The Controversy of Stem Cell Research Essays - 1410 Words

The Controversy of Stem Cell Research One of the most controversial topics these days is Stem Cell Research. There seems to be a split opinion among societies about the research and whether it is socially and morally acceptable. As a society, we need to open our minds to the possibility of broadening our scientific horizons with stem cell research, and take the time to learn and understand whatever we can about it. There are a lot of people who dont know exactly what Stem Cell Research is which contributes to why a lot of people seem so against it. Stem Cell Research can best be described as taking a stem cell, a primitive type of cell that can be coaxed into developing into most of the 220 types of cells found in the†¦show more content†¦There are a large amount of people, both political and social, that believe in the advancement of the research of stem cells. Research is now being done ?in U.S. private labs and in both government and private labs in the UK, Japan, France, Australia, and other countries.? (Robinson). ?The former governor of California also signed a bill into a law that is the first law that permits stem cell research in the United States? (Robinson) which is now being followed up and executed by the current governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nancy Reagan also supports stem cell research since her husband, former president Ronald Reagan died of Alzhei mer?s. ?Nancy Reagan and all of her family, except for Michael Reagan, have mounted a campaign to encourage President Bush to relax restrictions on embryo stem cell research. Fifty-eight senators, almost all Democrats, sent a letter to President Bush, urging the same action.? (Robinson). Other big supporters of stem cell research are Senator Kerry and the widow of the late Christopher Reeve, Dana Reeve. Kerry is a very liberal Democrat and is known for his support on stem cell research; Dana Reeve is now giving her time to carry on her late husband?s legacy of trying to win support on stem cell research. ?Senator John Kerry accused President Bush of slowing scientific advancement after earning a special endorsementShow MoreRelatedStem Cell Research Controversy : Stem Cells1886 Words   |  8 Pages Stem cell research controversy. What is the first thing that comes to your mind? A person like me will either agree with it or disagree with this topic. I personally agree with stem cell research. First I want to start by pointing out that there are three main stem cells used in research the adult stem cell, induced-pluripotent stem cells, and lastly the embryonic stem cells. It has been shown that using blood stem cells to treat diseases of the blood have been bene ficial, and has also saved manyRead MoreThe Controversy Of Stem Cell Research1894 Words   |  8 PagesThe Controversy of Stem Cell Research The ethics of research involving fetuses or material derived from fetuses have been widely debated for over three decades, portrayed by its proponents as holding the key to scientific and medical breakthrough and by its opponents as devaluing the most basic form of human life. The latest chapter in this long saga involves the use of embryonic stem cells. Research in this field took a great leap forward in 1998, when the first successes in growing human stemRead MoreThe Controversy Over Stem Cell Research1169 Words   |  5 Pagesyears, stem cell research has become a prominent way of treating: heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, spinal problems, and much more ; moreover, in recent years as Stem cell research became more popular, it has sparked controversy over the religion aspect of stem cell research. Stem cell research begins with culturing an embryonic cell and then injecting the stem cell into the area of concern(Robertson). Pluripotent stem cells are gathered and used to treat the areas, pluripotent stem cells are thoseRead MoreStem Cell Research Controversy Essay681 Words   |  3 PagesThe controversy over stem cell research’s use in the medical field is almost two decades old. So why the sudden intense return of fierce political debates over an old issue? It’s because President Obama recently revoked the ban on stem cell research, as he believes it holds the potential to revolutionize the medical industry in the years to come. As USA Today quoted him saying in March, after he stopped restricting federal funding for stem cell research, At this moment, the full promise of stem cellRead MoreBenefits and Controversy of Stem Cell Research547 Words   |  2 Pagesproblems associated with stem cell use and stem cell research. Problems Benefits There is a lot of controversy about laws and beliefs in respect to stem cells, specifically embryonic stem cells, regarding contraception, abortion, and in vitro fertilization. Many cultures and religions believe that the use of embryonic stem cells is unethical because they believe life starts from the moment of contraception therefore the destruction of a human blastocyst to obtain embryonic stem cells is murder and itRead MoreEssay on The Controversy Surrounding Stem-cell Research634 Words   |  3 PagesStem-cell research is a complex subject. First of all you need to know there are three main categories of stem cells. Embryonic, Fetal and Adult; not everyone is for or against all of these types. There are different sets on pros and cons to each of these types and I will address a few for each type. I believe the pros outweigh the cons in each of these and stem cell research is very beneficial for medical purposes. The term ‘stem cell research was first used by gist Alexander Maksimov, a RussianRead MoreThe Controversy Over The Ethics Of Stem Cell Research Essay2367 Words   |  10 PagesThe Controversy of Embryonic Stem Cell Research THE 210/04December 2, 2012 There is a debate over the ethics of stem cell research and many people on opposing sides of the issue are not aware of all aspects. In order to intelligently debate the legal and ethical issues regarding stem cell research, one must understand what stem cells are, the applications currently available, and the impact of the research. It is also important to understand the distinction between adult and embryonic stem cells beforeRead MoreControversy Surrounding Research And Therapeutic Use Of Stem Cell Technology831 Words   |  4 Pages Controversy surrounding research and therapeutic use of stem cells has been a contentious and socially polarizing matter for a few decades. Arguments lie largely between the scientific community and the general public, although intragroup disagreements also persist today. These disparate views for and against stem cells arise out of the bioethical implications of an inchoate innovation, the general public’s tenuous understanding of the underly ing technology itself, and sociopolitical ideologiesRead MoreThe Debate Over Embryonic Stem Cells851 Words   |  4 Pagescured with embryonic stem cell therapy. Some researchers regard this as the greatest potential for the alleviation of human suffering since the advent of antibiotics† (White). However, not everybody agrees with this. While embryonic stem cells offer much hope for medical advancement because of their ability to grow into almost any kind of cell, the moral debate of the destruction of an embryo continues. Embryonic stem cells are taken directly from an embryo before the embryo s cells begin to developRead MoreThe Debate Over Stem Cell Research1027 Words   |  5 PagesStem cell research is the study of basic cells that are grown in laboratories where tests are made to determine the essential properties of the cells. Over the past few decades, stem cell research has become a popular scientific debate and controversy. Stem cell research is still considered t o be relatively new technology that is responsible for taking human cells and developing them into 220 different cells in the human body. Stem cell research has the potential to help disease research and management

