Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Strategy - Essay Example Most women live on the shadow of what really is the truth about mammography. They should be taught about the whole process and the outcomes of it. They should know that early detection of cancer can be very helpful in the treatment process. The second strategy should be reduction of the cost of acquiring screen mammograms. It is very expensive; most women can’t afford the screening process due to their financial nature. Even after the screening, the treatment itself is still so expensive. The team should get some donors to support the whole process in the low-income regions. The final strategy is to make the mammography always available in the region. The once in a while program is not helpful due to the undecided nature of the locals. If the program is made available, and a proper teaching process is conducted, the long run effect may see even the hard hearted women accepting to undergo the mammography (Nielsen, 2011) The understanding of the underlying social problems would ease the planning process. It would point out the reasons why women have low turnout for the mammography. For example, if it is a financial problem, the team would try to find a way before starting the program to remove the burden of high costs to the region. The understanding of the region is greatly helpful to the team. They would be ready for any problem which arises socially in the process of executing the program (Nick,

Introduction to Prokaryotes Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Prokaryotes Essay Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms that can survive in extreme environments. Bacteria is the more numerous type of prokaryotes. The group hypothesizes that the samples taken from different environments will all cultivate diverse morphology in fast growing rates in each environment. The aseptic technique was used to cultivate bacteria from different environments. The diversity of morphology and the growing rate of the bacteria was different in each environment. Introduction Prokaryotes are the oldest known life-forms, having existed for the last 3. 5 billion years. Microscopic in size, they are single-celled organisms. Prokaryotic species can survive in extreme habitats that the other life-forms are not capable of inhabiting. Prokaryotes have different shapes, the three most common shapes are spherical (cocci), rod shaped (bacilli), and spiral (spirilla). The prokaryotic cellular structures are unique to their classification. Prokaryotes have an external cell wall and a plasma membrane. The cell wall keeps the shape of the cell, protects the cell, and averts the cells from bursting in a hyposmotic environment. Prokaryotic cells contain a unique material called peptidoglycan (Sadava et al. , 2011). See more: how to write an introduction Also metabolic diversity is among the criteria used in classifying prokaryotes. The term nutrition refers to the means an organism uses to obtain two energy sources: energy and a carbon source. Carbon sources may be either organic, meaning from a living organism, or inorganic, such as carbon dioxide. Prokaryotes split into two lineages known as Archae and Bacteria. The Bacteria are more numerous than the Archae. Bacteria can be endospore-forming bacteria. Bacteria that form endospores are able to survive harsh and severe conditions. Bacteria can also be Enteric Bacteria, they inhabit the intestinal tracts of animals. One species is Escheria coli. Wild-type Escheria strains are able to grow on a variety of carbon and energy sources, such as sugars and amino acids. Some strains of Escheria are pathogenic. The detection of Escheria coli in water is a sign of contamination. Another group of pathogenic enteric bacteria are members of the genus Salmonella. These members are responsible for food poisoning and typhoid. Prokaryotes play very important roles in our environment. They are involved in the cycling of nutrients and elements in a variety of ways. Many prokaryotes are decomposers that metabolize organic compounds in dead organisms. These decompositions processes result in the return of vast quantities of carbon dioxide, inorganic nitrogen, and sulfur to our ecosystems. Other species are important as symbiotic partners with other organisms (Walsh et. al. , 2010). The diversity of the prokaryotic world is huge, and to have a better sense of knowledge of bacteria diversity in different environments an experiment to observe bacteria growth diversity in colder temperature is conducted. The group hypothesizes that the samples taken from different environments will all cultivate diverse morphology in fast growing rates in each environment. The independent variable in the experiment is the temperature control and the dependent variable is the number of colonies. Materials and Methods Seven different environments were chosen to create bacteria from and cultivated on a nutrient-rich media in eight Petri dishes. The bacteria are cultivated on TSA medium, an all-purpose medium used for cultivating all types of bacteria. Sterile water and sterile swabs are used to sample the bacteria from the environment. To make sure that the bacteria was loosened from the environment and stuck on to the swab, the swab was dipped in the sterile water immediately before taking the sample. Carefully opened the Petri dish and swiped the swab across the plate in a â€Å"Z† pattern. Closed the Petri dish and marked it with its corresponding environment. This was repeated seven times each with a different environment. The first environment was the frame of the classroom chalkboard. The second environment was the chair seat of the classroom. The third environment was the bottom of the shoe of one of our group members. The fourth environment was the floor mat inside the doorway of the Biology building. The fifth nvironment was the stair railing handle from the stairwell of the Biology building. The sixth environment was the spacebar on the keyboard of the laboratory computer. The seventh environment was the mouthpiece of the water fountain in the Biology building. To enable us to check whether or not our aseptic technique was effective the eight Petri dish was our control plate that was struck with the sterile water only. These streaks with sterile water represent control treatments. The bacteria was incubated at 37 °C for 2-3 days and then put into the refrigerator for storage. Results Two of the Petri dishes had small bacteria diversity and also a slow growth rate- the chair seat of laboratory environment sample and the water fountain mouthpiece sample (Table 1). Three of the Petri dishes had medium bacteria diversity and regular growth- the frame of the chalkboard, the stair railing handle from the stairwell, and the spacebar of the keyboard (Table 1). The other two Petri dishes had medium bacteria diversity and fast growth rate- the bottom of the shoe and the floor mat inside the doorway of the Biology building (Table 1). The Petri dish with the sterile water streaks had no bacteria growth or diversity indicating our aseptic technique was effective. Discussion The results that were obtained in the experiment did not support the hypothesis that there would be large diversity and fast growing rates in each environment. Every environment sample had its own growth rate and bacteria diversity. The primary reason may be that conditions are rarely optimum. Scientists who study bacteria try to create the optimum environment in the lab: culture medium with the necessary energy source, nutrients, pH, and temperature, in which bacteria grow predictably. Most of the strains used in the classroom either require oxygen for growth or grow better with oxygen. These bacteria will grow better on agar plates, where air readily diffuses into the bacterial colony, or in liquid cultures that are shaken. Since diffusion of oxygen into liquid depends on the surface area, it is important to have a large surface; volume ratio. This means that cultures will grow best in flasks in which the volume of liquid is small relative to the size of the vessel. Also another factor that affects growth is the nutritional medium. Bacteria grow best when optimal amounts of nutrients are provided.

This Really Sucks :: essays research papers

C.G.Jung's comment, "The unconscious mind of man sees correctly even when the conscious reason is blind and impotent", is indicative to Margaret Atwood's book The Edible Woman. We see how the unconscious affects a woman mind unknowingly. The mind and body have an inter connection. They work with each other even though the conscious mind may not know it. Atwood's main character, Marian McAlpin, was ordinary. After she graduated college she started her simplistic job. Her relationships with people, friends, and her boyfriend, were purely surface. She began feeling crippled by the mundaneness of her already mapped out life. She feared the thought of being the annoying old lady in the basement. She feared living a married life with children, miserable like Carla. She feared the very thought of the "pension plan" for it symbolized the future. A future she hadn't began to question until she met Duncan. We see a shift of characteristics between Duncan and Marian. Her job is to chew up words to make it easier for people to read and understand and then test these people with her revisions. Duncan, however, treats the test as a psychological evaluation ex amplifying that one should think and question what is simplistic. This is what Marian begins to do. She needed to escape the thoughts that resided in her unconscious mind. She feared being pinned down. We get images of this through out the book. Her thoughts of cannibalism represents her fear of consumption. Destruction. Peter erupts these feelings inside her. His proposal of marriage charged her with such irrational fear that her physical self started to react to her unconscious self. Her inability of eating animals was a major symbol of her not wanted to pin down life. This transgressed to not being able to eat vegetables, because they too seemed life like to her. One can argue that she was only able to eat pasta and beans because they are starchy and stiff. They fill her but do not pose as a threat to her for they aren't needed to live and aren't life like. She begins to act neurotic, like Duncan. We get a glimpse of his unconscious mind with his obsession of ironing things. His unconscious mind needs to straighten out and un-wrinkle. He controls this. He feels comfort in p ressing out the most wrinkled items. Another interesting character in the book is Marian's roommate Ainsley.

Small Animal Diseases :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louise Pasteur, a Frenchman who was neither a physician nor a veterinarian moved into the spotlight to help find a vaccine for Rabies. He began the study of Rabies when two rabid dogs were brought into his laboratory. One of the dogs suffered from the dumb form of the disease: his lower jaw hung down, he foamed at the mouth, and his eyes had a rather vacant look. The other dog was furious: he snapped, bit any object held out to him, and let out frightening howls (McCoy 65).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the studies already observed, rabies was transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal, and that the incubation period varied from a few days to several months. Beyond this, nothing definite was known. Then M. Bouley, a professor of veterinary science, noted a germ or organism in the saliva of a rabid dog. Pasteur confirmed Bouley’s findings by collecting some mucus from a child bitten by a rapid dog, and injecting it into rabbits. The results of this experiment ended with all the rabbits dying within 36 hours. This experiment established two facts: an organism was present in the saliva of rabid animals, and it could be transmitted to another animal or a human being through a bite (McCoy 66).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Further research led Pasteur to the conclusion that the rabies organism was located in other parts of the infected animal's body besides its saliva. Experiments on the skulls of rabid dogs shoed that the brain contained the rabies virus. Pasture then cultured some viruses from several rabid dogs' brains. The virus was then injected into rabbits. In every case the rabies would appear within 14 days (McCoy 67).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After several experiments, Pasteur went on to perfect a rabies vaccine. He first demonstrated to physicians and veterinarians that the rabies could be cultured from the brains of living dogs. Pasteur successfully proved that his antirabies vaccine could now be safely administered and animals could be vaccinated against the disease. Once the vaccine was perfected, Pasteur turned the task of finding a vaccine for human patients. After considerable research and patients, Pasteur eventually developed a human vaccine against rabies. The vaccine would be given through a system of inculcations and would prevent the disease in a patient recently bitten by a rapid dog (McCoy 67).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This system became known as the Pasteur Treatment for rabies. Although there is still no cure for this disease in animals or humans, the disease can be prevented if the vaccines are given early enough.

