the state plays in restructuring global telecommunications. Bundling is the tying of the supply of one service or product to the supply of others. For the seller of products, bundling is a form of legitimate competitive strategy. Yet for clients, it often means that they will have to purchase an unnecessary products or services which they may obtain of better quality and at a better price elsewhere. In such cases, policy makers, regulators, and judges have to decide whether the economic power of the service provider should be balanced by political power. One way of doing this is by requiring the provider to unbundle the products or/and services, and thus enable clients to purchase only the services and products they want, and by extension to promote the market in unbundled services and products. Bundling and unbundling are common regulatory problems in various economic sectors, but in telecommunications they display the complexities of the interaction between state and market and how far regulators feel obliged to intervene for the sake of competition. Unbundling is considered a prerequisite for competition in the local loop; hence regulators readily intervene to ensure that the dominant operators will not force bundled services on their competitors. Here, they regulate relations between household and business consumers and telecommunications operators, and also those between the dominant seller and the smaller, newer providers who need interconnections and various other services from the big and hostile brother. Digital local exchange networks are highly expensive systems which provide a range of services such as advance signaling, diagnostic and testing procedures, switching, and transport. A new seller may thus find it impossible to build an entire local exchange network; to foster its entry to the market, regulators often take measures that ensure its capacity for special access (e.g., switching but not transporting, or signaling but not switching). Determining what may be part of a bundle and what may not requires the regulator to have sophisticated technological capabilities (to determine down to the precise layers and point of access where connection is possible) and sophisticated economic and accounting capabilities (to set an adequate rate for each unbundled service). At the same time, it gives the regulator the power to set prices for each of the components of the telecom networks. Instead of simple cap-regulations of retail tariff in the old telecom regime, it now has plenty of ways to devise the wholesale tariff. The National Regulatory Authorities that were established during the last decade, and their forerunners, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and OFTEL, are now in the process of acquiring these skills. The American Telecommunications Act of 2007, for example, requires that dominant operators unbundle their networks at technically feasible points and make individual elements available to competitors on a modular basis. They are also required to enable their competitors to physically collocate equipment within their premises so as to allow them to take advantage of unbundling (Knauer et al., 2007). By establishing more detailed regulations regarding the general requirements for the unbundling of the telecommunications services, the FCC is now creating one of the most detailed regulatory regimes ever designed for the promotion of competition. The design of an interconnection regime with as many unbundled services and points of access to the network as possible is, at least theoretically perhaps, a matter of commercial agreement. Yet, the dominant seller has strong incentives to use its control over the public network so as to discourage competition (by either inflating prices and costs or preventing interconnection under various technological pretexts). The most complex problem of unbundling is the determination of a gross interconnection charge that has to be decomposed into dozens of elements, each of which may provide the basis for a new dispute (involving several courts in different instances). This situation may be further illustrated by comparison to the more familiar market of cars. The unbundling requirements on telecommunications operators may be compared to a demand that car manufacturers unbundle the vehicles they sell into their various components. A client or competitor would then be able to purchase a car wi th no wheels and/or engine, and shop around for a better deal. Probably, because cars can be purchased from different manufacturers at different price and quality levels, the car industry is not required to unbundle its products. This is not the case, of course, in telecommunications where the local loop is still a natural monopoly and thus requires more rules (e.g., unbundling requirements) to allow for more competition. The unbundling of networks is likely to create more sophisticated markets and may promote competition in the local loop as well. While the success of such a strategy is still unclear, the situation and politics of unbundling demonstrate that the discretionary power of some policy makers and bureaucrats has attained heights never previously reached. The extent and the role of reregulation in the restructuring of the telecommunications market is accompanied by the emergence of strong regulatory states and by the entrepreneurial role states play in the introduction of competition. The strengthening of regulatory bodies and regulation-for-competition policies may shed light on the dynamics of change in the relations between states and the economy, particularly on the change in the role of the state. To achieve this, one has to move beyond the old two-pole model, which sets economic socialism against economic liberalism and which frames the intellectual terrain for the discussion of political economic change. Neither regulation-for-competition nor the rise of the competition state fits this two-pole model. The creation of interconnection regimes and the case of unbundling the networks go far beyond the liberal conceptions of the state as regulator in cases of market failure. In these regimes the state plays the part of market generator, which cannot reconcile with economic liberalism. The central position of regulation-for-competition as the pillar on which the restructuring of telecommunications stands requires us to extend the debate to include a third perspective on political economy. This third perspective is sometimes presented as mercantilism and sometimes as economic nationalism, and it has been, since the rise of classical economics, a subject for scholarly attacks more than ground for positive theory-building (LeviFaur, 1997a; Crane, 2008).[10] It was Adam Smith who coined the term mercantilism in order to ridicule the dominant political economy of his time. Subsequently, the major political economy debates for long turned on the relative advantages and disadvantages of mercantilism vs. liberalism. Later on, in the 19th century and early 20th, when various democratic and undemocratic forms of nationalism became a popular ideology, mercantilism assumed the form of economic nationalism and it became the major antagonist of economic liberalism. While mercantilism mobilized state power in order to advance the economic resources of the state, economic nationalism took the state as a tool for development of the national economy and for the benefit of the nation rather than the state. Several especially nasty forms of economic nationalism, for example, that of Nazi Germany, made the notion extremely unpopular after the Second World War. Since then, both economic nationalism and neomercantilism were marginalized as political economic theories, or at best were reduced to some form of bounded-rationality (e.g., protectionism, large symbolic projects). With the collapse of the Soviet empire and the retreat of social-democracy in the West, we must move on and abandon the habit of framing the discussion exclusively in terms of socialism vs. liberalism, or even Keynesianism vs. monetarism. To capture some basic features of the change we should consider the political economy of mercantilism, which accounts for different interests of na tions in the process of economic development. Summary The information economy carries the distinctive libertarian tone of technologies of freedom and technologies without boundaries. Yet in telecommunications, when the music is actually played, this tone proves to be no more than an undertone, an accent. Indeed, governments are changing their role in this market: they no longer provide telephones and services. Bu