Intercultural Communication Essay

Comparison of the light that Catholicism was held in a century ago and its close correlation to the current treatment of Islam as a threat to the US is an important lesson learned from ‘Islam in America’. The close correlation and its replication in history considering that Islam is trying to expand in the US is an eye opener that makes one reconsider his position on the role played by Islam in terrorism and other vices that have been labeled as being closely related to the Islam faith. Another lesson that has been brought out by the article is the fact that more Arabs are Christians. Muslims, Arabs and injustice against America have in recent time been portrayed as being one and the same. Reading the article develops a clear collaboration between what can be considered wayward Islam and Arab Christianity in engaging in acts that are subversive for either Koran or bible dictates. The extreme differences that exist between different Islam groups are also brought out. To any one outside Islam the differences that exists in beliefs thus actions of Muslims and the development that have happened within Islam cannot be developed without having access to such eye opening information. Ida B. Wells, what a woman she was! Surprisingly I had never had of her existence even under black history catalogues. It is amazing how the influence of Wells was inspirational to the development of a number of organizations and uprisings that championed for equality yet her contribution has not even been documented by many writers and literatures. Another lesson from reading the article on her contribution to the liberation of African Americans is that President Lincoln actually placed an ultimatum for southerners to surrender or else lose their slaves. This version of American history is a realization of events within history that have carefully been concealed from the current generation to hide the dismay and inhumanity that past leaders currently held in awe as being great founders of America were involved in. Why is understanding history Important? Understanding the history behind a culture is important in developing a clear picture of events in the current society. Culture is considered a development from history that unluckily is in varied versions (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007); having a deeper understanding of experiences that define a community is thus important in objectively analyzing the different versions and coming up with a personal image. Moreover, without seeking an understanding of history the systems that have been placed to hide the truth may negatively affect one’s perception of events without and within his community (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007). Without understanding the differences that led to the development of different Muslim sects and the fact that they are of different ideologies one may be affected by the negative image that has been created by the media of Islam and terrorism. Without understanding the fact that America has historically been repulsive to entry of new religion one may be duped into believing that controversies surrounding Islam in the current society are a new development in American history. Abraham Lincoln and other great have had considerable effects on the current image of America. Realization that such a great could have made an absurd statement like ‘ surrender now or lose your slaves’ develops an appreciation of the fact that American leaders have had flaws and are not as perfect as modern literature portrays them to be. Appreciation of the role played by individuals whose names are not imprinted in American history or even black history in development that have been attained by African American is developed by Ida Wells’ biography. This develops an appreciation of the effects that individual can have on communities and even generations. Role in Competent Multicultural Communication Perception greatly affects the levels of efficiency that can be attained in human communication. Irrespective of the diversity that has been developed by forces of globalization the history of an individual whether formal or informal will always affect the perception he develops of others (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007). A multicultural communicator must be aware of his culture and the effects that it has on his cognition and others’ to ensure effective communication. An understanding of the differences that exist between cultures and therefore values is important in prior determination of areas of conflict in any given communication. Such information or knowledge is vital in addressing conflict areas in the best way possible. Management of conflicts that are inherent of communication between two communicating parties is affected by appreciation of their perception of each other. Addressing myths like it was the case in demystifying the role played by lynching in reducing African Americans’ role in raping white women and developing a clear difference that exists between Arabs ad Muslims is important in dealing with the negative effect that such have on intercultural communication. Language is part of a culture and unless intercultural communicators are appreciative of the differences in culture thus history has on perception (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007), conflicts in communication and even derivation of meaning that is core to communication becomes constrained.

Lil Richard’s Music Career and Influence Essay

Richard Wayne Penniman born in December 5, 1932 in Macon, Georgia began singing in his local church choir while he was young. Richard’s family had a family gospel group and thus he grew up in a gospel setting. At his young age, he was fascinated by shows that came to his town, and at the age of fourteen he left home and went with one show of medicine. He loved stage performance. At the age of fifteen years he was performing with minstrel show and there he got the name ‘little Richard’. Richard began performing at low-rent rhythm and blues revues, where he learned to mix gospel fervor with blues lyrics. (Tipton 1). Lil Richard learned to use the piano in 1951 by befriending Esquentia who taught him the pounding piano style for which he later became famous. He then went to Atlanta and met a singer by the name Bill Wright, whose hairstyle, stage makeup and performance attracted Lil very much. Later he won a talent contest award and thereafter with the help of Bill Wright signed a contract with RCA records in 1951 and released four singles. At the age of eighteen years he had the first recording session and his records sold well in Macon and Atlanta. His father’s murder made him deviate from music and started washing dishes, a job that supported his family; later he bounced back to music dominating Macon rhythm-and- blues with a new band. In mid 1950’s he laid down a foundation for rock and roll kind of music, and set rules governing that kind of music, thus he began with songs like â€Å"Tutti Frutti† and â€Å"Good Golly, Miss Molly† and by 1968 he had managed to sell well over 32 million records internationally. In 1958, however, at the height of his career, Lil Richard renounced his rock and roll lifestyle in favor of fundamentalist religion. Since that time, he has continued to vacillate between show business and the church, while never losing sight of his profound influences on countless rock and roll performers. Despite his inner conflict, Little Richard has justifiably earned his status as a true musical legend. (Tipton 1) After leaving the music industry for some time Lil Richard returned in 1985 and in 1986 he was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of fame and he began series of performances and appearances. Richard was influenced by the surrounding where he was born, that is, Macon, Georgia; the heart of America’s gospel belt and he was attracted to singing in the church where his family too participated. He was greatly influenced by Sister Rosetta, the ‘Original Soul Sister’ of recorded music. She was Richard’s favorite singer whom he admired, and she provided Richard with his first ‘paid gig’ in 1945 when she invited him to sing on stage. The rock and roll piano style of Fats Domino that grew out of the distinctive sound of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues also influenced Lil Richard. Richard’s had an impact on music since his influence on both Rhythm & Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll was significant. He is considered to be the man behind transitions from Rhythm & Blues to Rock ‘n’ Roll. Little Richard is an artist who has largely influenced the music of 20th century. He inspired a large number of artists to the music stage who consider him their idol. Cark Dick points that with Richard’s excellence he became a role model for every rock and roll performer. Redding Otis hints that he entered music business because of Richard (Friedlander 17). Following his rapid success, of stunning, spine-tingling R&B hits, like â€Å"Rip it up†, defined the new sound of rock and roll with changed piano-playing, and funky rocking arrangements. Further he influenced to develop the genre of music by injection of funk element to his music at his time through saxophone, which was studded in 1950’s road band. With a heavily accentuated back- beat, funky saxophone grooves and shouted vocals and emotive characteristics in his performances and songs marked a new kind of music. Richard provided outrageous extroversion, screaming out the often rather meaningless words of his songs, for example ‘Awopbopaloobopalambamboom’, but he made a kind of wild poetic frenzy out of these nonsense lyrics and that anti-linguistic drift has been found in rock music, and indicates the sensuousness or rock and pop. (Horrocks 132) Lil, a Black American influenced the music of the whites. British musicians in Liverpool, the Beatles were heavily influenced by Black music. The Beatles were not only paraphrasing Lil’s work but blending with them other musics and other cultural influences. (Horrocks 137). Lil’s rock music that began in the United States had an impact to the music industry since it was shaped and gave birth to popular music that ignited music professionals to venture into popular music by imitating Lil’s rock and roll. Nevertheless, Little Richard’s seminal influence in the arena of rock music cannot be diminished. He remains a legendary and iconic figure in popular music. Works Cited Horrocks R. Male myths and icons: masculinity in popular culture. Palgrave Macmillan, 1995, 130-138. Friedlander P. Rock and roll: a social history. Westview Press, 1996, 14-23. Tipton Nathan. , G. Little Richard (Richard Penniman). Chicago: West Adams, 2002,1-6.

