Multinational Corporations Essay

Multinational corporations have existed since the beginning of overseas trade. They have remained a part of the business scene throughout history, entering their modern form in the 17th and 18th centuries with the creation of large, European-based monopolistic concerns such as the British East India Company during the age of colonization. Multinational concerns were viewed at that time as agents of civilization and played a pivotal role in the commercial and industrial development of Asia, South America, and Africa. By the end of the 19th century, advances in communications had more closely linked world markets, and multinational corporations retained their favorable image as instruments of improved global relations through commercial ties. The existence of close international trading relations did not prevent the outbreak of two world wars in the first half of the twentieth century, but an even more closely bound world economy emerged in the aftermath of the period of conflict. In more recent times, multinational corporations have grown in power and visibility, but have come to be viewed more ambivalently by both governments and consumers worldwide. Indeed, multinationals today are viewed with increased suspicion given their perceived lack of concern for the economic well-being of particular geographic regions and the public impression that multinationals are gaining power in relation to national government agencies, international trade federations and organizations, and local, national, and international labor organizations. Despite such concerns, multinational corporations appear poised to expand their power and influence as barriers to international trade continue to be removed. Furthermore, the actual nature and methods of multinationals are in large measure misunderstood by the public, and their long-term influence is likely to be less sinister than imagined. Multinational corporations share many common traits, including the methods they use to penetrate new markets, the manner in which their overseas subsidiaries are tied to their headquarters operations, and their interaction with national governmental agencies and national and international labor organizations. WHAT IS A MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION? As the name implies, a multinational corporation is a business concern with operations in more than one country. These operations outside the company’s home country may be linked to the parent by merger, operated as subsidiaries, or have considerable autonomy. Multinational corporations are sometimes perceived as large, utilitarian enterprises with little or no regard for the social and economic well-being of the countries in which they operate, but the reality of their situation is more complicated. There are over 40,000 multinational corporations currently operating in the global economy, in addition to approximately 250,000 overseas affiliates running cross-continental businesses. In 1995, the top 200 multinational corporations had combined sales of $7. 1 trillion, which is equivalent to 28. 3 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. The top multinational corporations are headquartered in the United States, Western Europe, and Japan; they have the capacity to shape global trade, production, and financial transactions. Multinational corporations are viewed by many as favoring their home operations when making difficult economic decisions, but this tendency is declining as companies are forced to respond to increasing global competition. The World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank are the three institutions that underwrite the basic rules and regulations of economic, monetary, and trade relations between countries. Many developing nations have loosened trade rules under pressure from the IMF and the World Bank. The domestic financial markets in these countries have not been developed and do not have appropriate laws in place to enable domestic financial institutions to stand up to foreign competition. The administrative setup, judicial systems, and law-enforcing agencies generally cannot guarantee the social discipline and political stability that are necessary in order to support a growth-friendly atmosphere. As a result, most multinational corporations are investing in certain geographic locations only. In the 1990s, most foreign investment was in high-income countries and a few geographic locations in the South like East Asia and Latin America. According to the World Bank’s 2002 World Development Indicators, there are 63 countries considered to be low-income countries. The share of these low-income countries in which foreign countries are making direct investments is very small; it rose from 0. 5 percent 1990 to only 1. 6 percent in 2000. Although foreign direct investment in developing countries rose considerably in the 1990s, not all developing countries benefited from these investments. Most of the foreign direct investment went to a very small number of lower and upper middle income developing countries in East Asia and Latin America. In these countries, the rate of economic growth is increasing and the number of people living at poverty level is falling. However, there are still nearly 140 developing countries that are showing very slow growth rates while the 24 richest, developed countries (plus another 10 to 12 newly industrialized countries) are benefiting from most of the economic growth and prosperity. Therefore, many people in the developing countries are still living in poverty. Similarly, multinational corporations are viewed as being exploitative of both their workers and the local environment, given their relative lack of association with any given locality. This criticism of multinationals is valid to a point, but it must be remembered that no corporation can successfully operate without regard to local social, labor, and environmental standards, and that multinationals in large measure do conform to local standards in these regards. Multinational corporations are also seen as acquiring too much political and economic power in the modern business environment. Indeed, corporations are able to influence public policy to some degree by threatening to move jobs overseas, but companies are often prevented from employing this tactic given the need for highly trained workers to produce many products. Such workers can seldom be found in low-wage countries. Furthermore, once they enter a market, multinationals are bound by the same constraints as domestically owned concerns, and find it difficult to abandon the infrastructure they produced to enter the market in the first place. The modern multinational corporation is not necessarily headquartered in a wealthy nation. Many countries that were recently classified as part of the developing world, including Brazil, Taiwan, Kuwait, and Venezuela, are now home to large multinational concerns. The days of corporate colonization seem to be nearing an end. Multinational corporations follow three general procedures when seeking to access new markets: merger with or direct acquisition of existing concerns; sequential market entry; and joint ventures. Merger or direct acquisition of existing companies in a new market is the most straightforward method of new market penetration employed by multinational corporations. Such an entry, known as foreign direct investment, allows multinationals, especially the larger ones, to take full advantage of their size and the economies of scale that this provides. The rash of mergers within the global automotive industries during the late 1990s are illustrative of this method of gaining access to new markets and, significantly, were made in response to increased global competition. Multinational corporations also make use of a procedure known as sequential market entry when seeking to penetrate a new market. Sequential market entry often also includes foreign direct investment, and involves the establishment or acquisition of concerns operating in niche markets related to the parent company’s product lines in the new country of operation. Japan’s Sony Corporation made use of sequential market entry in the United States, beginning with the establishment of a small television assembly plant in San Diego, California, in 1972. For the next two years, Sony’s U. S. operations remained confined to the manufacture of televisions, the parent company’s leading product line. Sony branched out in 1974 with the creation of a magnetic tape plant in Dothan, Alabama, and expanded further by opening an audio equipment plant in Delano, Pennsylvania, in 1977. After a period of consolidation brought on by an unfavorable exchange rate between the yen and dollar, Sony continued to expand and diversify its U. S. operations, adding facilities for the production of computer displays and data storage systems during the 1980s. In the 1990s, Sony further diversified it U. S. facilities and now also produces semiconductors and personal telecommunications products in the United States. Sony’s example is a classic case of a multinational using its core product line to defeat indigenous competition and lay the foundation for the sequential expansion of corporate activities into related areas. Finally, multinational corporations often access new markets by creating joint ventures with firms already operating in these markets. This has particularly been the case in countries formerly or presently under communist rule, including those of the former Soviet Union, eastern Europe, and the People’s Republic of China. In such joint ventures, the venture partner in the market to be entered retains considerable or even complete autonomy, while realizing the advantages of technology transfer and management and production expertise from the parent concern. The establishment of joint ventures has often proved awkward in the long run for multinational corporations, which are likely to find their venture partners are formidable competitors when a more direct penetration of the new market is attempted. Multinational corporations are thus able to penetrate new markets in a variety of ways, which allow existing concerns in the market to be accessed a varying degree of autonomy and control over operations. While no one doubts the economic success and pervasiveness of multinational corporations, their motives and actions have been called into question by social welfare, environmental protection, and labor organizations and government agencies worldwide. National and international labor unions have expressed concern that multinational corporations in economically developed countries can avoid labor negotiations by simply moving their jobs to developing countries where labor costs are markedly less. Labor organizations in developing countries face the converse of the same problem, as they are usually obliged to negotiate with the national subsidiary of the multinational corporation in their country, which is usually willing to negotiate contract terms only on the basis of domestic wage standards, which may be well below those in the parent company’s country. Offshore outsourcing, or offshoring, is a term used to describe the practice of using cheap foreign labor to manufacture goods or provide services only to sell them back into the domestic marketplace. Today, many Americans are concerned about the issue of whether American multinational companies will continue to export jobs to cheap overseas labor markets. In the fall of 2003, the University of California-Berkeley showed that as many as 14 million American jobs were potentially at risk over the next decade. In 2004, the United States faced a half-trillion-dollar trade deficit, with a surplus in services. Opponents of offshoring claim that it takes jobs away from Americans, while also increasing the imbalance of trade. When foreign companies set up operations in America, they usually sell the products manufactured in the U. S. to American consumers. However, when U. S. companies outsource jobs to cheap overseas labor markets, they usually sell the goods they produce to Americans, rather than to the consumers in the country in which they are made. In 2004, the states of Illinois and Tennessee passed legislation aimed at limiting offshoring; in 2005, another 16 states considered bills that would limit state aid and tax breaks to firms that outsource abroad. Insourcing, on the other hand, is a term used to describe the practice of foreign companies employing U. S. workers. Foreign automakers are among the largest insourcers. Many non-U. S. auto manufacturers have built plants in the United States, thus ensuring access to American consumers. Auto manufacturers such as Toyota now make approximately one third of its profits from U. S. car sales. Social welfare organizations are similarly concerned about the actions of multinationals, which are presumably less interested in social matters in countries in which they maintain subsidiary operations. Environmental protection agencies are equally concerned about the activities of multinationals, which often maintain environmentally hazardous operations in countries with minimal environmental protection statutes. Finally, government agencies fear the growing power of multinationals, which once again can use the threat of removing their operations from a country to secure favorable regulation and legislation. All of these concerns are valid, and abuses have undoubtedly occurred, but many forces are also at work to keep multinational corporations from wielding unlimited power over even their own operations. Increased consumer awareness of environmental and social issues and the impact of commercial activity on social welfare and environmental quality have greatly influenced the actions of all corporations in recent years, and this trend shows every sign of continuing. Multinational corporations are constrained from moving their operations into areas with excessively low labor costs given the relative lack of skilled laborers available for work in such areas. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the modern consumer to the plight of individuals in countries with repressive governments mitigates the removal of multinational business operations to areas where legal protection of workers is minimal. Examples of consumer reaction to unpopular action by multinationals are plentiful, and include the outcry against the use of sweatshop labor by Nike and activism against operations by the Shell Oil Company in Nigeria and PepsiCo in Myanmar (formerly Burma) due to the repressive nature of the governments in those countries. Multinational corporations are also constrained by consumer attitudes in environmental matters. Environmental disasters such as those which occurred in Bhopal, India (the explosion of an unsafe chemical plant operated by Union Carbide, resulting in great loss of life in surrounding areas) and Prince William Sound, Alaska (the rupture of a single-hulled tanker, the Exxon Valdez, causing an environmental catastrophe) led to ceaseless bad publicity for the corporations involved and continue to serve as a reminder of the long-term cost in consumer approval of ignoring environmental, labor, and safety concerns. Similarly, consumer awareness of global issues lessens the power of multinational corporations in their dealings with government agencies. International conventions of governments are also able to regulate the activities of multinational corporations without fear of economic reprisal, with examples including the 1987 Montreal Protocol limiting global production and use of chlorofluorocarbons and the 1989 Basel Convention regulating the treatment of and trade in chemical wastes. In fact, despite worries over the impact of multinational corporations in environmentally sensitive and economically developing areas, the corporate social performance of multinationals has been surprisingly favorable to date. The activities of multinational corporations encourage technology transfer from the developed to the developing world, and the wages paid to multinational employees in developing countries are generally above the national average. When the actions of multinationals do cause a loss of jobs in a given country, it is often the case that another multinational will move into the resulting vacuum, with little net loss of jobs in the long run. Subsidiaries of multinationals are also likely to adhere to the corporate standard of environmental protection even if this is more stringent than the regulations in place in their country of operation, and so in most cases create less pollution than similar indigenous industries.

