Reports of Gods Death Are a Bit Premature - 1367 Words

The Reports of Gods Death Are a Bit Premature Arguing the death of God is a debate that will last until eternity. Regardless of exploration or religious zeal there are far too many human viewpoints leaning towards the idea of and the strong need for faith. Believing in God for some is as natural as walking upright and it would seem that through such unquestionable faith God would somehow still be alive. But perhaps He is only surviving with the help of life support. For example, it would be difficult to tell a passionate Fundamentalist Christian that God was not alive in his or her heart. Therefore, Nietzches claim of Gods demise would fall on deaf ears, for he or she would, in a sense, be keeping God alive with†¦show more content†¦And if doubt alone didnt kill Him, combine it with a feeling of failure and a broken heart and its no wonder that he has passed on. The question now is: what do we do about it? Because of this death of God the Idea, we must enter into a period of nihilism where we will believe in nothing and doubt everything. Nihilism represents the ultimate logical conclusion of our great values and ideals -- because we must experience nihilism before we can find out what value these values really had. -- We require, at some time, new values (Kaufman 131). Since we are humans and by nature we need to have some form of religion in our lives, we will then begin to create a new religion, a religion of our own. This new Religion will be based upon our own interpretations about our meaning and our existence. We will draw our own conclusions and not rely on religion to simply do it for us. By virtue of having killed God, we will become our own gods! (Kaufman 126). The implications this sudden death holds for us are vast. But what is at the forefront is the idea of rebuilding and starting over. It is not easy to start anything from scratch, and reinventing a new religion for the human race is much more complicated than apple pie. We must begin to have faith in ourselves as individuals, we must look inward and toward the earth. We cannot look solely to science for answers, for thereShow MoreRelatedShort Story: Mars Mission2636 Words   |  11 PagesObergruppenfà ¼hrer Dirlewanger, in command of the Death Star Operations. Even the Reichsfà ¼hrer was shocked at their proximity to the Zealots. The Wehrmacht was surprised by the Zealots and now the SS was going to enjoy massacring them. â€Å"What are you looking at me for? Of course, eliminate them,† smiled the SS Reichsfà ¼hrer, pleasantly surprised that anyone would think that Himmler was going to pause at the thought of eliminating Jews. He adjusted his Prinz-nez as the SS Death Star began to aim at the main MothershipsRead MoreThe Barnhouse Effect4939 Words   |  20 Pagesif they expect to learn how they can bring about the so-called Barnhouse Effect. If I were able and willing to give away that secret, I would certainly be something more important than a psychology instructor. I have been urged to write this report because I did research under the professors direction and because I was the first to learn of his astonishing discovery. But while I was his student I was never entrusted with knowledge of how the mental forces could be released and directed. HeRead MoreIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pages1904 Ganot published an English, Ibo and French dictionary, based on the Onitsha dialect, and in 1907 Zappa published a French-Igbo dictionary based on a Western Igbo dialect. Northcote W. Thomas devoted four of the six volumes of his Anthropological report on the Ibo-speaking peoples of Nigeria to language, three of them being essentially lexicographic. Part II (1913) consists of an English-Ibo and Ibo-English dictionary, based on the Awka and Onitï€ ¬sha dialects. It has a rather complex and non-phonemicRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagesbody of scholarly and popular literature on the movement, including sociological and anthrop ological studies, biographies, monographs, dissertations, published and unpublished essays, and periodical articles. Archival sources, such as newspaper reports, policy statements, pamphlets, and organization manuals have also provided useful information. Chapter 1 reviews and reï ¬ nes Webers theory of charisma and routinization, using insights from a number of social movement scholars. Though this bookRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pageswhen they know their exact responsibilities. Principle 4: Authority can be exercised effectively in an organization when positions are arranged hierarchically, so employees know whom to report to and who reports to them.20 Managers must create an organizational hierarchy of authority that makes it clear who reports to whom and to whom managers and workers should go if conï ¬â€šicts or problems arise. This principle is especially important in the armed forces, FBI, CIA, and other organizations that dealRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesthat there is a world ‘out there’ awaiting our unbiased inspection is, in itself, a major philosophical assumption that influences how we operate. Perhaps our acts of perceiving and observing create much what we assume to be ‘out there’ rather than report what ‘is’ – a very different philosophical stance. This issue becomes evident when we turn to what is meant by the term organization below. In sum, theories are highly influential upon what we do and why we do it. Theories allow us to see the world

Developmental Model Of Intercultural Sensitivity - 1225 Words

Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity is a creation of Milton J. Bennett and is used as a basis to describe the responses of individuals to cultural diversity. In both corporate and academic settings, he noticed that people normally challenged cultural diversity in some anticipated methods as they gained knowledge of becoming more experienced intercultural communicators. Using ideas from constructivism and cognitive psychology, he structured these explanations into six stages of accumulative sensitivity to cultural diversity (Hernandez, 2012). The six stages comprise of the denial stage, defense, minimization, acceptance, adaptation and integration. This paper will address these stages through the analysis of the movie ‘Outsourced’. The principal notion of this particular model is that as an individual’s knowledge of cultural difference increasingly becomes more sophisticated and complex, their proficiency in intercultural relationship maximizes. Each stage shows a specific cognitive structure, which is expressed in particular forms of behavior and attitudes associated with cultural difference. By identifying the fundamental cognitive direction toward cultural diversity, predictions concerning attitudes and behavior can be deduced and in turn education can be designed to simplify growth into the subsequent stage. Adopting film as an experience, tutors of intercultural communication may depend on the movieShow MoreRelatedThe Developmental Model Of Intercultural Sensitivity Essay1235 Words   |  5 PagesThe developmental model that I will be using is Bennett’s developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (DMIS). Bennett’s model â€Å"†¦provides a framework for understanding individual development and awareness along a continuum from high ethnocentric to highly ethnorelative, and this framework can help us better understand some of the dynamics that might occur† (Bennett, 135). According to the model, there are two groups ethnocentric, which has three sub stages, and ethnorelative, which also has threeRead MoreIntercultural Competence Of International Recruiters37.9088 Words   |  37 PagesINTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE OF INTERNATIONAL RECRUITERS 37 Literature Review Studies of intercultural competence over the past thirty years attempt to measure the success or growth of an individual’s knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to other cultures (Sinicrope, Norris Watanabe, 2007). Global learning outcomes such as intercultural communication skills, intercultural adaptability, intercultural sensitivity, intercultural maturity, and intercultural competence are skills that universitiesRead MoreIntercultural Leadership6009 Words   |  25 Pagesleaders: Exploring intercultural competence in leadership education Irving, Justin A. Bethel University Abstract The globalization of the world has brought about massive shifts over the past two decades. With the increase of international travel, the quantum leaps in global communication brought about by the World Wide Web and the increasingly interdependent global economy, the way leaders and organizations approach business has dramatically changed. While intercultural competence was onceRead MoreCommunication Theories And Concepts Of The Film Outsourced1325 Words   |  6 Pagesexperience in the same country, India. When referring to communication, it is fundamental to grasp The Shannon and Weaver Model that was invented in 1947. This is basically an exemplary of a few stages in which the information source called sender, sends the information to its destination, the receiver. Information obviously does not get to the receiver magically; this is why this model was invented. It is a way to illustrate how a person shares beliefs and ideas, and how they reach their destination.Read MoreEssay on Benefits Of Student Exchange Programs990 Words   |  4 Pageslearns a new language and experiences a new culture. Nowadays, there are more than 35 international exchange programs from which very many high school students benefit. For instance, each year, almost 13000 students travel on American Field Service Intercultural Programs between 65 countries (AFS, 2011). Unfortunately, the number of students who go on exchange is still relatively low, even if the benefits they receive are big. Because the age o f 15-18 is the perfect period of time for going on an exchangeRead MoreForeign Students And Other Socio Cultural Contexts Essay1363 Words   |  6 Pagesthat contact Cultural is one of the most important stressful events in the life of a subject. They define acculturation based on research conducted by Lazarus And Folkman (1984), the model proposed by Berry (1994) and the theory of learning Cultural theory of Furnham and Brochner (1986). So they make a model of Acculturation that takes into account stress and coping, the Cultural learning, distinguishing two dimensions: psychological (representing the Feelings of well-being and satisfactionRead MoreMajor Categories Of Direct Practice1306 Words   |  6 Pagestheir strengths. I can competently name and describe the five major meta-framework theories in my own practice. The five major meta-framework theories are the systems theory, ecological perspective, life model of social work practice, strengths perspective, and empowerment-based practice model. The systems theory connects all of a person’s life experiences and interactions to allow an understanding of how all of those systems impact a person’s life. These systems include the micro system, whichRead MoreIntercultural Communication Is Defined As A Study Of Cultural Differences Essay1784 Words   |  8 PagesIntercultural communication is defined as the study of cultural differences, which occur within cultural interactions. Certain theories, concepts and models can be studied and applied to these interactions in order to manage these differences (Ting-Toomey, 2012). Using a chosen individual, this essay will explore the cultural exchanges, which the individual has experienced and use app ropriate intercultural theoretical concepts in order to show intercultural communication understanding. Culture shockRead MoreCross Cultural Communication : Communication2092 Words   |  9 Pagesjust use your heard to embrace as much culture ‘s altitude as you can. The second one is role reversal, it means when confront some issue that transcend your cultural condition, you should change the view of thinking , try to set up a new thinking model that similar to your foreign colleague , develop empathy and reduce the myopia of viewing problem .Using their eyes to see the world. The third one is do no try to believe the your initial interpretation ,you must realize that you do not have anyRead MoreInterview At My Mother, Cindy Brown Essay1122 Words   |  5 Pagesanother country, this taught her how to treat foreigners here in the United States. Especially if they do not speak English, because she knows how scary the situation can seem. Starting out my mother was in the denial stage of the developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. After she went she was probably between the stages of acceptance and adaption. When returning back to the United States, the only problem that she faced was that when she went through customs they had stamped her passport wrong