Citation of Error Analysis Essay

html http://www. accentsasia. org/1-2/kato. pdf . G o o g l e html . Page 1 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 1 Citation Kato, A. (2006). Error analysis of high school student essays. Accents Asia [Online], 1 (2), 1-13. Available: http://www. accentsasia. org/1-2/kato. pdf Error Analysis of High School Student Essays Asako Kato Fudooka Seiwa High School IntroductionEver since the introduction of oral communication into the school curriculum in 1989, speaking has drawn attention as an important skill for Japanese students to master. A variety of speaking and listening practices have been experimented within high school English classes. Writing has also been included as an extensive practice. The 2003 revision of the Course of Study emphasizes â€Å"writing† as a vehicle of communication to convey messages according to the purpose and the situation (MEXT, 2003).However, in many of the university entrance exam-oriented high schools, writing classes are modified into grammar-centered classes; in other words, the students are accustomed to writing short sentences based upon the structures or the grammar points they are taught, and chances of writing effective essays are limited (Minegishi, 2005). It is true that grammar processing is needed for accurate production, but it is a challenge to teach how to write essays or even paragraphs within the available classroom hours, with the exception perhaps of some foreign language elective courses in select high schools.Under these circumstances, the English Composition Division of the Saitama Senior High School English Education and Research Association hosts writing contests, for the purpose of encouraging students to test their English knowledge and to enhance their production skills in the form of writing. The contest consists of two sections: a translation section and an essay writing Page 2 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 2 section. In the essay section the participants are given topics and expected to write their opinions in about 200 words. They have 80 minutes to work on translation and essay writing.The translation sentences are assigned according to level, but the essay topic is the same for all. The translation part is marked and graded by Japanese teachers; the essays are evaluated by ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) according to three criteria: creativity, organization and grammar. The winners are chosen depending on the total points of the two sections. In this paper, I will shed some light on the essays and analyze them with a view towards identifying problems students have, which will provide evidence of how English is learned and what strategies students are employing to construct their essays.The primary focus of this paper is on grammar in writing not creativity and organization, but some pedagogical suggestions for teaching and learning are also mentioned. Methods The data analyzed for this study are errors in students’ ess ays written in an essay competition held in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In this contest, the participants were given the topic, â€Å"If you were to meet a celebrity, who would you like to meet? What would you like to ask him/her? What would you like to do with him/her? The errors in the essays were categorized based on Ferris’ (2005) Analysis Model (Fig. 1). Her â€Å"Common ESL writing errors† fall into four categories; morphological errors, lexical errors, syntactic errors, and mechanical errors. This model is based upon the â€Å"Description of the major error categories† (Fig. 2), which covers verb errors, noun ending errors, article errors, word wrong, and sentence structure (p. 92). According to James (1998), an error analysis model must be â€Å"well-developed, highly elaborated, and self-explanatory† (p. 95). Ferris’ model fulfills these needs.With this system it is easy to identify global and local errors (Burt and Kiparsky, 1972, cited i n James, 1998) which I added to Ferris’ model of major errors in Figure 1. Global errors are major errors in sentence structure, which makes a sentence difficult or impossible to understand, whereas local errors are minor mistakes, which do not cause problems of comprehension. In Ferris’ classification, syntactic errors are considered global errors. Mechanical and lexical mistakes, on the other hand, are local errors. Morphological errors can be global errors, Page 3Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 3 but when they do not hinder readers’ understanding of the content they are local errors. Figure 1 Common ESL Writing Errors based on Ferris’(2005) Model Morphological Errors > global / local errors Verbs: Tense, From, Subject-verb agreement Nouns: Articles/determiners, Noun endings (plural/possessive) Lexical Errors > local errors Word choice, Word form, Informal usage, Idiom error, Pronoun error Syntactic Errors > global errors Sentence structure, Run-ons, Fragments Mechanical > local errorsPunctuation, Spelling, Capitalization* * â€Å"Capitalization† is added in this study. Figure 2 Description of major error categories (Ferris, 2005) Verb errors All errors in verb tense or form, including relevant subject-verb agreement errors. Noun ending errors Plural or progressive ending incorrect, omitted, or unnecessary; includes relevant subject-verb agreement errors Article errors Article or other determiner incorrect, omitted, or unnecessary Word wrong All specific lexical errors in word choice or word form, including preposition and pronoun errors.Spelling errors only included if the (apparent) misspelling resulted in an actual English word. Sentence structure Errors in sentence/clause boundaries(run-ons, fragments, comma splices), word order, omitted words or phrases, unnecessary words or phrases; other unidiomatic sentence construction. Participants The essays analyzed for this study were written by 148 high school stud ents: 46 first year students, 58 second year students, and 44 third year students; 48 males and 100 females. The participants’ high schools consisted of twenty public schools and two private schools.Most of these Page 4 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 4 schools are considered â€Å"academic† high schools in that they prepare students for university exams, which means the students tend to be highly motivated and are expected to be able to utilize their English grammar, structure knowledge and vocabulary in writing. Procedure All errors were marked and classified. They were first classified into global errors or local errors. The verb-related errors were considered as â€Å"verb errors†, therefore, they were considered morphological errors.However, confusion in the use of transitive/intransitive verbs was considered a global syntactic error because it affects the whole sentence structure. Also, tense errors were anticipated because the essay topic â₠¬Å"If you were to meet a celebrity†¦? † presumably requires the use of the conditional. As long as the errors did not interfere with the understanding of the sentence, they were put into tense errors, i. e. , morphological errors. It was sometimes difficult to draw the line between lexical errors and mechanical errors; that is, whether the word is a wrong choice or simply a spelling mistake.If the word had a separate meaning but exists as a word, then it was treated as lexical error; otherwise, it was marked as a mechanical error. However, if an inappropriate word choice disrupts the meaning in the whole sentence, it was considered a syntactic error. In short, the decision of error classification depends on each sentence. As for repeated mechanical errors in the same sentence, i. e. , spelling mistakes, punctuation, and capitalization, the multiple mistakes were counted as one. Findings and Discussion First of all, not all errors were easily categorized: some went beyond and across the categories.In each case, errors were carefully identified and classified according to the seriousness of the problem. If one major error included other minor errors, then together they were considered to be a major error. For example, a sentence â€Å"*And, I want to *go to abroad such as the UK, the US, *French, *Australlia and so on† was categorized as one syntactic error because the misuse of verb and adverb (go to abroad) causes sentence diffusion, even though this sentence included one lexical error Page 5 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 5 (French) and one mechanical error (Australlia).Secondly, a danger with lists of â€Å"common† ESL/EFL errors, as Ferris (2005) herself points out, is that they may be over-generalized to all students. Of course, individual students have different language capabilities and learning traits; for example, one student constantly omitted articles and another student confused tense of verbs all through her es say. Although the statistics give a general picture of the problems, these do not apply to every student. While keeping these considerations in mind, the statistics provide interesting information.The total number of errors was 1518 (596 in 46 first year essays, 491 in 58 second year essays, and 431 in 44 third year essay). The average number of errors per student was 13. 5 for the first year students, 11. 2 for the second year students, and 9. 8 for the third year students. Considering the short length of the essay, these were not small numbers, although the average number of errors decreased according to the students’ year in school. As a total, syntactic errors dominated the rest at 29%, followed by lexical errors (21%), morphological errors in nouns and mechanical errors (18%), and morphological errors (14%).According to the school year, the most common errors observed in first year essays were lexical errors, which comprised 24% of the total, while syntactic errors compr ised most errors in second and third year essays, which amounted to 35. 2% and 31. 1% respectively. Among the first years’ lexical errors, â€Å"word choice† was the most common mistake (93 in total). As for second year and third year samples, as many as 158 and 121 errors were made respectively in â€Å"sentence structure. † These findings indicate that first year students did not have sufficient vocabulary while the second and third year students did not use it adequately.Page 6 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 6 Table 1. Common EFL Writing Errors in Japanese High School Students’ Essays Percentage of Total Errors Marked (%) Error Type 1st year 2nd year 3rd year Average Morphological Errors Lexical Errors Syntactic Errors Mechanical (Verbs) Tense Form Subject-verb agreement Total Verb Errors (Nouns) Articles/determiners Noun endings Total Noun Errors Word choice Word form Informal usage Idiom error Pronoun error Total Lexical Errors Sentence structure Run-ons Fragments Total Syntactic Errors Punctuation Spelling CapitalizationTotal Mechanical Errors 5. 87 5. 87 0. 67 12. 4 10. 6 8. 22 18. 8 15. 6 1. 51 1. 01 3. 19 2. 68 24. 0 15. 3 1. 34 3. 19 19. 8 5. 7 14. 4 4. 87 25. 0 8. 96 1. 22 2. 65 12. 8 11. 0 5. 91 16. 9 13. 6 4. 07 0. 61 1. 02 3. 87 23. 2 32. 2 0. 61 2. 44 35. 2 1. 43 6. 11 4. 28 11. 8 11. 1 2. 09 4. 64 17. 9 9. 98 8. 12 18. 1 9. 51 3. 25 0. 23 1. 16 2. 55 16. 7 28. 1 1. 86 1. 16 31. 1 1. 86 11. 4 3. 02 16. 2 8. 66 3. 06 2. 65 14. 4 10. 5 7. 42 17. 9 12. 9 2. 94 0. 62 1. 79 3. 04 21. 3 25. 2 1. 27 2. 26 28. 7 3. 0 10. 6 4. 05 17. 