Learning and perception Essay

Learning and perception can be related regarding the sensory abilities of the human mind to understand, calculate, and assign learning experiences to our sensory motors. For instance, a child will stay away from a stove if he/she is burned by an eye. At this typical age, a child is unaware of the concept of heat or hot but they can register thousands of experiences through their use of touch. In perceptional learning, human instincts are the accomplices in discovering new and exciting experiences through sensory (Freeman, 1991). According to Freeman (1991), learning has an impact on our ability to perceive experiences accurately. As an example, a child that views domestic violence on a daily basis may assume it is natural. This child could develop an ineffective sensory to pain by observing and experiencing it from a violent adult. In turn, the child may develop an innocent perception that pain is equal to normal. His or her learning of domestic violence is different from others so his or her perception of violence may not affect their judgment during a violent occurrence with others (Perception, 2006). Another obvious connection of learning and perception is the human’s ability to adjust oneself to the visual make up of others in a social surrounding. Debutants contribute to the development of young women and men. Their intentions are to teach social etiquette for proper associations mainly available in higher social classes. For instance, a debutant from a wealthy family may see a debutant from an underprivileged home as an equal if financial status was not a factor. The visual perception of the reality is seen only superficially. As the learning of the financial status of both debutants are known, the image might change one’s perception of the underprivileged Debutant. The relationship between perception and learning is evident in every day life in which people learn of their surroundings and act accordingly (Freeman, 1991). Works Cited Freeman, Walter J. â€Å"The Physiology of Perception† Scientific American, Vol. 264 (2) 78-85. Perception. Accessed on December 15, 2008 at http://www. a2zpsychology. com/PSYCHOLOGY_GUIDE/Perception. htm.

Case Study on QR Codes

Introduction of QR codes contributed significantly improvement of advertising and enhancing efficiency for an organization. The codes help an organization to offer customers a chance to obtain extra information about the product or the company itself. QR codes offer companies an excellent chance for advertising because the symbols used can be used be converted into video and thus helping to convey the message to the customer. The QR code works in such away a way that the company uses a QR code generator to design a readable and interesting message (Dacko, 2012). For the customer to see or read the message or the content of the QR code, they should have a smart phone which has QR reader application. One of the advantages of QR code over bar codes is that consumers will tend to spend more time on the company’s website which may influence their decision to buy. QR codes are capable of holding bulk information which makes it very convenient for companies using it. This report anal yzes how QR codes influences the decision making processes for individual consumers. It also analyzes the use of the codes in marketing and how efficient they are. 1. QR codes are used in several stages of consumer decision making process. The first stage in which QR codes are used by decision makers is the information searching stage. This is the stage where a customer gathers information about a particular product or line of product after identifying his/her needs. Searching of information helps the consumer to make informed purchase decisions. Since QR code offers quick access to a company’s information, the consumer can therefore obtain useful information from the website (Bryson & Daniels, 2015). The website may contain information on product offered, description, prices, after sale services offered and other useful information on the product that the consumer wants to buy. Therefore, by using QR codes, a company such as Gellerie can provide information on a product to the consumers easily. QR codes are also useful in evaluation of alternatives by the consumer. The consumer can scan the QR code and get access to the different types of products offered by a particular company. For example a McDonald’s customer can identify th e available flavors and varieties of Pizza by using QR codes (Haase, 2011). A customer can also compare different companies by accessing their QR codes. QR is also important in the post purchase evaluation. Consumers can compare what they bought with what was promised in the QR code. Consumers also obtain usage prescriptions and manual for machines and equipment to guide them in using the product. 2. There is huge marketing opportunity in the service sector. This is because, QR codes helps in making provision of services more efficient. This is therefore very important since the aim of every service provider is to offer efficient and reliable services to its customers. QR codes can be used in the retail business to check information on a product. An example is when a consumer wants to buy a product in a supermarket; he/she can scan the QR code to obtain information on the manufacturer of the product. A QR code can also be used in the financial services industry. Banks can place QR codes in their products such as cheques which customers can scan to get information on the state of their account and market the institution to its customers. The banks can include information on products offered and interest rates. QR codes can also be used in the health services sector. An example is an hospital issuing its patients QR codes to identify the period of time it will take them to be s erved and their number in the queue (Kotler, Armstrong, & Harris, 2017).This will help to eliminate physical queuing by patients. In the transport industry, QR codes can be used in place of paper tickets. Customers can book to travel online and then obtain a unique QR code which contains their identification details and all other relevant information. 3. The fact that use of QR codes help in bypassing multiple layers of distribution and support marketing. This not only applies in the goods market as well as in the service market. The advantages of bypassing multiple layers of distribution in the service sector include; Increasing efficiency in an organization by reducing the time taken to serve each customer. This happens by reducing the procedures that a customer should go through before getting the service they require. The use of QR codes are important in reducing layers of distribution by making it possible for customers to obtain some services online instead of physically. QR codes helps an organization to market the services it offers by giving customers QR through which they can access extra information about the company (Russell, 2010). By reducing support services, the organization will be able to reduce costs that it would have otherwise incurred and therefore its important in reducing costs which in turn increase profit margins. The level of customer satisfaction is   also increased when layers of distribution reduce. This is very important in maintaining existing customers by an organization. 4. QR codes affect perceived risks of a product through various ways. One of the ways in which the use of QR codes has affected the perceived risk in the service industry is that it has reduced the risk of delay in getting services. Time Is a very important factor especially in the service industry and therefore, there is always a risk not getting the services a consumer needed on time. Since use of QR codes helps in reducing distribution layers and reducing the time taken to serve each customer, the use of QR codes will reduce the perceived risk of delay in service delivery. QR codes also reduce the perceived risk of getting poor services from an organization (Woodall, 2007). By using the QR codes, customers are assured of good services from the service provider since the QR code offers important information on the services offered and the organization itself. The use of QR codes helps to reduce the perceived risk of loss of confidentiality. Since most consumers of services are ver y concerned about confidentiality, the use of QR code will help reduce the risk of unauthorized persons gaining access to their private information. 5. Use of QR codes has been very fundamental in improving service support and customer satisfaction both in the service industry and the product market. There are other forms of interactive content that can be developed to improve service delivery. One of this content is the development of a self service application that can be used by customers to obtain services online. This will help the customers to get the service they require very quickly and conveniently without having to visit the facility physically. Development of a machine that can be used to make deposits in the bank like an ATM is used for withdrawing would be important in improving services and customer satisfaction in the financial services industry. This will help in eliminating long queues in the banks. QR code should be used by companies more in promoting and advertising their products and services. This will help in reducing the costs incurred by organization in advertising. Organizations should be innovative and embrace the use of interactive technology in adding value to the services offered to consumers Bryson, J. R., & Daniels, P. W. (2015). Handbook of Service Business: Management, Marketing, Innovation and Internationalisation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Dacko, S. (2012). Time?of?day services marketing. Journal Of Services Marketing, 26(5), 375-388. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/08876041211245290 Haase, M. (2011). Service-Dominant Logic for Marketing. Marketing ZFP, 33(2), 98-110. https://dx.doi.org/10.15358/0344-1369-2011-2-98 Information Resources Management Association. (2016). Web-based services: Concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., & Harris, L. (2017). Principles of marketing (1st ed.). New York: Pearson. Russell, E. (2010). The fundamentals of marketing (1st ed.). Lausanne: AVA Academia. Woodall, T. (2007). New marketing, improved marketing, apocryphal marketing. European Journal Of Marketing, 41(11/12), 1284-1296. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560710821170