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Free Essays

According to Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, (2005) the term homosexuality denotes sexual interest in members of one’s own anatomic sex and applies to both_ _men and women. Homosexual males are often referred to as gay males and homosexual females or referred to as lesbians. Gay males and lesbians have existed throughout history. We will write a custom essay sample on Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality or any similar topic only for you Order Now The historical and scientific perspectives on homosexuality have shaped the way gay individuals perceive themselves in various ways. These perspectives may also be beneficial to heterosexuals’ understanding of others in our world of sexual diversity. When looking at historical perspectives, religion and past societies’ sexual behavior is addressed. Although past Greek and Roman cultures were frequently involved in homosexual relationships, the Christian religion denounced those sexual associations and made their beliefs and intentions clear that this behavior was not to continue, for example, according to the book of Genesis in the Holy bible, the city of Sodom was destroyed by God as a punishment as a punishment for sexual activity with members of the same sex. The legal system became intertwined with the Christian belief that homosexuality was sinful and would punish inappropriate sex acts as criminal offenses (Rathus, Nevid, Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Another perspective to consider is heritage. Traditionally, in many cultures, there are specific roles for the male and the female. When family is the â€Å"primary social unit† as we find in Latino and Latina American culture, anything but the designated gender roles is not acceptable (Rathus, Nevid, Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Interestingly enough, males can be sexual with other males without being considered gay (Rathus, Nevid, Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Women cannot be sexual with other women though because that would be a threat to the traditional male dominance in that culture. Women also need to be virgins when they marry men so any sexual acts before marriage are prohibited. Specific gender roles in many cultures around the world lay the foundation for what is correct and incorrect for males and females in regard to sexual orientation. The scientific perspective of homosexuality is whether homosexuality is caused by environmental influences or whether gay individuals are born that way. This question has been pondered byscientists for decades, but there is strong evidence to support the idea that homosexuality is an inborn characteristic. Research done on both identical and fraternal twins, show that there are higher concordance rates of gay monozygotic twins. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus, (2005) report that about â€Å"52% of identical (MZ) twin pairs were found to be â€Å"concordant† (in agreement) for a gay male sexual orientation, compared with 22% of fraternal (DZ) twins and only 11% of adoptive brothers† (p. 312). Also, evidence has suggested that hormonal influences could be responsible for differences in sexual orientation. Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus (2005) explain that prenatal sex hormones be responsible for tissues in the brain to think sexually one way, but for genital development to be the other way. Also, structural examinations on the brains of heterosexual and homosexual males have provided speculative evidence that a part of the hypothalamus in gay males is smaller than that region of the hypothalamus in heterosexual males. The scientific perspectives have helped many gay people come to terms with themselves, which has made coming out easier. Before scientific evidence provided clues that homosexuality could be inborn, many people believe that people â€Å"choose† to be gay. However, the scientific evidence proves that many are actually â€Å"born† gay. Gay people do not choose their sexuality, but rather live according to sexual impulses that are going on within them. Gay individuals now accept themselves more because they are convinced that they did not choose their sexual identity, as much as it was given to them. Many homosexuals have formed organizations that are involved personally with others in sharing life stories and involved politically in achieving equal rights for gays and gay couples Although I have always been attracted to individual of the opposite sex, which means that I am Heterosexual, after learning about the historical and scientific perspectives of Homosexuality that I was not aware of before, I better understand others who are oriented in ways that differ from mine. I feel as though learning about the history, the scientific research concerning cross-species subjects, and the biology on homosexuality can be beneficial for humanity in order to learn tolerance for differences among sexual orientations. References Rathus, S. A. , Nevid, J. S. , and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. (6th ed. ) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. How to cite Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality, Papers Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Free Essays HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES PSY/265 Ana Diaz 10/20/1012 Kavita Kostek The way we view homosexuality has very much to do with how we were raised and taught depending on where we are from, our parents beliefs and what others around us tell us. Because of this we believe what we believe and will stand by them unless we ourselves come to a different conclusion as we grow older. I was raised a Catholic and was taught by the Bible teachings that homosexuality was wrong and will go to hell if that is what you practiced. We will write a custom essay sample on Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this paper we will look a little at the historical and scientific perspectives of homosexuality. We will first be starting with the historical view which has much to do with what the bible teaches on homosexuality. When we look back at ancient Greece where homosexuality was really not that big of a deal, older men would have relationships with adolescent males’ right at the time when they grew their first beards (online text pg. 28). Then we can go to Rome where there were men that were very feminine and walked around certain parts of town looking for men to bed. In Florence which was a very Christian city had many sodomites (this is a Jewish and Christian word that signifies the connection between sodomy and the city of Sodom in the Bible which supposedly God destroyed (Genesis 19). I remember watching a movie called â€Å"Caligula†. This movie depicted how free the Romans were with sexual favors and bedding with those of same sex was an all-time occurrence especially male with male (online textpg. 287). Sodomy was such a natural thing but it bothered the governors at the time so they created a group called â€Å"The Office of the Night in 1437 to enable its citizens to be able to accuse others anonymously of sodomy (Human Sexuality pg. 287). Once the Roman Empire ceased to exist, throughout Western Europe Christianity spread and its beliefs were made part of secular laws. Next we can take a look at homosexuals through the cross-species perspective. Biologists have watched the male-male and female – female behavior of 450 species in every part of the world (Hird, 2006). Through this study they monitored the behavior of baboons and learned that male baboons may present their rear to other male baboons and allow themselves to be mounted either because the other is dominant or for protection and favors. I think by this study they concluded that human beings are much more like the animal species than we want to be. We do have animal instincts. We will now look at the psychological views on homosexuality with looking into the psychoanalytic views of Sigmund Freud who is the originator of psychoanalytic theory. He believed that children are all open to all forms of sexual stimulation. He says that once a boy lets go of the incestuous desire for his mother he will relate with his dad and will desire women as he reaches puberty and the same for girls when it comes to how they relate with their mothers. What Freud is saying here is that depending on the relationship between parent and child and how it manifests itself sexually has influence on what the person’s personal sexual preference they will have when they mature. People are afraid of coming out and letting others know that they are gay because they are afraid of ridicule, personal injury or being ousted from their families. In the past it was much harder because there was much homophobia around. Now with all the gay activists and groups for support it is much easier. We have to be true to ourselves and if we feel that who we are physically is not who we really feel like then we should have to feel that we have to hide it. I grew up Catholic as I have stated and I grew up thinking that sex was between man and woman and not man-man or woman and woman. Now as I am older I know that people are just people but have different likes and that is what. Scientific findings never stirred me one way or another as to my sexual orientation. What did do it was my religious beliefs and even though I have nothing against the LGBT community I still believe that sex should be between man and woman along with marriage but I would never deny anyone else right to live life as they feel is right for them. References: Human Sexuality online text . How to cite Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality, Essay examples Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Free Essays Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality PSY/265 February 17, 2013 Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality To understand homosexuality you need to first understand what it means. Homosexuality is defined as being a romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual activity of the same sex or same gender. Over the years homosexuality seems to be more common and accepted not only among peers but among different cultures, that was not always the case. We will write a custom essay sample on Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality or any similar topic only for you Order Now Homosexuality has been documented over the ages in many different ways, from being accepted by the ancient Greeks in pictures where you see the older man inserting his penis between a boy’s thighs (not in the anus of the young boy) and thrusting until he ejaculated. The Romans described centuries later about certain groups of men who dressed what is referred to these days as being flamboyant from the clothes they wore to the way they did their hair, they also described these men as having a very flamboyant personality. These men were said to be walking in certain neighborhoods looking for partners. Then you had the other side of it where it was and is still considered a religious sin within the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths. Florence which was a Christian city in the 15th century considered male-male interaction as a sin of Sodom. In this paper we will discuss three perspectives are cross-cultural perspective, biological perspective, and psychological perspective. Cross-cultural perspective on homosexuality takes a look at the cultural part of homosexuality. Ford and Beach (1951) in their review of 76 preliterate societies, 49 societies viewed male-male interaction as normal and considered acceptable. The 27 societies left have sanctions against male-male interactions. It is said that some societies look at male-male sexuality as a rite of passage and that semen is looked at as a source of strength and virility. Now it is understood that this is only accepted during the early teenage years and that during the late teenage years and early the males are expected to take a wife and to have solely male-female relationships. Biological perspective is said to focus on the roles of evolution, genetics, and hormonal influences in the shaping of the sexual orientation of an individual. There is biological testing dating back all the way to 1930 on the biological argument over homosexuality. Karen Hooker conducted a psychological test in 1957 and was able to show through her testing and research that there was no connection between determinism and sexuality. Due to this testing and research the APA removed homosexuality as being deemed as a mental disorder. It is said that Allen and Swabb found in the 1990’s that the hypothalamus was a great deal smaller as oppose to that of a heterosexual. It is said that sex hormones have a strong influence on the behavior on other species. Researchers felt that if that was possible in other species than maybe it was possible that hormonal factors played a role in determining sexual orientation in humans. It is said the researchers were able to connect different levels of male or female hormones. When talking about psychological perspectives you are talking about two major theories, the first being psychoanalytic theory, and the second being learning theory. Psychoanalytic theory states that a boy will identify with his father and a girl will identify with her mother and if these connections are not made between the same sexes then they are more likely to be homosexual. Learning theory states that sexual orientation is learned. This means that if a boy while going through the experimental stage feels pleasure from being with the same sex then they are more likely to be with the same sex again. The same is true with a girl, if she feels pleasure from a girl she is more likely to go back to a girl. Although this entire researcher has been done I do not think or feel that anybody can control who you fall in love with. I have been with the same sex but I would not label myself as gay or as bisexual. I think we feel the need to label people because it gives us what we feel is order in a world that is so full of chaos. When it comes to telling your parents or loved ones that you are with the same sex, I think that it plays a big part in what you think about yourself and feel about yourself. You want to be approved by those you love and when you are not it will play a big role in your life psychologically. References: Rathus, S. A. , Nevid, J. S. , Fichner-Rathus, L. (2011). Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (8th ed. ). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn Bacon. How to cite Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality, Essay examples

Trial By Fire by Journey free essay sample

Journey: Trial By Fire Journey was started in 1973. Their lead singers name was Steve Perry. He has a soft calm voice in the album â€Å"Trial By Fire.† The album is a 16 song track of romance. Every song on this album was about being in love. The band originates from San Francisco, California. They have an upbeat rhythm to their songs so it is easy to dance to. The album is a blast in the past with Neal Schons excellent guitarist talent in the song â€Å"One More†. I think the album is very bland and most of the songs sound the same. But the album cover did interest me a lot. i like how it makes no sense and does not connect with any of the song names or lyrics. And i like how they use space themes for most of their album covers. We will write a custom essay sample on Trial By Fire by Journey or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They are different from the rest by not putting their band picture on any of their album covers. I don’t normally like love songs but this album was okay for me.