Gender Inequality Essay - 803 Words

Gender inequality or gender stratification is the unequal spreading of society’s wealth, power, and privilege between females and males. Whenever this issue is approached, evidence is provided that majority of women popularity are taken for granted and frowned upon as if women cannot do what men can do. This is proof that the oppressor vs. the oppressed is present throughout history; even in religious communities, some can date back to God’s creation. For example, it is written in the Bible, â€Å"To the woman he said, I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for you husband, and he will rule over you.† (Genesis 3:16). The search for equality between men and women fuels a†¦show more content†¦Free time for women was not supposed to be spent socializing but doing other things related to the maintenance of the family, from sewing socks to laundry. Largely due to these traditional expectations for women prior to the nineteenth century, very few women had the same opportunities for education as men. Indeed, educating women was often seen as subversive, a possible perversion of the correct social order. Women were also entirely shut out of political activity. Women were not allowed to vote, they were barely considered people at all. (History) While significant achievements for womens rights have been made, women continue to fight for equality today. Here are six fact facts about gender inequality in the United States: 1. In 2015, women make 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man. (White House)2. For every dollar made by a father with children under the age of 18, mothers earn 74.7 cents. (Department of Labor)3. African-American women earn 64 cents and Latina women earn 56 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian man. (White House) 4. Women currently hold 23 (4.6 percent of) CEO positions at SP 500 companies. (Catalyst)5. By 2018, there will be 1.4 million open technology jobs in the U.S. and, at the current rate of students graduating with degrees in computer science, only 61 percent of those openings will be filled — and women will fill just 29 percent. (Microsoft Research)6. 26 percent of people employed inShow MoreRelatedEssay Changing Perspective on Gender Inequalities in Schools678 Words   |  3 Page sChanging Perspective on Gender Inequalities in Schools Gender equality is a broad topic with many different angles that can be examined. For my part in this project I chose to research the changing perspective on gender inequalities in schools. I wanted to find out what people really felt about the fairness of their education, and whether they really felt they had been shortchanged in the learning process because of their sex. My results were generally what I had expected to find, thoughRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1049 Words   |  5 PagesGender inequality as a social institution in Asia country (India) This essay provides an overview gender as a social institution in Asia countries, also, this essay mainly focuses on education and mainly focuses on the country of India. Moreover, this essay deeply investigates how gender inequality in Asia countries, especially in India affects in the long run (Klasen, 2002, p.745). There are numerous justifications to be worried about the existence of gender inequalities mainly in the well-being-relatedRead More Gender Inequality Essay1849 Words   |  8 Pagestopic of gender. Before this, inequalities within society were based primarily on factors such as social class and status. This paper will discuss gender itself: what makes us who we are and how we are represented. It will also explore discrimination towards women throughout history, focusing mainly on women and the right to vote, inequalities between males and females in the work place and how gender is represented in the media. The term ‘gender’ was coined by John Money in 1955: â€Å"Gender is usedRead MoreGender Inequality Essay1153 Words   |  5 Pagesresearchers, we get to know more and more on the issue of gender inequality in different areas of our society. However, although significant progress has been made during the twentieth century, in an attempt to equalize the rights of women and men, they still do not seem to be met daily. Having a job is considered important for men and women, although the centrality of work is organized completely differently by gender. This form of inequality persists in all areas such as: participation in decisionRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1127 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"superior† race/gender of a white male were typically treated as if they were less. Women and African-Americans aren’t being treated as bad today, but they’re still being treated worse than the white males of society. Even today, when white males are typical ly the leaders of society, it’s not always race and gender that creates inequality; sometimes it’s money that creates the issue. Not just from past evidence, but from present evidence as well, America shows signs of inequality by the way peopleRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1091 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen many inequalities that the world has been faced with; whether it is race, gender, or ethnic background. I am writing you, the representatives for Equal Rights to discuss an urgent concern of American women in the workplace. Although gender inequality is decreasing, it still exists and makes a lot of people suffer its consequences every day. Gender inequality is unfair rights between male and female based on different gender roles which leads to unequal treatment. Gender inequality has been widelyRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1431 Words   |  6 Pagestheir husbands. But for numerous years women have been fighting for equality in this so called â€Å"Manâ⠂¬â„¢s World†. The Women’s Rights Movement started in 1848, and though it has come a long way there is still gender inequality in this world today. It seems as though the pursuit to stop gender inequality has slowed down and has leveled off since the 1990’s (Ridgeway, 2013). Today women are allowed to vote, able to get an education, work in the same place as men, but we are still treated differently. MenRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1687 Words   |  7 PagesThe concept of gender denotes the distinction between culturally driven and created roles of masculinity and femininity. These specific and normalized attitudes and behaviors transcend and effect how differently men and women live their lives. Based on society’s continual re-enforcement of such gender stereotypes, we see an on-going dilemma of gender inequality. Though some may argue that men experience gender inequality, this seems to exist on a much more invasive level for women. As of recently Read MoreGender Inequality Essay1121 Words   |  5 PagesGender Inequality In The Home Remains An Issue In Family Life. Gender inqualities often stem from social structures that have instiutionalized conceptions of gender differences. Gender inequality has been around for centuries. In many family homes, their lives evolve around gender roles. The responibilties in the family are allocated to their sex (gender). There are certain tasks which are usually allocated to males and females. Some see this division as biologolical differences between theRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1137 Words   |  5 Pageslike to say that everyone is completely equal but sadly that is not true. In the past several years you have probably heard a lot about gender inequality. In 2014 statistics have shown that women make around 79 cents to a man’s dollar. Through a rhetorical analysis of Audi’s 2017 Super Bowl commercial ‘Daughter’ they inform their buyers of the gender inequality around the world and to inform them that they are a fair and equal company when it comes to its employees. Not only that but to show support