Marketing plan for british airways short haul flights Coursework

Marketing plan for british airways short haul flights - Coursework Example This highlights the need for business organizations to induce greater efficiency in their business process. The present study would focus upon the marketing strategies of British Airways with regards to short haul flights. The choice of the topic assumes significance considering that short haul flights constitute an important part of the business areas for the organization. The following sections would conduct an analysis of the marketing strategies of the firm that would help it to achieve success in the particular business segment. Market Analysis The recent economic crisis had imposed a very crucial blow to the business prospects of the participants of the airline industry. The dip in the levels of disposable income coupled with cost cutting measures taken by business organizations had a heavy impact on the revenue and profit margins of the participants of the airline industry in UK. A report published by the House of Commons in UK states that an approximate 225 million individual passengers and 2 million tonnes worth of goods used the aerial route for transportation. The report also shows comeback signs for the industry as it expect the industry to grow by approximately twice its present market value by 2030. The report also foresees plans for expansion of airports including the construction of a third runway at London Heathrow airport. The report also states the domestic passengers in UK are increasingly resorting to air travel due to the falling fares of the airlines (House of Commons, 2010, p.3). Low cost airlines are also emerging as a threat to British airways by virtue of their competitive pricing strategy. Customer Analysis Customers are the most important stakeholders for an organization. This is particularly more evident for organizations like British Airways whose business market is flooded with competitors. This makes it essential to formulate strategies so as to gain market advantage. In case of airline industry the consumer purchase decision is based on aspects like pricing which is one of the most important aspects that are considered by customers for making a purchase decision. In addition to this some other factors to be considered by the customers include loyalty programs, effective schedule of timings, comfort and ambience, safety and security, type of aircraft etc (refer annexure 1 for details) (Williams, 2008, p.19). Low cost carriers have become a major market player for the short haul segment, which is mostly because of the low fares offered by the airlines. However the low cost carriers score low on their ability to efficiently handle the operations. This represents a gap in the product offering and customer desires which could be effectively tapped by full time carriers like British Airways to gain market advantage. Marketing Objectives The marketing strategy of British Airways for a three year period would be based on the following objectives. These objectives would encompass customers, employees, performance, partnerships and service excellence. The main objective of the firm would be to gain market share by providing extremely high levels of service quality and ensuring greater efficiency in operations. The focus of the firm with regards to short haul flights

Trade Domestic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Trade Domestic - Research Paper Example s, examining them within their current context, and extrapolating them with respect to additional literature and the means through which these themes have an impact upon economics and trade, a cursory overview and analysis of these articles will be provided. This summary review will serve as a means of providing the reader with an effective baseline of knowledge that they can then leverage to understand and engage the themes which will be discussed at further length within the preceding pages. The first article, entitled â€Å"Access to Protection: Domestic Institutions and Trade Policy in Democracies†, provides a baseline of understanding with respect to promoting the realization that protection of certain aspects of the economy is a role in which individuals, states, and institutions are intrinsically interested in accomplishing. The underlying rationale that can of course be given for this is with respect to the fact that freely competing within the open market, with any particular economic good, represents a situation in which the undercutting power of competition could easily see profit margins decreased or if that operate entirely. As such, the authors place a great deal of emphasis with regards to understanding the role in which parties in governance, districts within an electorate, the nature of the vote, and other such institutions impact upon protection. Further, the ultimate hypothesis, which is eventually proven, has to do with the fact that once these factors are ultimately controlled for, they are no longer exhibited as having a profound impact with respect to trade policy. Beyond merely coming to a further realization with respect to the impact of protection of economic goods or services, and an analysis of the intervening macro economic theory that helps to define these, the article is also able to give a fairly accurate baseline with relation to the precursors of protection and â€Å"protectionism†. Understanding these precursors is of course a

Reagen last assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reagen last - Assignment Example Vietnam syndrome can be simply referred to a view mainly held by American conservatives that the loss of Vietnam War persuaded the American public to protest against any type of US-involved military conflict. More precisely, horrible memories of Vietnam War, including the images of killed soldiers and civilians, have influenced American to oppose any type of war. As a result of this fear of loss, any attempt by the US to become a part of a military conflict would be perceived by the American society as ‘another Vietnam’. Reagan was against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua and he tried to topple the Sandinista government with the help of US supported Nicaraguan contras. For this, Reagan encouraged guerilla war insurgency. Reagan adopted such a policy because he strongly believed that Sandinistas’ victory would fuel revolution throughout the region and challenge the security of the US. Reagan turned against the Sandinista government specifically after the spread of social unrest to neighboring countries. Reagan introduced Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in 1983 in an effort to protect the country from strategic nuclear ballistic missile attacks. He held the view that this defense system would eliminate the possibilities of a nuclear war. The US involvement in Afghanistan in 1979 during Carter’s presidency was simply to suppress the Soviet-led Afghan forces. It is obvious that the major intension of the US was to respond to the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan. Reagan administration not only continued this involvement but also increased the support significantly for Mujahideen. The Reagan doctrine was the strategy developed and executed by the US under the Reagan administration to abolish communist ideology from the world. It can be argued that the Reagan doctrine specifically focused on opposing the global influence of the Soviet Union.

Perception and Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Perception and Decision Making - Essay Example Perception is defined on the Wikipedia as follows: "In psychology and the cognitive sciences, perception is the process of acquiring, interpreting, selecting, and organizing sensory information." (Wikipedia, 2006b). It goes further explaining how perceptions are formed, how they change, and how there can be no perception at all. Let's see: "Many cognitive psychologists hold that, as we move about in the world, we create a model of how the world works. That is, we sense the objective world, but our sensations map to percepts, and these percepts are provisional, in the same sense that scientific hypotheses are provisional (cf. in the scientific method). As we acquire new information, our percepts shift. () Just as one object can give rise to multiple percepts, so an object may fail to give rise to any percept at all: if the percept has no grounding in a person's experience, the person may literally not perceive it." (Wikipedia, 2006b). "Decision making is the cognitive process of selecting a course of action from among multiple alternatives. Every decision-making produces a final choice. It can be an action or an opinion. It begins when we need to do something but we do not know what. Therefore decision-making is a reasoning process which can be rational or irrational, and can be based on explicit assumptions or tacit assumptions." (Wikipedia, 2006a). In the decision-making process many biases can get in the way. Among the reasons for this kind of drawback the Wikipedia enumerates the following reasons: "Selective search for evidence Premature termination of search for evidence Conservatism and inertia Experiential limitations Selective perception Wishful thinking or optimism Recency Repetition bias Anchoring and adjustment Group think - Peer pressure Source credibility bias Incremental decision making and escalating commitment Inconsistency Attribution asymmetry Role fulfillment Underestimating uncertainty and the illusion of control Faulty generalizations Ascription of causality". (Wikipedia, 2006a). On a closer analysis to all these causes that provoke error in the decision-making process it is easy to find "perception" at the core of all these evils. Most of the causes for faulty decisions in the business real of action happen due to misperceptions in one way or the other. The Wikipedia goes on explaining how the ethical principles of decision making vary widely. It lists the following principles and methods as the most common in any decision-making process: "the most powerful person/group decides (method: dictatorship or oligarchy) everyone participates in a certain class of meta-decisions (method: parliamentary democracy) everyone participates in every decision (direct democracy, consensus decision making)" (Wikipedia, 2006a). As "Groundwork for Making Effective Decisions" the Josephson Institute of Ethics states the following concepts, emphasizing our responsibility and accountability in any decision-making process: "Whether or not we realize it at the time, all our words, actions and attitudes reflect choices. A foundation to good decision-making is acceptance of two core principles: we all have the power to decide what we do and what we say, and we are morally responsible for the consequences

Kentucky Fried Chicken Business Expansion Marketing Plan Case Study - 3

Kentucky Fried Chicken Business Expansion Marketing Plan - Case Study Example The research design will be based on a random sample and small community that has a KFC located nearby. The qualitative and quantitative research will define the overall trends on a global level, they will focus on a survey sample to identify why KFC is experiencing changes within the franchise. The benefit of this will provide KFC with a new marketing approach that will help to expand their services as a leading fast food restaurant. KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, first opened its doors in 1930, beginning at the Great Depression. The first restaurant opened in Corbin, Kentucky, and was then known as Sanders Court and Cafà ©, named after the founder, Harland Sanders. By 1936, Sanders was named a Colonel for the cuisine and was able to expand his restaurant to include more recipes and a higher amount of traffic. By 1940, the original recipe, which is one of the secret ingredients of the chicken was introduced, which instantly led to the widespread popularity of the restaurant and the kitchen. In 1955, Sanders began to sell his recipe to other restaurants to pay off debts, which led to the opening of KFC in 1957. By 1960, KFC became a franchise and grew into a national commodity with some of the best-known chicken, which quickly grew into restaurants in Canada and in Europe. By 1982, KFC became a subsidiary of R.J. Reynolds Industries and was able to be a part of fast food chains known internationally, such as Taco Bell. The popularity of KFC continued to grow with several newer recipes, including â€Å"finger-lick in' good† chicken recipes and new options for low fat and healthy options for the different menu items (KFC, 2010). The changes in KFC and the building of this brand have allowed the corporation to become one of the most popular alternatives for those that enjoy chicken. This particular brand stands apart from others because of the ability to offer chicken as the main menu item.