7 Percentage of Total Errors Marked 14% 18% 21% 29% 18%Morphological Error: Verbs Morphological Error: Nouns Lexical Error Syntactic Error Mechanical Error Percentage of Errors by Year 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1 2 3 Year Mechanical Error Syntactic Error Lexical Error Morphological Error: Nouns Morphological Error: Verbs Page 7 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 7 The syntactic errors, the most prevalent errors, were mainly related to verbs, for example, the misuse of be-verbs, transitive and intransitive verbs, auxiliary verbs, no verb use, the word order in indirect questions, and tense confusion in relation to the conditional.From an English educator’s point of view, it was rather disappointing that many students made errors in the use of basic verbs such as â€Å"go†, â€Å"want† and â€Å"listen†, such as in â€Å"*I want to go my future†, â€Å"*I want become a doctor†, and â€Å"*I want to listen the story†. In the case of errors in conditional sentences, on the other hand, the structure was usually grammatically correct, but the meaning was irrational. For example, if a writer mentioned a celebrity such as a historical man/woman, movie actor, singer, athlete or an imaginary character, s/he had to make the sentence conditional.However, some used simple present tense. One of these examples is, â€Å" *If I ride Doraemon’s time machine, I can go everywhere†. This type of error was put into verb tense errors under morphological errors. As an explanation of Japanese students’ use of conditional, Thompson (2001) asserts that even when students have mastered the mechanics of forming unreal conditionals and wishes in all their complexity, the problem of concept remains. Additionally, it is difficult for Japanese students to use conditionals correctly, for there is a disparity in the use of conditionals in English and Japanese.Another characteristic in the syntactic errors stemed from interference from Japanese, their mother tongue (L1 interference). L1 interference is considered a major obstacle to second and foreign language acquisition (Ellis, 2003; Ferris, 2005; Lightbrown & Spada, 2002; Littlewood, 2002. Some examples from students’ essays are as follows: (a)* He challenged. ( ) (b)* They hit all over the world since 1984. ( 1984 ) In these sentences, t he writers used English equivalents for the Japanese words, i. e. , (a) chousen-suru=challenge, and (b) itto-suru=hit. Incidentally, the verbs â€Å"challenge† and â€Å"hit† are transitive verbs, which means these sentences are grammatically incorrect; therefore, they were classified as syntactic errors. Other syntactic errors from L1 interference are observed in Page 8 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 8 relation to the choice of prepositions. The examples are: (c) *I will join to children’s network of UNICEF. ( ) (d) *I want to marry with him. ( ) The writers translated the Japanese prepositional particle â€Å"? [ni]† into â€Å"to† in example (c) and â€Å"? to]† into â€Å"with† in example (d). This type of error is common among Japanese students because transitive verbs include prepositions in their Japanese meanings; therefore it is hard to distinguish whether a verb is transitive or prepositional from the translat ed meanings. The second dominant error category was that of lexical errors, especially in first year student essays. Here again L1 interference was observed in word choices. (e) *I think his baseball soul is the biggest of all. ( ) (f) *I want to hear Murasaki Shikibu three questions. 3 ) In (e), â€Å"soul† and â€Å"big† do not match with each other in this context. The writer meant to say, â€Å"I think he has the strongest spirit in baseball. † In Japanese â€Å"soul† and â€Å"spirit† are given the same translation as â€Å"? ( )tamashii. † Besides, neither soul nor spirit can be â€Å"big† but rather â€Å"strong†. In (f), the verb â€Å"hear† is derived from the Japanese word â€Å" ( ) kiku†, which can also mean â€Å"listen† or â€Å"ask† in Japanese. These students seemed to have picked up words without thinking about content and collocation.Presumably, in English class, there is a tendenc y for students not to consult dictionaries for language usage but to look up word meaning only, then memorize the main translation of the word, and use this translation regardless of context. The third and fourth prominent error categories were noun related morphological errors and mechanical errors, especially spelling mistakes. In noun errors, article errors outnumbered the rest, accounting for as much as 10% of the total. The problem with articles stems from the fact that the Japanese language has no concept of articles and the countable and uncountable distinction.It is natural that Japanese students have difficulty in using them correctly. In addition, articles are introduced near the end in many of grammar textbooks, which in a sense is parallel to the language Page 9 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 9 acquisition order described by Littlewood (2002) of a study of children acquiring morphemes in their native language. Plurals and articles have always been, and will continue to be difficult to teach to Japanese students, which is why some teachers wait until the end of school year to introduce them in class.Spelling mistakes, sorted as mechanical errors, comprised 10% of the total number of errors. This was partly because many students applied Japanese (katakana) pronunciation to English spellings. For example, writers who spelled *performence (performance), *calacter (character), and *confort (comfort) did not seem to spell according to his/her understanding of the pronunciation, but from how the words sound through the filter of katakana. Lastly the problem of organization as well as the use of conjunctions needs to be mentioned.Sentences starting with â€Å"because† were categorized as fragments which belonged to syntactic errors, whereas sentences starting with â€Å"and† and â€Å"so† were not treated as errors. â€Å"And† and â€Å"so† are taught as conjunctions that connect two phrases that carry equal weight in the sentence, whereas â€Å"because† is taught as a conjunction followed by a subordinate clause. However, the fact is that as many as 75 â€Å"and†s and 89 â€Å"so†s were observed at the beginning of the students’ sentences. James (1998) states that learners tend to overuse connectors to support logical relationships between propositions that just do not exist.It is probable that few students have learned how to organize English writing; that is, they do not know they should start with an introduction, followed by a main body, and then a conclusion, paying attention to the consistency of their thoughts. Those who were not familiar with English writing ended up listing items in order: who they wanted to meet, what they would like to do, and where they would like to go. Without cohesive devices such as paraphrasing and rephrasing, or markers that direct the logical flow of sentences, the writers could not communicate their ideas effectively.Conc lusion How, then, can teachers empower students to become better writers? Obviously the class time allotted for writing is limited, yet there are things teachers can do in order to improve students’ Page 10 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 10 writing in other English classes. Judging from the fact that sentence fragments outnumbered other errors in this study, teachers need to draw students’ attention to the whole sentence structure and sentence combining when discussing verbs and other grammar points in class.The confusion between transitive/intransitive verbs and prepositional verbs can be pointed out in reading class, bringing awareness to the differences between English and Japanese. When students come up with a new verb, or even a familiar one, they should be aware of the conceptual gap between English and Japanese. One good example of a split between Japanese and English is the word (to see). There are many more English verbs for miru. In Japanaese mi ru is used when you perceive with your eyes, when you watch, look, view, overlook or investigate; when you take care of somebody like children or sick people, as in â€Å"kodomo wo miru†.You can even say miru when you try something, like ‘mitemiru’ or ‘yattemiru’, literally â€Å"try to see† and â€Å"try to do† respectively. Therefore, it is confusing for students to select the suitable equivalent of miru in English. They have to think about the context. Kowalski (2005) gives usages of in Figure 4: Figure 4 Different kinds of meanings associated with see (something that falls within your field of vision) look (intentionally at a stationary object) watch (something moving) Also, the gap between English and Japanese applies not only at sentential level but also to the lexical level.As I mentioned earlier, L1 interference affects both sentence structure and word choice. Underlying knowledge of usage and collocation enables students to choose the right words in right the places in their writing. Because of the avalanche of Japanese-English in the media, however, it has become even more difficult to eliminate these Japanglish words from students’ vocabulary. Teachers and learners should pay special attention not reinforce these words and phrases in the English language classroom. Page 11 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 11Good writing, however, does not rely only on grammatical and lexical accuracy but also on the creativity in context and the logical flow of sentences. In order to write coherent, well-structured paragraphs and essays, the writers have to be creative and concentrate on the content as well. First, teachers can help students raise their awareness of how to organize English writing, and how units of sentences and paragraphs are connected with one another to form meaningful text. By recognizing the importance of coherency in their writing, the students can dedicate themselves to the i deas or message that they are trying to convey.I employ â€Å"process writing† for the improvement of this skill. In contrast to translation or guided composition, â€Å"process writing† emphasizes the processes such as planning, drafting, and reviewing (Johnson & Johnson, 1998 cited in Furneaux, 2000). In this contest, only a few participants seemed to employ this approach, possibly because of the time constraints of the competition. By reflecting on their writing process, students will internalize their grammatical and lexical knowledge and utilize it for production.Another effective approach to improve writing skill is to work on other language skills. All four skills are interconnected. Even though writing classes are not consistently available in school curriculums, compared to reading and oral communication classes, students can cultivate their writing skills by consciously reading or listening. Krashen and Terrell (1983) claim that speech and writing production emerges by focusing on listening and reading. Extensive reading outside of the class, for instance, will become a rich source for extensive writing.Exposure to authentic writing will help students expand their vocabulary and write well-organized, reasonably cohesive essays. In conclusion, I believe that Japanese students can become competent writers of English with the appropriate support from teachers. Quoting Kramsch (1993): â€Å"Teachers have to impart a body of knowledge, but learners have to discover that knowledge for themselves in order to internalize it† (p. 6). I suggest that teachers integrate the grammar focus while encouraging creativity and teaching organizational form.Learners, on the other hand, can enrich their knowledge of language by taking every opportunity to use it, developing learning strategies outside of the class, and reflecting on the writing process before, during and after they write. Page 12 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 12 Referenc es Ellis, R. (2003). Second language acquisition. (8 th ed. ). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ferris, D. R. (2005). Treatment of error in second language writing. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. Furneaux, C. (2000). Process writing.The University of Reading school of linguistics and applied language studies. Retrieved September 29, 2005, from http://www. rgd. ac. uk/AcaDeps/cl/slas/process. htm James, C. (1998). Errors in language learning and use Exploring error analysis. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Kowalski, C. (2005). Translation in the writing class: friend or foe? In K. Bradford-Watts, C. Ikeguchi, & M. Swanson (Eds. ). JALT2004 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo: JALT Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. New York: Oxford University Press. Krashen, S. D. Terrell, T. (1983). The natural approach: Language acquisition in the classroom. San Francisco:The Alemany Press. Lightbrown, P. M. & Spada, N. (2002). How languages are learned. (2 nd. ed). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Littlewood, W. (2002). Foreign and second language learning. (17 th ed. ). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Minegishi, H. (2005, March). The questionnaire result. Saitama high school English education bulletin, 41. 49-59. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. The course of study for foreign languages. 2003, March). Retrieved November 20, 2005, from http://www. mext. go. jp/english/shotou/030301. htm Sonoda, N. (2005). A comparative study of two approaches to English writing: translation and process writing. In K. Bradford-Watts, C. Ikeguchi, & M. Swanson (Eds. ). JALT2004 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo: JALT Thompson, I. (2001). Japanese speakers. In M. Swan & B. Smith (Eds), Learner English: A Page 13 Volume 1 Number 2 October 2006 Accents Asia 13 teacher’s guide to interference and other problems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