Classroom Management and Diversity Free Essays

Samantha Formato Classroom management and diversity are two very important concepts to consider because classroom management in diverse environments can be a lot different than in less diverse environments. There is so much diversity going on now that everyone should be aware of the importance of classroom management inside the diverse environments. When I talk about diversity in this paper I am referring to ethnic and cultural diversity. We will write a custom essay sample on Classroom Management and Diversity or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are many different strategies that can help students in more diverse classrooms feel more comfortable and be in a better learning environment. In my paper, I will be touching on five major strategies that help classroom management in more diverse classrooms. These strategies are building trust, engaging personal culture, confronting social dominance and social justice, transforming instructional practices, and engaging the entire school community. I will be talking about all of the advantages to these strategies. Another thing I will be touching on is the importance of classroom management in these diverse classrooms. I will also look at the differences between classroom management in less diverse environments and classroom management in more diverse environments. I will talk about my experiences observing classrooms and the differences between the classroom management strategies each teacher uses. Classroom management is a very critical part of teaching and having good classroom management in a more diverse classroom is a challenging task, but also a very important one. In more diverse environments especially, it is sometimes harder for teachers to have good classroom management. Mainly because the students in more diverse settings tend to act out more or disobey the rules. If students feel like they are in an open and trusting community at school they are more likely to succeed and listen to the teacher’s directions. Building trust, engaging personal culture, confronting social dominance and social justice, transforming instructional practices, and engaging the entire school community is five very important strategies that make classroom management easier. Building trust is one of the most important strategies that help classroom management in more diverse environments. Building trust entails being honest with students and having discussions about race and ethnicity with the entire class. Talking about students different cultures instead of just simply acting like they are not there. One teacher from the Apple Valley School District says, â€Å"I need to move beyond being color-blind. † The main idea of this strategy is to establish positive leaning communities in each classroom. If the students feel like their cultures and ethnicity are accepted they will feel more comfortable. Trust is such an important thing to have in a classroom in order to be able to have good classroom management. If the students feel like they can trust the teacher they will be more open and the teacher will have better control over his or her management (Howard, 2007). The second strategy is engaging in personal culture. This strategy is very important because it can be the difference between high school students dropping out of school or continuing on. The main reasoning of engaging in personal culture is to form authentic and effective relationships across differences. These relationships are very important to students who are going through school. If students feel that their teachers do not care about them they are more likely to drop out of school. Forming relationships with your students is important in order to maintain good classroom management. If the students feel like you enjoy getting to know them and that you respect them then they are more likely to listen and follow directions. If students feel like you do not respect them and could care less about them they are more likely to disobey and possibly even drop out of school all together (Howard, 2007). Confronting social dominance and social justice is the third strategy to better classroom management. This strategy is about making teachers aware of their surroundings and the issues that surround race and class. It forces teachers to think about race and class in a different way and causes them to better understand their students and what their students are going through. During this strategy teachers will come together and have discussions about race, class, gender, immigration, and other forms of diversity. They will open up and get a better consciousness about social dominance and diversity. This will help teachers teach their students better and make them more aware of what is going on around them (Howard, 2007). The fourth strategy is ransforming instructional practices. This strategy is crucial to having good classroom management. The main focus of this strategy is for teachers to shift their teachings to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Also, to use curriculum that honors each student’s culture. For example, if a teacher was working in a school district th at was mainly a Spanish speaking area if the teacher had to send something home to the parents they could send one paper home in English and on the back have the same paper written in Spanish. This would make it a lot easier on parents and students of mainly Spanish speaking families. This would also help classroom management because it is very important that your student’s parents understand you (Howard, 2007). The fifth and last strategy is engaging the entire school community. This strategy talks about how if you want to have good classroom management in diverse environments you not only have to involve the students, but also their parents. If the students are not getting any support from their parents it is hard for them to succeed. Teachers can help parents get more involved by sending home news letters and letting them know about any activates going on around the school. Even though this might not always get the students parents involved it still good to try. It is a lot easier to have classroom management when the students feel supported by not only the teacher, but also by their parents (Howard 21). Also students in schools with a strong sense of community are more likely to be academically motivated (Schaps, 2003). I recently observed two different classrooms, one in a diverse environment and one in a less diverse environment. The classroom I observed that was diverse is in the Northeast school district in Reading and the less diverse classroom is in the Pleasant Valley school district in Brodheadsville. The way the teachers in each of these schools manage their classrooms is completely different because of the diversity differences. The biggest difference I came across while observing these two classrooms was how serious each of the teachers has to be. From observing I realized how much harder it is to have good classroom management in more diverse classrooms. For example, in the more diverse classroom the teacher had to be very serious and the teacher in the less diverse classroom joked around a lot. The teacher in the more diverse classroom had to be serious because the students were constantly acting up. The teacher did not have time to joke around because at every moment she had to keep her students on track of what they were supposed to be doing. They constantly needed guidance. When I was observing the less diverse classroom I saw that the teacher joked around a lot. He made funny references and was all around less serious and strict. This was because his students were better behaved. They did act up at certain times, but they were always quick to get back on topic. Another thing that I realized was that the teacher in the diverse environment used all of the strategies that help classroom management and the teacher in the less diverse environment only used two of the strategies. There were a few kids in the less diverse environment that were diverse but the teacher did not recognize them. He did not confront social dominance and justice, transform practices, or engage school community. He just acted as if everyone was the same ethnicity and ignored all differences. Which, is not always the best way to act. When a teacher acts this way even though they are teaching all of the students the same. Sometimes the students that are ethnically different can fall behind or feel as if they are not cared about. Where as the teacher in the diverse environment took advantage of her student’s differences and did all of the strategies, which helped her classroom management become better. By enforcing the strategies the classroom management becomes better because the students respect the teachers more and also usually listen better. The students and teacher benefit from using the five strategies. Keeping control of diverse classrooms is much more challenging than keeping control of less diverse classrooms. There is a big difference between diverse and less diverse classrooms, that is why classroom management is so important. If the teacher in the diverse environment did not use the five strategies I think it would have been very hard for her to have good classroom management in her classroom. The teacher in the less diverse environment however was able to get away with not using the five strategies because his classroom was less diverse so the students were not as hard to handle. Achieving classroom management in diverse classrooms is a very important and challenging task. Classroom management continues to be a serious concern for teachers and especially in urban and diverse learning environments (Milner 2010). Classroom management is so important in order to have a successful running class. It is easier to obtain classroom management in less diverse classrooms but there are five major strategies that help teachers achieve classroom management in diverse classrooms. I mentioned these strategies earlier, they are again building trust, engaging in personal culture, confronting social dominance and social justice, transforming instructional practices, and engaging the entire school community. Without these five strategies it would be almost impossible to gain good classroom management in diverse environments. If a teacher did not use the five strategies it is possible that his or her classroom would not have very good classroom management, depending upon if the classroom was in a diverse environment or not. Like I mentioned earlier in my paper, classrooms in less diverse environments can often get away with not using the five strategies. This is because the students are easier to manage. It is crucial however, for the teachers in the diverse environments to use the strategies. If in the future teachers decided not to use the strategies and instead decided to just ignore the differences between diverse and non-diverse environments it would cause major problems with classroom management. If a classroom had bad classroom management the students would suffer terribly. Some students would not care about their work, some would not listen, and some would just simply drop out. If teachers did not have control over their classrooms the students would not have anyone to listen to or pay attention to. That is why classroom management is so important. There is a way however, to help classrooms in diverse environments have good classroom management and it is to use the five strategies. If teachers in diverse settings continue to use the strategies it will help not only the teachers, by making good classroom management easier to achieve, but it will also help the students because they will learn more if they are listening and paying attention to the teacher. H. Richard Milner IV, B. T. (2010). Classroom management in diverse classrooms. Retrieved from http://uex. sagepub. com. ezaccess. libraries. psu. edu/content/45/5/560. full. pdf html Herbert Elizabeth, A. (1998). Design matters: How school environment affects children. Realizing a Positive School Climate, 56(1), 69-70. Howard Gary, R. (2007). As diversity grows, so must we. Responding to Changing Demographics, 64(6), 16-22. Schaps Eric. (2003). Creating a school community. Creating Caring Schools, 60(6), 31-33. How to cite Classroom Management and Diversity, Essay examples