Filipino Teen-Ager’s Perspective on the Use of Herbs for Health and Body Care

INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Herbs are essential ingredients today. Different kinds of products made of it are now sprouting. Examples are herbal soaps for whitening the skin, herbal tea for cleansing the body, herbal hair supplements for hair growth, etc. But it is primarily used for medical and health purposes. An herb, as stated by the Microsoft Encarta Dictionaries (2007), is â€Å"a low-growing aromatic plant used fresh or dried for seasoning, for its medicinal properties. â€Å" A common feature of Filipinos is their persuadable character. Nowadays, because of the herb thing being shown in TV commercials and informative shows, many are starting to notice herbs and their useful properties for health purposes. Due to this increasing interest of Filipinos on herbs, the researcher chose to study about it but limited the topic to Filipino adolescents’ (ages14-19) view on herbs. The researcher is a teen herself. She wants to know if people her age have a common view and response on the subject matter. This is the main reason she limited the respondents to just Filipino teens rather than the whole age range of Filipino citizens. Significance of the Study Studying the perspective of the young on herbs can benefit a lot of people. If proven that a larger part of the group would have a positive view on the use of herbs, meaning they are very open to the use of herbs, then there would be possibility that this study can convince: (a) foreign and local investors to invest in herb businesses in the Philippines; (b) the government to supply more herbal products for the poor and/or to support Filipino entrepreneurs who are into herb business; and (c) the medical researchers to study this topic on herbs further. This study is interesting because herbs are in vogue today. Filipinos are now into herbal use and medication. Many herbal commodities are coming out in the market. This study, likewise, can have a hand in the prevailing knowledge of Modern Filipino lifestyles and Filipino Culture. It can also contribute to the studies of the behaviors of Filipinos on herbal products. It can negate or verify the hearsays that most Filipinos are using herbal commodities in their every day life. Statement of the Problem Teens are willing to use herbs, a rising trend in the world, for their health and body care for reasons that their environment they have grown up influenced them and that the effects of their daily experiences also affects their behavior. Objectives of the Study This study intends to: †¢ Enable readers to know about the Filipino Teen-agers’ attitude on the use of herbs for daily living. †¢ Have knowledge of the factors that lead Filipino Teen-agers to be convinced or discouraged to use herbs. †¢ Enhance people’s awareness on the issue of herbal use. Help in foreseeing the undesirable consequences of the use of herbs. †¢ Encourage researchers to explore further the topic and research on the other applications of herbs. †¢ Help in the economic environment of the Philippines. Review of Related Literature â€Å"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fr uit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat†¦and to†¦everything†¦wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so,† stated in Genesis 1: 29, 30. There are a number of texts in the Bible that can be references to the people’s use of herbs in that time. The above text is one of them. Herminia de Guzman-Ladion interpreted this text from the Bible. She said in her book Healing Wonder of Herbs that herbs were used in God’s dietary plan for man and His creatures (de Guzman-Ladion, 1985). This is an example of how people of the positive ways in using herbs. There can be a conclusion that man, in the time when the Bible had been written, already believed in the good effect of the use of herbs for their daily living. As a relation to this, Winston J. Craig (1996) said in his article Herbs in the March-April 1996 issue of Health & Home Magazine that a number of herbal products (plants) have been found to be beneficial for people’s health (Craig, 1996). Yes, herbal plants can be very useful for a person’s health but cautions must be taken. In the article Herbal Supplements in the same issue of the same magazine, The Mayo Clinic (1996) asserted that lack of scientific basis doesn’t mean all herbs are hazardous for anyone, but taking them is uncertain (The Mayo Clinic, 1996). As a result of the herb’s popularity caused by declarations or overstated bits of scientific evidence, people are spending millions a year for herbal remedies. These herbs are selling like hotcakes and promise to enhance one’s well-being naturally (The Mayo Clinic, 1996). An example of the popularity of herbs is the survey assessed by the World Health Organization. The result of the said survey is it revealed 65% – 80% of the world’s population uses traditional medicine as their principal method of health care (Drew, 1997). (Herbal use is a part of the traditional medicine. This survey like the surveys of the SWS has shown that not only Filipinos use herbs but also a lot in the world. Herbs are very useful, especially for helping cure diseases. Dr. Gerard Penecilla, a Filipino pharmaceutical scientist, found out that that 2 herbal plants, banaba and tsaang-gubat, found out that these plants contain ingredients that can fight the growth and multiplication o f cancer cells. (Herbs, 2003) Many Filipinos like him want to expand and explore the applications of herbs in the scientific knowledge. Former acting health secretary Jaime Galvez Tan said, â€Å"if only we could establish more herbal processing plants (in the Philippines), importing expensive drugs and medicines will become a thing in the past. † (Filipinos, 1996) If only what Mr. Tan’s hope would happen, there would be more convenient medicines for the less fortunate. Medicines would be affordable that people would not experience the anxiousness they feel whenever there is someone stricken by viral diseases in their families. This could happen in the near future but there are still no implications that studies are already closer today than yesterday. Methodology The researcher’s topic is about the behavior of Filipino teens on the use of herbs or health and body care. The most appropriate way to address this matter is by the method of a survey. Though it is very expensive and time-consuming, a survey would tell the concrete ideas of the participants regarding the topic. Besides from surveys, the researcher will research about existing data from the different libraries near her home. This would help her in proving or negating her interview results. This would also provide a better understanding of the subject matter. Participants About 20 Filipino teen-age students (ages 14-19), living or studying in Pampanga preferably in the cities of San Fernando and Angeles, will be interviewed. This age range is very suitable for the study because the younger generation is very prone to technological and scientific changes. They have the capacity to adapt in such changes, yet they can be instruments to promote or obliterate these alterations. These made them a very suitable group in studying the above concern. They should be knowledgeable of the subject matter and can give critical answers to questions raised to them. Procedure The researcher will conduct surveys with the participants. Before she will start the discussion, the researcher will request for the participant’s permission to answer the questions in her study and will guarantee the participant that his or her private identity will not be specified in the report. The researcher will explain beforehand the purpose and goals of her study. Then, she will hand to the participant the survey questionnaire and the respondent will answer them with his or her own opinion and idea about the matter as the researcher will explain some details in the questionnaire that the participant is confused of. The survey will take place in the school or home of the participant and will last not more than 10-20 minutes. After the dialogues, the researcher will give her utmost gratitude to the participant for lending his or her time and sharing his or her views. All the data will be summed up and run through. The researcher will give a particular consideration to the outlook of the participants on herbal use. Related studies and literatures collected will be used in analyzing the data. They will be added to support or refute the present study. Common scenarios will be pointed out and elaborated. Outline Thesis Statement: Teens are willing to use herbs, a rising trend in the world, for their health and body care for reasons that their environment they have grown up influenced them and that the effects of their daily experiences also affects their behavior. I. There is a rising trend of the use of herbal products and medicine in the world. A. The ancient world was using herbs for centuries. 1. Man and plant are complementing one another. 2. Chinese herbology is the most popular use of herbs in the world. . The Greek physicians collected and prescribed medicinal plants and their extracts for various illnesses. 4. Writings of Egyptians containing plants for the cure of diseases were found. B. The demand and trend for herbal products and medicines were reflected on certain economic issues of different countries. 1. Germany imports medicinal plants for its people’s use. 2. The herbal market is growing in the United States . 3. Asia exports a lot of herbal plants such as Indonesia’s Jamu and Korea’s Ginseng. 4. Canada consumes a lot herbal medicines for their health. 5. Japan will work to regulate supplements as foods instead of drugs. C. Studies and surveys were conducted to prove the popularity and effectiveness of herbal products, medicines and supplements. 1. The world Health Organization estimated 80% of people in the world use herbal medicines. 2. Unity Maketing, Business Communication Company and National Marketing Institute researched separately the herbal market. 3. The dietary supplements sales on the internet reached $40 million in 1998. 4. Supplement companies have united to increase research and education on supplements. 5. The PCCARD revives herbal use for their services. 6. An SWS survey showed that the Filipinos are using herbal medicines to cure illnesses. II. The environment where the teens are growing up is the primary factor for their positive attitude in using herbs. A. The familys lifestyle takes part in their behaviors. 1. Beliefs and practices regarding folk medicine were handed down from ancestors. 2. Safe and natural medications are now of primary concern. B. Friends are the one of the best source of information. C. Media is also a factor. 1. Most teenagers engage with media everyday. . Television ads on herbal products are aired. 3. Teens are reading a lot of publications and browsing the web in this stage of their growth. 4. Artists have been endorsing herbal teas and organic products. III. Another factor that affects their behavior is effects of their daily experiences. A. The increasing pollution in the teens’ society becomes disturbing. B. The teens’ lack of exercise adds to their need for an instant remedy to maintain good status of their health. C. Stress is very usual to students. I. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY The World’s View Before, man used plants in two ways. First, plants were used in religious rituals and ceremonies. They were thought to be divinatory agents. Through offering plants, people believed that gods can hear and interact with them. They also believed that this is a way to please the gods. The second way is the medical use of plants. There are illnesses that are believed to be treatable by plants. These diseases included mental illnesses, diarrhea, worm infection, lung diseases, and diabetes. Plants were known to be the medical folklore of people. They were used for centuries (Lisca, 2000). In their introduction in Medical botany: plants affecting man’s health, Walter and Memory Lewis (1977) stated that â€Å"Man’s survival has been dependent on his innate curiosity, his desire to examine by trial and error all aspects of his environment, and to conclude, for example, which materials are remedial, which ones are harmful and which give him the greatest nourishment† (Lewis, 1977). China is very popular with its great contribution to science. In the Chinese History, the legendary Empereor Shen Nung put together the Pen T’sao where he rated 365 herbs as superior, mediocre or inferior (Modell, 1980). At present, herbology and acupuncture blended with cosmopolitan medicine form the new Chinese medicine which Chinese are proud of because of its therapies and concepts that treat men as a whole entity (Lewis, 1977). In the Ancient Greece, medicinal plants were also used to cure diseases. Some great physicians like Hippocrates, gathered and prescribed drugs that contain herbs and medicinal plants (Modell, 1980). In Ancient Egypt, the Papyrus Ebers, an ancient text (1500 B. C. ) containing 700 herbal remedies, showed how skilled the Egyptians were in use of herbal medicines (Herbs, 2005). Not only in the ancient world are herbs used, but also in the present world. Plants do not only benefit our health but they also benefit the economical growth of a country. People are now having interest on using herbal products. This could have been the main reason for the growing interest on the herbal market. Countries such as Germany, France, Sweden, and Australia are now on the course of licensing herbal remedies. The European Commission had made a draft directive in licensing herbal preparations where in these herbal products will be given licenses if they passed the procedures in assessing their quality and safety (De Smet, 2002). Germany is the home of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. But it is also the biggest importer and consumer of medicinal plants. An example of the Germans extensive use of herbal products is the high priced herbal laxatives. These laxatives cost 10 times more than pharmaceutical chemical laxatives (Escobar, Economic). In the United States, 60 million Americans used herbs in 1996, accounting $3. 24billion in sales. The US herbal market experienced unprecedented growth as herbal medicine sales increased by 59% in 1997 (Miller, 1998). Dr. Herbert Loveless expected the US herbal market to reach $6 to $8 billion in 1998 with an annual growth rate of 25% (US, 1999). Now, the annual sale of drugs from plants is $10 billion. Investigations on new uses of plant-derived drugs are also growing. There are more than 200 organizations are experimenting and researching on plants today (Lisca, 2000). Asia has been the largest exporter of herbal products and supplements. According to Vicenta M. Escobar, Pharm. D. , Indonesia uses â€Å"Jamu† and Korea uses â€Å"Ginseng†. Both also created export markets for their herbal products (Escobar, Economic). Governments also help in the use of herbal medicines and products. The Canadian government allocated $10 million to establish a natural product organization in response to the growing public demand for herbs and dietary supplements in Canada (Canada, 1999). Also, over 1700 retail outlets, with an estimation of $680 million annual retail sales, are classified as health food stores or supplements/ nutrition stores there (Schleich, Herbal). In Japan, the government will work for a reclassification of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary supplements as food instead of drugs (Japan, 1999). Aside from the government, various groups and companies do research for the development of the knowledge and use of herbs. As said by the World Health Organization, 80% of people worldwide are depending on herbal medicines for their healthcare because of the increasing cost of prescription medicines and the interest to go back to the natural remedies (Hart, 2002). The unity Marketing reported that doctors were the consumer’s best source of credible information on vitamins and herbs, followed by publications, product labels, and friends. According to the Business Communications Company, there is an expected increase in the amount of botanical raw materials at a rate of 9. 