Indian myth and legend by Mary Fraser

in need of humane help essays

in need of humane help essays The world has evolved tremendously throughout the ages. As days go by, scientists are struggling to improve both quality and length of life by developing new medicines, and by creating more efficient procedures. Through investigation and experimentation science is capable to come up with solutions that are not as cruel or violent with the patients as in past years. Nowadays, not only has there been an improvement in the tools of the trade but also in humanizing of the medical doctors towards their patients with mental problems. There has always been a solution to suffering through pain killers and anaesthetics that has helped patients in their most tragic moments of suffering. In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey, there is a vast demonstration of the cruelty and inhumane treatment received by the mental patients. Treatments such as electroshock and lobotomy, performed by doctors in mental institutions of past years, dont accomplish their goal of improving the quali ty of life of the patients, instead they only benefit the doctors and hospitals and leave the patients as vegetables. The use of electroshocks was a popular and common method in the treatment of mentally unstable persons. It consists of passing an electrical current through the brain of the patient in order to produce a major seizure. The shock is so severe that it produces a blocking in the normal electrical patterns of the brain and can even cause death of a brain cell. The seizures produced by electrical shocks are much more brutal than those produced by an epileptic episode. Medical doctors thought this was the cure to dementia, without realizing the damage they were causing to their patients. It was not only the fact that they were using this method, but that it was not used appropriately since electroshocks were applied to any mentally unstable person. There are a lot of examples in One Flew Over the Cuckoo ...

Journey artical Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Journey artical - Article Example as a company. It is an American multi-national communications company which is based in Illinois. It was known initially in 1928 as Galvin Manufacturing. By 1947, the company changed its name to Motorola though that name had been used as the company's trademark since the 1930’s. The company's first product was, at the time, radio car. Numerous Motorola’s products were radio-related, starting from battery eliminator for radios, and then to the world's first walkie-talkie. Nowadays, the company is known well for cellular phones of high quality and at the same time as the leading provider for the microprocessor which is used in Commodore Amiga, Apple Macintosh and Power Macintosh personal computers. It is at the same time offering different lines of communication products like satellite systems, digital cable boxes and modems (2007). China Laws Law in the People's Republic of China attracted very little attention a decade ago. But it is now attracting quite a good deal of attention from the business industry. Communicative interest on this subject are everywhere. Commercial services are even now keeping close tracks of Chinese legal developments, while publishing just about all foreign-related laws and regulations as they are being issued from Beijing together with English translations. There even exists a number of Chinese law discussion lists which can be found on the Internet, talking about broad policy issues and technical legal points which are the main topic of more and more spirited dealings by specialists around the world. (Corne, 1997) There are good explanations for this flourishing interest in Chinese law. Nowadays, foreign businesses that are involved in or thinking about doing business with China have an evident need to get a better understanding of the developing legal situation within which they will have to run. Foreign governments, in view of China's increasing value in the world trade and investment, are concerned with protecting th eir nations' interests by assuring the compatibility of China's legitimate scheme with those of the world's economy. For China itself, its "open door" policy of promoting foreign trade and foreign investment has been the booster of its economic improvement. It is at the same time the main motivational force behind its fast economic growth since 1978. Modification in foreign business laws has led into a broadening improvement of the entire legal system to meet the needs of a industry economy. Both its people and their leaders knows that continuing development in this aspect relies on the continuing efforts to take their legal system into agreement with world standards. (Robinson, 1995) China's legal regime for the approval and standard of foreign direct investment was an important focus of discussions. It is on this topic that the National People's Congress has been most productive in passing legislation. It is at the same time in this area that the laws passed have had such momentou s outcomes. China played its introductory law concerning foreign direct investment in 1979 which was known as the Equity Joint Venture Law. This activity authorized the creation, though was dependent to state approval, of joint Sino-foreign business undertakings. Participants in these ventures are liable for the firm's financial obligations, at the same time, entitling them to its profits to the point of capital that was brought in. They are approved to exist for up to 30 years and are accepted under Chinese law as legal persons. Equity joint ventures are ruled

Why are some nations rich & others poor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why are some nations rich & others poor - Essay Example Therefore, new explanations for the success of one nation over another are still forthcoming. Jared Diamond and David S. Landes are two gentlemen offering different explanations for the unequal distribution of wealth around the globe. Jared Diamond is a historical geographer. As such, he offers an explanation for this unequal distribution of wealth that focuses on such realities as the availability of key natural resources. Specifically, he states: †¦the differences between human societies on different continents seems to me to be attributable to differences among continental environments, and not to biological differences among peoples themselves. In particular, the availability of wild plant and animal species suitable for domestication†¦contributed decisively to the varying rates of rise of agriculture and herding, which in turn contributed decisively to the rise of human population numbers, population densities, and food surpluses, which in turn contributed decisively to the development of epidemic infectious diseases, writing, technology and political organization (6). Through the course of his essay, Jared Diamond argues persuasively that this unbroken chain of bioregional realities is what determines the wealth of a group of people. He offers many examples for each of these determinants, or as he calls them, "proximate reasons" as to why the wealthiest and most powerful on earth are located where they are. Diamond structures his argument as if each "proximate reason" were a link in a chain. The first link in the chain is the domestication of plants and animals. This occurrence resulted in a food surplus that opened the many facets of what we call civilization today. According to Diamond, the geographic structure of the continents had much to do with the creation of this food surplus. He argues that domestication was more successful and widespread in Eurasia and North America

The merger report between XM Canada and SERIUS Canada Essay

The merger report between XM Canada and SERIUS Canada - Essay Example The availed report is supposed to be taken on April 11, 2011, where the launch and implementation of proposal is supposed to be done and just on time. Some of the prevailing articulation that were on the top of the agenda for any company to acquire merger rights were the issue of management team makeup, consolidation of marketing strategies, integration of operations and information and the activities articulation Financial aspects. Previously, Federal communications commission approved Digital Audio Radio service to use a certain radio satellite broadcast rights, which oversees American mobile Radio XM Radio paying $ 93 million for its license and CD radio that currently known as SERIUS Satellite Radio paying $ 89 million for its license. However, both two broadcasting company has intense competition working based on subscription models to woe their customers. Many consumers have been signed up on the daily basis for as little as US $ 12.95 with an aim of making their consumers enjo y quality and affordable digital music, news, sports, talk and more. According to the availed report and plan tabled before Redmond indicates that the two companies’ offers subsidized radio upgrades that make purchasing decision easier on the prevailing consumers. Some of the technology that the two companies tried to outdo each other is by availing a project that was overseen manufactures installing satellite radio equipment in every car and then provided free service for the new car owner for a period of one full year. Going by the business analysis and statistics, the business models based on the free installation norms did not work well for these two companies since the aspect of free services usually leads to high and expensive price maintenance. When maintenance price is high, a farm usually suffers a loss (Kaser and Brooks 24-27). However, the introduction of programming skills has triggered the aspect of growth in both companies leading to streamlined operations and r efining products offerings, one of the positive articulations that lead business into a positive note. Managers within any prevailing business need to employ platforms that initiate marketing strategies, which triggers efficiencies norm. All this can be achieved through the introduction of new marketing and programming model as administered within the case of XM and SIRIUS media houses. Through new strategic model, both media houses have been well received after providing an additional merger platform resulting to $4 a month. Based on the discussion availed by the two companies involving XM Canada and SIRIUS Canada Inc, the report indicates that the two companies agreed to a merger perception probably on 24th, November the year 2010 that a total of 22.7 percent shares will be for Canadian Sattelite Radio Holdings Inc., 37.1 percent shares for SIRIUS XM, 15 percent for CBC, 15 percent for Slaight Communications and 10.2 percent for other investors. This decision was based on manageme nt team and its perception, operations and information systems availed, marketing strategies and financial articulation. For the purpose of joint within these, two companies, works based on team management that underpins the aspects of management structures initiated. There is a critical rivalry perception here in that it has been so difficult for the two companies to decide who should be picked up and be included within the executive but this was done through the use of integration model. In this process the two companies appointed Michael Washinushi, who was the chief financial