Globalization Perspective Qualitative Terms

Question: Discuss about the Globalization Perspective Qualitative Terms. Answer: Introduction Globalization perspective often becomes difficult to understand in qualitative terms, though it can be specified quantitatively. Understanding impacts of globalization on national communities especially on Aboriginal people of Australia had been an extremely exhaustive exercise. My essay analyses various perspective and impacts generated as a result on globalization on entire Australia and especially on the native indigenous Aboriginal individuals. This is a reflection statement on the exercise to apprehend my efforts made for comprehending the report. Reflection In Australia the government has taken various measures in order to uplift the aboriginal community, along with certain NGOs. Though these endeavors have been able to create an effect, majority of the community still remains greatly far away from being benefitted. My essay is a minute and comprehensive approach towards the same. The scope of understanding and analyzing impacts is so immense and diversified that only an overall view can be developed. But I have put in my best efforts to research several data from websites, newspaper, journals, and books from library to get relevant information regarding the same. My professors have been helpful in guiding and motivating me for achieving better results which is reflected in my skillful writing. I have attempted to create an understanding regarding the several impacts and demand cycles created in Australia as a result of globalization. Researching such huge information has led to immense transfer of knowledge and I have gained tremendous insight into the functioning of Aboriginal individuals. Amidst that I have highlighted how certain Aboriginal people and communities gained from it. My essay indicates primary aspects of Aboriginal people still being a backward race within the country. The structure of my essay helps in progressive understanding towards the various concepts and impacts related to globalization related to Australia. The essay starts with globalization and then its several impacts are studied as slowing down of traditional sector. From the point of view of Aboriginal people, impact of globalization has been understood as creating an impact on their culture and values, which the central key to my discussion. The essay concludes by augmenting the positive effects of globalization as job creation and Westernization for Aboriginal community, whereas negative effects as closure of traditional sector hence loss of employment and loss in culture as well as values. Each concept that I have developed has been adequately referenced such that readers can relate to further reading in case required. In order to write the essay I had to conduct proper researching of relevant literature sources which includes several relevant articles. In order to fully develop and conceptualize concepts and ideas, I have drawn on several references and explained in lucid language. Hence the essay is an echo of the unit materials coupled with further reading and analysis. My research on the topic and articulate flow of language will benefit others who want to develop further works in the field. It is a pure reflection of academic conventions in writing scholarly articles. Conclusion The current reflection is an indication of my effort and immense knowledge that I have gained from conducting academic research to write the essay. It also required extensive skills in writing for creating a notable material that can easily attract readers attention.

Nationalism in Music free essay sample

Nationalistic music Is often characterized by pieces having elements of folksongs, folk dances, and folk rhythms. Or subjects for operas and symphonic poems which reflect the national life or history (The Oxford Dictionary of Music 2013). Nationalism in music should inspire people to celebrate the glorious history, cultural characteristics, and cherished values and virtues of their own nations (G. Hubert 2012, p. L). However, Definitions of nationalism depend, of course, on definitions of the nation.It is not likely that consensus will ever be reached on the precise meaning, since different definitions serve different Interests (Tarsuss 2013). Composers such as Jean Sublime, Antonio Dobra, and Vaughan Williams are examples of nationalistic composers (The Oxford Dictionary of Music 2013). As stated above, definitions of nationalism can vary to serve different interests. The sources often use different definitions from other sources. For example, Grove Online states that the most commonly accepted definition (Tarsuss 2013) is from the Harvard Dictionary ofMusic, where the movement Is characterized as a reaction against the supremacy of German music (1 9691. We will write a custom essay sample on Nationalism in Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While researchers may argue on the precise definition of nationalism, they also discuss the Impacts of the composers and their pieces In their countries. Academic sites such as Grove Online and Oxford have an objective view on composers, their music and nationalism; Grove goes into great detail on many composers. Other sources, such as David G.Hubert and Alexandra Cert. -Wells Patriotism and Nationalism in Music Education claim that nationalism is generally received as a negative phenomenon, and can be reduced to attainment of mere utilitarian goals, neglecting aesthetic values (2012, p. 2). Other sources, like foolhardinesss from listserv. Com, or sites like Talkback (20131 simply state who they think are the top composers who embody nationalism (2010). The sources vary from simple definitions to deep analysis, those who believe it has had a negative impact and those who believe it is a cause for celebration.

A Loyalist And His Life Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

A Loyalist And His Life Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers A Loyalist And His Life The called me M.J., that stood for Michael Jones. It was the early part of April in 1760 when I departed an English port and headed across the waters for the North American colonies where I planned to settle, start a family, and begin what I hoped to be a very prosperous life. It was the summer if 1760 when I planted my feet and my heart in Boston along with several black slaves that I purchased when I arrived here. I brought a hefty 10,000 British pounds in my purse, which was my entire life savings. I was twenty-two years old, turning twenty-three in the fall. I had heard so many wonderful things about this place and I could not wait to get here. When I first arrived here, because of my better fortune it was very easy for me to become a landowner and the owner of a small but successful farm. I purchased a decent size piece of land and began to build a constructive family and life. It was not long before things began to take a turn for the worse. Parliament began to throw tedious Acts and Policies at the American colonies. For example, the Tea Act which placed taxes on all British tea and the Stamp Act which placed taxes on all legal documents such as marriage licenses, wills, and even letter. The Sugar Act placed taxes in all sugar, wine, linen, and silk. It was beginning to be ridiculous. It was then that a continuous patter began. Act...Protest...Repeal...Peace. Everyone seemed to be putting up with that but with each strike by Parliament the other people in the colonies became more and more angry and liked the idea of gaining independence form Great Britain very much. In my opinion the idea of independence was not necessarily a bad one but I felt that it was necessary to remain loyal to the British crown. I personally chose to adhere to the British cause during the revolution. Those of us who remained loyal to England wore the title of Loyalists and those w ho chose to turn their backs were referred to as Rebels or Patriots. The patriots referred to us loyalists as Tories, which was a derogatory nickname that they liked to use. Although loyalists were found in all classes and occupations, from all different walks of life the majority of us were farmers like artisans, shopkeepers, and myself. Most wealthy shopkeepers also chose to remain loyal to England as did Anglican ministers, especially in Puritan New England (Ward 264). Some of us were even black, these were slaves who the British promised freedom but never kept their promise. Some were Indians, some indentured servants, and some loyalists were German immigrants but only because George III was of German origin (VanDoren 119). The number of loyalists in each colony varied. John Adams estimated that one third of the colonials were loyalists. Us Loyalists were strongest in the far southern colonies like Georgia and Virginia, in the middle Atlantic colonies, and especially in New York and Pennsylvania. We constituted the majority in some colonies but a very large minority in all the colonies as a whole. It was not long before a very Thomas Paines Common Sense pamphlet hit the colonies like lightning. When his words and thoughts were distributed about the colonies all hell broke loose. His work was quite simple but just he instigation the colonists needed to stand up to the British crown. He told everyone exactly how he felt about the situation of the colonists. He believe that England had no right to govern the American colonies, for England was but a fraction of the size of America, and not everyone who has settled here has and England decent. Therefore, why should everyone here remain loyal to one such country as England? He truly believed that America would be better of without the whole monarchy system. I remember the very day when one of his pamphlets made its way to my front door. It was windy out side and when I reached to take it from the nail on which it was hanging it blew through the yard and I had

Sino-American relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sino-American relationship - Essay Example Due to this common interest, United States is facing challenges in Eastern Asia. The United States, by applying proper methodology, can still be able to consolidate stable Sino-American relations. This can be attained by concentrating on issues such as; This serves to reduce suspicions of the different parties’ strategic intentions and creates a way for development due to the good relationship established between the two nations. Moreover, cooperation on a variety of specific bilateral and international issues of utmost importance to both sides is ensured. Deep suspicions of the other parties long-term strategic intentions are reduced thus creating confidence between the two parties. (Hiebert, 2009) The US support for Southeast Asia’s economic integration and the process of strengthening regional trade and creation of investment structures will bring about increased chances for U.S. exports to the area and thus improving the status of the people in the region. Creation of economic ties will in return deal with the challenge of smooth development of bilateral relations resulted by the sharp differences the two countries have in relation to trade and human rights. The challenge of cross-strait relation which brings about tension and disagreement between the U.S and China is therefore reduced as a result of mutual understanding as a result of the trading activities (Hiebert, 2009).