7% annually through 2004. National Marketing Institute noted that in the next five years, the biggest sellers would be products that assist the immune system, followed by stress reducers and cognitive enhancers (Market, 2000). As stated by the Nutrition Business Journal, a $40 million supplement sales was reached on the internet in 1998 (Online, 1999). The Corporate Alliance for Integrative Medicine, composed of 10 major supplement companies, will focus on research programs at major American Universities. It also aims to develop programs for medical professionals and consumers (Industry, 1998). In the Philippines, the PCCARD, or the Philippine Council for Agriculture Resource Research and Development, is reviving the use of herbs and medicinal plants for health care services. They encourage people by imposing simple instructions on how to grow these plants and listing the ailments that can be cured by these medical plants and herbs (Filipinos, 2008). There had been a study conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) in 1994. It disclosed that 78% of Filipinos were making use of herbal medicines to cure different kinds of common ailments (Filipinos, 1996). A previous survey presented that 66 of Filipinos are availing themselves of local herbs or medicinal plants when suffering from various illness or discomfort (Filipinos, 1996). These surveys show that, even before, there is an existing knowledge of the Filipino behavior on the subject of herbs. The Filipino Teenagers’ view The word ‘herbs’ is a common word heard from the conversation of most adults. They know a lot about it and its great contribution to the society. But does the next generation know about it? The researcher wants to know the answer to this question. In her survey, she asked if the respondents know anything about herbs and its so-called ‘natural healing powers’. The teenagers’ response was not surprising. 90% (18 out of 20) confirmed that they knew about it. Some of the respondents’ views were: â€Å"They are plants. Some of them have soft stems and can be used in cooking, medicine and cosmetics. I learned many herbal medicines in our botany class. And well, (maybe because) I’m taking up Pharmacy. † -Female, 17 â€Å"Herbs are medicinal plants. They contain minerals that are proven to be effective by science. † – Female, 17 The Filipino family is the family wherein each member is very much influenced by the culture, beliefs and practices of the family. Their lifestyle would have a great part in each member’s personality and views. In the survey 100% of the respondents affirmed that their families are knowledgeable on herbs. 85% (17 out of 20) of the respondents assumed their families believe in the ‘natural healing powers’ of herbs, 10 %( 2 out of 20) answered their families wouldn’t believe, and 5% (1 out of 20) didn’t respond to the question. 0% (14 out of 20) of the respondents stated that their families use herbs, 25% (5 out of 20) stated that their families are not using herbs, and 5% (1 out of 20) didn’t respond to the question. Philippine culture is rich with beliefs and practices in folk medicine. A lot of them are still passed on from generation to generation. O ne of them is the belief of the herbolario’s (albularyo) capacity to cure different illnesses. From the encyclopedia of Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs of Fr. Francisco Demetrio, S. J. , a herbolario is called as such because he uses herbs or some kind of grass in curing the sick (Demetrio, 1991). But this belief was not very much seen on the survey. Only 40% (8 out of 20) stated that their family consulted a herbolario at least once, 35% (7 out of 20) said no, and 25% (5 out of 20) were uncertain. Many families use herbs for it is natural and safe. According to the survey, 65% (13 out of 20) said that their families use herbs due to its natural properties and 55% (11 out of 20) said their families use herbs due to its safer properties than synthetic drugs. Aside from the families, the next factor that builds the personality of a teenager is his/ her friends. They are with him or her most of the time in this stage of his or her life. Thus, they converse a lot of different topics which makes the ‘friends’ factor one of the primary sources of information. There had been a 50-50 result on the survey regarding the teens’ conversations with their friends about herbs. 50% of the respondents said that they had conversed about herbs with their friends and the other 50% said they did not. 60% (12 out of 20) of them presumed that their friends believe in herbs’ ‘natural healing powers’, 10% (2 out of 20) didn’t think so, and the others did not respond to the question. Teenagers engage with media, such as television, internet, radio, magazines and newspapers, everyday. It is also a source of information where they can be knowledgeable of things easily. 90% (18 out of 20) of the respondents said that they know television advertisements of some herbal products, supplements, and medicines. 80% (16 out of 20) of them stated that they have read articles talking about herbs/ herbal products in some publications and over the net. 85% (17 out of 20) of them said that they know some local and foreign artists who endorse herbal products. But only 10% (2 out of 20) of participants believed these artists use the products they endorse and 45% (9 out of 20) supposed these artists do not use the products they endorse. Pollution is brought about by the advancing technology today. Smokes from cars and other pollutants are everywhere. With this, most teenagers are alarmed for its harmful effects to their health and to the society. 65% (13 out of 20) of the respondents stated that they are currently alarmed of the danger of their health brought about by pollution. 55% (11 out of 20) of respondents said that herbs can help them be protected against pollution. A problem that also bothers the teenagers is their lack of exercise. 85% (17 out of 20) of them said that they don’t exercise regularly. 0% (8 out of 20) of them think that taking herbal remedies can help in maintaining a good status of their health, 25% (5 out of 20) of them said they don’t think so, and 35% (7 out of 20) of them are neutral about it. The respondents are also students. Most of them are stressed out and tired of school works and activities. But only 30% (6 out of 20) of them think that herbs can help them relieve str ess and tiredness, 15% (3 out of 20) don’t think so, and 55% (11 out of 20), the majority, are neutral about it. 5% (13 out of 20) of the respondents said that they prefer to use herbals due to their natural and safer properties than taking synthetic drugs. 75% (15 out of 20) stated that they are not taking herbs at present and 65% (13 out of 20) of the respondents said they are planning to use it in the future. II. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Teenage life is the stage of a person’s learning of the society and growth of personality through culture and environment. It is affected by different factors in which the attitudes and behaviors of the teenagers are being molded upon. At present, the world is already in the stage wherein technology is advancing fast and the teenagers have the capacity to adapt in such changes, yet they can be instruments in promoting or obliterating these alterations. But behind these technological and scientific changes, the use of herbs has still been a major notion. Practical living is the system of living the society mostly needs now due to such changes that greatly affect the people’s daily living. And one practical way is to use herbal remedies for its safer properties but cheaper price than synthetic drugs. The world, since the ancient times, uses herbs as medicinal cures for different diseases. Writings in the Ancients China, Greece, and Egypt of the use of herbs as remedies have been found. Presently, many countries, such as Germany and the United States of America, are extensively using herbal products and remedies. They have been researching and finding ways on how to prove and further enhance the healing ingredients of herbs. In the Philippines, programs and seminars were held by the government in encouraging Filipino families to grow medicinal plants and herbs and, therefore, use them for health and care purposes. Now, considering that Filipinos have a persuadable character and the economic crisis happening in the Philippines, it is likely possible that they would use medicinal plants and herbs in attending to their healthcare services. And because the Filipino family is the family wherein each member is very much influenced by the culture, beliefs and practices of the family, it is possible that the Filipino teenagers’ attitudes towards the use of herbs are mostly affected by their families. The survey has shown that majority of the respondents’ families are knowledgeable and using herbs. They also believe in the ‘natural healing powers’ of herbs. Aside from their families, the respondents’ friends and daily engagement with media affected their attitudes towards using herbs. It has been shown in the survey that majority of the respondents assumed that their friends are believing in the ‘natural healing powers’ of herbs and affirmed that they have watched commercial advertisements and read articles talking about the positive results in using herbs for healthcare. Other minor factors affecting the teenagers’ behavior in using herbs are pollution, stress and their lack of exercise. As revealed in the survey, majority of the respondents affirmed that using herbs can help them be protected from the harmful effects of pollution, be relieved from stress and tiredness, and maintain a good status of their health. Clearly, Filipino teenagers accepted the concept of herb in their daily living due to the influences and knowledge from their families, their friends, their experiences, and the media. Most of them are already conscious of their health that they are also considering the use of herbs for their health and body care. But still, some are not yet greatly bothered by it or concerned on the possible benefits or consequences they can get from using it. But because of what they hear and learn about it, they are, somewhat, expressing their interest on the subject matter. The research has shown how some of the Filipino teenagers address the issue of herbs for health and body care. But due to the limited time given and a small sample size used for the said research, the researchers does not recommend her research to be used in basing the whole standing of the Filipino Teenagers on the issue. It is not suitable because, aside from being small to be relied on, the sample used in the survey consists of students, either living or studying in the cities of Angeles and San Fernando in Pampanga. It would have been better if a larger sample size consisting of both literate and illiterate teenagers from different parts of the Philippines should be used. But time and money has been very limited so the researcher opted to use the present sample. The researcher also recommends that if another research will be based from the said research, a wider range of factors should be taken into notice. Aside from the factors used, other factors affecting Filipino teenagers’ attitudes and behaviors should be studied and pointed out. A wider range of factors would significantly help in showing the nature of general stand of the Filipino teenagers regarding the issue. Survey and library research are the two methods used in accomplishing the present research. These two methods are the most appropriate methods to be used because of the limited time given. But if time will not be a great consideration, the researcher recommends that the method of interviewing should be used instead of conducting a survey. The interview method would really reveal, in details, how Filipino teenagers address the issue of using herbs for health care purposes. It would greatly help in identifying the stand of the Filipino teenagers’ on the matter. But using this method would be very time-consuming and money-spending. Man and plant really cannot live without the other. They coexist in this world to benefit one another. References: Canada forms new federal natural products organization. (June 1999). Natural foods merchandiser. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Website: http://herbs. rg/current/canorg. html Craig, J. (1996 March-April). Herbs. Health & home: The national journal of better living, 2, 10-11. Demetrio, F. (1991). Herbolario of ancient Philppines. Encyclopedia of Philippine folk beliefs and customs (Vol. 2). Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines: Xavier University. De Smet, P. (19 December 2002). Herbal remedies. The New England journal of medicine. Retrieved February 2, 2008 from the World Wide Website: https://content. nejm. org/cgi/content/extract/347/25/2046 De Guzman-Ladion, H. (1985). Healing wonder of herbs. Manila, Philippines: Philippine Publishing House. Drew, Anna & Stephen Myers. (18 February 1997). Safety issues in herbal medicine: Implications for the health professions. The medical journal of Australia. Retrieved Dec. 15, 2007 from the world wide website: mja. com. Escobar, V. M. (n. d. ). Economic issues in medicinal plants. Retrieved from DOST regional office library (region 3). Filipinos are using herbal medicine. (2001-2008). Living in the Philippines Inc. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Website: https://www. livinginthephiluippines. om/herbalmedicine/filipino_uses_herbal_medicine. html Filipinos go herbal. (1996 May-June). Health & home: The national journal of better living, 3, 2. Hart, J. & Shumake, L. (1 December 2002). Herbal medicine. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Website: http://www. umm. edu/altmed/articles/herbal-medicine-000351. htm â€Å"Herb. † Microsoft Encarta. 2007. Herbs to cure cancer? (2003 May-June). Health & home: The national journal of better living, 3, 2. Herbs of Egypt. (2005). Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Website: http://www. erbsofegypt. com/ Industry alliance formed to increase research and education on supplements. (8 October 1998). Retrieved Dec. 15, 2007 from the world wide website: http://www. herbs. org/current/indallies. html Jocano, F. L. (1973). Major specialists. Folk medicine in a Philippine municipality. Diliman,QC: Punlad Research House, Inc. Japan moves to regulate supplements as foods. (17 May 1999). The Tan sheet. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Website: http://herbs. org/current/japansup. html Lewis, W. & M. P. F. 1977). Medical botany: Plants affecting man’s health. Missouri: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Lisca, K. (2000). Drugs and the human body (with implications for society). Diliman,QC: Punlad Research House, Inc. Market research and predictions summarized. (July / August2000). Nutritional outlook. Retrieved Dec. 15, 2007 from the wo rld wide website: http://www. herbs. org/current/mktresearchsumm. htm The Mayo Clinic. (1996 March-April). Herbal supplements. Health & Home: The national journal of better living, 2, 10-11. Miller, Lucinda. (10 June 1998). Selected clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions. Retrieved Dec. 15, 2007 from the world wide website: archinte. ama-assn. org Modell, W. et. al. (1980). Life science library: Drugs. Hong Kong: Time Life Books. Online sales of dietary supplements reach $40 million. (May 1999). Natural business. Retrieved Dec. 15, 2007 from the world wide website: http://www. herbs. org/current/onlinesup. html Schleich, David John (n. d. ). Herbal medicine a continuing trend. Retrieved from DOST regional office library (region 3). US herbal market nearing