Structuring Supply Chains Based On Product Segmentation Commerce Essay

Structuring Supply Chains Based On Product Segmentation Commerce Essay The world has just gone through one of the worse crisis since the Second World War. In order to reduce the negative impact, companies have tried to reduce cost by any ways, by freezing all expansion, by reducing the number of employees, by launching quick wins project in order to free-up cashà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to summarize nothing sustainable. In order to catch a sustainable growth that will reduce the impact of any future crisis, to obtain a competitive advantage, companies need to design an optimized supply chain. This optimization will lead to a supply chain that are no more a cost but an competitive advantage, a supply chain that brings value, a supply chain that become strategic. The time and the cash spend to source; to produce and to distribute product and services are so huge that companies cant afford to ignore it. When designing its supply chain, companies need to keep in mind that ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL, meaning that one supply chain configuration cant fulfil each customers requirements. Indeed, each customer has different needs which cant be fulfil in the same way. One customer may seek for a company able to provide reactive supplies, while another company is seeking for minimum purchasing costà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Providing different product/service implies having different supply chain configuration. The objective then is to provide different global services which go far beyond the product itself. Nowadays, companies cant provide a product only. They need to provide a global service meaning that they have to provide quality service which goes with the product. The level of quality that needs to be reached is then determined by the customers requirement and willingness to pay a certain price. Customers may want seek for a good quality/price product, some other may want to have a extremely high quality and innovative product, some other are looking to receive the product at their place the next day they purchased it,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And in order to be able to provide this global service that includes the product, companies need to design their supply chain accordingly. This thesis is focusing on understanding the different choice that a company can make when designing its tailored supply chain. Each product is designed differently, and each product (or service) is meant to be for one specific customer. The time when Ford was making one single car for everyone is over. We will focus on how to design its supply chain based on product segmentation. We will first identify the different type of supply chain configuration a company can choose based on its corporate strategy. We will then try to define the meaning of the segmentation and what are the main criteria to perform it. This will lead us to identify the different models that currently exist, models that will help companies to segment, categorize and design tailored supply chains. Then we will try to apply the models on a real case and try to redesign the company supply chains going from an AS IS statement to a TO BE ideal situation. Product Segmentation and Supply Chain Segmentation Segmentation Definition Segmentation can be defined as: Process of defining and sub-dividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. [http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/market-segmentation.html]. The main purpose of segmentation is to help to decide what configuration of the business is the most suitable for what customer. The concept of one size does not fit all has for meaning that each customer has a different need and this need cannot be fulfilled in the same way the other customers need are fulfilled. In supply chain the purpose of segmentation is to configure the processes in a way that will lead to a competitive advantage and then to profit. However, we cannot fulfill in a different way each single customer as this will increase the cost so much that the company wont survive. Thus, it is important to build groups that have similar needs and provide one single service for this group. Different type of Supply Chain Functional Product VS Innovative Product The idea of categorizing product in order to identify the most suitable supply chain is not new. In 1997, Fisher introduced a new concept in order to better serve the customers. Fisher said that the first step in devising an effective supply chain strategy is therefore to consider the nature of the demand for the product ones company supplies, [Fisher]. He identified several factors that will influence the design of the most suitable Supply Chain, factors such as Product life cycle, demand predictability, Product variety and market standards for lead times and services. Thus, he started by categorizing product based on theirs characteristics. He identified two types of products: Functional Product and Innovative Product. The main difference of these two types of product influence the type of supply chain needed to optimize the supply of these products. Fisher defines Functional Products are products with long life cycles and with low demand uncertainty. Conversely, innovative product s are products having a short life cycle with high demand uncertainty. Fisher went event further as you can see on the Table 1 below in the distinction between Functional and Innovative Products: Figure 2: Matching supply chains with product characteristics (Source: Fisher, 1997) Hau L. Lee also developed Fishers idea on the distinction between Innovative and Functional Products as you can see on the table below: Table 1: Demand Characteristics  [1]   The impact of this distinction on the Supply Chain type is tremendous. The choose to develop a Lean Supply Chain or an Agile Supply Chain is easier thanks to this new distinction as we will see on the next part. Lean, Agile, Leagile Supply Chain Based on the functional and innovative products concept, we are now able to introduce different supply chain strategy. Each companies objectives are different, thus when designing its supply chain, the aim of this new organization will be different. We are introducing here different strategy when designing its supply chain: The Lean Supply Chain aims to reduce the waste and thus the cost while providing high quality products/services. The Agile supply chains objective is the flexibility to fulfill the customer demand while this ones predictability can be very low. The Leagile strategy is a hybrid solution, combining the Lean and Agile strategy in one. The first time we heard about Lean Manufacturing was in 1988 by John Krafcik in a article he wrote in the Sloan Management Review: Triumph of the Lean Production System  [2]  when he was describing the Japanese production model which is essentially the elimination of waste. Naylor et al provided with a interesting definition: Leanness means developing a value stream to eliminate all waste including time, and to enable a level schedule [Naylor et al.]. Since then, the concept becomes much broader. Indeed, Christopher and Towill highlighted the fact that the Lean Supply Chain works better with a stable demand and where variety is low  [3]  : which correspond to the functional products. From this statement we can already start to have a clearer view on what supply chain for what products; thus, functional products need Lean Supply Chain. The lean supply chain will focus on cost reduction for standardized mass-products [Volker Stich, Jan Christoph Meyer]  [4]  . The origin of agile concept lie partially in flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) [M. Chritopher, D. Towill]. The Agile Supply Chain allows using a highly flexible supply chain in order to better serve the customer. As for the Lean definition, Naylor et al. introduce a definition for agility concept: Agility means using market knowledge and a virtual corporation to exploit profitable opportunities in a volatile marketplace [Naylor et al.]. With an Agile Supply Chain it is much more efficient and effective for product with high volatility in the demand and high variety which correspond to the innovative products. In the table below, Chritopher and Towill went even further in the difference between a Lean and an Agile Supply Chain: Table 3: Comparison of Lean Supply with Agile Supply: The distinguishing Attributes  [5]   Distinguishing Attributes Lean Supply Agile Supply Typical Products Commodities/Functional Fashion Goods/Innovative Marketplace Demand Predictable Volatile Product Variety Low High Product Life Cycle Long Short Customer Drivers Cost Availability Profit Margin Low High Dominant Costs Physical Costs* Marketability Costs** Stockout Penalties Long Term Contractual Immediate and Volatile Purchasing Policy Buy Materials Assign Capacity Information Enrichment Highly Desirable Obligatory Forecasting Mechanism Algorithmic Consultative *Physical Costs: All Production costs, distribution costs and storage costs **Marketability Costs: All obsolescence costs and stockout costs If only, both agile supply chain advantages and Lean Supply Chain advantages could be put together to build a perfect supply chain, it would be the best of both world. Coming from this pursuit of perfection, the concept of Leagile [Naylor et al] supply chain appeared. This concept suggests using lean supply chain for the upstream flows and the agile supply chain for the downstream flows. In practice, this strategy is using what is called The decoupling point or Postponement. This concept principle is to keep sub assembly inventory and to produce finished goods only when the order is know. Chritopher and Towill pointed out one important fact is the information de-coupling point: they argue that the furthest point upstream to which information on real demand flows i.e. information which has not been distorted by inventory policies such as re-order points and re-order quantities contributes to the Agility of a company. Figure 1: The decoupling point  [6]   Stable and Evolving Supply Chain As pointed out Volker Stich and Jan Christoph Meyer, all the approach discussed earlier are focusing on the demand side. Hau L. Lee introduced a new concept called Stable and Evolving supply processes. This concept is focusing on the supply side of the supply chain. Hau L. Lee provided a useful definition as follows: A stable supply process is one where manufacturing process and the underlying technology are mature and the supply base well established. [Hau L. Lee] An evolving supply process is where the manufacturing process and the underlying technology are still under early development and are rapidly changing, and as a result the supply base may be limited in both size and experience. [Hau L. Lee] There is more difference between stable supply processes and evolving supply processes, the figure 2 is summarizing some of these differences. The link should be made with Fishers Functional and Innovative products: Functional products tend to use a more mature and stable supply process but this is not always the true. Hau L. Lee provides several example summarized in the figure 3. Figure 2: Supply Characteristics. (Source: Hau L. Lee) Figure 3: The uncertainty Framework: Examples. (Source: Hau L. Lee) Segmentation Factors Determining the Customers Needs: Order Winner and Market Qualifier The definitions of Order Winner and Order Qualifier found in the APICS dictionary are quite interesting: Order winners are those competitive characteristics that cause a firms customers to choose that firms goods and services over those of its competitors. Order winners can be considered to be competitive advantages for the firm. Order winners usually focus on one rarely more than two) of the following strategic initiatives: price/cost, quality, delivery speed, delivery reliability, product design, flexibility, after-market service, and image. [APICS Dictionary 2008]  [7]   Order qualifiers are those competitive characteristics that a firm must exhibit to be a viable competitor in the marketplace. [APICS Dictionary 2008]  [8]   When Terry Hill invented this new concept of Order Winner and Order Qualifier, he aimed to linked operations objectives with Marketings one. The operations people were then in charge of managing the supply chain in a way that the company will obtain a competitive advantage and win the market. As you can see on the APICS definition, several strategic initiatives have been identified: price/cost, quality, delivery speed, delivery reliability, product design, flexibility, after-market service, and image. Based on that, R. Mason-Jones et al. combined the Fisher concept with Hill concept as you can see on the figure 2. The key information is that companies need to excel and focus on the Market Winners factors while being highly competitive on the Market Qualifiers. The figure 3 shows that the company is focusing on Cost and obtained a competitive advantage on the price. The important point is that this company is not neglected the others key competitive factors and its performance is always above the critical minimum performance which if it would have been below, it would have eliminated the benefice acquired from the competitive advantage. Figure 2: An example of using the classification matrix based on market winners and market qualifiers [Source: R. Mason-Jones et al.] Figure 3: The performance matrix [Source: Nabil Montassir] Another concept that needs to be took into account is the difference with Importance and Performance BLABLABLABLABLABLA Corporate Strategy (Operation Excellence, Customer Intimacy, Innovation Excellence) When designing a new Supply Chain or even redesigning an existing one, it is important to be consistent with the corporate strategy. The supply chain needs to be aligned with the overall company strategy. We can summarize nowadays strategies by three main one: Operation Excellence, Customer Intimacy and Innovation