How to communicate with students through technology

How to communicate with students through technology Your students are on devices all day long, constantly texting, scrolling through social media, and checking email between classes (and sometimes during class). While many schools have technology policies and some teachers ban devices in their classroom, some are embracing tech to reach this generation in key ways: as teaching tools within the classroom, through multimodal assignments, and through communication beyond the classroom. Tech is increasingly being used in the classroom as a learning tool- even as the assignment itself. Your students are learning how to build personal websites and sophisticated presentations using software like Google Slides, Prezi, or Canva; students today are increasingly more likely to upload a file rather than print an assignment on paper.Consequently, teachers writing notes on the margins of an assignment in red ink is becoming a thing of the past. Whether it’s a way to reach the eyes that are overly invested in their screens or simply to find t he most functional way to give feedback on various types of media, there are several ways to use tech as a communication tool in and beyond the classroom.But first let’s be clear about what not to do: no texting students or communicating via social media apps. Although you want to reach students, communicating with tech they primarily use with friends or family muddies the effectiveness of your messaging, and potentially communicates a lack of seriousness to some students. It also interferes with your own ability to set proper boundaries between you and your students, as well as between your work life and your home life. It’s not about being the cool techy teacher. It’s about finding tools that suit your needs and meeting your students where they are.Go PaperlessThe paperless classroom can be a way to not only stop the spread of germs, but also make turning in an assignment as easy as clicking a button. Wouldn’t it also be great to give students feedback just as easily? Using the comments features on Microsoft Word or platforms like Google Docs can be great for providing feedback to students who can reexamine the assignment in the same way they created it: on screen.This isn’t just about convenience; electronic feedback lets you make changes directly to their document, allowing them to get a sense of what the finished revision would look like without the need to decode your handwriting. Google Docs can also be a great way to communicate to students engaged in group work and allow easy communication among multiple users.Going paperless can be more easily facilitated when your school uses LMS (Learning Management Systems) like Canvas or D2L, but there are a number of Google products like Google Sites that can allow teachers seeking out a user-friendly platform to provide online syllabi, updates, and assignments that students can access quickly.Voice VideoWe so often gear the classroom towards reaching auditory, visual, and kin esthetic learners to reinforce the multiple ways students receive messages, but some teachers rarely mix it up in their feedback- which is often written. Providing feedback on documents using voice annotations features that exist in programs like Microsoft Word or creating voiceovers on video-recorded presentations with programs like Screenflow can be a great way to reach students who are auditory learners. It’s also a way to engage students who get to hear the real voice of the teacher and read impressions and detect enthusiasm that can get lost in written feedback.The great thing about tech is that it allows more types of communication and creative ways to engage students- but it also is a two-way street. Various apps that allow you or your students to develop video with some flair like Filmora or Animoto can be a dynamic way to engage class material for everyone.Interactive TechIn the classroom, communicating course content can be made more interactive by creating lessons where technology use is required through platforms like Blendspace (which can incorporate a YouTube video, Power Points, images and documents). You can engage students with interactive games like Kahoot- a quick multiple-choice quiz game the entire class plays on their phones or computer. Or you can engage student feedback through interactive polls like Poll Everywhere or Micropoll.By inviting students specifically to use the devices they are so familiar with, you can help facilitate the learning process and get your students excited to learn.

Free Essays on F Scott Fitzgerald

In James Baldwin’s story, Sonny’s Blues the author uses the main characters and subtle hints of racism to illustrate the theme. The theme simply stated is that after people grow up and go away from each other for a while that eventually people comeback to reunite with childhood friends and family. The story starts out with Sonny’s brother taking the subway, so that he can go to his teaching job at the high school. While teaching that day, he has this very uneasy feeling in his stomach. That very uneasy feeling in Sonny’s brother’s stomach is like a melting block of ice, similar to that cold, tingly, feeling somebody has all over his body. Sonny’s brother also is the narrator for the entire story. Then the story truly begins when, the author uses the literary technique of flashback to talk about how Sonny just got arrested for selling and using heroin. The story explains how Sonny uses his music to express how he feels. For example, if Sonny feels angry he writes lyrics for a song that represents his anger. Sonny was the perfect child in his father’s eyes. Sonny’s father wanted Sonny to become something more distinguished, than a jazz musician. Sonny followed his heart and became one anyway. The text implies that Sonny goes his own separate way from everyone else in his family; and that he is more passionate then prudent. Creole is the bass player that leads the jazz band of which Sonny is a member. This character is very unique because he gets to play the role of a fatherly figure. The purpose of the fatherly figure is to provide Sonny not only with guidance in his music but also with guidance in Sonny’s life. Creole tries hard to show to Sonnyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s brother that sometimes it is better to just let go even if it is difficult. The story progresses to when Sonny and Sonny’s brother are having a conversation about why Sonny chose to leave Harlem, New York. Sonny states that he left Harlem to get away from... Free Essays on F Scott Fitzgerald Free Essays on F Scott Fitzgerald In James Baldwin’s story, Sonny’s Blues the author uses the main characters and subtle hints of racism to illustrate the theme. The theme simply stated is that after people grow up and go away from each other for a while that eventually people comeback to reunite with childhood friends and family. The story starts out with Sonny’s brother taking the subway, so that he can go to his teaching job at the high school. While teaching that day, he has this very uneasy feeling in his stomach. That very uneasy feeling in Sonny’s brother’s stomach is like a melting block of ice, similar to that cold, tingly, feeling somebody has all over his body. Sonny’s brother also is the narrator for the entire story. Then the story truly begins when, the author uses the literary technique of flashback to talk about how Sonny just got arrested for selling and using heroin. The story explains how Sonny uses his music to express how he feels. For example, if Sonny feels angry he writes lyrics for a song that represents his anger. Sonny was the perfect child in his father’s eyes. Sonny’s father wanted Sonny to become something more distinguished, than a jazz musician. Sonny followed his heart and became one anyway. The text implies that Sonny goes his own separate way from everyone else in his family; and that he is more passionate then prudent. Creole is the bass player that leads the jazz band of which Sonny is a member. This character is very unique because he gets to play the role of a fatherly figure. The purpose of the fatherly figure is to provide Sonny not only with guidance in his music but also with guidance in Sonny’s life. Creole tries hard to show to Sonnyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s brother that sometimes it is better to just let go even if it is difficult. The story progresses to when Sonny and Sonny’s brother are having a conversation about why Sonny chose to leave Harlem, New York. Sonny states that he left Harlem to get away from...

Cultural Awareness Plan Japan vehicle co. Ltd

Cultural Awareness Plan Japan vehicle co. Ltd Communicative styles The communication styles used in many organizations may differ but most of them tend to be related. Every business organization such as the Japan vehicle co. Ltd, require a good method of communication between the employers and the employees. There should be a preferred chain of communicating such that the relevant information is relayed to the appropriate people in a business.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Cultural Awareness Plan: Japan vehicle co. Ltd specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Information from the headquarters’ manager should first of all reach all the managers under him in different outstations of the company before reaching the mechanical workers of the company. Thus a descending chain of communication is preferred especially for multinational organizations (McShane Von, (2005). Preferred leadership styles The most preferred leadership styles in business organizati ons include the participative leadership style. The leaders in different sections of an organization should have good interpersonal relationships even with the workers at the lowest level. In the Japan vehicle company for example, the managing director should be likable and caring to those who test the manufactured vehicles. Another preferred leadership style is the ideological leadership. This will involve focusing on the important issues first. The tasks that have an immediate need should always be addressed first. It would be a waste for the Japan vehicle company to continue manufacturing more busses than cars while cars are on a higher demand. The change oriented leadership style is also very important since it allows for changes in the business undertakings when need arises. This style incorporated with the ideological style usually work very well (Sims, 2002). Business ethics It was found that many businesses have different but almost same business ethics. The most preferred b usiness ethics should include social responsibility whereby all the employees under the same rank are treated equally without any discrimination of color, race or even ethnic groups. The business conduct was also a preferred business ethic. Businesses should perform the tasks within their capabilities to avoid delivering harmful services to customers. Integrity is also a preferred business ethic whereby, businesses should operate within the laid laws and rules (Sims, 2002).Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Motivators The most valued motivators to business organizations should be those that, after a short period of emulation bring about positive changes. In the vehicle company, the most valuable motivator is the business value. Bearing in mind the value of the business and the impact that it has on the general public give all employees the zeal to improve on their work. The high demand and the good reputation of the company are also motivational factors which increases the performance of all workers (Deresky, 2008). Potential conflicts Almost all business organizations will at one time or another experience some conflicts. Considering that the Japan vehicles company, an international organization, the employees are from different nations although the high percentages are Japanese. Most of them have different cultural practices as well as religious beliefs. This brings conflict between the employees as each seems not to bother about the others culture as well as religion. All employees seem to want a share in the premises provided by the company to some employees, a situation which brings conflict in the company. It was also found that the relationship between Japan and the United States was deteriorating. This was because many Americans were employees of the company and the government was in fear that the United States would at one p oint try to overtake the business. The height of bribery and corruption was also found to be on the rise. Some of the company’s products seemed to disappear with some vehicles being sold without all records of any transaction having taken place. The few women workers were also raising alarm that their presence was not felt in the organization. Cultural awareness goals The entire organization’s cultural goals were being aimed at providing information to all workers to treat on another with respect and concern, bearing in mind that everyone was equal to the other as per the organization.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Cultural Awareness Plan: Japan vehicle co. Ltd specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Women were also being encouraged to participate in the many areas of work in the organization so as to reduce the blame on the company that women were not being appreciated. The cultural awareness go als of the company were also aimed at reducing all the conflicts that frequent arose in the company between the employers and the employees (Duetsch, 2002). Current state Through proper analysis of the company’s documentation, it was possible to deduce from the information provided the current status of the employees in the company. Interviews and questionnaires also would work appropriate will trying to examine the cultural status of the employees. Challenges The major challenge experienced during the cultural awareness plan was insufficient information. Although much information was contained in documentation, most of it was general and not specific to the company. The response of employees always seems to be less involving with some of them being unwilling to give information about themselves. Solutions Sufficient and concrete information that does not affect the operations of business should be open to the general public. This will help to get comments about the business and ways that can be used to improve the business performance. Employees should also be given proper training, not only in terms of their work, but also in terms of their relationships with each other. All businesses should also have a proper way of handling all the undertakings involved in a business. This will help reduce such things like, corruption and bribery as well as fear from the external competitors (Deresky, 2008). Reference List Deresky, H. (2008). International management: Managing across borders and cultures:  text and cases. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Duetsch, L. L. (2002). Industry studies. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More McShane, S. L., Von, G. M. A. (2005). Organizational behavior:emerging realities for  the workplace revolution. Boston, Mass. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Sims, R. R. (2002). Teaching business ethics for effective learning. Westport, Conn: Quorum Books.

