The Problems Of Evil And Suffering - 1307 Words

Module 5: Assignment 1: The Problems of Evil and Suffering Charles D. Hunt IV Argosy University, Orange California Evil and suffering is something that all human beings deal with one way or the other. That is why many people turn to religion to cope with the problems of this crazy world, and have faith that they are suffering because their faith is being tested to ensure that they are true believers of the faith and religion that there in. To fully understand evil and suffering here is the definition of both. Evil is the cause of human suffering, there are two types of evil. One is moral evil, which is the acts of humans which are considered to be morally wrong. The second type of evil is, natural evil, which are natural disasters†¦show more content†¦There are numerous Jewish reactions to the issue of detestable and enduring. The Tenakh shows that anguish can be a discipline for sins. Suffering has reason in Islam; it tests our confidence and remedies our unbelief. Suffering is either the difficult consequence of wrongdoing, or it is a test. In the last view, enduring tests conviction; a genuine Muslim will stay loyal through the trials of life. In any case, enduring likewise uncovers the concealed self to God. Enduring is incorporated with the texture of presence so God may see who is genuinely honorable The premise of Buddhism is a principle known as the Four Noble Truths. The First Truth is that all life is enduring, torment, and hopelessness. The Second Truth is that this misery is brought on by narrow minded longing for and individual craving. ... The Fourth Truth is that the best approach to defeat this wretchedness is through the Eightfold Path (Willett, 2015). In Christianity, enduring is an instrument God uses to stand out enough to be noticed and to fulfill His motivations in our lives. It is intended to build our trust in the Almighty, yet enduring requires the correct reaction in the event that it is to be fruitful in achieving God s motivations. Experiencing drives us to hand trust over our own particular assets to living by confidence in God s assets. The 5 religions point ofShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Evil As Suffering2444 Words   |  10 Pagesis the so-called ‘problem of evil’ a problem for anyone who believes in God? The problem of evil as suffering is a problem of what to do with the obstacle facing the believer and also this as a challenge to unbeliever for them to converge because they do not think it harmonising. Its contradict compatibility, an atheist often suggested that the present of evil entails the absence of God. Atheist argued that, if God exists, then he is an omnipotent, and able to prevent the evil occurrence. For omniscientRead MoreThe Problem Of Evil As Suffering2160 Words   |  9 PagesThe problem of evil as suffering is a problem of what to do with the obstacle for the believer but also an obstacle to unbeliever to converge because they do not think it harmonising. In contradiction to compatibility, an atheist often suggested that the present of evil entails the absence of God. Atheist ar gued, if God exists, then as an omnipotent, he is able to prevent the evil occurrence. For omniscient, it implies under any circumstances evil will occur if he does not act. Then, being perfectlyRead MoreThe Problem Of Evil And Moral Evil1093 Words   |  5 Pagesare made to explain the problem of evil and why it exists in our world when God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good. The subject of evil and why it exists is a difficult topic to find an exact answer to, especially when evil is presented in the form of nature. Natural evil and moral evil are two different types of evil that take form and cause suffering to humans. Natural evil is â€Å"events and maladies in nature that bring suffering upon mankind and nature.† Natural evil can be difficult to explainRead MoreEssay on The Problem of Evil1269 Words   |  6 PagesPhil 300 The Problem of Evil One of the most interesting questions in the world is, â€Å"If a God exists, why is there evil in the world?† Most people respond with, â€Å"If God created the universe and us, then there should not be evil in the world,† when asked about God or any other powerful being. The problem of evil is also believed to be the cause of Atheism, and I do believe that there is a solution for this. The problem of evil is not a correct argument. The arguments from evil state that ifRead MoreThe Problem of Evil Essay examples957 Words   |  4 PagesThe Problem of Evil A) For what reasons may suffering create philosophical problems for a religious believer? (10) B) Outline two solutions to these problems and comment on their success (10) A) The problem of suffering has been around since the dawn of time, or as religious philosophers believe; since Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden. The first problem that arises from evil is that we believe that the God of classical theism has certain attributesRead MoreThe Nature And Existence Of God1364 Words   |  6 Pagesexistence of suffering in the world provides a case against the existence of God as the problem of evil. It seems that the God of classical theism is incompatible with the reality of the world around us; could such an all-loving, all-powerful and all-knowing God exists in conjunction with instances of immense and seemingly pointless suffering? It does seem unlikely that such a God exists alongside evil. However, it is questionable whether this is a proof that God does not exist. The problem of evil whichRead MoreDoes God Or Evil Really Exist?1174 Words   |  5 PagesDoes God/ evil really exist? All of the living things have to be set by all of evils thing in the world: sickness, agony, happiness, suffering the live and death. God creates incredible things and leaves all of them for human to freely use as they want. However, the more they have the more temptation they get. That’s why there are a lot of questionable about a creator, God based on all of these kinds of events happened. Is this belief in a benevolent God not at least paradoxical in the face of suchRead MoreWould an All-good, All-powerful, All-knowing God Allow Evil to Exist?864 Words   |  4 Pagesthe discussion of the problem of evil in relation to the existence of god. Specifically outlining two sections where the problem of evil is discussed from atheist and theistic viewpoint. Statement: The problem of evil features an argument questioning the existence of god in relation to evil, attributing both atheistic and theistic replies. First reply to problem of evil: (atheist). If god was all good, all powerful and all knowing, he would not allow the existence of evil. 3.1 First reply toRead MoreProblem of Evil1614 Words   |  7 PagesThe Problem Of Evil There are many events throughout the world that occur, that we cannot explain. The evils that exist are moral and non-moral evils. The moral evils that exist are poverty, oppression, persecution, war and injustice. The non-moral evils that occur frequently but not usually on a daily basis are earthquakes, hurricanes, storms, flood, drought, and blight (philosophy. Lander.edu/intro/hick.stml). These evils happen with thousands of people dying daily for no reason. The problemRead MoreEssay on Guided Analysis: Suffering Worksheet591 Words   |  3 Pages2. Briefly summarize the problem of evil and suffering. Cite and reference Chapter 9 in the textbook. â€Å"Suffering can come in many forms, but, at some point, everyone will suffer deep pain or loss—it is an unavoidable fact of being human (Sharpe, 2014).† The main problem of evil and suffering is why would a good and just God allow so much evil and suffering in our world. If God loves us so much, why would he let bad things happen to good people? 3. Briefly summarize the Christian