Cystic Fibrosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cystic Fibrosis - Essay Example Hence, the normal movement of chloride ions is disrupted, producing thick aggregates of mucus that clog air passages resulting in breathing difficulty and chronic bacterial infections. Since mucus also accumulates in ducts of the digestive tract, the normal release of digestive enzymes is also affected, causing nutrient malabsorption. Furthermore, cystic fibrosis also causes too much salt to be excreted in the sweat glands, resulting in electrolyte imbalance. The pattern of inheritance for cystic fibrosis is homozygous recessive. This means that the disease manifests only when two copies of the defective gene is inherited from the parents. Those people who harbor the mutation in one of the two copies do not present with symptoms and are called carriers. Although these carriers are technically not affected by the disease, they can still pass the defective gene to their offsprings. The standard approach to the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis is made by measuring the chloride content of an individual’s sweat. A value of more than 60 mEq/L salt concentration is diagnostic of this condition and differentiates cystic fibrosis from other disease entities that also present with salty sweat. However, detecting CRTF mutations through DNA testing is still considered as the gold standard for the diagnosis of this disease. Like the rest of single-gene disorders, cystic fibrosis can be cured theoretically by replacing the faulty gene with a functional one in a technique called genetic therapy. However, as of the moment, this modality is far from complete. Hence, the current management of cystic fibrosis consists of symptomatic treatments such as airway clearance therapy, antibiotic treatments to control infections, regular administration of bronchodilators, and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy to improve digestion. It is estimated that more than 10 million individuals carry one

Jack Londons life, reputation, and characteristics of literature that Essay

Jack Londons life, reputation, and characteristics of literature that he has written - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Jack London was a social activist, journalist, and an American author. He has written various short stories, novels, and poems and with time has shown the world that even exciting tales, taking place in bizarre places can have numerous intricacies of wonderful literature. It is without a  doubt that London’s literary work is based mostly on his childhood experiences, which he clearly illustrates using elements such as symbolism and imagery to develop exceptional themes such as existentialism and survival. Jack London was born on January 12th, 1876, in San Francisco. His childhood formed his personality as well as his outlook on his later literary life. Research shows that he spent most of his time in solitude; hence, developed competent skills in storytelling. He did not have a definite home; thus, most of his early ears he lived with his wet nurse and as time went by he lived with a black woman who was called Virginia Prentis s, then his mother flora Wellman. Despite Flora’s flaws as a mother, she instilled the significance of education in London; hence, by the time he was five years old, he could read and attend numerous grammar schools until the age of fourteen years. Therefore, in 1891, he graduated from Cole grammar school though his real education emanated from the public libraries. When he was ten years old, he started going to the public libraries and his voracious reading skills and quiet demeanor impressed Donna Smith, the librarian; hence, became his guide.