Excellence. The operation excellence meant to provide the best quality/price ratio. The objective is to decrease the cost in order to sell it at the most competitive price without reducing the quality. The market winner is definitely the price. This strategy is likely to suit a Lean Supply Chain which aims to reduce the waste and therefore the cost. The Customer intimacy is focusing on providing the highest service level to its customers. Agility, flexibility, reactivity are suitable adjective to describe the aim of this strategy. The price is no more the market winner but the Service level is. Agile and Leagile Supply Chain is likely to be the best strategy to compete on this market. Innovation Excellence as the name indicates has to be at the cutting edge of innovation. The company wants to provide always the most advance product. The cost is higher than the other product and the company aim to touch the Early Adopters who are willing to pay a higher price to get an advanced product, thus the market winner is Innovation. The forecast for these kinds of products are difficult and the stockout as well as the obsolescence can be very high. Therefore it requires a rapid time-to-market if the product knows a rapid growth. Supply Chain Key Classification Variables From the table 2, A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson identified key cost drivers of the supply chain. They conclude that all costs apart from manufacturing there is a small set of drivers: throughput level and variability; product size and weight; value and the demand variability/service factor [A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson]. They even go further by reducing this number to three by combining the value with size and weight to form product value density [A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson]. Using these three key cost drivers, supply chain segmentation can be done. Each group of products resulting from this segmentation will share common characteristics. Table 2: Principal Cost Drivers in the Supply Chain [Source: A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson] In the same spirits, J. Aitken, P. Childerhouse, M. Christopher and D. Towill identidfied five key market characteristics that will be use to design Supply Chains. They use the term DWV [Christopher and Towill (2005)]: Duration of life cycle, Time Window for delivery, Volume, Variety and Variability  [9]  . They argue that for Short life cycles products, the end-to-end supply chain lead time needs to be reduced and optimized which will allows a higher flexibility and a faster time-to-market. Volume and Variability are similar to Lovell et al throughput level and demand variability. However, variety has been taken into account in Lovell concept: Higher the variety is lower the average demand by SKUs will be as the demand will be spread across a greater number of SKUs. It will require a higher flexibility to produce the right product at the right moment. A postponement strategy is well adapted to this kind of environment. Before going further, the table below summarized the key factors that will influence supply chain segmentation: Table 2: Factors influencing Supply Chain Segmentation [Source: A. Lovell, R. Saw and J. Stimson] Segmentation Methods and Model: Choose your supply chain strategy From the previous part on the segmentation factors, we have found different criteria: From these different criteria, many people developed different model and matrix to help them in segmenting the supply chain. In this part we will introduce those models, try to explain their advantage and disadvantages. At the end, we will choose the one we think the most complete and use it during the practical part of this thesis. Many of the models we will introduce use the same concept Volkers 4 folds model: The criteria used by Volker are the Demand predictability and the customer needs. The demand is either easy to predict or non-predictable. The customers require low cost or high flexibility. From this matrix, we can obtain 4 different type of Supply Chain: the Accurate SC, the Agile SC, The Cost-Efficient SC and the Responsive SC. The cost-efficiency represent to the Lean Supply Chain we introduced before. A predictable demand which allows high planning accuracy and therefore enables the most efficient design of the involved processes [Volker] combines with the cost as the order WINNER in clearly indicates that a Lean SC (or Cost-efficient SC) as the best fit. At the opposite, when the demand is non-predictable and the order WINNER is the service level (through the high flexibility) the most suitable Supply Chain will be the agile one. When the demand is predictable and the customer requires high flexibility, it requires the highest accuracy in the planning processes, to guarantee th e required availability and flexibility. The last part is the responsive one the Supply Chain needs to be cost effective while the demand is unpredictable which suggest that a Leagile Supply Chain is the most suitable one. Figure 5: Supply Chain segments and Supply Chain phenotypes [Volker] Advantage: The main advantage is its simplicity, easy to understand and to use. It includes the customers needs. Disadvantages: From the table Factors influencing Supply Chain Segmentation, we can see that this model is using only Markets criteria. It doesnt include any product criteria or source criteria. The throughput level is also missing which makes difficult to determine the importance of the product and the manufacturing strategy that we will use. Therefore, this model is missing key decision factors. This model is limited to the strategy level and doesnt go on the operational level which makes difficult to configure the supply chain. Hau L. Lees model: Same type as the Volkers model, Lees model is using one same criterion: the demand predictability (or the demand certainty). The other criterion is the Supply Uncertainty. The segmentation possibilities: Efficient, Risk-hedging, responsive and agile corresponds at the same concept we introduced before. Advantage: Simple and take into account the supply side. Disadvantage: As for Volkers model, it doesnt include any product factors. And it doesnt include the throughput level. This model is limited to the strategy level and doesnt go on the operational level which makes difficult to configure the supply chain. RELs 9Box: This model use two factors: the Throughput level (in value) and the demand variability It divides the products in three major groups and three different supply chain strategies: Green group: The characteristics of this group are a high throughput level and a low variability in the demand. Easily to forecast using statistical methods, the accuracy needs to be very high as the service level should be high. The value of those product are high so the DIO Days of Inventory Outstanding needs to be low in order to avoid to have too much cash tied up in the supply chain. This group is the major group and needs to get the full attention and the priority from the business. Orange group: As for the green group, MTS Make-to-Stock strategy will be privileged with an average or medium customer service level. The priority is given to the green group. The forecasting method used would be a statistical method or a smoothing average. The forecast accuracy needs to be high and the days of inventory target should be put on average: again the priority is given to the green group. This groups demand certainty is in overall lower than green groups and the throughput level is lower as well. Red group: This groups main characteristic is the low demand certainty that make difficult to drive the supply chain. Thus the manufacturing strategy privileged is the MTO Make-to-Order strategy. As it the fluctuation in demand is too high, the forecast become highly challenging and the accuracy target should be Medium/Low and the DIO target near none. Advantages: Much more operational than the other model we have viewed so far. It goes in a much deeper level than the other model. It is as well simple to use and easy to communicate. Disadvantages: It doesnt include product characteristics into account. It doesnt include the supply side factors and doesnt include customers needs. In addition, it gives us information on the supply chain configuration but forget to identify the supply chain strategy: Lean, Agile, Leagileà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Product Value Density Model: The main difference of this model with the others is that this one is using three segmentation factors while the other methods were using only two. Indeed, this model is using the Product Value Density, the throughput level and the demand-service factor (variability of the demand). From the table showing the supply chain cost (see chapter Supply Chain Key Classification Variables, table XXX), Lowell identified four major factors that impact cost all along the Supply Chain: the Throughput level, the product size and weight, the product value and the demand variability. These four factors become three by combining product size and weight and the product value forming the Product Value Density (PVD). This model can be representing in a three dimensional graph but for ease of comprehension only two dimensional graph will be used (see Figure XXX). Thus, we will consider: the demand variability-service and the throughput; the PVD (product value density) and the throughput; the PVD and the demand variability-service. When introducing his model, Lowell concentrates on the inventory and the transportation side of the supply chain as you can see o n the figure XXX below. Advantages: Take into account product and market factors. Disadvantages: Mainly focus on operational level and focuses on the inventory and transportation part of the supply chain. DWVs model: This model is the one I chose for the practical part. This model is more a guide than a matrix. By the letters DWV, we always take into account all the main factors when determining the supply chain design and configuration. Duration of life cycle, Time Window for delivery, Volume, Variety and Variability Variety = postponement The chosen model: The model chose for the practical part is the first one we have shown, the Volkers model. But we will change it a little so it can include the throughput level (in value) as well as the variety level. So this new model is using four different factors: The customers need, the demand Uncertainty (or variability), the throughput level and the variety level. The throughput level helps us to prioritize the resources through an ABC analysis of the value per product or family of product (ex; Do we really need to build an agile supply chain for a C class product?). It is important to understand the customer needs but business is business and if one customer is not really profitable then the importance for us decrease as much as the throughput level decrease. The variety level helps us to identify the product that may need a postponement strategy. Key Performance Indicators Before to go forward, it is important to introduce the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that we could/should/will use to keep visibility on the supply chains. KPIs are like a speedometer on a car that helps us to know at what speed we are driving. When dealing with an Agile Supply Chain, the performances that we need to keep a close eye on them are: OTIF (On Time In Full): Companies set up Agile strategy to fulfill a specific needs for their customers. They need to get a product when they want, where they want and at the right quantity. And these customers are willing to pay a higher price to get their suppliers that flexible. So any companies setting up an agile supply chain need to make sure that the OTIF performance are extremely high to not disappoint their customers. Forecast Accuracy: If our purpose is to have a Lean strategy, then the forecast accuracy needs to be high. In general, when having a lean supply chain, companies have a make-to-stock production configuration which is equivalent to a forecast-to-stock. Having a bad forecast accuracy will lead to mismatch between demand and supply. Either the company will end up having excess inventory or not lost sales. This KPIs analysis can be done for each of them. Each time we will introduce a new KPI, we will try to explain how important it is for one or another supply chain configuration. Supply Chain Design Practical Example The supply chain design consists on how to structure its supply chain. It involve the configuration of your sourcing (Source) strategy, the production (Make) strategy and the distribution (Deliver) strategy. All these strategy together represent the Supply Chain Configuration or design. Electrolux Make configuration In this part, we have to take different decision, like the production configuration MTS, MTO, ETO, Batch Size, Prioritization, Temporal Physical Postponementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) SOURCE Strategy (Suppliers Partnerships, Suppliers Selection, Suppliers Performance Service Levelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) DELIVERY Strategy (Delivery Lead Time, Transportation Modes, Service Levelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Inventory Strategy (Safety Stock Level, Inventory Level, Inventory Location, Physical Spatial Postponement) Segmentation Model (Nine Box, Product Value-Density Model, Agile Lean Matrixà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Nous effectuerons  : Case study Ce que je pense faire, cest en effet dutiliser les matrices prà ©sentà ©s dans la deuxià ¨me partie et les appliquà ©es a cette entreprises pour restructurer sa supply chain. Les indicateurs de performances seront à ©galement intà ©grer. Ce cas doit à ªtre lillustration des choix faits en fonction de ce que vous avez trouvà © en II ( la fameuse matrice de dà ©cision) SNECMA Presentation Industry Specification SNECMA current strategy SNECMA TO-BE Supply Chain based on product Segmentation Model Case Study Conclusion