Read the requirement carefully and finish on timethis is a group paper Essay

Read the requirement carefully and finish on timethis is a group paper with 3 members - Essay Example 201,000 in 2012. Since this profit is calculated before deducting interest and tax, so the company can plan for distribution of profits after deduction is done, i.e. on PAT (Profit after tax). On deduction of interest from the operating profit, there is a marked decrease in the Profit available before tax by ?94,000. This decrease in profit is due to increase in the amount of bank loan and bank overdraft in between September 2011 and September 2012 for the purpose of continuing operations of the business. As a result of decrease in profit after deduction of interest, the profit for the year has also decreased from ?107,000 in 2011 to ?64,000 in 2012. Reduction in profit would have an adverse effect on the business, such as, the company fail to pay the dues of its creditors, would not be able to pay appropriate dividends to its shareholders, as well the company would face problems in expansion as it would face shortage of funds. The ongoing activities of the business entity would also be affected with such decrease in profits. The financial position as per the balance sheet of TR Ltd. as at 30th September 2012, depicts the following- Though the value of non-current assets are shown in terms of written down value in the balance sheet, the market value of land and buildings as on 30th September 2012 in much more than its written down value. ... An increase in retained profit as on 30th September 2012 depicts that the business entity has retained a part of the profit earned. From the income statement it is found that the business has earned a profit of ?64,000 as on 30th September 2012. As the extra profit retained in the year 2012 amounts to ?34,000, so it can be concluded that the company has drawn an amount of ?34,000 from the profit of ?64,000 and added it to the balance of retained profit. The remaining ?30,000 out of the profit is declared as to be distributed as dividend for the year 2012. An increase in Bank Loan has increased the debt of the firm. Though bank loan is a long term debt but still the company would face problems in meeting its debt if the profit does not increase in the long run. As the profit has decreased in the year 2012 so the company would face problem in meeting its timely payments as agreed upon with the bank. The amount of current liabilities has in the year 2012 but as the profit in the year 20 12 has decreased the company would face problems in meeting the liabilities on time as it will face a shortage of funds. Though the current assets are more than the current liabilities to be met in the year 2012, but still the company would face problems in meeting its liabilities as because the balance of liquid cash available is not sufficient to meet the liabilities and Inventory is not a liquid asset and Trade receivables is yet to be realized. From the above, it can be concluded that the business is at a crucial stage in the year 2012. Though there has been improvement and increase in operations undertaken and performed for the growth and expansion of the business, still the marked decrease in profit

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example And some of these external factors include social influences such as lifestyles, households, sub-cultures, social class, and reference groups. While these influences are often remain undistinguished and mixed by laypeople, the distinction between each group is important in order to know up to what extent these groups influence an individual as regards her purchase decisions. One of these influences include sub-cultures. A culture usually pertains to a set of norms among a larger group, usually a country or a geographical region that has been shared and strengthened through traditions. It is the same for sub-cultures, a set of norms or a set of behaviours and beliefs that are acceptable within a given group, only that the group is a smaller one than a country or a geographical territory. Regions, organisations, clubs, and other smaller groups within the society have their own set of norms, their own cultures. These norms comprise what are called the sub-culture. A sub-culture is said to be more relevant to culture because these norms have more immediate effect to an individual. In terms of reference to an individuals identity, sub-cultures are also closer for them to associate their identity with. Therefore, a sub-culture, when an individual feels strongly being a member of a certain social group is a potent social influencer in terms of the individuals decision, including consumer purchase decisions. Another social influence is lifestyle. In contrast to sub-culture which is dependent on a larger groups norms and beliefs where the individual is a member of, lifestyle is the sum of the activities that define how an individual lives her life; a lifestyle is a certain way of living. Some examples of an active lifestyle include active lifestyles, where an individual pursues more engaging physical activities such as sport and other recreation, or passive lifestyle where activities include less physical activities such as music, etc. These lifestyles

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Journal - Essay Example Marketing management bases on the concept of situation analysis in which the manager has to keenly analyze and closely monitor the firm so that everything runs parallel to the firm’s objectives and mission. Since it is a broad field, situation analysis divides itself into the economic, competitive, cooperative, legal, social and political environments. The economic environment It is a major determinant of how the firm survives in a competitive market. This type of environment can bring with it marketing opportunities or constraints. For example, such factors as high inflation and unemployment can limit the size of the market that can afford to purchase a firm’s top-of –the-line product (Peter and Donnelly 17). The competitive environment Firms are after a similar raw material and target at same consumers. In this environment, the management must look out for competing firms, drive competitors out of the industry and aim at offering value sensible products to the consumers. Political environment It influences how the public views the product. It composes of the business critics, the public and other organizations. To guard the corporation image, the management must satisfy the standards set to avoid criticism. ... Operations management functions The functions are categorized under design and control issues (Mahadevan 16). For the design issues, the functions are realized in product and design development. This is a major importance since it facilitates creativity in production to withstand external competitions. In addition, there is improved quality management, which helps build trust with customers. Designing is important when locating and making layouts of facilities that enables efficiency in production. For control issues, operations management is a guide for forecasting, as it understands the flow and trends of products. This helps in controlling production such that there is neither surplus nor deficit. Supply chain management is put under control since it depends on the operations management decisions. Still, the operations management helps guide the maintenance management because the operations determine how frequent the maintenance practices are carried out. With all these summed up, there is a continuous improvement of operations in a company. The operations management faces competitive pressure. This is because of technological advancement today. This can be attributed to be a major challenge. On the same note, the pressure can be from the economic reforms. Organizational design Organizational design involves two complementary problems: how to partition a big task of the whole organization and how to coordinate the subunits so that they fit together (Burton et al). The problems make organizational design a continuous executive process that requires short-term and long-term resolutions. Since it is a continuous process, a systematic approach reveals what happens Step 1: getting started Every firm has a goal and mission