Developing And Adopting The Curriculum - 1361 Words

Developing and Adopting the Curriculum The curriculum development process refers to the systematic organization of the contents teachers will teach student and how teachers should teach and evaluate the content. The development of teaching curriculum is the responsibility of the government, educators, and parents. Today, curriculum development presents the relevant stakeholder with strategic and policy challenges. In practice, a curriculum outlines method and resources needed for teaching and learning as well as the assessment of learners. Therefore, the curriculum plays a critical role in the learning process. The concept of curriculum development is an integral part of education and on which the teaching and learning processes are anchored thus the need to consider the resources for teachers and needs of students to enhance quality in educational outcomes. In a candid interview with Diane Lauer, the director of curriculum and instruction at Thompsons School District, she provided details on the history and demographics of the school district as well as the development and adoption of the curriculum. She studied at the University of Northern Colorado where she earned doctorate and master’s degrees in educational leadership and policy studies (D. Lauer, personal communication, November 1, 2014). Similarly, she studied Bachelor of Arts in Multicultural Education at the College of Santa Fe at Albuquerque. Finally, she earned a bachelor of arts in political science and speechShow MoreRelatedCurriculum Development Interview. This Paper Will Summarize1748 Words   |  7 PagesCurriculum Development Interview This paper will summarize the information gained by interviewing a Curriculum Specialist in a specific school district in eastern South Dakota. How curriculum is used and who determines how it is used will be the basis of the interview. Other aspects will include what the district’s process is when adopting curriculums and finally how the teachers are effectively using it. Included will be a reflection piece that will include the positive aspects of adopting andRead MoreInclusive Teaching for Acquired Brain Injury Students847 Words   |  3 Pagesin this video does not set the example for inclusive teaching, nor does she seem educated in management, particularly behaviour of an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) student. This report will detail arguments explaining teacher and student rights, why adopting an inclusive approach in the classroom is important, as well as teaching strategies that are inclusive to Doug’s needs after his accident. The Department of Education, Training and Employment refer to the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA)Read MoreReading Response Week 5 Post786 Words   |  4 PagesCultural (CHC) context. In doing so, the authors stress their concern in incorporating Western educational methodology in non-western nations by outlying the various consequences of the situation. The second article by Manhong Lai discusses the 2003 curriculum reform of education in Mainland China to improve the quality of senior secondary education. Similarly, Lai discusses how Mainland China decided to initiate reform for the purpose of moving from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach inRead MorePromoting A Culture Of Prevention Aim At Educating Youth Essay1241 Words   |  5 Pagesapproached that address domestic violence while urging community participation, primarily for high school seniors. Social workers and clinicians should intervene at the local level by developing courses that merged psycho-ed ucation, supported by innovative measures, and evidence based practices (EBP), into the curriculum of the district’s public high schools. A long term goal would be to change legislation, by advocating for a policy that requires all public high schools in the county to mandate aRead MoreInstructional Coach For The School Level At The Medford School District 549c Essay894 Words   |  4 Pagesacademically rigorous, (3) addresses the curriculum standards and frameworks, and (4) enhances student sense of engagement in and ownership of learning (Medford 2008). When deciding an interview candidate, I chose our instructional coach because of the intricate part they play in the development and implementation of the curriculum at the school level. During our interview, I posed several questions to cognize her viewpoint of the role of stakeholders in local curriculum development as well as its executionRead MoreOur School Vision States And Identifies What Type Of School We Hope1170 Words   |  5 Pagesstudent achievement. It was time to consider the sources of data that would highlight improving student achievement and teache r instructional practice. Previously, I believe as teachers we had delved into providing quick solutions to problems including adopting new programs to remedy problems rather than investigating the source of the problem and unpacking possible solutions, continually reflecting to support lasting change. â€Å"Research on teacher change has shown that previous assumptions about teachers’Read MoreCreating a Positive Learning Environment Essay1068 Words   |  5 Pageswill be of great benefit to the learning environment, students and professional learning. I believe that adopting individual education plans, students learning profiles and modifying the curriculum can reduce the concern that some researches express that students are still being segregated from the classroom environment due to their â€Å"special learning needs†. These concerns are reduced by developing practices and adaptions that promote inclusion. I also believe that it allows for continual monitoringRe ad MoreThe Importance Of A Justice System Intervention Essay1418 Words   |  6 Pagesapproached that address domestic violence while urging community participation, primarily for high school seniors. Social workers and clinicians should intervene at the local level by developing courses that merged psycho-education, supported by innovative measures, and evidence based practices (EBP), into the curriculum of the district’s public high schools. A long term goal would be to change legislation, by advocating for a policy that requires all public high schools in the county to mandate aRead MoreCutting The Common Core Standards885 Words   |  4 PagesCutting to the Common Core In the summer of 2010 the United States issued a new Common core curriculum for its youngest Americans, and since, forty-three states have implemented the new standards. According to the Common Core Standards Initiative, the principles are simply, â€Å"a set of clear college- and career-ready standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts/literacy and mathematics,† (â€Å"About the Standards†). Why would the American people want their children to be commonRead MoreCo Teaching : An Illustration Of The Complexity Of Collaboration1188 Words   |  5 Pagesother, have constant communication, and work together to solve problems and challenges. Can co-teaching be effective in students’ learning? Co-teaching has been adjusted throughout the years and it isn’t until now that many schools began heavily adopting the model in their classrooms. In the 1980’s, many schools accepted the principals of inclusive schooling. This meant that services for special education could be offered in general education classrooms and this began the revolution that is now known