The Step-by-Step Approach: Guidelines to writing a Literature Review Es

The Step-by-Step Approach: Guidelines to writing a Literature Review Globally, students and researchers alike are presented with the task of developing a literature review. This process may seem daunting to the inexperienced writer, however, there is no need for trial and error as there are known procedures and guidelines created to simplify such an assignment. A basic literature review may be defined as â€Å"A written document that develops a case to establish a thesis. This review synthesizes current knowledge pertaining to the research question (Machi & McEvoy, 2012)†. A literature a review is an organized way to research a topic and is considered the foundation of a research study (Polit & Beck, 2013). According to Lawrence A. Machi and Brenda T. McEvoy (2012), the purpose of a literature review depends on the nature of the inquiry. Basic literature reviews summarize and evaluate topics that have been previously explored. Advanced literature reviews are slightly more demanding because they apply the knowledge gathered from a basic literatu re review and incorporate that knowledge as a basis for formulating a new question and original research. Machi and McEvoy (2012), authors of The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success describe the following six steps to the literature review process— 1. Select a Topic, 2. Search the Literature, 3. Develop the Argument, 4. Survey the Literature, 5. Critique the Literature, 6. Write the Review. This paper will describe and evaluate the steps involved in writing a literature review. The first step in conducting a literature review is selecting a topic. Selecting a topic of discussion requires at least two tasks. First, find a personal interest. Most research topics are based upon everyday co... ...n the review, following these steps should conclude in a literature review that highlights the significant aspects of a topic in a logical order that allows the reader to understand the context and relation to a research question (Polit & Beck, 2013). References Aaron, L. (2008). Writing & research. writing a literature review article. Radiologic Technology , 80(2), 185. Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (2010). Understanding Nursing Research: Building an evidence-based practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. Machi, L. A., & McEvoy, B. T. (2012). The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success. Sage. Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2013). Essentials of Nursing Research: Appraising Evidence for Nursing Practice. Wolters Kluwer Health. Randolph, J. J. (2009). A guide to writing the dissertation literature review. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 14(13), 2.

Develop a stock market Essay

(a) Dependable law and regulations The existence of dependable laws and regulations, not only from the government but also from the enterprises themselves is a necessary conditions since these all the organizations to compete and cooperate with the oversea and worldwide companies. (b) Resolution of policy risk Investor confidence in reliable property right and stable, market-oriented policies are a necessary condition for financial integration and the development of emerging stock markets. Announced market-oriented policies may be reversed, however, and are initially not fully credible. We argue that sustained privatization and liberalization programmes represent a major test of political commitment to safer private property rights, successful privatization has a significant effect on emerging stock market development through the resolution of policy risk, i.e. the risk of ex post policy changes with redistributive impact on investment returns. The evidence showed the progress in privatization gradually leads to increased confidence. (c) Promoting healthy financial institutions Healthy financial institutions especially banks, is a crucial prerequisite for financial stability. The largest number of crises still arise, be it in emerging market economies or industrial countries, from financial institutions overextending themselves when times seem good and then retrenching violently afterwards. Governance would first benefit from a greater internal focus on risk-adjusted rates of return, particularly when rewarding traders and credit officers. The relentless pursuit of shareholder value, without this crucial adjustment, could prove a very dangerous strategy. (d) Developing worldwide acceptable accounting and audit standard It is recommended profession should be is self-regulated through accounting  standard board instead of regulate by government, improve the credible of accounting and auditing report up to international accounting system (IAS) standards.

dramatic rise

Recently, in the US there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people working longer hours. Understanding how workaholic behavior patterns can affect ones psychological well-being and life satisfaction is becoming increasingly of greater importance to mental health professionals. Workaholism has been described both positively and negatively as an addiction to work, the compulsion or uncontrollable need to work incessantly. Most employers value an employee that is very hardworking but as longer hours are put in, a person may begin to struggle at balancing personal and family needs with the increasing workload. Though generally accepted in society, there is surfacing evidence of the negative consequences of Workaholism. Research has suggested that workaholics report higher levels of stress and are subject to more health related problems than nonworkaholics. Workaholics tend to be of a perfectionist nature and are often unwilling to delegate work to others, which can sometimes slow progress and reduce efficiency in many jobs. These findings would suggest that workaholics might possess traits that might not be as desirable to employers as once thought. The term Workaholism was coined decades ago because of the similarity in the patterns between an alcoholic and a workaholic. The most similar trait is that the behavior is continued despite the knowledge of how it is affecting the person physically or psychologically. There are generally two types of workaholics, the enthusiastic and the nonenthusiastic. Both types are defined as people who exhibit an excessively high work involvement. The difference is however, the enthusiastic workaholic actually enjoys a high rate of personal enjoyment and satisfaction gained from their work. In contrast, a nonenthusiastic workaholic doesnt receive the same satisfaction from their efforts. There are three basic theories as to how people become workaholics. T ...

Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II

Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II The Battle of Monte Cassino was fought January 17 to May 18, 1944, during World War II (1939-1945). Fast Facts: Battle of Monte Cassino Dates: January 17 to May 18, 1944, during  World War II  (1939-1945).Allies Armies and CommandersGeneral Sir Harold AlexanderLieutenant General Mark ClarkLieutenant General Oliver LeeseUS Fifth Army British Eighth ArmyGerman Armies and CommandersField Marshal Albert KesselringColonel General Heinrich von VietinghoffGerman 10th Army Background Landing in Italy in September 1943, Allied forces under General Sir Harold Alexander began pushing up the peninsula. Due to the Apennine Mountains, which run the length of Italy, Alexanders forces advanced on two fronts with the Lieutenant General Mark Clarks US Fifth Army on the east and Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Montgomerys British Eighth Army on the west. Allied efforts were slowed by poor weather, rough terrain, and a tenacious German defense. Slowly falling back through the fall, the Germans sought to buy time to complete the Winter Line south of Rome. Though the British succeeded in penetrating the line and capturing Ortona in late December, heavy snows prevented them from pushing west along Route 5 to reach Rome. Around this time, Montgomery departed for Britain to aid in planning the invasion of Normandy and was replaced by Lieutenant General Oliver Leese. To the west of the mountains, Clarks forces moved up Routes 6 and 7. The latter of these ceased to be usable as it ran along the coast and had been flooded at the Pontine Marshes. As a result, Clark was forced to use Route 6 which passed through the Liri Valley. The southern end of the valley was protected by large hills overlooking the town of Cassino and atop which sat the abbey of Monte Cassino. The area was further protected by the fast-flowing Rapido and Garigliano Rivers which ran west to east. Recognizing the defensive value of the terrain, the Germans built the Gustav Line section of the Winter Line through the area. Despite its military value, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring elected not to occupy the ancient abbey and informed the Allies and Vatican of this fact. First Battle Reaching the Gustav Line near Cassino on January 15, 1944, the US Fifth Army immediately began preparations to assault the German positions. Though Clark felt the odds of success were low, an effort needed to be made to support the Anzio landings which would occur further north on January 22. By attacking, it was hoped that German forces could be drawn south to allow Major General John Lucas US VI Corps to land and quickly occupy the Alban Hills in the enemy rear. It was thought that such a maneuver would compel the Germans to abandon the Gustav Line. Hampering Allied efforts was the fact the Clarks forces were tired and battered after a fighting their way north from Naples (Map). Moving forward on January 17, the British X Corps crossed the Garigliano River and attacked along the coast putting heavy pressure on the German 94th Infantry Division. Having some success, X Corps efforts forced Kesselring to send the 29th and 90th Panzer Grenadier Divisions south from Rome to stabilize the front. Lacking sufficient reserves, X Corps was unable to exploit their success. On January 20, Clark launched his main assault with the US II Corps south of Cassino and near San Angelo. Though elements of the 36th Infantry Division were able to cross the Rapido near San Angelo, they lacked armored support and remained isolated. Savagely counterattacked by German tanks and self-propelled guns, the men from the 36th Division were ultimately forced back. Four days later, an attempt was made north of Cassino by Major General Charles W. Ryders 34th Infantry Division with the goal of crossing the river and wheeling left to strike Monte Cassino. Crossing the flooded Rapido, the division moved into the hills behind the town and gained a foothold after eight days of heavy fighting. These efforts were supported by the French Expeditionary Corps to the north which captured Monte Belvedere and assaulted Monte Cifalco. Though the French were unable to take Monte Cifalco, the 34th Division, enduring incredibly harsh conditions, battled their way through the mountains towards the abbey. Among the issues faced by Allied forces were large areas of exposed ground and rocky terrain that precluded digging foxholes. Attacking for three days in early February, they were unable to secure the abbey or the neighboring high ground. Spent, II Corps was withdrawn on February 11. Second Battle With the removal of II Corps, Lieutenant General Bernard Freybergs New Zealand Corps moved forward. Pushed into planning a new assault to relieve pressure on the Anzio beachhead, Freyberg intended to continue the attack through mountains north of Cassino as well as advance up the railroad from the southeast. As planning moved forward, debate began among the Allied high command regarding the abbey of Monte Cassino. It was believed that German observers and artillery spotters were using the abbey for protection. Though many, including Clark, believed the abbey to be vacant, increasing pressure ultimately led Alexander to controversially order the building to be bombed. Moving forward on February 15, a large force of B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-25 Mitchells, and B-26 Marauders struck the historic abbey. German records later showed that their forces were not present, through the 1st Parachute Division moved into the rubble after the bombing. On the nights of February 15 and 16, troops from the Royal Sussex Regiment attacked positions in the hills behind Cassino with little success.  These efforts were hampered by friendly fire incidents involving Allied artillery due to the challenges of aiming accurately in the hills. Mounting his main effort on February 17, Freyberg sent forward the 4th Indian Division against German positions in the hills. In brutal, close-in fighting, his men were turned back by the enemy. To the southeast, 28th (MÄ ori) Battalion succeeded in crossing the Rapido and captured the Cassino railroad station. Lacking armor support as the river could not be spanned, they were forced back by German tanks and infantry on February 18. Though the German line had held, the Allies had come close to a breakthrough which concerned the commander of the German Tenth Army, Colonel General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, who oversaw the Gustav Line. Third Battle Reorganizing, Allied leaders began planning a third attempt to penetrate the Gustav Line at Cassino. Rather than continue along previous avenues of advance, they devised a new plan which called for an assault on Cassino from the north as well as an attack south into the hill complex which would then turn east to assault the abbey. These efforts were to be preceded by intense, heavy bombing which would require three days of clear weather to execute.  As a result, the operation was postponed three weeks until the airstrikes could be executed. Moving forward on March 15, Freybergs men advanced behind a creeping bombardment. Though some gains were made, the Germans rallied quickly and dug in. In the mountains, Allied forces secured key points known Castle Hill and Hangmans Hill. Below, the New Zealanders had succeeded in taking the railroad station, though fighting in the town remained fierce and house-to-house. On March 19, Freyberg hoped to turn the tide with the introduction of the 20th Armoured Brigade. His assault plans were quickly spoiled when the Germans mounted heavy counterattacks on Castle Hill drawing in the Allied infantry. Lacking infantry support, the tanks were soon picked off one by one. The next day, Freyberg added the British 78th Infantry Division to the fray. Reduced to house to house fighting, despite the addition of more troops, Allied forces were unable to overcome the resolute German defense. On March 23, with his men exhausted, Freyberg halted the offensive. With this failure, Allied forces consolidated their lines and Alexander began devising a new plan for breaking the Gustav Line. Seeking to bring more men to bear, Alexander created Operation Diadem. This saw the transfer of the British Eighth Army across the mountains. Victory at Last Redeploying his forces, Alexander placed Clarks Fifth Army along the coast with II Corps and the French facing the Garigliano. Inland, Leeses XIII Corps and Lieutenant General Wladyslaw Anders 2nd Polish Corps opposed Cassino. For the fourth battle, Alexander desired II Corps to push up Route 7 towards Rome while the French attacked across the Garigliano and into the Aurunci Mountains on the west side of the Liri Valley. To the north, XIII Corps would attempt to force the Liri Valley, while the Poles circled behind Cassino and with orders to isolate the abbey ruins. Utilizing a variety of deceptions, the Allies were able to ensure that Kesselring was unaware of these troop movements (Map). Commencing at 11:00 PM on May 11 with a bombardment using over 1,660 guns, Operation Diadem saw Alexander attack on all four fronts. While II Corps met heavy resistance and made little headway, the French advanced quickly and soon penetrated the Aurunci Mountains before daylight. To the north, XIII Corps made two crossings of the Rapido. Encountering a stiff German defense, they slowly pushed forward while erecting bridges in their rear. This allowed supporting armor to cross which played a key role in the fighting. In the mountains, Polish attacks were met with German counterattacks. By late on May 12, XIII Corps bridgeheads continued to grow despite determined counterattacks by Kesselring. The next day, II Corps began to gain some ground while the French turned to strike the German flank in the Liri Valley. With his right wing wavering, Kesselring began pulling back to the Hitler Line, approximately eight miles to the rear.  On May 15, the British 78th Division passed through the bridgehead and began a turning movement to cut off the town from the Liri Valley. Two days later, the Poles renewed their efforts in the mountains. More successful, they linked up with the 78th Division early on May 18. Later that morning, Polish forces cleared the abbey ruins and hoisted Polish flag over the site. Aftermath Pressing up the Liri Valley, the British Eighth Army immediately attempted to break through the Hitler Line but was turned back. Pausing to reorganize, a major effort was made against the Hitler Line on May 23 in conjunction with a breakout from the Anzio beachhead. Both efforts were successful and soon the German Tenth Army was reeling and facing being surrounded. With VI Corps surging inland from Anzio, Clark shockingly ordered them to turn northwest for Rome rather than cut off and aid in the destruction of von Vietinghoff. This action may have been the result of Clarks concern that the British would enter the city first despite it being assigned to Fifth Army. Driving north, his troops occupied the city on June 4. Despite the success in Italy, the Normandy landings two days later transformed it into a secondary theater of the war. Selected Sources BBC: Battle of Monte CassinoHistory: Battle of Monte Cassino

Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modernity - Essay Example Berman says modern humans â€Å"are moved at once by a will to change †¦ and by a terror of disorientation and disintegration, of life falling apart† (Berman, 1982). Change frightens us even as we long for it. â€Å"To be modern is to live a life of paradox and contradiction. †¦ It is to be both revolutionary and conservative: alive to new possibilities for experience and adventure, frightened by the nihilistic depths to which so many modern adventures lead† (Berman, 1982). In capitalistic society, it is argued that the consumer is the master by reason of making the choice to purchase or not purchase. Berman says this is not really the case. Availability of options only begins the list of restrictions. â€Å"Poor people can't get lawyers in a country that is glutted with them; the HMOs have abolished the autonomy of physicians; college professors are often glorified fundraisers† (Hitchins, 1999). The World Trade Center of New York City is an architectural example of the modern. Berman describes it as â€Å"isolated †¦ it gave off hostility† as compared to the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings. â€Å"[The Port Authority’s] idea of safety involved repelling the people. The slab shape †¦ grew out of an aesthetic voiced best by Le Corbusier, who said that in order to have modern planning we have to ‘kill the streets.’ For him the street epitomized disorder and chaos† (Berman, 2002).

Planning for Evaluation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Planning for Evaluation - Term Paper Example In the context of my planed change, stakeholders include patients, physicians, nurses, local community, government organizations, and non-governmental organizations that may fund the planned change program. This will be followed by allocation of available resources, for instance human resource or nurses, according to the immediate and most pressing needs of the organization. The fourth step will include formulation of questions to assess the outcomes(Holden et al, 2009) followed by an assessment of whether the specified objectives have been attained through analyzing stakeholders feedback in relation to levels of satisfaction, number of readmissions, and consideration of the amount of time patients are spending on queues. In terms of the timeline, data collection will be a continuous process running for 3 months, starting from May 15th, 2015 to August 15th 2015. Three months would allow assessment whether the approach to resource allocation and focus on stakeholders perspectives have achieved the projected level of outcomes. To encourage refreezing in relation to my planned change, I would ensure consistency in terms of practicing the newly adopted strategies and secondly, allow time for the new approach to conducting activities and processes to be diffused within the organization (Laureate Education, 2013e). In terms of the insights I have gained, focus on stakeholders way of thinking and interpretation of the program is essential in comprehending the ultimate results of the program (Sridharan and Nakaima, 2010). Holden, D. J., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2009). Evaluation planning here and now. In D. J. Holden & M. A. Zimmerman (Eds.), A practical guide to program evaluation planning: Theory and case examples [Sage

The Legality of Risk Management in Healthcare (United States) Essay

The Legality of Risk Management in Healthcare (United States) - Essay Example Dr. Harris diagnosed the patient with pneumonia and impending respiratory failure. She thought of intubating the patient herself on the floor, but then decided against it and handed over the patient to a pulmonologist and intensivist. The patient suffered intense and seemingly irreversible brain damage. After a few months had elapsed, the relatives of the patient consulted a legal counselor and came to the conclusion that the patient had suffered due to malpractice. Dr. Harris was held accountable. The case was settled by giving compensatory damages to the plaintiff. The end of the paper has an executive summary analyzing the case. The history of risk management in health care goes as far as four thousand years. The Babylonians were famous for punishing their medical practitioners if they were involved in any malpractice or if their negligence had incurred any physical or metal harm to the ill. The increased incidence of malpractice during the 1970s had a seminal effect on how the legislations that were made regarding health care. Health care providers found themselves in a quandary. The money-intensive lawsuits that had been filed against them was not only a huge financial burden, but also compromised their reputation. They were also faced with the possibility of losing their license. Therefore risk management became all the more important, with agencies using both financial resources and specialized risk management staff to ensure patient safety and higher standard of professional conduct for health care practitioners. Risk management in health care is defined as the systematic management of administrative and clinical processes to prevent uncertainties and potential dangers and to mitigate the risk of the institution’s exposure to liability if loss occurs. Risk management can come into play in case of mal practice. The Joint Commission (2010) defines mal practice as the â€Å"improper or unethical

Porters 5 Forces Essay Example for Free

Porters 5 Forces Essay 1) New Business / Threat of New Entrants Changing Conditions in PESTEL, Product, Service differences, brand identity, access to distribution, necessary resources, learning curve, inertia of existing markets. Expected retaliation, switching requirements, scale economics and experiences. Capital requirements. Example: Upcoming smartphone known as the OnePlus One from a completely new firm. Cheaper than other firms such as Samsung, Apple and HTC but the quality is just as good, if not better. http://www.cnet.com//oneplus-one-to-hit-general/ 2 + 3) Bargaining Power of Suppliers and Customers Concentration Number of Buyers, Switching costs esp Relationships, Control of information, Forward and backward integration, threat of Vertical integration, availability of substitutes. Importance to others performance. Brand identity, marketing and purchasing incentives. Alliances, relationships and expectations. The ability of suppliers to change the firms performance. Eg Samsung has increased costs now that their suppliers went on strike. http://www.clb.org.hk//workers-samsung-supplier-china Likewise the same thing refers to consumers, but I cant of an example off the top of my head. 4) Threat of Substitutes Sideways competition, Comparative price/performance, backing by rich competitor. Comparative technological life cycle. Benefits no product features. Theres tons of substitute products in the smartphone industry of all ranges in price and quality, so that one is self explanatory. 5) Rivalry amongst Competitors Aside from the other four forces, the nature of rivals also determine the intensity and degree of rivalry. Competitors with different values, vision,  mission, strategy and operational effectiveness, combined with different perceptions and abilities of their senior managers will influence not only the degree of competition but also its patterns. The intensity of competition is also elevated when; there are severally equally strong players such as Samsung vs Apple Few chances for differentiation They all know whats coming up and they all copy each other. Galaxy Gear, Moto 360, Apple iWatch (Rumored)