Human-Computer Interaction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human-Computer Interaction - Research Paper Example Back in the 80’s, when human-computer interfaces were born, the factors of ergonomics and user-friendly design were mostly ignored, which led to dissatisfied users and threatened the life of the interface. But as the computer software and hardware industry developed, so did the methods of evaluation of these products. The development and innovation in computer systems, may it be software or hardware, requires constant usability testing and interface modifications. This technique is used to evaluation a product by testing it on users. This is inarguably an irreplaceable testing practice since it gives a direct input on how users use the system (Nielsen, J.,1994). These modifications need to take place constantly thorough the development cycle of a particular software or hardware. Various methods can be employed in order to test and evaluate a particular computer interface in development. . A. USER-BASED TECHNIQUES An array of techniques is available for evaluating the usability of a particular interface. Overall, these techniques can be classified in the following categories: 1. User-Based The user-based method, as the name implies, takes real users as a testing medium. This method yields the most reliable and valid results as it directly analysis the feedback from the user. In this technique, a group of users are provided with the test interface in a defined environment or out in the field. They interaction with the interface is closely observed with emphasis on how they use that particular software or hardware to complete their task. Speed is also one of the primary gauges. After the task is complete, users are then interviewed and are asked to describe their own experience and perception of the interface. Thus, using this data and feedback, the interface can be further improved which will eventually improve the satisfaction level of the user. The user-based evaluation procedure is usually video recorded and analyzed later. However, this evaluation can also be in the form of a joint interaction between the user, the evaluator and the interface under evaluation. This enables the evaluator to get a more hands-on feedback from the user. Ideally, a large group of users would provide a more concrete feedback, but this is not always logistically possible. As a result, there is a considerable interest among HCI professionals in how to get the best feedback from the smallest focus group. While popular myths exist about being able to determine a majority of problems with only 2 or 3 users, it is believed that a sample size requirement is largely dependent on the type of errors one seeks to identify and their relative probability of occurrence. Whereas 3 users might identify many problems in a new application, substantially more users will be required to tease out the remaining problems in a mature or revised product (Lewis 1994). 2. Expert-Based Once again, as the name suggests, an expert-based evaluation is when an HCI expert evaluates th e application in order to determine and forecast its usability in the hands of the user. Obviously, this method is far more cost efficient and quick as compared to the user-based evaluation as it does not involve hiring a focus group and then analyzing their feedback. In HCI, two common expert-based usability evaluation methods are Heuristic evaluation (e.g., Nielsen, 1994), and Cognitive Walkthrough (Wharton et al, 1994). In the Heuristic method, the evaluator is provided with a simple checklist made according to a set guideline which he uses to evaluate the application step by step. Any incompliancy of the application with respect to the list is treated as a problem. In the Cognitive Walkthr

As Psychology Locus of Control Essay Example for Free

As Psychology Locus of Control Essay Discuss the role of locus of control on independent behaviour. (12 marks) Locus of control refers to a person’s perception of personal control over their own behaviour. There are two types of locus of control; internal and external. Internal locus of control occurs when individuals feel they are in control of their behaviour and are responsible for their actions. External locus of control occurs when individuals feel their behaviour is controlled by external forces (e. g. luck or fate) and they are not responsible for their own actions. Those with internal locus of control are more likely to show independent behaviour and resist the pressures to conform or obey whereas those with external locus of control are more likely to obey and conform. High internals do not rely on the opinions of others. They are better able to resist coercion and are more achievement-orientated. High internal locus of control has been linked to leadership and individuals with high internal locus of control are more likely to become entrepreneurs. Anderson and Schneier found that group members possessing an internal locus of control were more likely to emerge as leaders in their groups. This may be because individuals who take responsibility for their own actions feel that they can cause changes in their environment, including the behaviour of those around them. There is lots of research evidence to support locus of control. Oliner and Oliner found that people who had gone against the majority and protected the Jews from the Nazis tended to score higher on measures of internal locus of control. This means they believed they had influence over events in their life including success and failures. It may be this that made them independent. Also, Elms and Milgram found that the people that were disobedient in Milgram’s study of obedience shows higher internal locus of control and social responsibility. Avtigis did a meta-analysis of studies investigating the relationship between locus of control and conformity and found high scores of external locus of control were more likely to conform than those with a low score. The average correlation between locus of control and conformity was 0. 37. This suggests that there are higher rates of conformity shown in external locus of control when compared to internal locus of control. There are a number of problems with using a meta-analysis. The studies are secondary data that the researcher has compiled. This means the study could suffer from researcher bias as they may have only found studies that supported their view. Also, as the study is correlational, cause and effect cannot be established. It does not comment on why there is a link or which factors were most important it only states that there is a relationship between the two variables. However, as the data is secondary data there are no ethical issues linked to the use of a meta-analysis to study the patterns between locus of control and conformity. On the other hand, Williams and Warchal gave 30 students a range of conformity tasks based on Asch’s study and assessed them using the Rotter’s locus of control scale. They found that those who conformed were the least assertive but did not score differently on the locus of control scale. This suggests that assertion may be more important in conformity than locus of control. There are also research studies that suggest that independent behaviour can be fostered or encouraged through modelling. Nemeth and Chiles found that those who had been exposed to a minority (four participants, one confederate) who gave a different answer were more likely to stand their ground and defy the majority in the second part of the experiment when they became a minority (four confederates, one participant). This study implies that exposure to a model of independent behaviour can influence the individual’s ability to stand firm against the majority and resist the group pressure to conform. However, there are problems with research into locus of control. Many of the studies that support locus of control are carried out in laboratories. This means they lack ecological validity and the results may not be applicable to real life situations. Also, demand characteristics may be present. The participant may have guessed the aim of the experiment and acted accordingly to fit the results they assume the researcher wanted. Also, it is difficult to measure personality. The use of questionnaires could mean that the studies suffer from social desirability bias as people may have altered their answers to appear more normal or to fit with what they assume the researcher wanted. Lastly, situational factors may be more important as personality is not always consistent. McGuire found that conforming behaviour differed across situations. If conformists and independents are not consistent in their behaviour it is hard to conclude that it is their personality that solely affects their choice whether or not to conform. Situational factors may influence behaviour too as they tend to conform in certain situations but not in others.