Ericsson Mobile Platforms Using Value Chain Model Information Technology Essay

Ericsson Mobile Platforms Using Value Chain Model Information Technology Essay The value grid approach allows firms to identify opportunities and threats in a more explicit way than the traditional value chain. This research aims to test the Value Grid in a multinational company: Ericsson Mobile Platforms (EMP). How does the value grid model help to define the organizations Key Success Factors (KSF)? For this case study, the value grid concept proved to be an interesting heuristic tool to locate opportunities that are not evident from a traditional value chain perspective. EMP can identify indirect ways of influencing demand by playing a coordinative role with network operators. Key Success Factors for Ericsson Mobile Platforms using Porters Value Chain model The value chain model, first depicted and popularized by Michael Porter in 1985, has proved to be an effective approach to analyze and capture the value generated along a chain of activities. But, with the increasing complexity of production and service delivery, critique has arisen from both academics and professionals in terms of value chain model applicability. The value grid approach allows firms to move beyond their industry lines and to identify opportunities and threats in a more explicit way. This research aims to test the Value Grid in a multinational company: Ericsson Mobile Platforms (EMP). How does the value grid model help to find novel opportunities and define the organizations Key Success Factors (KSF)? For this case study, the value grid concept proved to be an interesting heuristic tool to locate opportunities that are not evident from a traditional value chain perspective. EMP can identify indirect ways of influencing demand by playing a coordinative role with netwo rk operators. 1. Models of Value The purpose of this part is to analyze the evolution of value models from the value chain to the value grid through the value system, the value network and the added value chain. The intent is to clarify the relevance of the value grid choice for studying the case of Ericson Mobile Platform. The Value chain The value chain includes all the activities involved in product making. It is a useful tool to measure the value created for each activity in the process of product creation. It is a part of a firms strategic planning to arrange these activities in a way that the total value, the value that buyers are willing to pay, exceeds the total cost. According to Porter (1985), a company can create value through a cost advantage or product differentiation. Porter (1985) identifies two types of activities in the value chain: Primary activities and Support activities. Primary activities are those that create customer value. The goal of the primary activities is to produce value that exceeds the cost, thereby resulting in a profit margin. Support activities concern procurement, human resource management, technological development and infrastructure such as accounting, legal, finance, planning, public affairs, government relations, quality assurance and general management. The activities in the value chain are not independent. Linkages may exist between activities. In fact, one process may affect the cost and performance of the others. Linkage can exist between primary activities, as well as, between primary and support activities. Therefore, competitive advantages can also be derived from the linkages between activities. This is a highly relevant situation for EMP. The Value System Porter (1985) extends the concept of the value chain; a firms value chain is a part of the Value System, which is a network of interconnected value chains between suppliers and buyers. The value system includes the value chains of the upstream suppliers and downstream channels and customers. The available total margin is spread across suppliers, distributors and customers (Recklies, 2001) in the value system. The amount of how much part of this margin is received by each member depends on its market position and negotiation power (Recklies, 2001). A firm who has higher degree of vertical integration has a better position in coordinating its upstream and downstream activities and therefore get a higher margin, however a company with low level of vertical integration can also get high margins if it can achieve better coordination with suppliers and partners. The Value Network Porter (1980, 1985) measures value chain and the five forces model extracted from the organizations activities, in terms of financial value (margin) but ignore the fact that intangible assets such as competencies, internal structures and relationship with the environment are the driving factors behind the financial results (Sveiby, 1997). New methods appear to take into consideration the intangible assets. Value Network Analysis (Allee, 2003) is a method that combines tools that analyze strategy with insight into complexity of interactions among people (Middendorp, 2005). According to this analysis, the intangible assets should be considered as negotiable and exchangeable. Peppar and Rylander (2006) introduce the Network Value Analysis (NVA) method as a way to analyze competitive ecosystems. Combinations of players co-create the value in the network and the method focus not only on the company or the industry, but the value creating system itself (Peppar and Rylander, 2006). Firms cultivate an ecosystem a set of firms that can co-create value by building relationships among the different players in the industry: suppliers, partners, allies and customers (Peppar and Rylander, 2006). Firms that understand the sources of value in the network and are able to exploit them will be the winners in tomorrows more complex industries (Peppar and Rylander, 2006). The Added-value Chain According to McPhee and Wheeler (2006), focusing on the firms internal core activities is not sufficient to generate value in todays firms. The authors propose an added-value chain model that includes a set of expanded business activities from different business models and a redefinition of value that incorporates brand, reputation, and relationship-based value drivers of the firm. In the added-value chain model, the definition of value incorporates profit margin and intangible assets like leadership quality, innovate capability, brand equity and competences in strategic-alliance development. This new value definition gives to the firms the ability to evaluate how their strategies affect both hard and soft assets of the firms (McPhee and Wheeler, 2006). This model is incomplete for example in finding and exploring non-linear value opportunities. The Value Grid New research conducted by Pil and Holweg (2006) argues that this approach can also put a stranglehold on innovation at a time when the greatest opportunities for value creation (and the most significant threats to long-term survival) often originate outside the traditional, linear view. Based on this critic, Pil and Holweg (2006) develop an evolved concept of Value Chain called Value Grid, which has a variety of new paths to enhanced performance, resulting in a three dimensional grid: the vertical, the horizontal and the integrative diagonal dimensions. Regarding the vertical dimension, firms are seeking for competitive advantages in the value chain by reducing cost, reducing lead time between activities and improving coordination between supplier and customers. However, how the benefits are distributed across the value chain depends on the balanced power between suppliers and manufactures. Therefore companies need to focus on three areas: Opportunities to influence customer demand both upstream and downstream, opportunities to modify information access in either direction, and finally opportunities to explore penetration points in multiple tiers that are not immediately adjacent (Pil and Holweg, 2006). The horizontal dimension provides opportunities for companies to move across value chains, in order to leverage economies of scale across multiple sources of demand (Pil and Holweg, 2006). The potential of this dimension is to enable companies to manage risk, seize existing value (special products with advanced technology), integrate sources of existing value and explore new ways to create value. The horizontal thinking allows parallel value chains to be viewed from different industries, in this way companies can integrate these parallel value chains to offer package or price combinations, which cannot be achieved by the single value chain approach. Finally, in the diagonal dimension, firms explore the grid in an integrative fashion, in order to increase the control over inputs and customers. Firms looks at the upstream and downstream of other value chains for controlling the critical components of the supply chain and uncovering new ways of boosting customer demands (Pil and Holweg, 2006). Pil and Holweg describe the two strategies that take advantages from this dimension: The first is pursuing Pinch-Point mapping when companies shall monitor key component supplies and negotiate alternative source of components. The second is defining demand enablers when companies that have a particular expertise in a given value chain, can examine other value chains in other industries that can leads to new opportunities to leverage key competitive advantages (Pil and Holweg, 2006). Industry Background The telecommunications industry is undergoing radical transformations through liberalization, lowering of technological barriers to entry and the diversity of players (Li and Whalley, 2002). Originally, the process of manufacturing a complete mobile phone was finished within one company. However, as with the PC industry, the value chain for making a mobile phone has become more fragmented according to a more stratified approach (Anderson and JÃ ¶nsson, 2006). Companies like Ericsson Mobile Platforms (EMP) and Qualcomm are examples of this change in the industry. They provide technology solutions for mobile manufactures that enable them to make a new phone model much faster without having the core knowledge like radio access. New actors and new services enlarge the mobile communications value chain in both ways, functionally and institutionally (Buellingen and Woerter , 2004; Ballon, de Munck, Poel and de Pas, 2001; Fertig, Prince and Walrod,1999). The traditional concept of value chain may not be sufficient for todays firms (Buellingen and Woerter, 2004). Barnes (2002) tries to adapt the value chain analysis for m-commerce and analyses the players, technologies and activities involved. Full-size image (36K) The basic model consists of six core processes in two main areas: First infrastructure and services, and second the area of content. Pagani and Fine (2008) consider five principal actors in the supply chain: the content providers, application providers, infrastructure providers, network providers the device providers. They assume that the end consumers create demand, set the rules of engagement and then pull the supply chain system (Pagani and Fine, 2008). In the last decade with the entry of powerful new players, rapid technological developments and increasing market turbulences (Li and Whalley, 2002), the mobile handset industry has changed from a vertical specialization to a more horizontally stratified structure. A complex and rapidly evolving value network is developing (Li and Whalley, 2002). There are more parties involved in the process of making a mobile phone. Each party focuses on areas of the value chain where they have core competences such as new technology, customer relationships management, or infrastructure management. The market is then highly complex and competitive given the fact that companies compete also with companies from other industries operating under different value propositions and economics (Li and Whalley, 2002). Methodology: Research design and data collection There are several techniques for identifying Key Success Factors, Leidecker and Bruno (1984) propose the following: environmental scanning, industry structure analysis, industrial experts opinions, competitors analysis, best practice analysis, assessment of the companys internal feeling or judgment, intuitive factors and gathered data of profit impact and market strategy. This study mixes between internal assessment of a firm and industrial experts opinions. This internal assessment technique explores the firms forces and weaknesses. The KSFs are thus concluded from the interviews with experts in the industry. - Figure 1 about here - As designed in the research model, first a value chain analysis focuses on the firms core competences from an inside perspective. In parallel, the firms value chain is positioned into the value system of the industry, to identify adjacent players and external linkages and determine firms ecosystem. An analysis of the Value Chain aims to identify competitive advantages. From the Value System and the ecosystem, the Value Grid framework identifies competitive advantages from its three dimensions. The outcomes from Value chain and Value Grid are analyzed to test the Value Grid and to extract the KSF for EMP. An ideal analysis of the KSF for EMP would be to do benchmarking with other companies from the same Industry. Then it will be possible to define EMPs real strategic advantages. However, due to availability of information this research focuses on an inside-out perspective and tests the concept of the Value Grid using one source of empirical data (a single case study). Semi-structured interviews are conducted with a specific list of topics to be covered (Bryman and Bell, 2003). The advantage of this method is that the interviewer is free to reformulate the questions or simply ask new questions that may appear as a result of the answer of the interviewee (Bryman and Bell, 2003). According to Grunert and Ellegaard (1992), this type of interview with business decision makers can measure perceived KSF. Five key persons are chosen for an interview from EMP: Robert Puskaric, head of EMP, Martin JÃ ¶nsson, from Product Portfolio Management, Fredrik Dalhgren Deputy Director of System Management, PÃ ¤r Stigmer from Sourcing and Supply and Linda Wenerman from Product Management. Empirical Findings for Ericsson Mobile Platforms Ericsson Mobile Platforms is a business unit within the Ericsson Group. It was founded in 2001 as a result of a split from the Ericsson mobile handset division, Ericsson Mobile Communications. This split ended up in Ericsson Mobile Platforms (EMP) and the joint-venture Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. Before that time, Ericsson produced mobile platforms for in-house use only. Through EMP, Ericsson started to license open-standard 2.5G and 3G technology platforms to other mobile phone manufacturers and other mobile communication devices. EMP offers stable platform deliveries that include ASICs and development boards (hardware), platform software, reference design, development and testing tools, training, support and documentation. The EMP platforms contain integrated circuits and softwares needed to build a GPRS, EDGE and/or WCDMA phone. It provides all the system functions such as Network Signaling, Data communications and Multimedia services. The system architecture of EMP is a modular design that is built on a use case analysis (Kornby, 2005). Examples of use cases are: imagining, video telephony, voice call, multimedia streaming, call handling, audio and video. The following criteria have been taken into account to develop this system architecture (Kornby, 2005): complete platform software (not only protocols), stability, flexibility, scalability to different market segments, adaptability to