Sex Education Should Be Taught In School Education Essay Free Essays

Sexual instruction – non a black and white thaumaturgy, it ‘s silly to wait for miracles from it ; nevertheless it is utile and effective.A The experience of states in which it has long existed, dissipates as the irrational frights as overdone expectations.A Expert analysis of the impact of school classs on sexual behaviour of schoolchildren shows that none of the bing plans is non contributing to speed uping the start of their sex lives, but those who have passed the class of sex instruction and are sexually active pupils – received less hazardous than their lupus erythematosus educated equals, and a plan which non merely called for teenagersA do non hotfoot to sexual introduction, but besides taught the regulations of safe sex, efficaciously those who promoted merely abstention. We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education Should Be Taught In School Education Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Oppositions of sex instruction plans are convinced that the proviso of information associating to the sexual domain, perverting teens initiate early sexual activity, increases the figure of teenage pregnancies.A However, today there is no conclusive grounds that it is presented.A Analyzing the experience of states where such plans have long been introduced, allows us to understand what steps have proven effectual in protecting the generative wellness of striplings, which, on the contrary – does non work, and which may do injury. The chief advantages of sex instruction are: Children and striplings, who have passed a systematic class in sex instruction, cognize more about gender, and their cognition is more dependable. This does non extinguish the jobs and troubles of psychosexual development, but besides facilitates the declaration of originating struggles. Knowledge facilitates the apprehension of and tolerance to others ‘ positions and behaviour, which is really valuable in both personal and social footings. If a class of sex instruction includes information about contraceptive method, and taught early plenty, it aggressively reduces the figure of adolescent gestations and abortions. About all modern school sex instruction plans, along with the sexual information, discourse a broad scope of moral and psychological jobs that are really of import for adolescents, as described in Sexual activity Education in Public Schools. In add-on to above mentioned consequences it dwelling the fact that it makes immature people more civilised and safe. I mean sex instruction besides has long-run historical consequence – people who received a kid good sex instruction non merely unrecorded better, but besides sharing their cognition and accomplishments among other kids, that reduces the tenseness between parents and kids and contributes to the overall addition in societal tolerance. Different states comparings have allowed identifying common factors lending to the successful execution of sexual education.A Among them: rapprochement of different political and spiritual positions, engagement in the execution of sex instruction a broad scope of societal motions. An of import function in sexual instruction plays mass-media.A It attitude to this job can be really different depending on the country.A In some states, chiefly in Scandinavia, the media are a beginning of support and information about sex.A In Denmark, the national wireless and telecasting broadcasters provide free air clip for plans of sex education.A In other states such as Britain, the inquiry of sex served with more sunglassess of esthesis that has a negative impact on sexual instruction for immature people, as described in The Fight Over Sex Education in Public Schools. To better the efficiency of an incorporate attack to arouse instruction plans were considered non in isolation from other issues and is an of import constituent of broader enterprises aimed to better the wellness and well-being of immature people. It is of import to detect the different attack, since many states have big populations of immigrants with their distinct from the host state ‘s cultural traditions. Sexual instruction should non be a impermanent run demands changeless work in this way, achieved over the period of its execution will non vouch success, farther advancement when the plan stopping points. Besides I would wish to observe that easy entree of young person to school or other educational chances is an of import facet of HIV prevention.A Higher instruction is non merely associated with safer sexual behaviour and subsequently oncoming of sexual activity – traveling to school gives pupils the chance to take part in school instruction plans on gender and HIV bar. In many states immature people have no entree to instruction on sex and wellness instruction in schools because parents and other governments fear that it will take to early sexual activity.A Nevertheless, there are obliging informations obtained from surveies around the universe and in different civilizations, which really suggests that sex instruction increases the degree of responsibility.A Educated immature people are normally delayed sexual intercourse or usage rubbers if they have sex, as stated in How to Bring An End to the War Over Sex Ed. However, statistics shows that information is non enough.A Young people besides need life accomplishments, such as the ability to do determinations, ability to pass on and negotiate.A They need to understand the construct of hazard behaviours such as unprotected sex, intoxicant and drug maltreatment, the possible effects of such behaviour and how to avoid them.A They besides need to cognize where to travel for services and assistance.A AIDS instruction should include all these facets. The most effectual attacks to education on sex and wellness instruction in schools, among other things include the usage of role-playing games to personalise issues and common instruction, where immature people learn how to circulate information and promote responsible behaviour among their friends and co-workers. Besides I would wish to depict state of affairs with instruction outside school. Young people that non go toing school, are a diverse group that includes those who stopped go toing school or college, kids whose households that can non afford to pay school fees or necessitate to assist kids in domestic work andA kids populating on the street. These immature people are frequently peculiarly vulnerable to HIV.A Feelings of unhappiness, disaffection, and sometimes hopelessness due to the fact that they do non take part in life with others, they can seek redemption and pleasance in drugs, intoxicant or sex. Supplying them with information and accomplishments necessary to protect them from HIV, poses a particular problem.A What they do non go to school or work, doing them hard to reach.A In add-on, they have different degrees of literacy. Experience shows that one of the most effectual schemes