Challenges and Techniques of the Oil Industry

Challenges and Techniques of the Oil Industry The Oil Sand Energy availability and economic progress go hand in hand. It is not possible to achieve economic progress in the absence of cheap, reliable energy availability. The use of energy on the part of society has increased systematically over the past two centuries, since the time of the industrial revolution. And there is no end in sight to the increase in the consumption of energy. This will continue because as global population continues to increase and especially in some of the emerging countries like China and India, the consumption of energy is bound to increase exponentially. In the past fifty years, global energy consumption has increased monotonously and how is this demand satisfied? This demand is being meet primarily with crude oil. Crude oil has been the largest energy component since 1960 and grew very rapidly in the 1970s and ever since, has grown less rapidly. Though oil has been losing ground but nevertheless, it remains the most important source of energy, second being coal, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Oil is a fossil fuel and the world is about 80 to 85% dependent on fossil fuels for our energy supply. This is a challenge because when fossil fuels are burnt, they emit CO2 in the atmosphere and since CO2 is a greenhouse gas, it contributes to global warming Oil is a mix of hydrocarbons that are liquid under atmospheric conditions. The fact that they are liquid allows for easier processing, transportation, storage, and has a higher content of energy per volume. These are the greatest advantages that oil has over other energy resources.   However, there are scenarios where the oil is not trapped in a cap rocks and forces it way out to the surface, or very close to the surface of the ground, at which point, the lighter molecules evaporate into the atmosphere and what is left are heavier molecules, which are normally called extra heavy oil or bitumen. This is known as Oil sands or Tar sand and it is made up of a mixture of sand, water, clay, and bitumen[1]. Oil sands or Tar sand are found in various countries throughout the world, but the vast quantities of oil sand reserves are found in Canada and Venezuela, according to EIA. Alberta, Canada, is estimated to have about 1.7 to 2.5 trillion barrels of oil sand reserve, thus, represent ing the largest single reserve of oil in the world.[2] Accordingly, Canada produced about 3.8 million barrel per day of crude oil, in 2014 alone. Of this, 2.2 million barrel per day was produced from the oil sands.[3] About 10% of the worlds oil reserves are located in the Alberta oil sands and about 96 percent of Canadas total oil reserves are contained in the oil sands.[4] Moreover, Canada is said to be the leading supplier of crude oil and refined oil products to the United States and the trend continues to grow in terms of percentage of US oil imports. About 60 percent of Canadas production capacity from oil sand, about 1.34 million barrels per day is exported to the US.[5] Energy as found in nature needs to mined, processed, refined and transported before it is available for end use. Unlike oil produced by conventional oil drilling which is generally less dense than water, extracting oil from oil sands is more complex. There are two methods for getting bitumen out of the ground and turning it into usable products in-situ and open pit mining. The extraction method used will depend on how deep the oil sand deposits are below the surface. Both methods are complex, energy-intensive and expensive processes. In-situ (in place) In-situ extraction process is used to mine bitumen that lies deep below the surface of the ground (greater than 75 meters underground). According to studies, about 80% of oil sands reserves in Canada are accessible via in-situ techniques.[6] The in-situ method normally uses a process called Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD). This method requires the drilling of two horizontal wells; one is used for injecting steam into the oil sand deposit to heat the oil sand making the bitumen to become more fluid and easy to flow more easily. The second well is used to pump out the flowing bitumen to the surface.[7] Open-Pit Mining Like the conventional oil mining Open-pit mining is used when mining oil sand reserves that are closer to the surface of the ground (less than 75 meters below the ground). According to industry report, 20% of oil sand reserves in Canada are extracted using this mining technique.[8] With this method, trees and top layer of soil are cleared, large shovels are used to scoop the oil sand, which is mix of sand, water and bitumen into large trucks and then moved it to onsite processing facility, where hot water is added to this mixture of sand, clay, bitumen, in a large separation vessel. Bitumen froth is forced to rise to the surface, during the separation process and then removed and diluted with chemicals.[9] Normally, the spent sand and other materials that are recovered during this process is then returned to the mines to fill in empty space that has been mined as a way of reclamation Upgrading Once the Bitumen is recovered from either through open-pit or from in-situ operation, the viscous substance is then processed in order to make it easier to transport through pipelines to various refinery, where it is to be used as feedstock. This process is called upgrade. The purpose of upgrading is to transform bitumen into synthetic crude oil, a high quality, light sweet crude oil, by removing carbon and adding hydrogen and chemical to bitumen.[10] Typically the upgrading process comes in two phases namely primary and secondary upgrading. The primary upgrading involves breaking down the heavy molecules of bitumen into lighter and less viscous molecules. The secondary upgrading is used to further cleanse and purify the bitumen attained from primary phase. This phase involves removing other impurities such as nitrogen, Sulphur, and trace metals and get it ready for oil refineries.[11] Refining The bitumen is finally delivered to through pipelines the refinery through pipelines. The SCO product is then sent to a downstream refinery for conversion into final product.[12] Here the oil is processed and converted into final products like gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, plastics, asphalt and other consumer and industrial products. Environmental Challenges The mining and processing of oil sands present a variety of environmental impacts, such as global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, disturbance of land structure, and air and water quality. It also may have significant social and economic impactson local communities. Another major concern is related to the tremendous amount of water required for oil sands development -extraction, upgrading and refining. It is estimated that the process requires an average of three barrels of water for one barrel of oil produced,[13] though some of the water are be recycled. The major environmental challenges to oil sand extraction among others are land, water, air: Land Development of oil sand crate concern about the accumulation of large amounts of residual waste known as tailings. Tailing, which contain a mix of water, clay, un-recovered bitumen, and dissolved chemicals, including some organic compounds are considered to be extremely toxic and very hazardous to the environment. Moreover, the tailings are stored in large ponds and causes seepage into the surrounding landscape, though the water released from the ponds can be recycled and reused, however, most still remains as mud almost indefinitely. The massive activities associated with oil sand project are also known to create tremendous structural disturbances of the landscape including seismic exploration and construction of wells, roads pipelines etc. negatively impact the environment and endangers the wildlife. Water Since oil sand is made up of a mixture of sand, water, clay and bitumen, a hot water process is required to separates the bitumen from the associated sand, water, clay and minerals. The process takes enormous amount of water of fresh water to produce a barrel of bitumen from mined oil sands. In many cases, the water is sourced from ground water aquifers. Rapid expansion of oil sands projects are causing great strains on fresh water resources, which leads to ecological and environmental problems.[14] Also, since bitumen is denser than water, it can be harder to clean up when there is a spill. Additionally, oil sands mining operations produce huge amounts of toxic waste, known as tailings, which consist of water, sand, silt, clay, hydrocarbons and contaminants.   The contaminates may contain various levels of naphthenic acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenolic compounds, ammonia and mercury etc., some of which, according to International Agency for Research on Cancer an d the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are known to be cancer-causing agent.[15] Even worst, the tailings are mostly stored in ponds or man-made dams, thus causing the tailing to leak into ground water and surrounding water resources. It is estimated that about four billion liters of tailings leak each year, thereby triggering immense environment devastation.[16] Air Extracting Oil sands require a substantial amount of energy in processing to process, upgrading and refining bitumen to the final products suitable for market. The entire development process is so energy intensive that it contributes immensely in carbon emissions. Reports suggest that the oil sand industry is among the highest contributors of national air emissions in Canada. Oil is produced to be consumed, more than half of the oil consumed in the world is for transportation fueling societys unquenchable demand for mobility. More than 50 percent of oil produced is used for transportation needs.[17]. As the worlds population grows, so will the global passenger mobility, global freight and transportation volumes. Additionally, the current global rise in urbanization, the global economic growth, as well as high level of economic development are other important factors prompting the increase in demand for oil. As fossil fuel, final oil products are burnt for energy through the various applications for which they are used. When burnt, they emit high amounts of harmful emissions, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particles that drift into the atmosphere and contribute to air pollution. Carbon dioxide and water vapor, along with other gases such as ozone and nitrous oxide, are known greenhouse gases and the increasing amounts of these greenhouse g ases in the atmosphere are linked to global warming and could have disastrous environmental consequences.[18] However, since the business of producing oil from oil sand is base generally on oil price, chances are that there will be some slowdown in sand oil operations around the world, as oil prices decline. Due to the recent downward trend of oil prices, the economic viability and financial attractiveness of oil sands projects have also declined. Financial analysts including those from Goldman Sachs and Total have concluded that oil sands projects require long-term prices in excess of $80/barrel to break even[19]. Deutsche Bank and BP, among others, have raised doubts about the future of investing in oil sand and Shell Oil has significantly scaled back its oil sands plans[20]. If these phenomena should continue, it might be the preeminent way in reducing and mitigating the environmental degradation being caused by oil sand. [1] http://www.canadasoilsands.ca/en/what-are-the-oil-sands/recovering-the-oil [2] http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy [3] lbid [4] www.oilsandsmagazine.com/technical/oilsands-101 [5] Kenny Bruno, Bruce Baizel, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Elizabeth Shope, and Kate Colarulli, Tax Sands Invasion: How Dirty and Expensive Oil from Canada Threatens Americas New Energy Economy (May 2010) [6] http://www.suncor.com/about-us/oil-sands [7] http://www.canadasoilsands.ca/en/what-are-the-oil-sands/recovering-the-oil [8] http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy [9] http://www.canadasoilsands.ca/en/what-are-the-oil-sands/recovering-the-oil [10] http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy [11] lbid [12] http://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/technical/oilsands-101 [13] http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy [14] lbid [15] Kenny Bruno, Bruce Baizel, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Elizabeth Shope, and Kate Colarulli, Tax Sands Invasion: How  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Dirty and Expensive Oil from Canada Threatens Americas New Energy Economy (May 2010) [16] lbid [17] https://www.iea.org [18] Kenny Bruno, Bruce Baizel, Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Elizabeth Shope, and Kate Colarulli, Tax Sands Invasion: How Dirty and Expensive Oil from Canada Threatens Americas New Energy Economy (May 2010) [19] lbid [20] lbid