Commercial Analysis and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Commercial Analysis and Planning - Essay Example When aircrafts were invented, continuous monitoring and hands-on by pilots was mandatory if the flight had to be flown successively (Bruseberg, & Johnson, 4). However, with the advancement it aircraft technology, planes that could facilitate long hours of flight were made. As a result, pilots suffered from fatigue and therefore a mechanism had to be invented to minimize this, autopilot: the first step to cockpit automation. In 1912, a corporation by the name Sperry, became the first to develop aircraft with autopilot feature. It was composed of a gyroscopic heading and attitude indicators which were connected to elevators and rudder that were operated by hydraulics. This enable the plane to follow the compass bearing and fly straight without negotiating corners (Damos, 11). Many were inspired by the invention and in the year 1930, Royal Aircraft Establishment, a corporation of England came up with their own autopilot which was referred to as pilots’ assister. It was built from , pneumatically-spun gyroscope, an advancement from the initial hydraulically operated ones. The development grew with the invention and inclusion of instruments that would allow the plane to be flown during the night. Autopilot has undergone computerization in modern planes. Modern level of autopilot are one-axis, two-axis and three-axis. Complex plane uses the three-axial autopilot. The purpose of autopilot is to control the plane when it takes off, during climbing, the smooth level air flight and during landing respectively (Billings, 23). Finally, current autopilot relies heavily on computers rather than the physical compass that was used by earlier aircrafts. Another phase of cockpit automation is in auto-throttle. In initial aircrafts, the pilot used to manually control the flow of fuel to the engine. However, auto-throttle has replaced this thus reducing pilots’

Multicultural Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multicultural Society - Essay Example To begin with, I would define a multicultural society as a society with the coexistence of numerous cultures, trying to overcome racism, sexism, and other forms of cultural discrimination. At the same time, in the true democratic multicultural society different cultures should not live separately, they should communicate in the area of a culture meeting. The role of communication in a multicultural society is extremely high, because members of different societies have the only chance to understand each other through open dialog. Communication is very important for negotiations in such areas as business, education, medicine and others where definite rules should be fulfilled not depending on cultural belonging of individual. From my experience, most problems in a multicultural society arise due to lack of communication. For example, both local inhabitants and immigrants come across difficulties in the construction of a multicultural society. The greatest conflicts arise particularly in cities, because cities are where cohabitation between diverse cultural groups mostly occurs when different communities compete for material welfare. Taking all these points into consideration, I would say that the world achieves great success in building of a multicultural society, especially in developed countries.

Management and leadership in exercise and sport Essay

Management and leadership in exercise and sport - Essay Example Hence management can be described as the art of getting things done or getting resources being used through people. This paper will look at the above mentioned functions of management and how they are employed in management. (Higgings 1994, p. 34) There are four basic functions of management. First management is involved in planning the resources for the organization. In this regard, management performs the work of determining resources that are to be used in the organization and how they are to be used. Management also carries out the work of leading the organization. In this function management works to direct resources in the organization on how they are to be used. This calls for application of leadership skills in order to direct others on how the resources are to be used. Management also functions to coordinate the operations of the organization in order to ensure that resources are used in the most appropriate manner. In this regard the management coordinates the functions of different departments in the organization so that they can function as one system. Management also functions to control the resources in the organization. ... Planning should act as the base under which all other functions of management are to be carried out. It forms the core operation of management function since there can be no management if there is not efficient planning of how resources are to be used in the operation of an organization. Planning involves the assessment of the needs of the organization and consequently coming up with ways on how those needs are to be fulfilled. Assessment helps the management to understand how all other functions are to be integrated in order to achieve the set goals. Basically planning involves setting goals and objectives that has to be achieved. (Purcell 2006, p. 5) Planning can simply be termed as an unending course of actions. It involves coming up with set of problems to be addressed and strategies that will be used to address the problems. Planning is therefore the way in which management assess the needs of the organization and consequently comes up with strategies aimed at addressing the specific needs. Strategies can be termed as a systematic way of addressing external and internal factors that helps an organization to achieve its objectives. Depending on the conditions and the needs to be addressed, the management may have to come up with different strategies or change its course of action in fulfilling its goals. This is function of management is called strategic planning. In this regard the management must take time to analyze internal and external factors that may affect the strategies of an organization to achieve the set goals. It invokes studying strengths and weakness, opportunities and threats of the organization in its pursuit o f achieving the set goals. This requires practical and

Consumer Price Index, Retail Price index and GDP deflator Essay

Consumer Price Index, Retail Price index and GDP deflator - Essay Example Retail Price Index (RPI) refers to an economic principle used by economists to determine the set of goods and services that a typical household is capable of buying every month (Feenstra, 2002, p. 7). Items covered by this principle include food, housing, heating, petrol and bus fares. According to Grant and Vidler (2000, p. 14), Gross Domestic Product deflator (GDP deflator) is a principle in economics used to measure average prices of all new and final products produced locally in the economy of a given country. The GDP deflator is a crucial economic tool used by leading economists in an economy to determine by what extent a change in the GDP of a given year relied on the price fluctuations of locally produced goods and services (Tracy 2007, p. 21). When regarded collectively, the principles of Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Retail Price Index (RPI) can help in controlling inflation in given products in an economy. For example, the two principles can help a government to determine and fix prices of certain basic goods like food and

Law Relating to Payment and Trade Finance Essay

Law Relating to Payment and Trade Finance - Essay Example Hitherto, investors and other traders who wanted to do cross border or international trading (import and export) had to go through stringent bureaucracies and processes that killed the enthusiasm of most of such investors and traders. Today, the situation is quite different as a lot more people are gaining the interest to go into international trading. The need to make cross border trade and commerce as flexible as possible not withstanding, there are certain basic regulations that remain unchanged and would perhaps remain unchanged for a very long time. One of such regulations is the mode of international trade financing and payment. Though the processes are not as stressful as before, international traders are still required to follow basic international trade financing systems that are governed by law. This write-up therefore seeks to examine the role of some of the most common international trade financing and payment methods in addressing the currency global credit crisis. What is international trade finance and payment? Organisation such as the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organisation have devised laid down procedures and structures that need to be followed whenever trade and business transactions have to take place across borders. Such trade that take place across borders are referred to as international trade whereas the funding or financing of all forms of products, good and services that are involved in such international trades are referred to as international trade finance or simply put, trade finance. According to the Business Money (2011), â€Å"Trade Finance is the science that describes the management of money, banking, credit, investments and assets for international trade transactions.† This means that the financing of trade across borders is just more than giving out monies for goods that one wants to buy. Rather it reaches an extent where the entire process is described as management. Instead of just giving out money t o pay for goods and products, one has to device means and follow processes that ensure that the money is managed by taking the payment process through a couple of processes, involving institutions such as banks and insurance. It is therefore in the right direction that the Investopedia (2009) notes that â€Å"trade finance looks at banks, credit agencies, insurers, forfaiters, and any other person or institution who enables importers and exporters to trade across borders.† Discussion on the present Global Credit Crisis Closely related to the issue of international trade finance is the availability and access to flexible credit. This is because as mentioned already, trade finance goes beyond paying money in hand to a company to including the involvement of institutions such as banks and insurances. This means that issues on credit plays an important role on the success of world trade finance. However, it is common knowledge that the world has in times past suffered and even to day suffers from credit crisis that is not limited to any one country but the world as a whole. Broadly speaking, when a particular nation suffers a breakdown with its credit system, we say credit crisis has hit that country but when the situation expands to include almost all nations of the world – especially the giants like America, China and Germany, we say that there is a global credit crisis. Greewood (2011) explains that global credit cri

Consumer Price Index, Retail Price index and GDP deflator Essay

Consumer Price Index, Retail Price index and GDP deflator - Essay Example Retail Price Index (RPI) refers to an economic principle used by economists to determine the set of goods and services that a typical household is capable of buying every month (Feenstra, 2002, p. 7). Items covered by this principle include food, housing, heating, petrol and bus fares. According to Grant and Vidler (2000, p. 14), Gross Domestic Product deflator (GDP deflator) is a principle in economics used to measure average prices of all new and final products produced locally in the economy of a given country. The GDP deflator is a crucial economic tool used by leading economists in an economy to determine by what extent a change in the GDP of a given year relied on the price fluctuations of locally produced goods and services (Tracy 2007, p. 21). When regarded collectively, the principles of Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Retail Price Index (RPI) can help in controlling inflation in given products in an economy. For example, the two principles can help a government to determine and fix prices of certain basic goods like food and