is to educate equal, which includes preparation of young person non go toing school how to go thr ough information to others. Those who spend educating equal, understand the lives and concerns of other immature people non go toing school, and, accordingly, high credibleness. Another effectual scheme involves the usage of such agencies of amusement, like street theatre, music and marionette shows, which attract people who can stress the job and pass their clip avoiding hazardous behaviour, as described in Facts on Sexual activity Education in the United States. Taking into consideration all mentioned above I want to do a decision with my ain words. Sexual instruction can be really effectual in cut downing the prevalence of hazardous behaviour ( I mean intoxicant, drugs ) and, furthermore, may take to delay of sexual introduction and fewer sexual spouses among immature people.A Comprehensive sex instruction instills accomplishments of equal duologue between striplings and between striplings and parents, and by and large contributes to a healthier life style. The inquiry of the expedience and necessity of sex instruction in schools is discussed a twelve old ages. No 1 argues that instruction can be good and bad it is non depend on sex instruction plan, it depends on instructor. One and the same course of study in mathematics, conducted by a gifted instructor, can do a mastermind from the pupil, but in the custodies of unintelligent instructor of all time recapture the involvement to larn from gifted pupil. I would wish to state it is non the affair of plan, plan can merely depict the scope of issues that instructor demands to show. Quality of learning this sensitive topic is really of import. In sentiment behaviour to Sexual instruction depends on media – which shape public sentiment on this issue. I am positive that none of enlightened parents will non come into his caput to pick up kid from school because they do non hold with Ohm ‘s jurisprudence, or Darwin ‘s evolutionary theory, which, by the way, is contrary to all spiritual canons, but why they do it merely because of such capable like sexual instruction? It is merely efforts to fault educational systems in all the jobs reflected to their kids. Today, when the chief information beginning is the Internet and about every household in United States has connected to it, parents have no longer possible to shut the house for the key to all ailments. All of this can non perchance understand â€Å" the title-holders of morality † for which sex instruction is a sex-educational plan for future cocottes. Thankss to technological advancement, everyone can happen an reply to his inquiry, but if kids have non yet asked the right inquiries, I am certainly ; the system of sex instruction will assist them screen things out. 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Analyze The Ethical Issues of ICT Sector †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Analyze The Ethical Issues of ICT Sector. Answer: Introduction The advancement of technology in the contemporary world has enhanced the sector of ICT (information and communications technology). It refers to the integrated telecommunication systems (wireless signals and telephone lines), middleware, enterprise software, computers, audio-visual systems and such devices and such. It emphasizes on the factor of unified communications. The ICT helps the individuals to store, transmit, access as well as manipulate information when and if required. Many corporate and government organizations acknowledges and uses the facility of ICT, leading to the development of the industry in the process. However, it should be stated that while working in the industry there are certain rules and regulations which the ICT professional or any other individual need to consider (Brotherton et al. 2016). These norms and laws are mentioned in the ACS code of ethics, for instance. ICT industry has improved the overall economic condition of several business companies or organizations. The organized and systematic methods enabled due to the ICT sector has made it easy to keep track records, access, review and transit crucial information (be it organizational, financial, personal information) and so on. Most of the processes are done with technical aids. Hence, it can be easily understood that the risk to manipulate and manhandle information and data is always present. Considering the point the essay strives to identify and analyze the ethical issues related to the sector of ICT and to understand the structure of the ICT which is legitimate and justified. Analysis of the situation using the Doing Ethics Technique The consulting business of Diana is successful and it has been three years since its establishment. At present Diana is working for a medium sized organization. She believes that transparency is important and therefore involved the important stakeholders of the company, the computing director, the director of personnel and the CEO. During the time of designing the management system of database, the stakeholders showed active participation. However, conflict arose during the time of decision making process regarding the level of security which would be installed (Francisco et al. 2017). Diana presented several security options to the client, however the cost of the systems as per the functions the systems provide. The better the degree of security system, the higher is the cost (Miguel, 2014). The client has decided that it is not necessary to install costly security system for the company. The client company possibly believes that Diana is trying to sell the costly security system to the company which is not necessary for the company. However, Diana thinks that it is not sufficient to install less security system as the information which the company is going to store will be sensitive. Information such as salaries, medical records, insurance claims, and overall performance evaluation records will be kept and managed with the help of the database. Considering and assessing the case scenario of Diana and her client, it can be said that each holds their respective perspectives (Meiring et al. 2016). Diana thinks that the company wills store its crucial and sensitive information about the company, the employees, and its customers within the particular database. Therefore, it is necessary for the company to take extra measures to strengthen the level of security system of the database. Diana puts stress on the necessity of security system; she is aware of the fact that anybody can get access and manipulate the company database. She knows that cyber crime can be a big risk for the company. Rather than losing valuable information, it is better to invest in costly security system to ensure the overall safety and certainty of the database (Mannay and Morgan, 2015). However, the client of the company is a medium sized organization, the company is trying to save money and avoid unnecessary cost and expense. The client thinks that it is insignificant to invest in for the security system of the database management. Moreover, the stakeholders think that they have the option of installing a dvanced security measures if required in future. For the present, the extra cost for the security system seems unnecessary at present. Diana also thinks about the other stakeholders related to the company. She is of the opinion that the lack of sufficient security of the database