customer software applications, one single architecture for different mobile systems (GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA), maximum reuse of components and customer applications; and backward compatibility in software over the time. Customers build their applications on top of EMP platform software stack. Examples of customers applications are: multimedia players, phone call applications, web browsers, etc. EMP also supplies a suite of core applications where customers can use as a starting point for building their applications. EMP provides a complete application suite to support customers who do not build their own applications. This is especially for customers who want to focus in the low-end market. The goal of the EMPs Application Suite is to reduce time-to-market for customers in launching their phones. EMPs business model The EMPs business model consists of two parts: to license its core technology and to sell engineering support services to the customers. EMP charges a one-time up-front fixed payment for a Platform license and a royalty per unit that represent the major source of revenue (Kornby, 2005). EMP has built an ecosystem in order to ensure the maximum value creation for EMP. The five players in the EMPs ecosystem are depicted in figure 2. - Figure 2 about here - The first set of players relates to Network Providers; these companies offer the telecom infrastructure such as wireless communications systems. The main partner with EMP is LM Ericssons network group. They work hand-by-hand to provide end-to-end solutions, align roadmaps and ensure that EMP platforms can support the new network functionality offered by Ericsson (Kornby, 2005). Second, EMP has a closer relationship with the customers to ensure that new customer requirements are collected promptly in order to implement new functionality as early as possible. The third set of players in EMP ecosystem relates to Network Operators. These companies provide the services to the end-users (subscribers). They also purchase phones from mobile manufactures that are sold to the operators subscribers. Very often operators request mobile manufactures to use a specific mobile platform (Kornby, 2005). Thus EMP has built an important relationship in order to understand future operators requirements to secure that new functionality is available in the EMPs platform. Fourth, EMP and LM Ericsson are active at work with the standardization bodies such as 3GPP, OMA, JCP and OMPT. This is done in order to ensure interoperability of EMPs mobile platforms worldwide. And finally EMP works actively with ASIC, peripheral, IP and software suppliers in order to get fair prices for building EMP products. 4.2 The EMPs Value Chain and Value System The direct activities of EMPs value chain are: supply chain Management, hardware design activity, Software development and integration activity, a system reference design activity, a System Test and Interoperability Test (IOT), Product Use, External Networks and finally a customization activity. EMP has also a prototype unit that builds prototype phones for testing early functionality. The EMPs value chain and value system are depicted in figure 3. - Figure 3 about here - 4.2.1 Supply Chain Management EMP basically does not have any regular material flow, but outsource software and hardware through licenses. The task of the sourcing and supply department is to act as an internal consultant at EMP for deciding whether to buy an IP or develop hardware/software in-house. The sourcing department works tightly with the product definition and the RD organization; they work proactively to ensure fair prices. The decisions are based on three aspects: comparing the prices of buying from others and developing by itself, assessing the risk of buying and finally evaluating the total value by an in-house development. For example, to get a new IP in the platform, the sourcing department evaluates the total cost composed of the getting IP cost from supplier and the using IP cost (license) per ASIC. In this case customers pay the license directly, the cost of integrating an IP into the suppliers ASIC (a supplier may have already the knowledge of adding this IP, thus it becomes cheaper) and the co st of the final integration into the platform (how difficult is to make drivers and APIs to control the IP). The sourcing and supply department acts differently depending of what wants to outsource. For IPs, the negotiations are based on case, for ARM and DSP cores it builds long term relationship with the suppliers, and for a specific component such as Image Signal Processor (ISP) it chooses the best price in the market. Since ASICs are costly, EMP co-develops the design with suppliers and builds long term relationship. 4.2.2 Hardware design (HW) Regarding the Hardware, EMP only designs and specifies requirements for the different hardware components in the platform. As is shown in the Error: Reference source not foundASIC suppliers (or fabs) test and manufacture the hardware. EMP verifies the hardware components only when it builds the reference design. The design of the HW is divided into two main parts, Front-End and Back End design. For the Radio Frequency (RF) hardware EMP designs the Front-End and Back-End. For the Digital Base Band (DBB) EMP only does the front-end design. Finally, the analog base band (ABB) ASIC, EMP only specifies the hardware requirements and leaves the rest to the ASICs suppliers 4.2.3 Software development and Integration Software development and Integration refers to developing software solutions for the different stacks in the software platform architecture. This activity also involves developing EMP (in-house) software stacks such as Network Signaling protocols for WCDMA, GSM/GPRS and EDGE; data communication protocols such as, TCP/IP, RTP, and IMS; multimedia protocols for streaming music and video; developing a set of application platform interfaces to control the software platform and hardware. DBB, ABB, RF, and peripheral are to implement low level drivers to control hardware components inside the mobile platform. This activity also involves integration of third party proprietary software components such as, music codecs (like MP3 and Windows media player), and operating systems. This activity also involves testing the software at different levels: module tests, regression tests and integration tests. 4.2.4 Reference design EMP builds reference boards and real-size reference phones. These non-commercial phones are produced in small quantities that are internally used for software development and hardware verification, interoperability test and early-stage test of hardware for customers. 4.2.5 System Test and Interoperability test The system test consists of the verification of the complete reference design. The tests are conducted in lab, with network vendors and interoperability test with major live networks operators in the world. This is a very costly task and it is done to uncover ambiguities in the basic standards and specification. It also covers informal type approval test for the phone (Kornby, 2005). Value Chain Analysis According to the theoretical framework a company can generate competitive advantages by analyzing the different activities in the value chain. EMPs value chain basically works only in the service domain. EMP licenses its platform solutions and let the customers manage the manufacturing process with EMPs suppliers, thus the EMPs core activities are design (both in hardware and software), integration and testing of the platform (of the whole system). EMPs advantage appears in the fact that the firm has designed a holistic system architecture which makes easy to develop and test the functionality independently. This saves considerable a considerable time amount at the integration phase. Moreover, the system is designed to be flexible and scalable, so it is easy to re-use and add new functionality. Therefore, EMPs main strength is that the firm successfully manages to develop, integrate and test very complex new technologies to deliver a stable cost-effective platform solution when techn ology development is not in a mature phase. The main EMPs competitive advantage is to be the leader in providing cost-effective solutions for the mass market when the new technologies are emerging. Another interesting strength found is that the brand image of Ericsson plays an important role when meeting with new suppliers. The reputation of the Ericsson corporation is transferred to EMP and it facilitates the starting of new agreements and business opportunities. Potential Risks The value chain is an analytical tool that helps to find value in each activity; this can also be used for finding weakness and improvement areas. From the value chain we can identify two main weaknesses. First, the base band ASICs are the most costly part in the platform, despite that EMP says that it has managed to get fair licenses prices for the ASICs. The power of the suppliers is relatively high, thus EMP cannot have full control of the hardware prices. It seems that high margins still go to ASIC manufactures. Second, at this moment, EMP does not have the competence and the resources to integrate vertically in the upstream value chain. According to the interviewees, the most valuable strategic resource at EMP resides in personnels competence in the area of radio access technology and in the skills for designing a flexible and low cost system. These two competences are the driving forces for providing a cost-optimized mobile platform. The main risk in the value chain comes from the suppliers side. When technology reached a mature market, there is a risk that the technology becomes a commodity product and thus, suppliers can acquire knowledge on how to implement these technologies in their own ASICs. This implies that ASIC manufactures can produce ultra low cost platforms, due to the fact that they can control the price of the hardware. Another identified potential risk relate to how much EMP should outsource (Varadarajan, 2009). As is shown in the value chain (figure 3), EMP outsources a number of software components. An indiscriminate software outsourcing policy may lead to the loss of competences inside the EMP value chain (such as signal processing knowledge) thus reduce the value of the platform offering. 5.2 Benchmark What are the EMPs keys factors that are considered important for success? EMP is constantly evaluating and comparing with competitors in terms of cost, size, performance and power consumption of the product offering. From an end-users perspective, EMP is interested in delivering high quality multimedia functions for providing good speech and audio quality. Other benchmark measures are purely financial measures. All the interviewees agree that there are areas of improvement for EMP from a value chain perspective. 5.2.1 Horizontal integration In most of the interviews, a potential improvement for EMP consists in the integration of the value chain from a horizontal perspective by adding others technologies for example to offer an integrated solution with WLAN, BT or FM radio. The platform today provides the flexibility to add these peripherals, but this is a work that the customer must do when he done the product design (and it doesnt add a real value for EMP). This extended platform function offering in EMP platforms has the following impacts: 1) As customers will have less control over the price for these peripherals, they will not be able to bargain the prices 2) the cost of the EMP platform for customers will increase, 3) the total PCB area will go down due to integration of the peripheral in the ASICs and 4) the final product from a customer perspective (i.e. phone ready to launch with everything in place) will result in a total cost reduction. Thus, EMP would add value into the platform and customers will benefit fro m cheaper phones. In order to integrate these peripherals, EMP should create alliances with these suppliers in a cost effective manner (HÃ ¥kansson and Ford, 2002). It is not enough to just integrate any peripheral; it should be a peripheral that can be used by almost all customers in the different platforms, in a way that provide a common platform offering. Otherwise it will end up in a customized platform and the total value added from a portfolio perspective may not be that clear. An example of a peripheral that may fit with this approach is BT devices. The goal of EMP will probably be the re-use of the same platform as much as possible; however this is not defined yet. EMP has managed to have more than one ASIC supplier. This has increased the possibilities of getting fair prices. EMP is still looking to increase the number of suppliers to gain bargaining power. 5.2.2 Vertical integration Almost all the interviews discuss the fact, if the vertically integration must be in the upstream or not. As was described, the most costly part in the platforms is the ASICs and in order to offer competitive price, alliances must be created with ASICs suppliers. However, what if EMP chooses a fabless model? EMP would need then to focus more on the design of the hardware devices (today, it leaves it to some suppliers to design the hardware). EMP should start to do more IP designs, to focus on the back-end design of all the hardware components (ASICs) and create cell libraries for them. This vertical integration implies that EMP would leave ASIC manufacturing to a silicon foundry (for example, companies like TSMC, UMC, Chartered, etc). The advantage is that EMP would be able to choose suppliers, to get better prices and thus to get higher margins. For instance the EMPs competitor Qualcomm has this approach and uses TSMC as ASIC manufacturing. Nevertheless, complete back-end design requires EMP to build specific competence and skills for the complete hardware design. Moreover, EMP would need to take care of production issues like yield management, quality and logistics. This could lead to an expensive learning experience. Since EMP is a rather small company in global terms which focuses mostly in software design and system integration, a solution would probably be to invest in a company who has already the skills and experience. But in the near future this option will be not considered. Test of Value Grid Value Grid offers a variety of new paths to enhance performance, resulting in a three dimensional grid: the vertical, the horizontal and the integrative diagonal dimensions (Pil and Holweg, 2006). 6.1 Vertical Dimension From the theory of Value Grid and the analysis of the value chain in the previous section, there is a match between the External Networks from the value-added chain concept and how to influence customer demand in the downstream. In this case the relationship between EMP and network operators plays an important coordinative role (Andersen and Christensen, 2005). EMP cannot influence demand directly since this activity is mainly driven by EMPs customers who manufacture, distribute and sell the phones to operators and end-users by other distribution channels. Indeed, network operators distribute a great part of the mobiles phones to the end-users due to their infrastructure. In order to increase traffic in their networks, they finance partly the cost of the phone by tying it with contracts (fixed subscriptions periods normally for one or two years) or offering a phone at lower cost with the restriction that the phone can only be used exclusively with prepaid SIM cards. Therefore, to inc rease sales and market share, EMP can build a strong relationship with operators and persuade them to buy mobiles phones from EMPs customers. 6.2 Horizontal Dimension In this dimension similarities were detected betwee