Effect of Rural Urban Cultural Differences

Effect of Rural Urban Cultural Differences Multiple intelligence is a new concept devised by Gardener. . To replace the narrow view of intelligence, the emergence of multiple inelegance theory make us feel that every individual has multiple talents. Focus these days is on designing educational experiences for the students that demonstrate and explore that how smart they are in the synergistic environment of a community of learner as they move in the new century. And as described earlier the collaboration between ecological factors and MI can build a new theory in the area of psychology and education. Every one living in this world is having its unique qualities. Psychology calls its Individual Difference and Philosophy calls it Natural Endowments. Every learner has its pace, speed, likings, disliking in course of development. A person learns best when taught in the way he or she can best perceive the things to be learned. A person can be most successful in a profession when the same is according to his or her abilities and in terest .Each student has the capabilities to activate all the eight identified intelligence but these intelligences may be developed in different degrees within each individual.(Elliot et al 1999). As humans, our life is determined and influenced by various dimensions: a biological inheritance and physical appearance that distinguish us from other living beings; a psychological make-up which determines our mental, emotional, linguistic, behavioral and moral aspects; a social need which affects all aspects of our existence and lifestyle; and a spiritual dimension which helps us to distinguish right and wrong. (Motah, 2006) The most important and most prized possession is intelligence, yet it is a concept that evens the most intelligent people has not been able to agree on (Santrock, 2000). An individuals spheres of knowledge are not developed within an internal cognitive vacuum, untouched by the objects, persons and events in ones environment. The different domains and disciplines valued by different cultures exert a tremendous influence over how ones intelligences develop, and to what extent they are mobilized. Gardner defines intelligence not in terms of raw capacity or mastery, but asthe ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings(2004, xxiv). Each cultural setting in its interactions with the individual tries to promote the individuals ability in its preferred domain. By contrast, environmental settings can also shape the individual concepts and attitudes in an active controlling way. (Goodnow 1990) Environment exerts a great influence on the cognitive abilities of a person. Intelligence will flourish in an individuals life as the result of a dynamic interaction between his or her biology (genes), psychology (family environment) and cultural context (favorable or unfavorable historical epoch). Intelligence begins and develops in a socio-cultural context. Vygotsky (1978) believed that all higher cognitive processes develop out of social interaction. Due to social, cultural and economic differences there are differences in developmental traits among individuals .Environment is considered to be a vital point in MI theory. Gardener defines intelligence not in terms of raw capacity or mastery, but as the ability to solve problems or to create products that are valued within one or more culture settings. There is a major difference between rural and urban environment, although the basic developmental principles are universal and follow consistent course. Human ecological perspective stresses the importance of understanding relationship between many aspects of socio-cultural world. In his theory environment is considered as a series of compact structures that extend beyond the home, school and neighborhood setting in which the individuals spend their day life. Most of the population (70%) is still residing in rural India. There is lot of socio-cultural differences between exposure, facilities, instructional activities, etc., among rural and urban setting. Societys culture, tradition and value system infiltrates to influence through interactions with the environment of the environment is regarded as having a powerful impact on the development. Society is a web of human relationship. We interact with others, meet so many people, behave according to social norms and social environment and this social environment either it is rural or urban affects intelligence of any human being. The social setting in which the growth of a child takes place, type of surroundings, culture, habits, exposure, etc., all these have a direct or indirect influence upon ones emerging abilities. Societys culture, tradition and value system infiltrates to influence through interactions with the environment. In this way, the environment serves as Cultural Amplifier (Bru ner, 1960), amplifying cultural practices (like written language) and values (like appreciation of art). Thus, effect is amplified when a person actually uses tools supplied by culture (Cole and Griffin, 1980). Such experiences can evoke resonance (Kornhaber et al., 1990) in the child, reinforcing his emerging abilities. Gardner (1983) environments can give children selective exposure to different domains. The Mexican children born to potter families have substantial exposure to clay and related activities Researches over the last few decades have shown that human development is a process of interaction between biological and environmental factors. The ecology of human development involves scientific study of the progressive and mutual accommodation between an active growing human being and the changing properties of the immediate setting in which the developing person lives, as this process is affected by relations between the setting and by the large contents in which the settings are embedded Brofenbrenner, 1979). Initially, most theories of intelligence whether singular or multiple have assumed that intelligences are simply biological entities or potentials, which exist in the head and in the brain and can be measured reliably independent of content. These days concepts of multiple intelligence are one approach around which educators have begun to focus their efforts. Gardner proposed the theory of Multiple Intelligence and challenged old beliefs about what it means to be smart. It s now how smart you are, its how you are smart? Gardner (1999) defined intelligence as bio psychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture. Multiple intelligence theory feels us that every individual has multiple talents. Focus these days is on designing educational experiences for students that demonstrate and explore how they are smart in the synergistic environment of a community of learners. Gardner argues that intelligence is not some static reality fixed at birth and measured well by standardized testing. Instead, intelligence is a dynamic, ever growing reality that can be expanded in ones life through eyelid intelligences: (1) linguistic (words), (2) logical mathematical (numbers), (3) spatial (pictures), (4) musical (musical photometric), (5) bodily-pin esthetic (movement), (6) interpersonal (people), (7) intrapersonal (self), (8) naturalistic (flora fauna). Multip le Intelligence incorporates the broad spectrum of human abilities into eight-fold system that can make any person a winner in life. Now it is a debate on this specific issue that is there any significant effect of socio cultural setting on different dimensions of multiple intelligence. Rural youth is in doubts where he stands. So this is the time when society should recognize their strong multiple intelligence and factors which influence their multiple intelligence, to learn new things in his or her own way and pursue interest and choose future profession which required that particular intelligence considering the importance of multiple intelligence, an idea was conceptualized to find out multiple intelligence among school going children of 12-14 years old in rural and urban area of Haryana with the objective of comparing the multiple intelligence among children in rural and urban areas. When we talk about adolescents, early adolescence is very crucial period of life, whether it is physical, socio-emotional, psychological or educational development, all are on the peak during this phase. This is the time when fou ndations of future professional settlement are laid. A person can be most successful in a profession when the profession is according to his or her abilities and interests. Review of Literature Alkhateeb and Jumaa (2002) investigated the effect of cooperative learning on eighth grade students performance in algebra. Boys in the cooperative setting improved significantly on the performance test compared with boys in the traditional setting. Chong (2004) investigated the exposures to the instructional activities, involving socio-cognitive techniques, showed a positive impact on the self-efficacy and self-regulation in the academic domain but not on aspects of self-concept, social efficacy and social regulation, suggesting that socio-cultural variables may be more amenable to change. Manocha (2003) also found that micro, meso and exo levels are significantly correlated with the concept development among rural children. Furnham et al. (1999) reported that there were both significant cultural and sex difference in the estimation of overall own MI scores. Furnham et al. (2002) found clear cultural and gender differences in degrees of multiple intelligence of people with all the p articipants rating their fathers and brothers numerical intelligence higher and verbal intelligence lower than that of their mothers and sisters .Ramanathan (1994) indicated that the mean IQ scores declined consistently with increase of birth order in rural as well as urban areas. Brofenbrenner (1989) stated that people in a particular culture or subculture often share broad based beliefs that are different from other cultures. For example, values and attitudes of children growing in an urban setting differ from those of rural setting. RICCIUTI et al. (1990) found that the interaction effects of low birth weight ( LBW) and social risk associated with fathers absence increased the likelihood of cognitive impairment in the early years of life. Silver et al. (2000) in the face of increasing cultural diversity, educators need new ways of understanding how children think. Educators at all grade levels and in all content areas should implement a holistic learning programme that seamlessly integrates learning styles and multiple intelligences into instruction, curriculum and assessment. Teachers should help students become more reflective and self-aware learners. There is a strong cultural bias that undervalues sewing and relegates it to handedness instead of the loffier headedness. Cheng (1999) more often, creativity is discussed in the literature as if it is culture free. Only in the recent years has the cultural aspect of creativity been studied explicitly of late, cultural difference in creativity has not only been expressed through conceptual discourse but also investigated empirically. Li and Shallcross (1992) compared the creative problem solving behavior of Chinese and American elementary and high school students and re ported differences in approach to the nine-dot problem. Evidently, researches are now more consciously aware that culture can and does play a role in the development of creativity. Pearson (1998) multiple intelligences theory endorses a group of propositions many teachers have always believed. We are not all the same; we do not have the same kinds of minds; and education works most effectively if these differences are taken into account rather than denied or ignored. From the above discussion, it can be concluded that there is a great need to study different socio-cultural, rural-urban setting as mentioned in the review that IQ scores are influenced by rural-urban set-up. Research Methodology Sample size Two schools from each district i.e. Sirsa and Hisar were selected. From each school, 40 respondents were taken purposively to meet the sample size of 160 respondents. Age was considered 12-14 years as per requirement of the standardized scale used in study. Exploratory cum Descriptive design is used Research Instruments A well developed and modified standardized Multiple Intelligence Assessment Tool by Gurpreet Kaur and Chhikara (2006) was used. Minor modifications were done before the use of scale. Objectives: The very objective of the research paper is to compare the different types multiple intelligence among school going children in rural and urban area Hypothesis: There is no significant difference in linguistic intelligence of rural urban children. There is no significant difference in logical mathematical intelligence of rural urban children. There is no significant difference in musical intelligence of rural urban children. There is no significant difference in bodily kinesthetic intelligence of rural urban children. There is no significant difference in Visual spatial intelligence of rural urban children. There is no significant difference in interpersonal intelligence of rural urban children. There is no significant difference in naturalistic intelligence of rural urban children. There is no significant difference in intrapersonal intelligence of rural urban children. Results and Discussions Linguistic intelligence: Linguistic intelligence is the intelligence of words. This is the intelligence of journalists, storytellers, poet, lawyer, etc. The significance of differences between mean scores of rural and urban area was tested by the T test. Table shows that significant differences were observed in the mean scores of rural and urban areas adolescents in linguistic (t=2.48*), Language plays a major role in manifestation of educational status. Language is used both as a means of expression as well as communication (Choudhary, 2005). The surrounding world furthermore in our rural Haryana when insisting the children meet daily responsibilities, mothers of sons more often pair control with autonomy granting Whereas in urban areas situation is far better. No gender discrimination as compared to rural area was found, and this is the factor which leads in linguistic intelligence of urban area adolescents than rural area. Significant results were obtained. Logical mathematical intelligence: Logical mathematical intelligence is the intelligence of numbers and logic. This is the intelligence of the scientist, accountant, computer programmer, etc. Results depicted in the table showed rural adolescents higher mean scores on logical mathematical intelligence as compared to urban adolescents. Non-significant association was observed by adolescents, an overall difference in mathematical abilities in rural and urban area exists (Bielinski and Davison, 1998; Lin and Hyde, 1989). A study conducted to check achievement in mathematical and language shows students were better in maths and language in a multigrade school (Chandrasekhar and Santosh Kumari, 2006). Musical intelligence: Musical intelligence is the capacity to perceive, appreciate and produce rhythms and melodies. This is the intelligence of musicians or singers, music teacher, musical copyist, instrument maker, lyricist, etc. Musical intelligence was slightly higher in urban area than rural area adolescents. This was due to interest taken by parents and facilities provided by parents of urban areas. Often in urban area reading, spelling art and music are regarded as more important for children especially for girls whereas in rural area mathematics, atheletics and mechanical skills are considered more important (Eccles et al., 1990; Jacobs and Weisz, 1994.For music girls are usually found to be more interested in music than boys and are seen discussing about music in their free time with their friends. In our rural society, music and dance are considered more to be feminist traits, although girls are also not encouraged to take it as a profession (Andre et al., 1999; Freedman-Doan et al., 2000). bodily kinesthetic: Bodily kinesthetic intelligence is the intelligence of the physical self. It includes talent in controlling ones body movement and also in handling objects skillfully. This is the intelligence of athletes, crafts people, mechanics, surgeons, etc. In bodily kinesthetic and visual spatial intelligence and intrapersonal urban area adolescents leaded whereas in interpersonal, naturalistic and logical-mathematical intelligence, rural area adolescents had slightly higher mean value. Visual spatial intelligence: Spatial intelligence involves thinking ink pictures and images and ability to perceive transform and recreate different aspects of visual spatial world. This is the intelligence of architect, photographers, artists, pilots, mechanical engineers, etc. Visual spatial intelligence was higher in urban areas as compared to rural area. There is significant difference observed in the mean scores of rural and urban areas adolescents in visual spatial (2.31*).In urban area there is much exposure in children due to mass media entertainment inputs and various modern facilities in the form of T.V, computers, internet and other electrical gadgets where visual spatial intelligence may achieve greater mean score in urban children. Naturalistic intelligence Naturalistic intelligence is the intelligence of nature personal strong in this displays empathy, recognition, and understanding for the living and natural things (plants, animals, geology, etc.). It is the intelligence of a farmer, scientist and animal caretakers. There is no significant difference was found in naturalistic intelligence in urban and rural area. Because nature has given us natural qualities which is crowned in every human being. Interpersonal intelligence Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand people. In particular, it requires a capacity to perceive and the responsiveness to the moods, temperaments, intensions and desires of the others. This is the intelligence of administrators, manager, school principal, psychologist, etc. There is significant difference was found Intrapersonal intelligence Intrapersonal intelligence is the intelligence of inner self. A person strong in this kind of intelligence can easily access his/her own feelings, discriminate between many different kinds of inner emotional status and uses his/her understanding to enrich and guide his/her life. This is the intelligence of a counselor, theologians, self-employed business people, etc. The results from rural and urban Maharashtra revealed the level of emotional intelligence as low and independent irrespective of gender, area and age (Tyagi, 2004). Significant results were obtained in linguistic, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, visual special and interpersonal, whereas non-significant in logical mathematical, naturalistic and intrapersonal intelligence. The study revealed the difference among rural and urban multiple intelligence, so hypothesis is rejected. The significance of differences between mean scores of rural and urban area was tested by the T test. Table shows that significant differences were observed in the mean scores of rural and urban areas adolescents in linguistic (t=2.48*), musical intelligence (-5.96**), logical mathematical (1.63NS) kinesthetic (2.7**), visual spatial (2.31*), interpersonal (5.50**) and in the intrapersonal (0.44NS In case of multiple intelligence there is always need attention which requires special attention both by parents as well as teachers for adolescents belonging to rural and urban area. Adolescents who have more potential in particular aspect, if they are encouraged and motivated, they can be able to recognize their potential and can reach the stage of maximum ability of their talent in particular field. Suggestions and Educational Implications By finding peoples intelligence in different aspects, they can become famous people in their field like Dhoni (bodily kinesthetic), Abhijeet Sawant (musical intelligence), Mandira Bedi (interpersonal intelligence), Osho (intrapersonal intelligence), Vishwanathan Anand (logical mathematical intelligence), M.F. Hussain (visual spatial intelligence), Ayn Rand (linguistic intelligence) and Saleim Ali (Naturalistic intelligence). Need is to educate parents and teachers about the multiple intelligence of adolescents irrespective of area. Because adolescence is the age when people start utilizing their talent and interest in particular field and start aspiring it as a career/profession. Thus this is the time when parents should identify talent of their children and should start planning for their education in the particular field. So that their adolescents can later enter into that particular career in field of their choice. Educating parents about multiple intelligence can be a key component of school success. It should be started in schools as students parents are not aware of multiple intelligence (Hoerr, 2002).