increases the chance of manipulation, falsification and manhandling of the information and data (Van and Swierstra, 2013). Due to this, the information regarding the customers and consumers associated with the company possess the chance of potential risks. Hackers can easy access to the company information. This can harm and affect the image and reputation of the company. However, the director of personnel and computing and the CEO think that the company database can be sufficed with less security system. Considering the scenario of the case, Dianas consultant business is successful. She has hired several people working for the consultant. The fact states that she has the knowledge and expertise regarding the work field that she has opted. While working for the medium sized organization concerning the designing and building the database management, she has involved the stakeholders of the client company, in the process (Mehta, 2016). This fact states that she maintains honesty and transparency between the working parties. During the time of the decision making, she suggested that it is necessary for the company to install good security system. She understands the importance of the information and its sensitiveness which is going to be kept in the database along with the potential risk of keeping the information in the wired database, but client is willing to put the security measure but because of the excessive cost of good security system, the client prefer to use less security syste m. The fact is, the client company wants to save its financial resource as much as feasible, and it is a medium sized company (Bell, 2014). The first and the foremost issue which can be clearly observed is that the differences have emerged between Diana and the client company. Diana is worried about the safety of the company, the ethical factor of the company in dealing with the sensitive issues. The client is of the opinion that it is futile to invest in expensive security system. Diana does not want to upset the company stakeholders but she thinks the decision of purchasing less security system seems needs consideration. The client company is confident that the database will be managed efficiently and with care (Coghlan and Brannick, 2014). Another point is Diana attempts to avoid the possible damage and risk that can arise for her business since she is responsible for conducting the database management of the client. Apart from Diana and her business, the client company can also be affected (it can be in internal and external). It is relevant to note that the employees, the customers associated with the company can al so get affected, it can be positive as well as negative in nature (Wynia et al. 2014). Concerning the industry of ICT, it is necessary to state that certain ethics should be considered. As an ICT professional, it is essential for Diana to be clear and give proper instruction and guidance about the safety and security needed for the company database management. She has maintained work transparency with the client stakeholders. Taking into account the content of the classical ethical theory, it can be said that Diana has valid point regarding her perspective about the need for extra security for the company database. This is important for the stakeholders to consider, considering the fact that the company wants to improve and develop its business and related prospects (Fortington et al. 2015). The client should have the trust one the consultant while the latter should take into account the opinion and interest of the former. Observing the case of Diana, it can be said that both the parties need to come to a conclusion. Diana can show the client with the help of practical action, the possible threats and loopholes of the company database management which the outsiders (and hackers) can find and have access to the sensitive information. Practical demonstration will be helpful to serve the purpose of explaining Dianas concern to the client. The client needs to be able to comprehend the significance of advanced security system. Effort should be given to clarify and justify the need for strong security software (Angelos, 2014). Diana can convince the client to experience free service of the best security software for a certain amount of time along with the low cost security system. The company can automatically observe the difference in functions of the two systems. However, as the consultant Diana needs to understand that money is an issue for the company. It is not much feasible for the company to have expensive security management system, considering the fact that the company is medium sized in nature. She needs to provide varied options of security systems, comparison can be made and the best security system within the budget price range of the company can be offered to the company (Pink, 2017). Careful assessment should be conducted about the features and shortcomings of the available options. Analysis of the situation from the point of view of an ICT professional using the ACS Code of Ethics The ACS (Australian Computer Society) code of ethics upholds certain ethical norms and regulations which every individual needs to follow and oblige. It is a known fact that in the contemporary time, most of the data and information are stored in the wired storage, online folder, and intranet and such. One of the major reasons is the convenience and organized method which the ICT provides. Many corporate and business organizations prefer the faculties offered by the ICT sector. An ICT professional possess the responsibility of handling and managing sensitive and important data with efficiency, considering the particular code of ethics of Australia, the ICT professional needs to have the knowledge and expertise regarding the concerned field (Patrignani and Whitehouse, 2014). The professional needs to show diligence and sincerity regarding his/her work and should strive to provide better service to the client. Honesty and transparency should be observed. Taking into account, the case s cenario of Diana, it can be said that she conforms to the norms and regulations, she is well aware of the ethics. Her successful consultant business, her effort to involve and cooperate with the stakeholders of the company throughout the process of designing the database shows her sincerity and transparency level with the client. She is concerned about the security of the company database of the client company as it has been observed that the company will be keeping information which is vital and sensitive like insurance claims, personal information and so on (Klimova et al. 2016). She wants better for her client and also for the other stakeholders associated with the particular client company. Therefore, it can be considered that Diana follows the ethics as an ICT professional. In terms of the priority section of the code of ethics, it is expected that Diana should be taking the initiative to interact with the client regarding any kind of potential conflicts. In case of conflict, the professional needs to take the effort to clarify the cause of conflict. It can be perceived that Diana has taken the initiative to make the client understand the need for strong security system (Weckert and Lucas, 2013). This is because she thinks that the company database is a storage which can be easily accessed by outsiders, third parties, along with the risk of hackers and malicious websites