Inclusion and the Inclusive Learning Environment Essay

Inclusion and the Inclusive Learning Environment - Essay Example In differentiation, a trainer tailors the instructions as per the needs of the learners. â€Å"Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction† (Tomlinson, 2013). An inclusive learning environment is created to ensure equal access to all tools, aids, and opportunities for all students. There are a number of ways in which this can be achieved in a health and beauty salon. The first and the foremost aspect of an inclusive learning environment is to ensure that all learners are physically capable of experiencing the same quality of training. In a health and beauty salon, like any other class, this can be achieved by making learners with spectacles occupy the front seats and those with the stronger eye-sights occupy the middle and the rear seats. Taller learners should be seated at the rear so that there is no hindrance in the way of vision fr om the learner to the white board. After carefully designing the seating plan considering the physical traits of the learners, the teacher needs to design the teaching strategies that promise maximal inclusion on the part of the learners. For example, group projects containing members with different levels of capabilities and different skills is a way of promoting inclusive learning. When a certain number of students work upon the same project, each occupying a specific role and using a specific skill, the learning is not merely limited to the very skill, but every learner also develops a comprehensive understanding of the skills of other members of the group. When the project is complete, a significant development in the skills of the learners in different areas is achieved. Another aspect of inclusive learning is discipline. In the contemporary age, classrooms have become increasingly multicultural with respect to learners. People from different countries join the health and beaut y salons and take classes to enhance their skills. To provide the learners with a safe environment in which their potential to maximize their learning is optimized, it is imperative that the teacher establishes rules, principles, or compiles a code of ethics in which objectionable behaviors are clearly depicted and learners are strictly instructed to deter from displaying them in the class. In case of lack of compliance, disciplinary action can be executed. Such objectionable behaviors include but are not limited to use of racist remarks, discriminatory remarks or practices on the basis of gender, race, or culture, and bullying. Resources to meet the need of learners in inclusive learning should be utilized from within the classroom or with due consultation with the concerned authorities. There are numerous ways in which learners can be engaged and motivated in an inclusive environment. For example, when formulating the seating plan to ensure that all learners have full vision of th e whiteboard and the stage, the trainer asks the learners to provide them with information about their individualistic physical traits like eye-sight and height. Students find such activities interesting and realize that these activities are meant to develop such a seating plan where everybody would be able to see clearly. Providing students with constructive feedback is another