Myth of Courage Exposed in The Things They Carried Essay -- The Things

Ah for a young man all looks fine and noble if he goes down in war, hacked to pieces under a slashing bronze blade he lies there dead. . .but whatever death lays bare all wounds are marks of glory. (Homer 22.83-87)  Ã‚   As students we are brainwashed by ancient myths such as The Iliad, where war is extolled and the valorous warrior praised. Yet, modern novels such as Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried (THINGS) challenge those very notions. Like The Iliad, THINGS is about war. It is about battles and soldiers, victory and survival, yet the message O'Brien gives us in THINGS runs almost contradictory to the traditional war story. Whereas traditional stories of war take place on battlefields where soldier battles soldier and the mettle of man is tested, O'Brien's battle occurs in the shadowy, private place of a soldier's mind. Like the Vietnam War itself, THINGS forces Americans to question the foundations of their beliefs and values because it calls attention to the inner conscience. More than a war story, O'Brien's The Things They Carried is an expose on personal courage. Gone are the brave and glorious warriors such as those found in the battle of Troy. In THINGS, they are replaced by young men w ho experience not glory or bravery, but fear, horror, and a personal sense of shame. As mythic courage clashes with the modern's experience of it, a battle is waged in THINGS that isn't confined to the rice-patties, jungles, and shit-fields of Vietnam. Carrying more than the typical soldier's wares, O'Brien's narrator is armed with an arsenal of feelings and words that slash away at an invisible enemy that is the myth of courage, on an invisible battlefield that is the Vietnam veteran's mind. An analysis of structure in ... ...ings They Carried." Studies in Contemporary Fiction. 35.1 (1993): 43. Expanded Academic ASAP. Lopez, Ken. "Tim O'Brien: An Introduction to His Writing." Ken Lopez - Bookseller. 1997. 8 Oct 1999. http://www.lopezbooks.com/articles/obrien.html>. Works Consulted Chen, Tina. "'Unraveling the Deeper Meaning': Exile and the Embodied Poetics of Displacement in Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried." Contemporary Literature. 39.1 (1998): 77. Expanded Academic ASAP. King, Rosemary. "O'Brien's 'How to Tell a True War Story.'" The Explicator. 57.3 (1999): 182. Expanded Academic ASAP. Passaro, Vince. "The Things They Carried (Review)." Harper's Magazine. 299.1791 (1999): 80. Expanded Academic ASAP. Robinson, Daniel. "Getting It Right: The Short Fiction of Tim O'Brien." Studies in Contemporary Fiction. 40.3 (1999): 257. Expanded Academic ASAP.

The Medias Influence on Adolescents Body Image :: Adolescents and the Mass Media

Adolescence is a time for learning and growth. This time can be easier to handle by some than others. For some it can be a revelation of new experiences and ideas, while adolescence can also be a difficult, stressful time for those trying to discover themselves. This can affect themselves as well as those around them. During this time, adolescents are likely to identify with those around them, their peers. Identifying with peers can help adolescents along by giving them the opportunity to see how others deal with problems similar to their own and by offering their own advice to those who need it. Along with this, adolescents are liable to worry about their body image, and may want to conform to those who have achieved the â€Å"desired† image. This image may be thin, muscular, or just average. Nevertheless, some adolescents will go too far to achieve this image, usually this is done by adolescent females who wish to become thin. This can be attributed to media’s por trayal of women. The majority of women in ads, television and movies are thin and are seen as attractive because of this. Adolescent girls will see these women and may want their image as their own, and some will go to any lengths to acquire this. This in turn could lead to the idea that during this process of change and growing up, adolescents are often concerned about their physical image, which is influenced by the media.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adolescents may want to change their body image for a number of reasons. During adolescence, they may feel unsatisfied with their bodies and want to change how they look just to fit in. â€Å"Fitting in† with their peers is an important part of adolescence. It gives young people a sense that they belong; the need for peer influence is a necessary part of growing up as peers can offer advice and insight to anything that may be troubling adolescents, including how they feel about their image. Also, adolescents look up to a number of people, namely celebrities, and try to adopt their style as their own in hopes of being able to fit in. Many celebrities are thin. There are those who need to have that small body frame, such as some athletes. Gymnasts would be an example of this because they need to keep their body this way in order to perform their gymnastic feats; a gymnast will never again be seen as just â€Å"average† since the 1972 Olympics, when cro wds were awed by the daring moves performed by the tiny Olga Korbut.

Storytelling :: essays research papers fc

Storytelling Storytelling has helped humankind evolve into a wiser species by allowing those with enough attentiveness and intelligence to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors. The Chinese culture, like many others world wide, base their beliefs largely on stories passed down from generation to generation. Because stories are told and retold, alterations and even new versions appear. Such is the case in " Fa Mu Lan," for more than one version is known to exist to this day. Many times the changes in a story are to put its message on a certain level for an individual to understand. If the change is to keep the message updated with society, the version would be a modernized one. These stories affect the stories with a flavor of their own personal character. In The Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingston utilizes stories told to her by her mother as a device to introduce readers to some aspect of her life. Kingston's mother pass down to her the wisdom she has acquired from her mistakes throughout her life along with best hopes and wishes. The Woman Warrior is a story about the life of Maxine Hong Kingston. It is easy to see her identity from those memorable occurrences that she mentions throughout her book, especially the stories her mother told her. The story of "Fa Mu Lan", for example, teaches women to strive to be the best they can be. It is a story about a woman warrior who takes place of her father in battle and returns in victory as a heroine. It evidently shows that her mother tells this story with her sincerest hopes and passions for her. Her mother wishes her to become more than what it was hope for . Even though woman in old China only grow up to be wives and slaves, she hopes and even dilutions of grandeurs for her daughters thrive in their hearts. Story-telling has been an essential part of their childhood. Maxine Hong Kingston was told that her aunt who committed adultery and brought shame, bad luck along with destruction to her family. She committed suicide because she could not face their families not tell who the father of the children is. The shame brought about by the incident was too much for her to bare. The story was told to warn the girls from having a child before getting married, as can be arrived at from this statement in The Woman Warrior: " Whenever she [her mother] had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one, a story to grow up on.