Comparisons and contrasts between the educational systems of Japan and Essay

Comparisons and contrasts between the educational systems of Japan and Britain - Essay Example Dearden (1998) points out that there is significant annual return for an individual who has earned extra years in education: 9.3% for women and 5.5% for men. Japan and the United Kingdom (UK) are two strong economies that would benefit from educating their respective people. Japan, a strong industrial economy in Asia, capitalizes much on the Japanese workforce to propel its economy further and stay competitive amongst nations. The UK, on the other hand, capitalizes as well on its workforce to maintain its strong competitive stance in the world market. This paper attempts to compare and contrast the educational systems of these two nations basing only on the basic general education of both countries. It is limited to the basic comparison and contrast and does not go further into the technical and other aspects of education. In the UK education system, education is compulsory for eleven years. Starting from age five, children attend Primary School in state-run schools until the age eleven. After which, from age eleven to sixteen, they go to Comprehensive School, still in state-run schools. There are also the so-called Grammar Schools, which are secondary schools for students aged eleven to eighteen. Entry to these Grammar Schools is rather stringent, controlled as they are by academically selective process consisting largely by written examinations. This is mainly to prepare the students for further education at any college or university after finishing the Grammar School. privately-run schools, which ironically, are called officially in the UK as Public Schools. These Public Schools are regarded as elite-oriented because they charge fees, they are usually prestigious and historic, do not arbitrarily restrict admissions, and are mostly funded by groups and institutions other than the state, commonly as private charitable trusts. Also, most of these schools are boarding schools. They admit students aged thirteen to eighteen. On the contrary, Japan

Reading Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 20

Reading Response - Essay Example Topik argues that voyages lead to the global trade which allowed other goods from Asian countries, particularly tea in becoming part of the European culture2 (Topik 2006). Topik in his article highlights that the revolutionary boom and the voyages boost the trade of cheap drug food like tea in the European region. With the passage of time, people become excessively addictive of tea. On the other hand, James states that the expansion of global trade made cheap goods like tea available to people and they became fashion symbols. I am of the view that James in the article emphasizes on the West Indians of East India Company and salves were the reason for making people addictive, whereas Topik in his article states that the control of the production of the tea plantation was the major issue, and trade of cheap products. In my opinion, both articles present the same idea that the global trade made tea one of the most significant and most widely used commodities. In addition, the adaptation and accessibility of these commodities made tea common in the people. There is a minor difference in the idea presented by the authors. James talks more tea as an imperia l commodity whereas, Topik talks about the trade and slavery as a cause for tea to become a common

Response papers for the film Smooth Talk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Response papers for the film Smooth Talk - Essay Example The mother\ always has something nice to say about June, the elder sister, whereas Connie and her mother are always fighting and arguing. That is why Connie plays the proverbial rebel and â€Å"acts out,† so to speak, by defying her mother and going to places without informing her. The film, just like the story, takes a nasty turn when Arnold Friend, a man who spotted her at one such place, decides to pay her a visit when her parents are not at home. The film is very closely based on the story, though there are some differences, seeing how it was a feature film based on a short story, certain additions had to be made to accommodate for the length. The one place where the depiction of characters did not seem â€Å"fair† to me was that Laura Dern, who played Connie, did not look like a fifteen year old at all. What is more, she looked a lot older than the girls casted to play her friends. The story mentioned that Connie was pretty, and as far as that is concerned, Laura D ern fit the role well, however, nowhere does it mention that Connie looked older than her age. Another aspect where the film diverged from the original work is that in the story Connie’s father does not spend any time with his family; he does not have much time once he comes home and he does not talk to them much. However, in the film, Connie’s father not only spends time with his family, but also seems to treat Connie as her favorite child. This takes away from the story, in my opinion. When reading the story, one feels that Connie is completely isolated and feels like she is ignored, and that is why she does what she does: in a bid to get attention. When the film shows Connie’s father being especially attentive to her, it does not convey the sense of isolation that Connie feels, because clearly she does get attention. Her little trysts as well as her acting out does not make complete sense in this regard, and she comes out more as a spoilt teenager than an iso lated one. The rancor between Connie and her mother was aptly explored, however. The scene at the breakfast table, when Connie comes in to eat and her mother is on the phone, was especially poignant in that regard. Even though it seemed like Connie’s mother was castigating her for not picking up a plate, it did convey the exasperation that she felt at Connie not taking interest in anything being done at home. This was also very nicely shown when Connie’s mother castigates her for not remember to bring her the painting gear she needed (Connie’s mother is painting the house, and, what is more, she feels like she has to do it alone as Connie shows no interest in helping). When Connie and her friend go out separately with boys they have met at the burger joint, Connie is taken to a parking lot. Here she is shown to have engaged in a bit of sexual foreplay. This scene was especially important because Connie is dressed up in a sexy outfit, that makes her feel older th an she is (she even lies about being a sophomore to a boy), however, when the foreplay gets a little bit too â€Å"serious† she, being the young girl that she is, gets scared and does not know how to handle it. She says something along the lines of how she has never felt this excited before and that is why she is disturbed by the feelings the kissing and fondling evoke in her. I found that this clearly depicted the theme of the movie: a young girl who wants to grow up fast, but is actually just a scared little girl who cannot handle the emotional baggage

College Essay-Personal Statement (Personal or Creative which best Essay

College -Personal Statement (Personal or Creative which best describes you) - Essay Example pping into Middle School, it still left a rather lingering impression, as did an Angolan schoolmate – Chicongo, who assumed and later embarrassed me in front of the class questioning whether I was a racist. His remarks, as well as life in my â€Å"walled-in† home in this local barrio of Havana were poignant memories that still affect me to this day. As an American living in the politically-charged environment in Havana, I vividly remember the sanctions imposed on us by the host government, but somehow I repressed the extreme poverty that gripped the neighborhood. Suffice to say, I regrettably lived with the belief that it was my neighbors’ fault for my mistrust, and as a result, my lack of sympathy for them. It seemed like it was second nature to react defensively and suspiciously towards people of different backgrounds without first understanding them or underlining reasons for their conditions. Yet fortunately or the lack thereof for us, it would take a violent storm to break down this otherwise sturdy wall. One late evening during a strong tropical storm, unexpectedly, a neighbor banged on our door and warned us of a serious flood condition that threatened all our homes in the neighborhood. Surveying the damage a day after, we awkwardly joined our neighbors in removing the debris from the street, and later pitching in to help those families that fared poorly in the storm. I soon witnessed how myopic misperceptions can be; I understood and appreciated how families were helping each other regardless of their political affiliation. In essence, we who allowed distrust and suspicion to be supplanted by cooperation and kindness were the true survivors of the storm that could have knocked down our fragile human spirit. At school it was not entirely different; many times over I would encounter unpleasant comments about my nationality and/or multiracial background. In regards to Chicongo, who later became a friend, I found out that his father, an Angolan

Business Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Business Research Methods - Essay Example The research will have an interpretivist approach as the data collected do not address the subject fully and lack some information regarding luxury sells in emerging markets. The aim of the research will be to recognise these and investigate how the brands conduct their business to attract the target market to be brand loyal. Furthermore, this investigation will have an academic value adding to the limitation in material that is currently available around the subject. Key words Luxury Brands Internet E-commerce Emerging Market China Online Selling The Objective and Purpose of the Project The research will be created around the topic of fashion luxury brands and sale of products online. Currently the literature does not sufficiently address the strategy problem, brands deals with when expanding into other regions (such as emerging markets) online. The objective is therefore to gain an understanding of adaptations that the luxury fashion segment does online when enlarging to these coun tries. Therefore, there is a need to obtain first hand information in the form of interviews from luxury brands that are expanding towards emerging markets. That will be the feasibility in the dissertation. ... At first, luxury brands and the Internet do not seem to be a perfect match due to the fact that the internet is a mass communication medium whereas luxury tries to stay within a niche market and does not want to lose its appeal of exclusivity. Recently the internet has deeply changed the anatomy of branding and the overall marketing communications strategy of the fashion industry, from fast moving ones such as M&S and Zara to luxury brands such as Burberry and Hermes (Riley and Lacroix, 2003). Perterson et al argue that the internet is extremely efficient at building a sustainable brand identity and providing a forum giving consumers knowledge about the brand and its products. Additionally it is also necessary to point out that the internet provides a platform to build long lasting relationships with consumers. Traditionally brand management relied upon several media outlets such as TV advertising, print media and product placement on TV and movies. Marketing strategies focused on ma rket research, segmentation and positioning in order to create the perfect marketing mix. (Chaffey, 2000). Riley and Lacroix (2003) focus on the changes that online marketing brought to the marketing strategies of luxury industry. Access to information has become much quicker and consumers have become extremely demanding over the last 2 decades. Luxury brands used to have very stringent control over their brand, with an allure of exclusivity that would not allow â€Å"non-members† to enter. With the advent of internet and consequently, social networks, brand management has essentially changed in order to adapt to the new requirements of online marketing and its operational system. It is essential to any luxury company to

Bad Grades Essay Example for Free

Bad Grades Essay I am writing to offer an explanation for a change in academic performance that is noticeable on my high school transcript. From the start of my freshman year until the end of my junior year, it is evident through analysis of my transcript that I have been an above average student consistently throughout my high school career. However, starting at around August 2010, problems arose in my family of which I believe made it impossible for me to continue my 100% focus on school. Halfway into my senior year, my father was laid off from his job. Since he was the only source of income at that time, our family of five was forced to move from our comfortable lives at our four bedroom house into our grandmother’s two bedroom house. This was a drastic change for all of us, as we have never shared a house with anyone, especially one of this size. I no longer had a room in which I was able to do my schoolwork in silence. This drastic change, I believe, interrupted my focus on school because of the attention it required from me. During my first semester I was often required to miss school by my parents, reason being that I had to help out in the movement process and had to visit an ill uncle out of town. I take full responsibility of my underperformance during the first semester of my senior year and am not look to make excuses. My main goal in making this letter is just to offer insight on what it is I believe influenced my underperformance. I sincerely ask you to consider me as an applicant and to not let this recent semester define me as a student. I greatly appreciate your time in reading this letter.