Trouble in Paradise with Comments Essay Example for Free

Trouble in Paradise with Comments Essay Company joint venture in China is one of the regions shining success stories. So why is generai manager Mike Gravesthinking about pulling the plug on it? ROM Mike Gravess tall windows, which were draped in red veivet, the view of Shanghai was spectacular: the stately old Western-style buildings, the riot of modem skyscrapers, the familiar needle of the TV tower. But today Mike barely noticed it. Clenching a copy of his Chinese partners proposal for another acquisition it would be the companys fourth he paced the floor and replayed in his mind that mornings unsettling phone call. He had called his boss. Bill Windier, at headquarters in Ohio, hoping to get a nice quote to inject into the brief remarks he was to make at that days banquet celebrating the joint ventures tenth anniversary. But as he gave Windier a quick rundown of what he intended to say mostly about the joint ventures progress toward world-class qualityMike could sense his bosss growing frustration. Aboutfiveminutes into the call. Windier cut Mike off in midsentence. saying,Dont throw your shoulder out patting yourself on the back. Windier reminded Mike about the margins he was looking for across all of Heartland Spindles businesses. A 4% ROI is pathetic, Windier said. Weve been in there ten years, Mike. The numbers shouid look better by now. He said he was looking for a 20% ROI, adding that such a number could surely be achieved through greater efficiency and more automation. And in Windlers view, the company had at least 1,200 employees too many. That needs to be fixed, fast, he said. Mike knew his boss wouldnt take no for an answer, but he had also learned that his Chinese partners would never agree to drastic moves such as the layoffs suggested by Windier. It was beginning to look as though the five good years he had spent here as general manager might be destined to come to a pairrful end. Mike couldnt help but HBRs cases, which arefictional,present common managerial dilemmas and offer concrete solutions from experts. A CHANGED WORLD AUGUST 2003 H B R CASE STUDY †¢ T r o u b l e in P a r a d i s e wonder if those harsh v^ords from Ohio were a warning that his contract might not be renewed in six months. Then, to top things off, just as Mike had extricated himself from the phone conversation, this latest acquisition proposal had arrived from deputy general manager Qinlin Li. The top executive on the Chinese side of the joint venture, Qinlin had been with the JV since its inception. As before, there would be almost irresistible pressure to go along with the deal. The Chinese side would make it clear yet again that the delicate partnership depended on Mikes support for continuous expansion and protection of jobs. The timing couldnt have been worse: The last thing Windier would want was more growth initiatives eating into the profits. A knock on the heavy teak door snapped him out of his musings. Feng Chen, Mikes assistant and translator, informed him that his car was waiting. nior executives, Qinllns immediate subordinates, stood up and nodded their greetings. There was a burst of excited applause, and cameras flashed. Qinlin was accompanying three important government officials into the room. They approached Mikes table and politely bickered for several minutes over who should enjoy the most prominent seat at the table, as required by Chinese custom. At last, the eldest and most highly placed official accepted the seat of honor. Qinlin stepped up to the podium, above which hung a huge Chinese knot of red silk, the symbol of cooperation. There was an expectant hush as he tapped the microphone. Ladies and gentlemen Qinlin began,thank you for joining me to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Zhong-Lian Knitting Company Limited. Those who were vwith the company at the beginning remember the hardships we endured and the hard work we put in. Since the establishment of Zhong-Lian as a 50/50 joint venture between Suzhou First Textile Company and our U. S. partner. Heartland Spindle Company, Zhong-Lian has faced many difficulties and obstacles. But we succeeded Mike was listening to the translators words, but he could hear the passion in Qinlins voice. We turned a money-losing company into a money-making company, and we made great headway as a result of support from our government, efforts on the part of both parent companies, and all our managers and employees. Mike hadnt been there during the early days, but he knew the stories. He was the fourth GM sent by Heartland in ten years. His two most recent pre- Enhance Friendly Cooperation As the car pulled up outside the ShangriLa Hotel, Mike forced himself to smile at the red carpet lined with dozens of lavish flower baskets sent by local government officials, business partners, suppliers, customers, and even competitors. A marching band in full uniform stood at the hotel entrance, and above it stretched a bright red banner that said, in Chinese and English: Enhance Friendly Cooperation and Ensure Mutual Growth and Celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of Zhong-Lian Knitting Co. Ltd. Mike exchanged greetings with Qinlin, who had been there for an hour already and was still seeing to last-minute details. In the ballroom, an elegant young woman in a red silk qi-pao, a traditional dress for formal celebrations, escorted Mike to the round table that was front and center. Tvo Chinese se- Katherine Xin is a professor of management and holds the Micheiin Chair in Leadership and Human Resource Management at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai; she is also the editor in chief of HBR China. Vladimir Pucik is a professor ofinternational human resources and strategy at the International Institute for Management Development (lMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. 28 decessors had left before their threeyear assignments were complete, one for family reasons his wife couldnt adapt to China-and the other for a better job offer (allegedly). Mike, a veteran manager with 20 years of international experience, had lived and worked in Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia before Heartland sent him to Shanghai. Mikes toughest challenge at tbe outset was the language barrier. He wouldnt have survived without Feng Chens help. It didnt take long for Mike to learn what cha-bu-duo meant: almost okay. He hated that word! It was baffling to him: Even though his Chinese partners were intelligent and willing to work hard, they werent exactly obsessed with quality. They cut corners and hardly ever followed operating procedures to HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Trouble in Paradise †¢ H B R CASE S T U D Y It didnt make sense to him until months later, when Mike heard someone say, Keeping silent in a group is safer. You wont get in trouble if you dont do anything. But you will get in trouble if you make a mistake. We are experienced under this system, and we know how it works. At any rate, Mike was relieved when the equipment was set up even though it took two years and outside pressure from the provincial Environment Protection Bureau to make it happen. There was another burst of applause. Qinlins voice reverberated through the room. We have acquired three moneylosing state-owned enterprises and managed to earn an annual profit of between 5% and 6%, he said. The number of employees increased from 400 to 2,300 in the past decade. Given the slump of the textile industry in these years, Zhong-Lians achievement is remarkable. In the coming years, we will further enhance the company and maintain our growth momentum. Qinlin paused, and his eyes sparkled. Let me tell you another piece of good news, he said. We are preparing our fourth acquisition, which is expected to raise our production capacity by 40%. The number of our employees will grow to nearly 3gt;5oo. And all this will help us launch our next initiative: building our own national brand. An elegant young woman in a silk qi-pao escorted Mike What little appetite Mike had for the celebration vanished. He had long been to his table. But he was preoccupied by the Chinese executives trying to quash that kind of talk. Heartplans and what they would mean for profitability. land, he knew, would never support launching an apparel brand that would the letter. Buttons often fell off sweat- sewage disposal three months after he eat up resources and limit profits for ers before the garments were even started (he was astonished that his Chi- years. Qinlin knows this well, Mike shipped out of the factory. Cha-bu-duo nese partner hadnt updated it already), thought, so why is he raising expectais why Mike insisted on introducing his counterparts said, Okay, yan-jiu- tions in such a public way? Total Quality Management to Zhong- yan-jiu. Tvo months later, after Mikes Qinlin thanked the vice mayor and Lian and TQM was probably why the repeated prodding, the proposal made the other government officials without jV had been so successful. Mike had also it onto a meeting agenda. But at the whose wise supervision, in his effusive felt a small sense of satisfaction when meeting, the Chinese managers seemed words, the joint venture would not have he taught his Chinese colleagues a new reluctant to discuss the matter, and no made such great progress. The vice term: Six Sigma. one wanted to assume responsibility for mayor rose to speak and returned the Cha-bu-duo wasnt the only expres- solving the problem. When Mike asked compliments, praising Zhong-Lians consion Mike heard all too often. He also managers for feedback individually, tribution to the local economy esquickly got used ioyan-Jiu-yan-Jiu, which they all had ideas, many of them excel- pecially to maintaining employment means Lets review and discuss. When lent. He couldnt imagine why the man- levels and calling the joint venture a he proposed a new system to deal with agers hadnt spoken up at the meeting. flagship among the citys enterprises. A CHANGED WORLD AUGUST 200^1 H B R CASE S T U D Y †¢ Trouble in Paradise When it was Mikes turn, he too voiced the expected praise for the officials it was a ritual whose airy forms and steely seriousness had become almost second nature to him. But throughout his little speech, he felt he was hardly doing more than going through the motions. He was preoccupied by Qinlins plans and what they would mean for profitability. Later, the lazy Susan at each table was filled with eight cold dishes, eight hot dishes, and two showpiece dishes: a whole suckling pig and a whole braised mandarin fish in the shape of a squirrel. Qinlin, as the host of his table, proposed hildrens education at Concordia International School (the best in Shanghai). Life here was easy and comfortable a world away from what it would have been like back in Ohio. But Mikes tension returned when he thought about his meeting the next morning with the people at Hua-Ying, the potential acquisition. He wouldnt be living in Green Villa much longer if he signed off on that deal. Over dinner, Mike told Linda about the conversation with Windier. Dont they understand that the Chinese way of doing business is different from the American way? Linda asked create another one: Many jobs would disappear. The Chinese partners were much more concemed with creating jobs and keeping govemment ofificiaJs happy than with improving quality. They wanted to keep growing into new provinces and buying up unprofitable companies, even if turning them around took years. But expansion would require significant additional resources that Heartland Spindle clearly wasnt ready to commit. And now there would be pressure to create a new company to market a national brand, again a drain on cash. So what do you think youre going to do? Linda asked. Im meeting with executives from Hua-Ying tomorrow morning. Maybe theyll surprise me with an operation that wont take forever to turn aroundthatd be the best case, Mike said. After that, Ill have to talk to Qinlin and the others about Heartlands concerns. But I know how that conversation will play out. Theyll say Heartland is being shortsighted and that the JVs history of turning around money-losing businesses should prove that we just need to be more patient. I wish Bill and the rest back in the States had a better understanding of how things work here. I was skeptical myself at the beginning. Remember when wefirstgot here and 1 was fuming at the business expenses? Seemed like every executive on the payroll was wining and dining some key partner or contact. And Robert OReilly, our controller, came to me shouting that our Chinese partner spent money like water. But, gradually, we both figured out that those expenses were paying off for us. The Chinese ritual of sharing food-nurturing ^i/anx(-is so powerful in making deals that it became one of our hidden assets. Im afraid we wont get those kinds of results if we focus only on cutting costs and laying off workers, as Ohio wants us to do. Life here was easy and comfortable-a world awayfrom what it was like back in Ohio. But Mike knew he wouldnt be here much longer if he signed off on that acquisition deal. a toast. Then he emptied his glass as a sign of his sincerity and joy. Glasses clinked; champagne and Coke bubbled. But Mike had become so attuned to the subtleties of these gatherings that he immediately noticed the response of the officials: Instead of emptying their glasses, they merely took sips. Mike supposed that they must have heard about his opposition, muted though it had been, to the expansion ideas. him sympathetically. Its not all about squeezingthe most out of your workers here. They value stability and long-term employment. Youd think Heartland wouldVe been prepared for this sort of performance. Its not like youre losing money, like so many JVs here do. Just last week on the course, Christie and Maya told me that their husbands businesses hadnt turned a profit yet I know, but that doesnt seem to be good enough any more, Mike said. He recounted Bills suggestions about layoffs and investing in more automated equipment. He knew that he would soon have to broach these subjects with his Chinese partners. Mikes biggest problem was that he could see both sides. Heartland wanted to reposition itself in the U. S. arketselling at discount stores wasnt profitable enough. But to enable Heartland to make the jump to high-end retailers, the joint venture would have to meet much higher standards of quality. Those old dyeing machines, for instance, would have to go; they had cost the company a lot of money over the last few years, not just in shipping and handling charges for returned products but also in terms of the companys reputation. New machines would fix that problem, but theyd Living in Style sitting in the backseat of the company car, Mike felt his tension ease when his driver, Lao Li, turned into his neighborhood. The car slipped by a row of cypresses and passed a perfectly manicured golf course. Designed in European country style, the elegant Green Villa was an ideal residence for expatriates. Mike loved this village its extensive recreational amenities, itsfirst-classservice. At very little cost, for example, Mikes family had hired a live-in domestic helper who happened to be a superior cook. His wife, Linda, played golf three times a week with her friends in the village, and she had recently taken up yoga. The company paid $7,800 a month to rent the familys home; it also paid for a chauffeur, a nanny, and the PowerPoint and Green Tea The chief executive of Hua-Ying, Genfa Wang, sent his own limousine to pick up Mike and Qinlin as a symbol of his HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW 30 Trouble in Paradise †¢ H B R CASE S T U D Y sincerity and hospitality. Genfa and his top managers were waiting at the gate when the car pulled up, and one of the men stepped forward to open the car door. Genfa greeted Mike, Qinlin, and Feng Chen with,My honor! IVlyhonor! It is a great pleasure to have you here with us. Thefirstbuilding they entered looked fairly clean, but the conference room carpet was pocked with cigarette bums. Not exactly a high-class operation, Mike thought. Up on the third floor, there was a disagreeable odor-no flush. He could just imagine the state of the plumbing. And hadnt leaky pipes been responsible for the initial spread of SARS into cities in Hong Kong? He was sure he had read something like that. His unease grew. What other hidden risks were lurking in this facility? There was no way he was going to be able to agree to this acquisition, he thought. But he was pleasantly surprised to see seven cups of Bi Luo Chun tea, one of the best Chinese green teas, on an ele- ant redwood table. And a minute later, Genfa pulled out a laptop and began making his presentation using PowerPoint slides. Mike was shocked. He hadnt expected such sophistication from a company this size, especially a company that seemed to lack modem sanitary facilities. Genfa, sensing Mikes reaction, said proudly,My nephew gave me training on this high-tech stuff. He is a college graduate, a vice GM of our company in charge of technology and engineering. Great, Mike thought with exasperation. There were probably a few relatives on the board, too. But his mood swung back during Genfas 40-nunute presentation as the CEO spoke precisely and clearly about the numbers-it was obvious he was shrewd about the market. Mike was intrigued. At the second building, his earlier impressions were reinforced: The machines in here looked old and shabby. Some workers were busy, but others were idly waiting for a product deliv- ery. Bales of goods were stacked high in one comer, and Mike stumbled over a box as he picked his way through the dim light. When he noticed that the record sheets on the desk and walls were handwritten, his heart sank: So much for high tech. On his way home that night in his own companys car, Mike gazed out the window, trying to figure out what to do next. Should he recommend the acquisition to Bill? Should he propose rejecting the deal and thus probably bring an end to the partnership? The idea of buying out the JV had occurred to him, but it clearly wouldnt work, not with the Chinese partner dreaming of a national brand. When the Audi came to a stop outside Mikes house, he hadnt reached any conclusions. He knew he was going to have another sleepless night at Green Villa. Can Mike keep the joint venture from unraveling? Four commentators offer expert advice. Right now, youre reading about the newest Spend a few weeks with us, and youll be creating Ready to find your edge in the world of business? 