Leadership Style: Sam Palmisano, Former IBM Chief Operating Officer Essay

1.0 About Sam Palmisano He began his career with IBM in 1973 as a salesman in Baltimore Maryland, Since then, Palmisano has held a series of leadership positions during his IBM career, including senior vice president for the Enterprise Systems and Personal Systems groups. Mr. Palmisano also played a key role in creating and leading IBM’s Global Services, rising to senior vice president, and building the largest and most diversified information technology services organization in the industry. He also served as senior managing director of operations for IBM Japan. He became president and Chief Operating Officer (CEO) in 2000. Sam Palmisano is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University. In recognition of his leadership role as co-chair of the Council on Competitiveness’ National Innovation Initiative, as well as his many business accomplishments, Palmisano was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2005. In 2006, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the London Business School. He has received a number of business awards including the Atlantic Council’s Distinguished Business Leadership Award in 2009 and the inaugural Deming Cup, presented in 2010 by the W. Edwards Deming Centre for Quality, Productivity and Competitiveness at Columbia Business School. He is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 2.0 IBM company background As late as 1960 IBM was still primarily a punched-card machine supplier. It was not until 1962 that computer sales equaled those of its traditional punched-card products. But by the end of the decade, its punched-card machine sales were essentially vestigial. While IBM was making this transformation in its product line in the 1960s, it was also growing at the rapid rate of 15 to 20 percent a year and soon achieved a domination of the computer market that was historically unparalleled in any other major industry. IBM’s success was creating a difficult environment for its competitors. By 1960 the mainframe computer industry had already been whittled down to just IBM and seven others. Of all the mainframe suppliers, Sperry Rand had suffered the biggest reverse, consolidating a decline that had begun well before the launch of the 1401. Despite being the pioneer of the industry, it had never made a profit in computers and was gaining a reputation bordering on derision. For many years IBM’s domination of the computer industry was attributed to a variety of factors like managerial competence, technological excellence, formidable marketing organization, monopolistic, antitrust business practices and the leadership exerted by the Watsons. A key difference between IBM and its competitors persisted right into the computer age. Thus, when company used equipment from one of IBM’s office machine competitors, it was all too likely to acquire a problem rather than a solution. Often the computer and its software were no more than a set of tools with which to fashion a solution, instead of the solution itself. Only IBM guaranteed a complete solution to business problems, and an IBM salesman was all too likely to remind a data processing manager that no one ever got fired by hiring from IBM. This was a patronizing attitude that came close to condescension, and often resulted in a love-hate relationship between IBM and its customers. 3.0 What was Sam Palmisano trying to achieve with his style of leading? While there are many factors that drive a leader’s success, style plays a key role in effectiveness. No matter what style a leader embodies, they all provide value to the organization. From the case studies, we found that there are several factors that have made IBM’s grown successfully year by year under Palmisano style of leading. 1-Major player in the Industry. Palmisano is leading IBM back to greatness. He chose to shift IBM from being a company that produced commodities to one focused on services to clients. He wants to purchase computing power directly from provider that manages and distributes it. The company will no longer own and house its own computing system. To make this become a reality, IBM plans to manage and distribute computing power which includes more open source tools and different kinds of ownership. 2-Business efficiency. During Palmisano time as a CEO, he introduces a very brave idea which is to outsource IBM computer technology operation to India. Making India the nerve centre for servicing local markets through its global delivery network, Palmisano found an enviable head start in one of the fastest growing emerging markets. IBM wants to shift its focus from pure technology to embrace outsourcing and other services as part of the business model. 3-Create more participation from employee. Palmisano created teams of people from all levels in the company and put them in charge of operations, strategy and technology. He also asked the top management team to join him in coming up with an idea that would be the major breakthrough that IBM made when it developed its new business model. One of Palmisano action was that he abolishes the bureaucratic corporate executive committees that decide every strategic initiative in the company. He stresses that effective communication to be utilized in his team to ensure that there is healthy team dynamics within and without the team. To do this he organizes training or ‘simulation exercises’ among team members divided into sub-groups to stimulate healthy rivalry and for the purpose of team-building. He also delegate tasks to breed trust among team members by elaborating the project objectives so that each team member will be aware of what to do to achieve team goals with little or no interference. 4-Develop talent. In spite of the grand scale of Palmisano’s strategy, he kept his staff small, preferring to do without the executive assistant that other CEOs had employed. He surprised many in his company when he disbanded the 12-member Executive Management Committee on January 23, 2003. The committee had been in existence for 92 years and had served as a filter for high-level planning, but was much too slow for the new century. Palmisano replaced the committee with a new system of three teams, one focusing on operations, the second on strategy, and the third on technology. Palmisano ensure participation of all team members in formulation of strategic plan, ploy, action and style for the team. Strategic plan is what will act as guide for the operation of the team. He has shown that an effective team is artificially built and not naturally born. Instead of filling each team with top-level executives, he drew members from all divisions of the company and all levels of employment. One immediate effect of this restructuring was to draw a new generation of young men and women into the heart of IBM’s operations. He had been careful to groom a generation of leaders to follow his time and to create and develop their talent. 5-Create creativity. Palmisano planned to create a single integrated system of computers, software, and other electronic devices that would allow anyone to purchase any part of IBM’s services and use it with any other part. IBM created open-source software that altered a company’s need for servers dedicated to only one task. For example, a server dedicated to computing accounts might become overloaded, causing delays of hours or even days. IBM’s new software was designed to recognize when a server had reached its capacity and automatically redirect the excess work to other servers with available space. A key part of this strategy was that if the servers at the client’s company had no excess space, the overflow workload would be sent to IBM’s own computers, which would recognize any program that accessed them and silently perform the client’s work. Palmisano hoped to take this service to the next level, which would allow IBM’s computers to check the client’s computers for flaws automatically and fix them before anyone could notice them. 6-Develop direct rapport with customer. Palmisano was very good at engaging customers, because he has a reputation for making customers feel involved. He has a good understanding of IBM’s software, services and hardware business enabling faster responsiveness, creating better customer experiences, speeding office or mobile interactions, and dramatically reducing existing communications barriers. Palmisano announced his intention to make IBM a computer services-on-demand company. IBM would function like a utility, charging its customers for the use of data-centered web sites. IBM would create software capable of fixing clients’ software problems automatically online. The clients would pay only for the amount of services they used, in the same way they presently paid for utilities bills. Palmisano mounted his own personal campaign to make sure it was a success. He toured software companies and met designers to persuade them to devise new applications that would give it a competitive edge. When he became head of global services back in the ’90s, he blocked off 70% of his calendar for customer meetings, and he still speaks to at least one customer every single day. 4.0 Was it necessary to depart from the established way of doing things at IBM? Yes, it necessary for Sam Palmisano to shift from the established way to a new leadership style. The reason is simply because IBM has already been part of his life, so he wants to make sure that the company will prosper in the long run. Although IBM was stable at that time, Sam Palmisano believes that the traditional way was not enough to drive the company into more challenging business ahead. Furthermore, most of the top management including him will not around in few years and new successor should be discovered. Before the new leadership era, all the decisions tended to be made at the top, communicated downward and then implemented by the followers. Most of the time employees did not get change to involve in the decision making. Their responsibilities were just to execute all the decision instructed although they think it was not the most appropriate one. It was all about â€Å"one man show†. Immediately after in-charge, he delegated some of the decision making responsibilities downward. Sam Palmisano created teams made up of people from all levels in the company and put them in charge of operations, strategy and technology. He believes this teams that will drive and determine the destiny of IBM. This new leadership style will benefit the company in few ways. First, the company can get more brilliant ideas from the employees that cannot be seen by top management. It is important to gather as much as perspective possible because it would assist easier and better decision making. Indirectly, it will enhance creativity of the staffs which should not come for only an individual. Second, employees will be more motivated since they feel that all of their ideas are important and they can decide their own destiny. So, there will be no more bureaucratic corporate executive committee that decided almost everything previously. Then, IBM also can develop more new talent in the company that will guide the direction of the company in future which the old leadership way hardly to offer. Sam Palmisano believes that the best way in scouting good talent was by giving them some room to make own decision. All the success and mistakes will make them better and mature. Sam Palmisano also decided to shift from a centralized system to a decentralized system. His idea is that a company will no longer own and house its own computing system. It should include more open-source tools and different kind of ownership. His leadership created an outsourcing story in many places especially India. By making India the nerve centre servicing local markets through its global delivery network, it achieved the biggest ever non-linear growth. 5.0 Was it necessary for him to reach to the bottom of IBM? Definitely yes, because Sam Palmisano wants each teams from all levels in the company to take part to bring IBM back to greatness. This strategy has given each of them to participate directly or indirectly to revolutionize Big Blue to be a great company. It is important for him to understand the function of each level. With this understanding he can drive those departments to certain level which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of each department. The advantages of this approach are to find a root cause of each problem. He can advise and manage his team how to overcome the problem very well so that they will able to manage it in the future. Sam Palmisano needs to delegate the responsibility to his top management. This style his top management will collaborate across organizational boundaries. He believes that more ideas would come out and shared rather than only top management decision if everyone participating. Sam Palmisano wants his subordinates to show their particip ant in decision making. He believes teams will be the engines of creativity. 6.0 Is this the case of a leader who is micro managing and interfering with operation? No, Sam Palmisano is not micro managing. Micro managing is â€Å"Closely observed or controls the work of an employee with less rooms for creativity, HRD, trust, responsibility and teamwork†. In this case, we can see that Sam Palmisano do questioned a lot deep into the organization. But his intention is to understand the situation better and not to decide on his own. He wants the top management involvement in contributing new idea in reshaping the IBM. It clearly shows that he need support and valued others opinion to make a better result in his decision making. It is a room of creativity in each decision he make to suit current situation. Once did says that â€Å"Two head is always better than one† For a classic example Orville and Wilbur Wright aka the Wright Brothers maybe cannot fly the first Flight in history if they did not joined their creative idea. Sam Palmisano also do rely in his executives to run IBM. He had abolish the Bureaucratic Corporate Executives Committee that held monthly meeting and overseas every strategic initiatives. It shows that Palmisano do want his executive to cooperate but not to details in making decision. Enough for them to understand the situation and control it. So it just make the decision more efficient and more fast at each level required. Palmisano had created a teams made up of people from all levels in the company and put them in charge in operations, strategy and technology. It shows that Palmisano really serious to make his subordinate to contribute their creativity and decision in each levels. He believes team will be the engine of creativity in IBM. This will definitely create efficiency and cut all the bureaucratic. It clearly exist from team work, responsibility, trust, human resource development and combined creativity. Palmisano strongly believes that creativity in large organization not coming from the celebrity CEO alone, it is from collaboration of team works. For instant the Toyota is strongly believes in their Toyota Production System (TPS) element, one of it is KAIZEN, a Continuous Improvement as our understanding. This Kaizen is happen in each level in Toyota. Where every each of their workers can contribute the continuous improvement in their process. Same goes to Palmisano where he try to create his team to go creative at each level in their own process and decision is more efficient without Bureaucratic Corporate Executives Committee interfere in their way. Another example GENBA in TPS is† Comedown to the location and understand the problem firsthand†. Genba encourage the management especially to understand the current situation at site or workplace. Not for them to jump to conclusion instead but for them to understand further about the situation or problem occur so that they can brainstorm to come out with brilliant idea. Same goes to Palmisano where he him selves go further in the organization to understand the situation first hand and then decide. Yet we never classify the Toyota Production System (TPS) as micro manage. So this strongly revealed that San Palmisano also is not micro managing IBM. 7.0 Conclusion Sam Palmisano had proved that he is an Effective Leaders where he successfully balances this three element of Mastery of Strategy, Ability to Execute Strategy and Develop Talent. With that element he had pulled back IBM back to greatness. With the clear vision Palmisano managed to turn IBM from a profit losing company to a middleware and enterprise software and solutions giant. He had turn the Autocratic way of leadership to Deligative type of leadership, where efficient is the key of success to the current demand market. There is no more Bureaucratic Executive committee involve in decision making. Thus he is not micromanaging his company but to understand it better and drive it back to success. For the past five years (2002-2011) Palmisano had become a great leader to IBM, he really shows high value (self-sacrifice) and high expectancy (self-confidence) in his organization. Before he retired he manages to portray a new vision â€Å"Smarter Planet† for IBM. He laid down what services and products would be needed; the company since then has built hundreds of reference customers around it. Despite of his greatness in portraying his vision to reality lie a true leader that manage to pull his downstream together to works towards the vision that they build together for the sake of IBM. He really shows a high structured and consideration in making IBM leading forward in their own field.