Impact of Organizational Culture on Strategic Advantage

Impact of Organizational Culture on Strategic Advantage Impact of Organizational Culture on the achievement of Strategic Advantages of ERP in Pakistan ABSTRACT This study looks at the relationship that organizational culture has with the achievement of Strategic advantages from implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. A sample of 30 organizations that implemented ERP was used to test the hypotheses. A competing values approach to measuring organizational culture was used to quantitatively measure an organizations culture profile. The results show that the organizations culture is significantly related to the achievement of strategic advantages from implementing ERP 1. Introduction This paper studies the relationship between Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and organizational Culture. ERP is buzz word now days with every company implementing from different models coined by different vendors in order to stay in the competition and to ensure that its operations are efficient and effective. Through ERP the organizations are able to achieve low costs of procurement, production, inventory distribution etc hence streamlines whole value chain that includes various primary secondary activities. These are pivotal in making any organization successful and taking it ahead of competition. Furthermore higher turnovers, reduced cycle times, inventory levels and financial operations can be given a face-lift to meet the challenges of the modern global recession the world is observing. ERP refer to the integrated way of carrying out all or major / core operations of the company. Organizations now regard ERP as a vital tool for the enhancement of their business operations by implementing most of its functions if not all of their processes under a single information system in an endeavor to benefit from the strategic advantages that ERP offers. Organizational culture is a vital notion in organizational analysis. In past few years, there has been a lot of focus on the development of organizational cultures that are conducive of achieving better results and higher performance motivational levels of the employees. Organizational culture can be described as an abstract composite of assumptions, values, and artifacts shared by its members [that] can be reliably represented by the valueswhich drive its members attitudes and activities (Howard, 1998, p. 234). The model proposed in this study advocates that there is an essential connection between an organizations culture and the achievement of strategic advantages from ERP. A Competing Values approach to measuring organizational culture is used to provide an empirical measure for an organizations culture (Quin and Spreitzer, 1991). The competing values approach provides a profile of four cultural archetypes occupied by a particular organization. These archetypes are group, hierar chical, developmental and rational cultures. The combination of the archetypes describes the organizations culture profile. The primary question this study attempts to answer is how does Organizational cultural profiles affects the achievement of strategic advantages of ERP. 2. Literature review: This segment will appraise the pertinent Literature touching ERP and Organizational Culture. 2.1 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is relatively a new concept however now a days almost every organization ranging from small to large enterprise, devotes a major portion of its developmental budgets on the implementation of ERP software. ERP is not merely software but an approach of carrying out business operations in the modern times where technology plays a decisive role in making an organization a success story or failure. However An ERP software system can be described as a set of integrated business applications, or modules, to carry out most business functions, including inventory control, general ledger accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, material requirements planning, order management and human resources, among others. (Martin et al., 1999). ERP is a technique to bring all of an organizations data and IS /IT resources under a single Information system (Oliver, 1999). The author affirms that ERP systems evolved to help organizations manage their information t hrough-out the Company, from the plant to the back office, and or the front office. (Oliver, 1999, pg. 12). ERP intends to integrate its core if not all of an organizations processes under a single ERP system. The processes can be seen in terms of a value chain (Porter, 1985), which connects the suppliers to the organization to the customers. For example, imagine a system where the customer orders a product over the Internet (ecommerce). As soon as the customer places the order, it is automatically sent to the manufacturing department, while at the same time sent to the accounting department for billing- The use of materials by the manufacturing department depletes the stock, therefore a parts order is sent automatically to the supplier when reorder points are reached for replenishment of the stock. In traditional systems, time would be required for the sending of the messages between departments, for the reordering of the parts, and the billing of the customer. ERP intends to automate these systems to achieve a number of strategic advantages- Implementation of ERP software can allow an organization certain strategic advantages (Radding, 1999, Stein 1998). The literature tells us that organizations can benefit from greater flexibility, increased efficiency (Radding, 1999), improved communication, Lower operating costs, increased revenue (Oliver, 1999). Reduced cycle times, better collaboration and higher profit margins (Stein, 1998). These strategic advantages affect not only the organization, but can affect all members of an organizations value chain. ERP is a system that seeks to unite all of a value chains disparate processes. An organizations value chain represents all of the different processes that involve organizational resources and that are needed to support the organizations operations. Porter(1985) developed a model of an organizations value chain. This model of the value chain contains 9 processes; 5 primary processes, and 4 support processes. The organizations primary processes involve the production and delivery of the organizations products to the consumer (Bergeron, 1991). The processes involved in the primary activity are inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and customer service. The organizations secondary business processes represent the support processes for the primary activities and are, administrative coordination and support, human resource management, technology development, and procurement of resources. Implementation of ERP systems where carried a number of strategic nature of benefits, on the other hand it bears extreme risks. The growing numbers of Unsuccessful stories have compelled managers to take a deep look into the causes of it. ERP tries to push the logic that the system has which is conflicting with the Business. It may sometimes also lead to integration where decentralization fragmentation may best suite the organization. Furthermore, ERP may force the organization to go for generic processes than customization. Therefore ERP has to go along with technology and culture (Davenport, 1998). In contemporary organizations the data generation takes place at scattered places and the magnitude of the data is huge. Therefore a real time access to the data becomes imperative for the data in deal with such complex nature of information. ERP aligns all the information into various functions like finance, operations, sales, Customer relation etc subject to the nature of business an organization is into. Enterprise resource planning system (ERP), as a type III IS innovation, has strategic Significance for the organization due to their integration into the core business processes or strategies can directly impact the firms performance (Swanson 1994; Sambamurthy et al. 2003; Sample 1998). Consequently, many companies have started to develop strategy focusing on information technologies, with ERP adoption being a critical thrust (Bharadwaj 2000; Powell and Dent-Micallef 1997; Robey et al. 2002). on the other hand, whereas the firm is on the lookout for competitive advantages by adopting this sophisticated information system, the tangible experiences have reveal ambiguity – some organization are able to reap the true benefits of ERP whereas on the other hand majority of the firms face losses and failed to achieve the desired level of strategic and tactical benefits. (Scott and Vessey 2002). According to the survey conducted by Deloitte, the success rate of ERP implementation is le ss than 20%. Hence it is important for researcher to unlock the mystery of benefit realization in ERP adoption and theorize the important predictors effect on ERP implementation practice (Brown and Vessey 2003). Other than strategic benefit, ERP also contributes toward making an organizational structure more flatter flexible, enabling organization to streamline their management structures and more democratic organization. On the other hand it also involve the centralization of control over information and the standardization of processes, which are attributes more consistent with hierarchical command and control organization with uniform cultures (Davenport, 1998). 2.2 Organizational culture: Culture can be seen from a number of different levels. Of interest to business are the concepts of national culture and organizational culture. National culture is important due to a more global economy where communication technicalities have begun to evolve. It is also important to the study of information systems technology and management. For example, Watson et al. (1994) looked at national culture as king a dimension, in a study looking at Group Support Systems success. This experimental study involved looking at the differences between groups from the U.S. and Singapore. For the majority of the business Literature on culture the level of analysis has dropped to the organization. The importance of studying an organizations culture is, like ERP and BPR, a fairly new concept- An organizations culture can be defined by a number of constructs, such as the symbols, language, ideology, beliefs, rituals, and myths that affect an individuals behavior (Pettigrew, 1979). According to Pettigrew (1979), the culture constructs exist to provide some form of commitment to the established order. Hofstede et al. (1990) proposes a model of culture that is made up of values and practices. The practices reflect member beliefs about symbols, heroes and myths. In an exploratory analysis, Hofstede et aI. (1990) found three factors affecting the values, yet, the core of organizational culture was represented by six dimensions of organizational practices. The dimensions represent opposing ideologies as to what constitutes proper practices. Using the dimensions of organizational practices, Hofstede (1998) identified 3 distinct subcultures within 131 different work groups. The three subcultures represented include a professional subculture, an administrative subculture, and a cus tomer interface subculture. Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) developed a quantitative measure of organizational effectiveness, which was later successfully used to study organization culture (see Kalliath et al., 1999, Howard, 1998, Quinn and Spreitzer, 199 1, Zammuto and Krakower, 199 1, Yeung et al., 1991). Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) exploratory study revealed that organizational effectiveness cm be represented by three distinct dimensions, a focus dimension (internal vs. external point of view), a structure dimension (flexibility vs. control orientation) and a means vs. ends dimensions. The authors call the resulting approach the Competing Values Approach to measuring organizational culture. The model in figure 2 represents the competing values approach. In figure one, each quadrant represents an ideal type of culture. A particular organization need not be classified exclusively as having one type of culture, but can be considered as containing elements from the four culture types, yet one type may be dominant (Quinn and Spreitzer,1991, Cameron and Freeman, 1991, Yeung et al., 1991). Each culture type is measured using four items, which are aggregated to achieve a culture profile- The core values of the Group culture are belonging, trust and participation, which are motivated by factors of attachment, cohesiveness and membership (Denison and Spreitzer, 1991). Like the group culture, the developmental culture also emphasis flexibility but focuses its attention on the external environment. Productivity, performance, goal fulfillment and achievement are the important f actors for the rational culture. These cultures emphasize the pursuit and attainment of well-defined objectives. Finally, for the hierarchical culture, the focus is on the logic of the internal Organization and the emphasis is on stability- (Denison and Spreitzer, 1991, pg. 6) As the authors state, the motivating factors for this quadrant include security, order, rules, and regulations. A number of studies have been done, looking at and validating this framework. Quinn and Spreitzer (1991) performed a multitrait-multi-method analysis as well as multidimensional scaling on two competing values instruments (one using an ipsative scale measure, the other using a likert type scale measure), The authors found evidence for both convergent and discriminant validity. Zammuto and Krakower (1991) looked for relationships between culture and other organizational variables including, centralization, moral, administrator credibility, conflict, strategic orientation and culture strength- Authors state that evidence for construct validity exists due to the correlation of the competing values measure of cultur e and the other variables stated. Yeung et al. (1991) studied the competing values measure of culture in relation to organizational