that can spread virus within the database. In case of such situation the client company possess the risk of getting negative impact from its potential customers and entities associated with the company. Along with the client company, Dianas business possesses the risk of facing negative impact from its other clients and stakeholders (Steen, 2015). Therefore, it is ethical for Diana to put stress on the need for good security system. From other perspective, taking into account the competence factor of the code of ethics, it can be said that in spite of the differences of both the parties, Diana needs to consider and give importance to the interest of the clients. It is understandable that the client company is an SME, finance is an issue. The company is trying to save its financial resource and therefore is unwilling to invest extra money for the security system (cs et al. 2016). The client stakeholders think for the time it is not necessary to have strong security software. They want to have the fundamental features and minimum mandatory security concerning the database. Looking at the case scenario, it can be said that the company has its reason (Yeh et al. 2014). Considering the rule of competence, Diana needs to consider and protect the wellbeing and interest of the client. The code of ethics states that a professional need s to act professionally under any circumstance. Likewise it can be said that Diana should be considerate about the interest of her client. She should maintain honesty and integrity; she needs to give several options to the client, weighing the benefits and flaws of the security systems and should install the system as per client preference. Diana is not happy with the decision, however in spite of the difference of opinion; she cannot impose her perspective over her clients, which will be unethical as well as unprofessional. Therefore, Diana should be ready to work with the option of the client (Warren et al. 2016). Apart from this, she does posses the scope of giving advises in future to the company and provide service if required. Conclusion Diana believes that it is necessary for the client company to take the security system that offers strong security measures irrespective of the cost. However, all the major stakeholders of the client company are not willing to spend on the particular software. It can be concluded that both the parties have their own perspective, their respective judgment regarding the company database management. Assessing and evaluating the case scenario situation, it can be said that a conflict has emerged due to the difference of opinion however the issue can be resolved with appropriate cooperation and understanding. As a consultant, it is the responsibility of Diana to provide good suggestions for the betterment of the client company. Throughout the designing process of the company database, she has involved the major company stakeholders. This point highlights the fact that the Diana is sincere and honest about her work. She obliges and conforms to the norms and regulations present in the ACS c ode of ethics. She tries to show the company that the reason for the earnest request to install good security service is that major company information and data will be stored in the database. With poor security, the company possesses the risk of getting attacked and threats from several third parties and entities, this can expose the company to the foreign parties. However, Diana needs to understand the limitations of the client company. There are some recommendations that can be utilized for the purpose. Attempt should be made from both the parties to understand the problems and issues of each other. Communication needs to be direct and proper. As an ICT professional, Diana needs to know the budget of the client company and according to the cost limitation; she can search for good security systems. There are many companies, especially new entrants willing to market their security software features. Diana can offer negotiation between the client company and the company offering security system can be made regarding the security service cost. References cs, P., Stocker, M., Fge, K., Par, D., Olh, A. and Kovcs, A., 2016. Economic and public health benefits: The result of increased regular physical activity.European Journal of Integrative Medicine,8, pp.8-12. Angelos, P., 2014. Surgical ethics and the challenge of surgical innovation.The American Journal of Surgery,208(6), pp.881-885. Bell, J., 2014.Doing Your Research Project: A guide for first-time researchers. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Brotherton, S., Kao, A. and Crigger, B.J., 2016. Professing the values of medicine: the modernized AMA Code of Medical Ethics.Jama,316(10), pp.1041-1042. Coghlan, D. and Brannick, T., 2014.Doing action research in your own organization. Sage. Fortington, L.V., Donaldson, A., Lathlean, T., Young, W.B., Gabbe, B.J., Lloyd, D. and Finch, C.F., 2015. When just doing itis not enough: assessing the fidelity of player performance of an injury prevention exercise program.Journal of science and medicine in sport,18(3), pp.272-277. Francisco, J.S., Hahn, U. and Schwarz, H., 2017. Scholarly Integrity.Angewandte Chemie International Edition,56(15), pp.4070-4071. Klimova, A., Rondeau, E., Andersson, K., Porras, J., Rybin, A. and Zaslavsky, A., 2016. An international Master's program in green ICT as a contribution to sustainable development.Journal of Cleaner Production,135, pp.223-239. Mannay, D. and Morgan, M., 2015. Doing ethnography or applying a qualitative technique? Reflections from the waiting field.Qualitative Research,15(2), pp.166-182. Mehta, L., 2016. Ethics tries handling inner conflicts scientifically/spiritually. Meiring, D., Schlebusch, S. and Lowman, R.L., 2016. A code of Ethics for Assessment Centre Pracfice. In36th Annual Assessment Centre Study Group of South Africa Conference, Somerset West, South Africa. Miguel, A., 2014.Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins: Revised and Expanded. Orbis Books. Patrignani, N. and Whitehouse, D., 2014, July. Slow Tech: the bridge between computer ethics and business ethics. InIFIP International Conference on Human Choice and Computers(pp. 92-106). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Pink, S., 2017. Technologies, Possibilities, Emergence and an Ethics of Responsibility: Refiguring Techniques. InRefiguring Techniques in Digital Visual Research(pp. 1-12). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. Steen, M., 2015. Upon opening the black box and finding it full: Exploring the ethics in design practices.Science, Technology, Human Values,40(3), pp.389-420. Van der Burg, S. and Swierstra, T. eds., 2013.Ethics on the laboratory floor. Springer. Warren, M., Warren, M., Lucas, R. and Lucas, R., 2016. Ethics and ICT: Why all the fuss?.Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society,14(2), pp.167-169. Weckert, J. and Lucas, R., 2013.Professionalism in the information and communication technology industry. ANU Press. Wynia, M.K., Kishore, S.P. and Belar, C.D., 2014. A unified code of ethics for health professionals: insights from an IOM workshop.Jama,311(8), pp.799-800. Yeh, H.Y., Huang, M.H. and Chen, D.Z., 2014. The Longitudinal Study of Highly-Impact-Technology Enterprises in the ICT Industry: A Social Network Perspective.Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM),22(4), pp.54-74.