Children and the Effects of Television Essay

Television programs were created for children to learn everyday skills, but it can come to start affecting children today because they watch too much they start lacking in physical activity and some can become distant and violent. Studies have shown that children can become obese, violent and even dependent on television if watched too much television. Television can influence children in many different ways like becoming obese, become dependent on it too much; change school habits and even can become violent with watching different types of shows. It is time for parents to start standing up and take control over what and just how much their children watch television. It is said that children watch too much television even though some studies have proven that different types of children’s television shows tend to effect children in different ways also they learn new things faster. Shows like Blue’s Clues, Chuggington, Dinosaur Train, Mickey Mouse Club House, and Team Umizoomi are all filled with educational values that help children develop skills that they need. Blue’s Clues is a much liked show by children ages 2-4. According to â€Å"Common Sense Media† (2012), â€Å"In fact, Blue’s Clues does a very fine job of treating its young viewers as the multifaceted individuals that they are.† T his is very important to young children because it makes them feel as they are a part of something special when they watch shows like this. With these types of shows teach children how to have different types of important social skills, teamwork, science, alphabet, numbers, math problems and even have physical fitness in them which are some of the things that a child needs to know. With these types of show is just what children need to help them expand their brains. According to PEDÃÅ"K (2012) â€Å"Whichever program it may be, it has behavioral, mental and emotional effects.† (p.224).On the other hand more children are watching more television shows for an entertainment purpose which has no educational vales in them. Shows like Sponge Bob Square Pants, The Simpsons, Batman, and The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which consist of having violence, rudeness, and poor role models for children are the ones that are shaping our children in this day of age. It is up to the parent to make sure that their children are getting the correct balance of fun, education, and physical activity to help them grow. Studies have shown that cartoons have the most major impacts on children because in the cartoons to children it is something done every day and ok to act out likes the character on television. According to â€Å"Kids Health from Nemours† (1995-2012),† Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior† which has become an issue to many different children around the world today. Children are like little sponges soaking up everything they can because every little boy and girl wants to be like their favorite cartoon hero or character. How much time a child watches television is a major factor in children’s behavior and their physical health. Whenever parents allow their children to sit in front of the television and watch more than four hours a day then parents could be running a risk of their child to become more dependent on television to keep them entertained, and this can become very harmful to a child’s health, or to their mental state as well. It can be hard on a parent try to clean house, cook a meal, and even do school work with children becoming bored, and parents just do not have the time to spend with them and then so it seem to be a helpful tool to be able to help at the time for them to watch television. One of the things that you can do to make sure when the appropriate times and what is the appropriate show’s to watch according to â€Å"Kids Health from Nemours† (1995-2012),† Come up with a family TV schedule that you all agree upon each week. Then, post the schedule in a visible area (e.g., on the refrigerator) so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when. And make sure to turn off the TV when the â€Å"scheduled† program is over instead of channel surfing.† Instead of giving your children television time when they experience boredom some suggestion to them is to go outside and make believe that they are the characters in their favorite learning television show. Another thing is get them some flash cards with math, spelling or any type of learning cards. If you distract children from television with something better then you will have a child that cares less about the television and more about playing with their learning games. Common assumption say that violent television shows can mold a child to be either violent when they get older or they develop a fear of being hurt. Children take what they see and apply it to what they do, kind of like the saying â€Å"Monkey see monkey do† type of thing. According to Willson (2008) â€Å"Wilson also shows that children’s susceptibility to media influence can vary according to their gender, their age, how realistic they perceive the media to be, and how much they identify with characters and people on the screen.† † (p. 87) Children need positive role models in their life and someone to look up to in life and most children have their television characters. Parents can usually see the signs in a child just by the way they are when watching a certain television show, and the way that they act if they cannot see the television show is a sign that a parent needs to watch the television show to see what it is that is addicting about the show to their child to make them act out. There are many different types of signs to help parents know if the show that your child is watching is appropriate for them or if it is not appropriate for them. Some of the signs that parents want to look for is if they have trouble in school, with drawn away from friends and family just to name a few, and if you see these problems then as a parent should step in and try to pull the child/children away from the television shows that they watch. Some say that it cannot be done but studies have shown that if there is more quality time spent between parents and their child/children then they will more than likely not have the desire to watch television. Over the past 2 weeks I have been conducting my own personal study on how to keep your children from watching too much television and kept some notes on the effects it had on them. They are more a fan of watching different television shows and not wanting to even play with their toys. So one day I went to the store and bout some board games, activity books, coloring books, learning flash cards and even some reading books. What it is that I have found is that if I just took an hour of my time to interact with them to help get them started and interested in one of the activity’s that I have bought and got them started on one of them with me that I could leave them and do my school work, house work and even cook dinner and not one-time did I hear the words â€Å"I want to watch television Aunt Becca!† So if parents just make the time to take time out of your time just to get them interested is a tremendous outcome in the end. Obesity is one of the most dangerous side effects that are found in children that watch more television than get out and do physical activities. When children watch television after eating or while eating breakfast, snacks, lunches, and dinner are found that they don’t want to get up, stop watching television and go outside and play with friends or siblings. Now they are doing nothing to help burn off the calories that they are consuming then they run a risk at becoming obese and develop other health issues later in life. According to â€Å"How T.V. Effects Your Child† (1995-2012), â€Å"Studies have shown that decreasing the amount of TV kids watched led to less weight gain and lower body mass index (BMI — a measurement derived from someone’s weight and height)†. One of the things that can help children avoid becoming hungry while watching television is by trying to minimize the commercials, because commercials are filled with yummy foods and snacks that they like to eat. One of the things to help with that would be when there is a commercial on pull them away to do some sort of activity like, clean their room, fold cloths, or just by even having them come in and explain what it is that is going on in their television show. Monitoring what children watch on television is one of the best things that you can do to keep our children from becoming obese, violent, dependent on television, and less disruptive in school. In conclusion there are many different pros and cons of television and the effects that it has on children can go both ways, but it is up to the parents to make sure that their children get the physical activity, mental education and correct role models that they need to make sure that they live a more healthier and active life style. Because our children are the future of America and parents want to make sure that their future is going to be a bright and active life. Reference: PEDÃÅ"K, Dr. Åž. B. (2012, January). A STUDY ON CHARACTERISTISCS OF PARENTS’ TV VIEWING AND CHILDREN’S OPINIONS ON THE CARTOONS THEY WATCHED. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(1), 224-233. How T.V. Effects your child. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.nemours.org/content/nemours/wwwv2/patientfamily/khlibrary/articles/21720.html Willson, B. J. (2008, Spring). Media and Children’s Aggression, Fear, and Altruism. , 18(1), 87-118.