performance, culture strength and human resource practices- In a cluster analysis, the authors found that organizations from their study could be classified into 5 distinct culture types (or profiles). More recently, the competing values framework was again validated in two more studies (see Howard, 1998, Kalliath, 1999). The next section will look at some of the literature on assimilation and organizational culture change. Denison (1996) gave another perspective of culture by trying to research whether organizational culture and organizational climate were two different points of views or just a matter of perception. He further said that there are similarities differences at the time same time. Measurement of organizational culture is usually carried through qualitative analysis and deals with individuals set of beliefs, shared norms perception. Organizational climate on the other hand is measured through quantitative methods like questionnaire and print outs etc. Other factors also helped to differentiate these two topics in the literature. Culture researchers were more anxious with the progress of social systems over time (Mirvis Sales, 1990; Mohr, 1982; Pettigrew, 1979; Rohlen, 1974; Schein, 1985, 1990; Van Maanen, 1979), whereas climate researchers were generally less concerned with evolution but more concerned with the impact that organizational systems have on groups and individuals (Ekvall, 1987; Joyce Slocum, 1984; Koyes DeCotiis, 1991). The research also addressed to where does this organizational culture climate originates. Chatman (1989) says â€Å"In order for researchers to understand and predict behavior, they must consider both person and situation factors and how these factors interact. Even though organization researchers have developed interactional models, many have overemphasized either person or situation components and most have failed to consider the effects that persons have on situations. Using a Q-sort methodology, individual value profiles are compared to organizational value profiles to determine fit and to predict changes in values, norms, and behaviors†. By this we understand that both the organization individuals beliefs norms compliments each other and have an impact on over organizational environment which people and policies constitutes. Therefore the significance of any single factor can never be underestimated while evaluating the type of profile organization maintains in terms of its culture. Organizational effectiveness have long been a very vital area for the researchers to determine the causal relationship of organizational effectiveness higher level productivity with several variables. Among them organizational culture have well been under the consideration by the researchers. The increase in the research The intensification of research on organizational effectiveness has led to the formulation of theories about factors within an organization that can make a difference in performance. Organizational culture is one such variable that has received much attention in organizational behavior literature (Amsa 1986; Hofstede 1986; Hofstede, Neuijen, Ohayv and Sanders 1990; Jelinek, Smircich and Hirsch 1983; Kilman, Saxton and Serpa 1985; Ouchi 1981; Owens 1987; Schein 1990; Trice and Beyer 1984). This attention is mainly because researchers has postulated that cultural factors play a key role in determining levels of organizational outcomes. A common hypothesis about this r ole suggests that if an organization possesses strong culture by exhibiting a well-integrated and effective set of specific values, beliefs, and behavior patterns, then it will perform at a higher level of productivity (Dennison 1984). The development of theory to guide the definition of organizational culture, therefore, is of primary importance to improving organizational performance, espe- cially because the variables which comprise culture have been postulated to be under the control of organizational leaders (Deal and Kennedy 1982, Ouchi 1981, Owens 1987, Siepert and Likert 1973). Despite concern with achieving improved organizational productivity through fo- cusing on the development of cohesive organizational culture, determining the parameters of this construct has been problematic. The literature on organizational culture taps essential ideas, but the theory and technology to utilize the theory in improving organizations have remained fuzzy (Mackenzie 1986). As Trice and Be yer (1984) have argued, previous research on organizational culture has tended to focus on single, discrete elements of culture, while ignoring the multidimensional nature of culture, that is, a construct composed of several intimately interrelated variables (Schein 1990). Another problem has been that researchers are still not sure whether the association between culture and organizational performance reflects a cause-effect type of relationship (Saffold 1988). In fact, researchers have not really identified what specific variables comprise an effective organizational culture, nor have they provided convincing empirical evidence to suggest that if leaders in organizations increased the amount of time and quality of energy devoted to developing a particular type of organizational culture, then an organization would perform at a higher level of productivity (Barney 1986). There is presently little agreement, therefore, about what the concept of organizational culture means or how it should be observed and measured (Schein 1990). Because of the lack of agreement concerning theoretical formulations about organizational culture, its delineation, and its possible relationship to performance outcomes, no significant body of empirical research exists. Instead, researchers have primarily focused on defining and describing the variables of organizational culture and cautiously suggested a possible relationship between organizational culture and outcomes (Owens 1987). As Mackenzie (1986) argues, organizational culture as a concept may be a useful means of assessing the congruency of the organizations goals, strategies and task organization, and resulting outcomes. Without valid and reliable measures of the critical aspects of organizational culture, however, state- ments about its importance and effect on performance will continue to be based on speculation, personal observations, and case studies (Uttal 1983). As a consequence, management strategies and programs to cre ate organizational change through under- standing the organizations environment and strategically manipulating aspects of its culture will continue to be poorly focused and difficult to implement and evaluate.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy Beyza GÃâ€"LGE In todays, demand for electric energy has increased with growing world’s population. Modern society has depended on fossil fuels for energy. However, because of the fact that fossil resources are limited and cannot last a long time, human beings have been in quest for finding new alternative energy sources. Since 1939, they have performed lots of experiments and researches in this area. First of all, the atomic fission, which is today known as the most crucial scientific finding in the physics, was discovered. In the following years, chain reaction was controlled and eventually, electric power production came true. Finally, in 1958, first electric energy was produced and utilized thanks to nuclear energy in the USA and then it expanded to other countries such as France, Germany, England and Russia. Nowadays, 11% of electric in world is ensured from nuclear energy (Steven B. Krivit, 2011). Today, running nuclear energy has become most controversial issue among people because of its safety and nuclear waste. Even if there are advantages of nuclear energy that which is fallen back upon to overcome the lack of energy, there are more serious disadvantages that should not be ignored. First advantage of nuclear energy is that nuclear energy has lower greenhouse gas emissions. During the processes of building, processing and switching off, it releases less amount of greenhouse gases. All different types of electric production techniques give rise to be released greenhouse gas which may be various quantities. Comparison with other electric generation methods such as lignite, coal, oil and natural gas, nuclear energy emits less greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide ( see Figure 1) (Greenhouse gas emissions avoided through use of nuclear energy, 2014). Therefore, it is clearly understood that nuclear energy is less harmful for environment in terms of gas emissions. Other advantage of nuclear energy is job opportunities. It provides lots of job opportunities so many people. While nuclear power plant is being constructed and operated, a lot of employees and engineers take in charge. In addition, container houses are built to live staffs in this process. By this means, itmay be dealt with unemployment by giving a chance to people out of work. Figure 1 On the contrary, there are also serious disadvantages of nuclear energy. First disadvantage is nuclear waste. Some metal materials transform to radioactive state during some operations such as cooling reactor, cleaning of storage pool and also, running of nuclear power plants. These radioactive stuffs are called nuclear waste. Two types nuclear waste occurred: low level and high level radioactive wastes. Low level nuclear waste has same amount of radioactivity which emerging from schools, laboratories and hospitals so it is not remarkable issue. When chain reaction cannot be pursued effectively, power plant reactors induce to be occurred high level nuclear wastes which are fuel bundles. When the reactor fuel forms, in the sequel, it takes a 45 billion year to become harmless (Radioactive Waste, 2014). As a result of that, people and other living things will expose to these radioactive waste products in a long time. The situation also will cause irreparable damage to the environment. Because of this, people should be protected from radioactive waste products and radioactive wastes must be buried in private storages under the surface and remote from ground waters. Reactor accident is other disadvantage of nuclear energy. When something in the system fails, nuclear accident may happen. Failures in plant organization and management, operator errors and lack of quality and also education of employees may give rise to nuclear accidents. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima can be given as examples for nuclear accident in the world. Fuel melt down in accidents makes nuclear accident harmful. Bernard (2005) states that amount of fuel melt down determines number of those who are affected from accident and died because of the cancer. If there are in 2 out of 3 melt downs, nobody dies. However, if average of melt downs, it brings at least 400 deaths. For instance, 50.000 people died due to 1 out of 100.000 melt downs. Therefore, it is not contestable that there is always a risk to become nuclear energy accident. Also, effects of nuclear energy accident are indestructible and continue for a long time. As a result of this, it is a considerable thre at on people health. Last disadvantage of production electric by utilizing nuclear energy is nuclear weapons. Nuclear energy can be used with the purpose of war and terrorism. In todays, lots of countries such as USA, Russia and Israel are disposed to produce nuclear weapons. If these nuclear weapons are used against other countries, it brings calamity of nuclear war. Up to now, human beings have borne witness to two atom bombs. These atom bombs were dropped by the US against Japan on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities during World War II. Consequently, so many people lost their live. According to researches, it is estimated that number of people who died from nuclear bombs reached 250.000 in Hiroshima and 150.000 in Nagasaki in 5 years (Effects of nuclear weapons, n.d.). These events show that nuclear weapons create indestructible issues. Moreover, radioactivity occurs as a result of the nuclear bombs. Effects of radioactivity on humans and environment last too many years. To illustrate, numbers of peopl e who have cancer have increased after the tragedy of using nuclear bombs in the World War II. This tragedy has created genetic abnormalities in the individuals and it will also affect the future generations. Therefore, to prevent possible disasters, the nuclear energy should not be utilized. To sum up, it is difficult to fulfill the electric needs with increasing population day by day. People have tried the different forms of energy to find a solution. One of these energy forms is nuclear energy. Through nuclear power plants, not only a large proportion of electricity needs in the world can be supplied by not releasing greenhouse gases but also it provides employment for many people. Yet, it should not be ignored that nuclear energy may lead to disasters by reason of nuclear wastes, reactor accidents and nuclear weapons. That is true maybe nuclear energy can meet energy need but dangerous, fatal and persistent effects of nuclear energy should always be considered in the first plan. If it is not done, it will bring huge and irrevocable disasters rather than its benefits. REFERENCES Effects of nuclear weapons. (n.d.). Retrieved from Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament: http://www.cnduk.org/campaigns/global-abolition/effects-of-nuclear-weapons Cohen, B. L. (2005). Risk of Nuclear Power. Retrieved from University of Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/~radinfo/introduction/np-risk.htm Greenhouse gas emissions avoided through use of nuclear energy. (2014). Retrieved from World Nuclear Association: http://www.world-nuclear.org/Nuclear-Basics/Greenhouse-gas-emissions-avoided/ Radioactive Waste. (2014, October 24). Retrieved from Governmental Nuclear Regulatory Commission: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/radwaste.pdf Steven B. Krivit, J. H. ( 2011). Early History of Nuclear Energy. In Nuclear Energy Encyclopedia: Science, Technology, and Applications (pp. 15-23). Canada: John Wiley Sons.