Skating on Thin Ice :: essays research papers

Skating on Thin Ice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Olympic Games have been around for hundreds of years. They are something that people everywhere around the world look forward to all year long. Athlete or not, everyone knows what the Olympics are. With the extreme popularity comes extreme broadcasting. Millions of people turned on their televisions and radios, read newspapers and magazines, and searched the web to hear the results and news about the games this winter. Broadcasting feeds people. They crave to hear the latest scandal, see footage of the most recent event, and be informed of what is going on in the world that they live in. This year the figure skating competition drew a particularly enormous audience. Because a scandal was involved, figure skating received special attention, which left the sport with a new reputation. Media is a powerful thing; this was proven this year during the winter Olympic games.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A lot was heard, and learned, about figure skating during the past month of Olympic coverage. This year, a problem with judging and secret deals caused two gold medals to be given out; one to the Russians and one to the Canadians. What happened off the ice seemed juicier than the actual competition, according to many sources of media. What is interesting, is that controversy is not uncommon to the sport of figure skating. A Newsweek article, â€Å"The Sleazy Side of Skating,† gives many examples of past figure skating scandals. In 1908, at the London Olympics, Russian Nicolai Panin withdrew from competition, saying the judges were stacked against him. At the 1936 Games, a Hungarian judge placed the Hungarian skaters second and third, which stood out when no other judge had placed them higher than seventh. In 1927 at the World Championships in Oslo, a Norwegian skater placed first, thanks to three Norwegian judges. That led the International Skating Union to restrict each country to one judge. Although these are significant examples of figure skating trickery, they were not really important until now. Journalists are researching the history of figure skating, and making known scandals that had occurred in the past. In 1993, Tonya Harding’s husband paid $6,500 to have Nancy Kerrigan injured so his wife could have an advantage. The Harding-Kerrigan scandal was this country’s first real taste of the drama that goes on with figure skating. Because a scandal involving money and crime took place, it was shown all over television, and talked about on the radio.