Japanese Economy Essays - Public Finance, Fiscal Policy,

Japanese Economy How has Japan fared with it's economies booms and slumps? This investigation is based on stage 4 unit 1 of the Business and Economics A-level course, ?What happens in booms and slumps. The unit focuses how people and businesses are affected by booms and slumps, why they continuously appear and the governments role in helping to control these two events. The investigation will therefore focus on Japan and the way booms and slumps affect the Japanese businesses and people. To determine this the investigation will focus on Japanese economic growth, inflation, unemployment rates, trade and Government economic policies. It is true that in a boom there are large amounts of trade. High demand, high GDP, low unemployment and high inflation (more spending). In a slump the opposite is true. ?Recession - High Unemployment, low wages, low demand ?High Inflation - More spending, higher demand, higher prices, higher costs of production. ?Low Inflation - Less spending, low demand, low costs of production. ?Downward Multiplier Effect - This occurs when there is too much demand. Then when there is a slump a deficit occurs because of the surplus that might have occurred in the boom. It is difficult to begin to analyse the Japanese economy since the information about it is very mixed. On one hand we have the news that Japan is coming out of a recession and in the other that Japan is going into one. The information released by the government assures us that Japan is improving its economic stability, while the media and world banks tell the opposite story.The Bank Of Japan is looking to ease its monetary policy (control of interest rates to control bank lending) and to fight the deflation by creating inflation. While on the other side we are being told that the unemployment rate is easing from an unprecedented 5.0% to 4.5%. So which one is true. It is true that Japanese economy has improved, it has come out of it's recession but it still faces several problems that may keep it from expanding, these are: ?Consumer demand is still weak - Between the years 1989 and 1998 household savings have decreased from 7.6% to 7.1 per cent. This means people have started spending more but still in low quantities. ?Unemployment in Japan is at around 4.9%. - Although temporary workers and one day contract workers have increased full time employees have been laid off more. ?Corporations continue to restructure themselves. - The Japanese are adopting a more American industry. The relationship between workers and employers and the management is changing. This change is also a factor to the improvement of the economy. So what exactly pulled Japan out of its recession. One of the major factors is the low interest rate (montary policy) that encouraged people to save less and spend more thereby creating demand. By creating demand they initiated the circular flow of income. What this means is that households had more money which they spent on products and because there was demand once again the factories started producing, this led to the need for workers and the workers were paid wages which could then be spent. The other reason is major Government intervention, through fiscal policy. Although this large spending by the government to create aggregate demand to keep the economy alive worked, it has increased the countries national debt which has to be paid off and not only that but this active implementation of fiscal policy has created a fiscal deficit. So far the damage created by the fiscal deficit has been non-existent but because of the increased debt public spending may later become strained especially if interest rates increase and people stop spending money once again. Then where will the government get the money from. This fiscal policy can serve also as a mask over the economy because it is hard to estimate in how much trouble it really is if artificial demand is created. The government has spent $1 trillion US on their ?stimulus? budget and $500 billion to help sustain their banking system. Apart from the government intervention the recession has caused the Japanese to rethink their whole management structure. This now means instead of the rest of Europe trying to model themselves on Japan, Japan has started

House Calls - The Metaphors of Dr. Gregory House

House Calls - The Metaphors of Dr. Gregory House Before you can ask if theres a metaphor in the house, Dr. Gregory House will oblige: Have you guys heard any of my metaphors yet? Well come on, sit on grandpas lap as I tell you how infections are criminals; immune systems the police. Seriously, Grumpy, get up here: itll make us both happy.(Dr. Gregory House in the Mirror, Mirror episode of House, M.D.) Over the course of several years, the names of a dozen writers have appeared in the credits to the Fox TV program House, M.D. Each, it appears, owns a well-thumbed copy of the Merck Manual of Medical Information. And by now all must be collaborating on a new edition of the Dictionary of Metaphors. As regular viewers are aware, the shows deeply disturbed protagonist (played by Hugh Laurie) is inclined to deliver inflammatory eructations of festering figures of speech. Houses Medical Metaphors At times House relies on metaphors to translate complex medical conditions into language that his colleagues (and other true idiots) can understand. Cervical lymph node is a garbage dump. Very small onejust one truck comes, and it only comes from one home. Al Gore would be appalled. (97 Seconds)Saying there appears to be some clotting is like saying theres a traffic jam ahead. Is it a ten-car pile-up, or just a really slow bus in the center lane? And if it is a bus, is that bus thrombotic or embolic? I think I pushed the metaphor too far. (Euphoria, Part 1)Dr. House: You know, when the Inuit go fishing, they dont look for fish.Dr. Wilson: Why, Dr. House?Dr. House: They look for the blue heron, because theres no way to see the fish. But if theres fish, theres gonna be birds fishing. Now, if hes got hairy-cell, what else are we gonna see circling overhead? (Role Model)Dr. House: As far as youre concerned, the patient is Osama bin Laden, and everyone not in this room is Delta Force. Any questions?Applicant #11: Were protecting Osama bin Laden?Dr. House: Its a metaphor. Get used to it. (The Right Stuff)The tumor is Afghanistan, the c lot is Buffalo. Does that need more explanation? OK, the tumor is Al-Qaeda. We went in and wiped it out, but it had already sent out a splinter cella small team of low-level terrorists quietly living in some suburb of Buffalo, waiting to kill us all. . . . It was an excellent metaphor. Angio her brain for this clot before it straps on an explosive vest. (Autopsy) The liver is like a cruise ship taking in water. As it starts to sink, it sends out an SOS. Only instead of radio waves, it uses enzymes. The more enzymes in the blood, the worse the liver is. But once the ship has sunk, theres no more SOS. You think the livers fine, but its already at the bottom of the sea. (Locked In)Dr. Cameron: Idiopathic T-cell deficiency?Dr. House: Idiopathic, from the Latin meaning were idiots cause we cant figure out whats causing it. Give him a whole body scan.Dr. Cameron: You hate whole body scans.Dr. House: Cause theyre useless. Could probably scan every one of us and find five different doodads that look like cancer. But, when youre fourth down, 100 to go, in the snow, you dont call a running play up the middle. Unless youre the Jets.Dr. Cameron: I hate sports metaphors. (Role Model) But House is generally more intent on frightening than on edifying. As he once said: The point of metaphors is to scare people from doing things by telling them that something much scarier is going to happen than what will really happen. God, I wish I had a metaphor to explain that better. (All In) At other times the House metaphor is nothing more than a comic exercise in doctor-patient incivility. Once, after discovering that a young man had attempted self-circumcision with a utility knife, House snapped, Stop talking. Im going to get a plastic surgeon. To get the Twinkie back in the wrapper. House Metaphors About Life in General Of course, House himself is a walking, or rather limping metaphorhis crippled leg an emblem of his deformed spirit. And his acerbic metaphorical remarks may be read as symptoms of an undiagnosed malady. No, there is not a thin line between love and hate. There is, in fact, a Great Wall of China with armed sentries posted every twenty feet between love and hate. (Occams Razor)Dr. Wilson: Beauty often seduces us on the road to truth.Dr. House: And triteness kicks us in the nads. (Occams Razor)Lies are a tool: they can be used either for good orno, wait, Ive got a better one. Lies are like children: hard work, but theyre worth it because the future depends on them. (Its A Wonderful Lie)Dr. House: Nothing matters. Were all just cockroaches, wildebeests dying on the river bank. Nothing we do has any lasting meaning.Evan Greer: And you think Im miserable?Dr. House: If youre unhappy on the plane, jump out of it.Evan Greer: I want to, but I cant.Dr. House: Thats the problem with metaphors. They need interpretation. Jumping out of the plane is stupid.Evan Greer: But what if Im not in a plane? What if Im just in a place I dont want to be?Dr. House: Thats the other problem with metaphors. Yes, what if youre actually in an ice cream truck, and outside are candy and flowers and virgins? Youre on a plane! Were all on planes. Life is dangerous and complicated, and its a long way down. (Living the Dream) You know me. Hostility makes me shrink up like a . . .. I can’t think of a non-sexual metaphor. (Spin)You know its all nice when people start to dig these holes, but then they start to live in these holes and get angry when someone pushes dirt into those holes. Come out of your holes, people! (House vs. God)Dr. House: Im a night owl, Wilsons an early bird. Were different species.Dr. Cuddy: Then move him into his own cage.Dr. House: Wholl clean the droppings from mine? (Sleeping Dogs Lie) Every now and then, however, House finds himself on the wrong side of a metaphor, as in this exchange with a young patient: Dr. House: Are you going to base your whole life on who youre stuck in a room with?Eve the Patient: Im going to base this moment on who I am stuck in a room with! Its what life is. Its a series of rooms, and who we get stuck in those rooms with, adds up to what our lives are.(​ One Day, One Room) And how does House respond to the womans metaphor? As he must, by silentlyand literallywalking out of the room.