The Misconceptions Of The Jungle By Upton Sinclair Essay examples -- e

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upton Sinclair had always insisted that The Jungle was misread but did he ever think it could have been miswritten? The style of writing is not effective when addressing issues in a capitalistic society but proves to be very effective when exposing the secrets of the meatpacking industry. The novel is not remembered for being a classic work in literature but rather an important book in history in that it changed the way America looked at food in the early part of the century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sinclair loses his argument for Socialism at around the time when the characters in the book lose their humanity. The multitude of unfortunate situations and events makes the story more and more unrealistic and the reader loses a sense of compassion for the characters. Now, instead of being characters, they become objects in which the most you can do is pity them. When Jurgis comes home from jail to find his barely eighteen year-old wife dying, the third person omniscient narration guides the reader through the mind of Jurgis: â€Å"She was dead! She was dead! He would never see her again, never hear her again! An icy horror of loneliness seized him.† (190) After Ona’s death, one could not anticipate anything more to go wrong, but it does. In just a short time later, Jurgis’ son Antanas drowned in the street. It is extremely obvious that Sinclair is a Socialist himself. Anything and everything that could go wrong in the first three quarters of th...

Laurel Ulrichs A Midwifes Tale Essay -- Laurel Ulrich Midwife Tale E

Laurel Ulrich's A Midwife's Tale   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before I watched 'A Midwife's Tale', a movie created from the diary found by Laurel Ulrich chronicling the life of a woman named Martha Ballard, I thought the women in these times were just housewives and nothing else. I pictured them doing the cleaning and the cooking for their husbands and not being very smart because of the lack of education or them being unable to work. My view on the subject changed however when I watched this specific woman's life and her work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To know that there was a woman such as Martha back in those days is very interesting to me because I especially did not think there were women who were as brave and independent as she was. The lives of women in general, not just in Martha?s case, were busy and at sometimes hard during these times. They had to do an array of things from keeping the house under control and raising sometimes several children to working on a farm and spinning. Sometimes, some women would even work to make a second living for the family, as in Martha?s case. And even though the women were able to work, they still did not hold as much power as men did, which is still evident today. And if the women were recognized as much as they should be I?m sure we wouldn?t need a completely different subject for Women?s History because they would cover it in the regular history classes, instead of the subject consisting of 99.9% males.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Martha?s day was a pretty long one and consisted of many jobs to do, anything from cleaning the house to delivering a baby. The fact that she never lost a mother during any of the childbirths is astonishing in itself since it was the number one cause of death in women. Among those jobs she also spun, raised her children, worked on her farm, and treated illnesses, coming up with her own remedies. For example when Parthenia was sick and she had her drink the last milk from the cow in hopes of her getting better which unfortunately she wasn?t able to make her get better and Parthenia died. Martha?s own children however all lived into their adulthood which was also a very rare thing to add to her list of unique facts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Martha did have different jobs to do, her real job was being a midwife. She got paid high for a woman at this time and she was a well respected person in the town. This job was the most demanding and it?s not like... ...because I probably would have if my kid took over my house and I missed my husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Martha Ballard died, she was definitely missed and even though her diary sat in the back stacks of a library for a very long time because authors thought it was useless, her story was told and it was a good one at that. It wouldn?t be a surprise to me if her story has inspired women and I know it has definitely educated people about women?s lives at this time. It?s just a shame that more women?s stories from this time will never be told. I?ve learned from Martha Ballard?s story that she must have been a very good, decent, and smart woman and I would have loved to have met her. She is a good example of what some women were like back then and it?s good to see that not all of them were powerless housewives as some people think and how I, myself, thought before I saw this movie. I saw her struggle and her get through the hard times. The things she had to live through throughout her life were astonishing and I?m really glad I got to see this woman?s work. I realiz ed how easy we have it now and how women like Martha paved the way for us and we have to appreciate them for what they?ve done.

Critical Review of Danger Boy Essay

Mark Williams’ â€Å"Danger Boy: Ancient fire† is set in 2019. It is a science fiction and time travelling novel. The text explores the effects of building a time machine. In Mark Williams’ novel, he examines the negative impact of futurist technology. Although the concept of time travelling may seem appealing at first glance, there is an ultimately destructive consequence that comes with it, like losing a love one. The novel opens with an argument between Eli’s father, Sandusky, and Mr Howe, a representative from a government department. Mr Howe persuades Sandusky to invent a machine that can slow down time in a force field. Sandusky’s wife, a scientist, assists Sandusky to invent the time travelling machine but she is sucked into the machine and travels back in time. Therefore, Sandusky is urged to produce another time machine that can slow down time with a more stable core. Upon starting up the machine, a piece of old paper emerges. Eli reaches for the newspaper and gets sucked into the year of Alexandria (415 C. E). Eli and his companion, a dinosaur and an Alexandrian, seeks to reunite Sandusky’s wife, returning to the present day life and save the world from the fatal disease that has slipped through time. The novel is structured by different narrative perspectives, in which different characters narrate the story from their personal point of view and experience. This type of structure of narrative point of views offers the reader a different perspective of the world from three characters: Eli, Clyne and Thea. The writer’s intention here may be to demonstrate the reality is never black or white, but can be interpreted and understood in different ways in different individuals. However, the one limitation to this type of structure is that the reader may experience confusion in attempting to understand the flow of the story, in which disputes the coherency of events. There are no obvious clues to indicate the change of the protagonist. The only visible clue available is the chapter title and the narrator’s name. Hence, this confuses us in terms of identifying the protagonist. As the reader continues to read, they will encounter an acronym many times before it gives its meaning. There are instances in the text when certain words such as â€Å"WHOMPEs† suddenly appear, which disrupts the flow of the story. Reading this novel for the first time will confuse the reader. As the reader progresses through the novel, Sandusky explains to Eli what a â€Å"WHOMPERs† is. It is a â€Å"Wide Orbiting Massless ParticlE Reversers. † The writers intention suggest that the scientific invention is an abstract idea which is foreign to humanity. The author uses a stream of consciousness to enable the reader to engage with the thought process of the character. When Sandusky answered Eli’s question about time, he replied ‘you go into the Fifth Dimension†¦hard to tell the difference between time and space, or when and where. Or even who and what. † This encourages the reader to think and be in the mind of the narrator. This is a really good idea for advanced readers who want to think beyond the novel. Williams’ got inspired to write the novel by his son. He got the idea when his son was running down the hallway yelling out â€Å"I’m a Danger Boy! † The novel’s setting is based on where he lives, which is LA. There could be a connection between the novel’s setting and where he lives. One connection is that LA is a place for relaxation and tourism. The main character travels to LA with his father to relax a bit after the tragic incident. One of the major themes in â€Å"Danger Boy† is time traveling. Time traveling is frequent in the novel. It happens when ever Eli puts his â€Å"WHOMPER† charged baseball cap on. Another theme them is history. History is shown in this novel from many perspectives. It is seen by going back in time to Alexandria (415 C. E). The main motif in the novel is a baseball cap. It is a motif because it’s a device that allows Eli to time travel. Without the baseball cap, Eli would just be like any other ordinary kid. This novel can be compared with Audrey Niffenegger’s â€Å"The Time Traveller’s Wife†. The two novels involve the same themes; history and time travelling. In â€Å"Danger Boy† Eli becomes a time traveller after he touches a time machine. He travels back in time to Alexandria. He can control when he wants to time travel, but can’t control on where it’ll take him. In â€Å"The Time Traveller’s Wife† Henry is born with a genetic disorder. This genetic disorder allowed him to time travel. There was one thing that he can’t control. It is where he lands from time travelling and when he time travels. Ultimately, Williams has created an adventurous and exciting novel. The book was exciting because it produced tension into whether the protagonists find Margret or not. The writer produced a text that was a bit difficult to read and establishment of the main character. The author shaped the words in the sentences really strangely which sometimes doesn’t make sense or it is not suitable, so the reader needs to re-read it to understand it. This novel should be raising questions about time travel, especially in the future.