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First, he needs to develop a clearer vision of Heartland Spindles-and its partners-strategic goals in China, Second, he needs to assemble a much stronger team for the company. Third, he needs to consider alternatives to the traditional 50/50 joint venture. And, finally, he needs to move outside his personal comfort zone as a manager. The lack of a clear, shared strategy is the most glaring problem in this case. Is Heartland chiefly interested in China as a low-cost production baseforU. S, exports? Or is it hoping to win a share ofthe domestic market? If so, which segment is Heartland focusing o n a n d based on what competitive edge? Without a clear strategy, its impossible to choose the right structure for and extent of cooperation with a foreign partner. Conversely, when your intent is clear and reasonable, you can get past a surprising number of obstacles. When Michelin started discussions in Shanghai with Chinas largest tire manufacturer, we were clear that we intended to develop a major center there for the world tire industry and that we would therefore have to bring our best technology. To protect that technology, we would need control ofthe venture, which initially seemed impossible to achieve from a legal standpoint. As it turned out, we got control because the municipality shared the goal and recognized the necessity. Perhaps there once was a clear strategy that has been forgotten overthe course often years and several changes in management. Mike should study the contracts and, more important, have discussions with the original sponsors ofthe deal. If he can learnthe initial intentions, he might find a positive starting point for rebuilding a spirit of cooperation vwith his partner. This brings me to my second point: the importance of mobilizing a team of people to further the JVs strategy. Political officials are going to be a big part ofthat team; they have a stronger influence on economic life in China than Mike might realize. He must reach out to them and understand their goals. It is not a matter of good dinners and dubious expenses left to the Chinese staff. Success will depend on the personal involvement of top executives. I cannot overstress how crucial relationships are in China, Only when individuals know and understand each other can they develop the level of cooperation required for success, Mike should convince his boss to be the one who owns the relationship with a key officiai-the vice mayor, say. Yes, this will add a layer of complexity, but success in China is as much about time as it is about money. This is the most important fact for Mike to impress upon the leadership back at headquarters. Our CEO, Edouard Michelin, is in the habit of coming to China two or three times a year, with a flexible agenda, and that does a great deal to develop and support our operations here. Mike also needs to think creatively about alternatives to the traditional 50/50 joint venture. For instance, if Heartland Spindle is focused on exports and profitability, it might make more sense to have a minority share in the venture. Heartland would bring knowhow to the table and would purchase the export production, leaving the Chinese partner to manage productivity and profit levels. That would protect Heartlands margins and reduce its investment, yielding a higher return on assets. The point is that this situation might require a creative solution, and that brings me to my final concern. Mike needs to move out of his comfort zone and learn to strategize and negotiate in a highly dynamic environment. He should be the one taking the initiative, not reacting in surprise to the ideas and actions of others. Ericjugieris the chairman ofMichelin (China) Investment in Shanghai. 32 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Can Mike Keep the Joint Venture from Unraveling? †¢ H B R CASE COMMENTARY I ts never easy making joint ventures work, especially when the strategic objectives of the partners diverge. Zhong-Lian Knitting has had a very successful ten years, during which the partners have been able to work out their differences. But this jV may well have outlived its usefulness. land Spindle is focused on short-to mediumterm financial returns and on transforming Zhong-Lian into a high-quality manufacturer. No amount of discussion is going to reconcile their differences. If he concludes that the status quo is not viable, Mike must ask himself a second question: How can he restructure or exit the JV in a way that makes sense for Heartland? To answer, he must take into account any termination or exit clauses in the joint venture agreement He must also determine whether Heartland needs to have an ownership interest in the JV to continue the commercial relationship with it and whether Suzhou is financially able to buyout Heartlands interest in the JV Mike would be well advised to investigate several options in parallel. They could include selling some or all of Heartlands interest to Suzhou. A phased exit in which Heartland reduces its ownership stake overtime could make sense if Heartland wants to minimize disruption in the relationship; it might also make it easier for Suzhou to raise capital (if this is a constraint). AIternatively, Mike could explore the sale of Heartlands interest to a more compatible third party. The partners might also wish to consider an IPO, assuming that Zhong-Lian is sufficiently developed to make this option realistic. An IPO would give Heartland an exit while providing the joint venture access to capital to continue its growth. A third question Mike should be asking is. What is Heartlands overall joint venture strategy, not just in China but also in other markets? Heartland should consider establishing a portfolio of joint venture relationships in China and other low-cost regions. That would allow the company to diversify its sourcing relationships, reducing the risk associated with any one partner. It would also allow Heartland to upgrade its skills in establishing and managing international joint ventures. Perhaps if Mikes boss became involved in negotiating a few international jVs, he would acquire a better appreciation for the challenges involved in managing such relationships. Zhong-Lian is similar to many other joint ventures in that its problems are partly due to its success. I am reminded of the jV created in the early 1980S by Merck and the Swedish pharmaceutical company Astra to help Astra enter the U. S. market. It operated successfully for more than a decade; by the late 1990S, various analysts estimated it to be worth up to $10 billion, largely because of sales of the blockbuster drug Prilosec. But the parties increasingly found that their objectives were incompatible. Merck wanted to continue benefiting from Astras current products and RD pipeline, but Astra needed control over its U. S. operations to pursue its vision of becoming a leading global pharmaceutical company. The partners eventually agreed to restructure the venture so that Dieter Turowski Is a managing director in Mergers Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley in London. Heartland should consider establishing a portfolio of joint ventures. That would reduce the risk associated with any one partner. Astra had control, and Merck would receive payments based on the sales of future products. Zhong-Lian and its Chinese parent, Suzhou First Textile, may be at a similar crossroads. To determine his next step, Mike Craves needs to answer a fundamental question: Have the partnersstrategic interests moved so far apart that the JV no longer makes sense in its currentform? The answer apDears to be yes. Suzhou is focused on expansion within China and on developing a national brand; this strategy will continue to put pressure on the ventures financial performance. Heart- A CHANGED WORLD AUGUST 2003 3 H B R CASE C O M M E N T A R Y †¢ Can Mike Keep the Joint Venture from Unraveling? H eartland Spindle entered the China market at the same time many multinationals did, about a decade ago, seeing the same enormous opportunity. The market was huge and there was undercapacity in many segments and industries, so high margins seemed assured. But that was a shortsighted and static view of the ma rket. As the multinationals rushed in and productivity quickly improved, the immediate result was a dramatic expansion of capacity, and margins deteriorated. In very short order. he companiesexpectations about revenues and profits became obsolete. and products with very strong brands. My first advice to Mike Craves would be to study the industry structure closely and determine whether a 20% return on investment is theoretically possible for Zhong-Lians products. The nextquestion is whetherthis joint venture is in a position to capture the highest margin in its industry. Does it have a unique business model, perhaps, based on some core competence? Maybe it can leverage its channel or its brand back in the United States or in other developed markets. Or perhaps Heartland can make the venture a bigger part of its global strategy, exploiting the regions labor costs and productivity edge to reconfigure its worldwide production strategy. If Mike doesnt discover a unique business model that will generate a 20% ROI, he needs to inform his boss that its time to exit. But if he believes such a return is achievable, he needs to restructure the jV to get there. If Heartland doesntwantto make any more of an investment in the venture, it could bring in a private shareholder or other marketdriven companies to buy the governments shares. Mike also needs to ensure that he is linking compensation packages to performance. Ive observed that employees in China-especially senior managers-respond very,very wellto pay-for-performance plans. Its been my experience that Chinese organizations are quite adaptable to other cultures. The problem here, and perhaps for many companies, is that real assimilation cantoccurunlessthe two partners are working toward the same goals. Zhong-Lian is under the strong influence of the government, and, as a result, it is doing exactly what should be expected: creating jobs and boosting revenue rather than profits. The minute Mike starts to create a market-driven and value-creation-driven connpany-largely by rewarding senior managers for gains in those directions-things will start to change. The joint venture is already one of the success stories on the Chinese business landscape. Ifthe venture is restructured and incentives are aligned with higher performance, it might even meet the expectations Heartland has set for it. Manyforeign executives said that if they were to move into China again, they would do so through a solely owned business, not a joint venture. Heartland also went the usual route of entering China by means of a joint venture. Many multinationals chose this path because of regulation requirements, others because of their unfamiliarity with the Chinese business landscape. Many of them have come to regret that decision. In a McKinsey survey of executives of foreign companies in China three years ago, a great number of respondents said that if they were to move into China again, they would do so through a solely owned business, not a joint venture. The main reason was that the partners often dont share the same vision or philosophy, and the disparity in the viewpoints hampers performance. The survey also found that morethanhalfofthejointventures in China are not working properly. David Xu is a principal In Zhong-Lians case, the problem does not seem to be the cultural difference so much as the difference in the two partners* visions and definitions of success. One question, then, is whether Heartlands high-margin vision is sensible. The textile industry in China is extremely competitive and will be for the foreseeable future because the entry barriers are low. The margins in textiles are therefore typically very low, except for special textiles at management consulting firm McKinsey ; Company in Shanghai. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Can Mike Keep the joint Venture from Unraveling? †¢ HBR CASE COMMENTARY ment unless it improves the bottom line, wants to improve quality, and sees no benefit to creating a Chinese brand because it views China as a low-cost manufacturing platform rather than a market. In the absence of congruent performance objectives, the joint venture has no underlying strategic logic. Thus the partners immediately need to Lets look atthe Chinese marketfirst. Many revisit both their older and continuing reaforeign companies are finding it tough to sons for staying together. Ifthe partners cangenerate acceptable profits there. Even the not agree on a minimally acceptable ROI or Japanese, historically the biggest investors, that such a goal is a top priority, they should are seeing their lowest returns in China. (And think about exiting the venture. when the Japanese do invest, the size oftheir Finally, Mike is part of the problem. It is subsidiaries tends to be smaller; they dont absolutely stunning that he learned on the employ anywhere near the number of people day ofthe anniversary banquet that his partZhong-Lian Knitting does. ner wanted to make another acquisition. EiChina is also becoming a more expensive place to do business. Betweeni992 and 2001, the consumer price index in the United States increased by 1. 27times; in Shanghai, it went up 2. 21 times. Wage rates in Shanghai more than tripled between 1991 and 2000. Its not surprising that more and more competitive Japanese corporations have begun to pull out of the market-they are a ther the Chin ese partner is out of control or Mike is out of touch. How much time is Mike spending with the partner? Has he grown too comfortable in paradise? Mike needs to be proactive. Rather than simply waiting for his Chinese partner to hand him the names of acquisition candidates, for instance, he could develop specific acquisition criteria with his partner or even M ike Craves needs to start by acknowledging that his boss is correct: A 4% ROI is not enough for most foreign investors after ten years. So where is the problem? Is it in the Chinese market itself? Is it with the partnership agreement? Or is it with Mike? Id argue that all three contribute to this dilemma. Paul W. Beamish is the director ofthe Asian Management Institute at the Richard Ivey School of Business ofthe University of Western Ontario in London, Oritario. One ofthe largest costs in many joint ventures is the expatriate manager package. Perhaps he could save by reducing the number of expats. little further along the exit curve than Bill Windier is. Next,the partnership. In any international joint venture, the partners must share congruent performance measures. That is certainly not the case here. While both partners have an explicitgoalthattheJV be profitable, they differ widely in terms of what constitutes an acceptable financial return. Furthermore, some oftheir nonfinancial goals forthe JV seem to have evolved and have only now become explicit. The Chinese partner is happy with achieving a 5 to 6% profit and % being viewed asa local hero. It wants togrow the scope of the jV and establish a national brand. The U. S. partner wants a 20% ROI, will consider growth only if it improves profitability, has no interest in creating employconduct some investigations himself He should also look for additional ways of improving the JVs profitability. One of the largest costs in many joint ventures in China is the expatriate manager package. He could save money by reducing the number of expats, perhaps by promoting local managers. Lots of smart people are available. Various factors have contributed to the current situation, some of which such as the condition ofthe Chinese market-Mike cannot control. He needs to concentrate on the things he can change: the relationship between the U. S. and Chinese partners and his own managerial behavior.