Cinematography in Apocalypto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cinematography in Apocalypto - Essay Example The cinematographer for the film Apocalypto (2006) was Richard Semler, born in Australia in 1943. Semler had worked with Mel Gibson before while filming Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981). His work covers a wide genre of films, from comedy to action thrillers like Dances with Wolves, Waterworld, Nutty Professor II and The Last Action Hero. Semler had won the Best Cinematography Award for Kevin Costner’s Dancing with Wolves (1991) and won again for Apocalypto (2006). The film is deeply indebted to his brilliant work on capturing images and visuals of a decadent and cruel civilization that is nearing its endpoint even as it entraps and enslaves the lower class to work as slaves. Since the whole of the film is recorded in the Mayan language to accentuate its authenticity, English speaking viewers are forced to rely on the subtitles or just watch intently as the entire visual experience unfolds before their eyes. In the opinion of many a viewer, it is a visceral visual experience that speaks volumes through its cinematography. Evidently, Semler was just the right choice for picturizing this film. He loves ‘vast stretches of barren land, dark thrillers, and musicals’ (http://www.theasc.com/magazine). We see the film and hear and feel it through the eyes of Jaguar Paw played by Richard Youngblood who is in the lead role. About shooting the digital film on a Panasonic Genesis, Semler says: â€Å"it was a big moment for me, realizing we could now do things we never thought we’d be able to do. This is a revolution in cinematography†Ã‚  (Benjamin, 2-3). In digital cinematography, motion pictures are captured digitally, much like digital photography. The cinematographer can then alter shading, color and even speed of movement using the technical software at which some degree of expertise is required. Semler did all this work in a tent set up near to the filming locations in Mexico.

Canadian Local Governments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Canadian Local Governments - Essay Example This paper seeks to analyze the operation of local governments in Canada and try to answer the question of whether they should have recognition in the Constitution as a distinct level of government with guaranteed functions and sources of funds based on various schools of thought advanced by different scholars. Canadian local governments Canada as a country has different distinct levels of government that include the federal government, provincial governments, territorial governments, and local governments1. The federal government is the central governing organ, popularly known as the government of Canada, and works hand in hand with the territorial governments. It performs the roles of a state with such institutions as the prime minister’s seat, considered the country’s top leadership organ, and the legislature both of which are responsible such issues as national security, foreign relations, citizenship matters and law. The provincial level has a similar structure to the federal government with its own independent jurisdiction entrenched in the country’s constitution. It includes provision of health services, education, transport and the associated infrastructure, civil and property rights. The last level is the local government, which is generically responsible for policy matters that directly relate to the local grass root communities, whether in the rural or urban areas2. Just like the other upper levels of government, it has its own leadership structures comprising of commissions, boards, agencies, and political institutions with leaders like mayors, directors, and councillors. The local governments have varying roles depending on the province and the characteristics of the region under which they fall. For example, their role in a rural area is naturally different from those of an urban centre. However, their functions generally revolve around similar responsibilities. To begin with, they offer security to individuals and their prope rties including policing, emergency response, fire fighting, management of local transport that includes construction of local roads and their maintenance. They are also responsible for development planning, which entails zoning and provision of public utilities like electricity, sewerage services, water, and their maintenance. Other crucial roles of the Canadian local governments include provision of social welfare services like health, education, places of recreation and culture services at the local levels. Local government administrative structures Canadian constitution gives recognition to the independence of the federal and provincial governments, conferring to them the power and policy authority that require their approval for any changes. This is direct opposite to the local governments, which are organs of the provincial government, obtaining their power from municipal Acts formulated by the provincial parliament. This implies that they are under complete control of the pro vincial government, which has all the rights to change their jurisdiction without seeking their consent. This has seen major changes in the local structures, including abolishment and amalgamation of municipalities, as well as creation of new ones without their involvement3. Financial structures, powers, leadership selection criteria, and duties of local governments are also subject to decisions made at the provincial level. Provinces Influence their day-to-day operations significantly since the by-laws within which they

EMPLOYMENT LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

EMPLOYMENT LAW - Essay Example If the employee is under a contractual agreement with his employers, he/she is bound by the terms and conditions of the contract, and barring unforeseen circumstances which renders the performance of any terms, untenable or unenforceable; he/she has to strictly abide by such covenants. However in the case of agency workers, the contract would be one that is entered between the agency and the employee and this would form the locus of the employment. It is first of necessary to define what an employment agency business is about. It could be said to be a business of â€Å"providing services (whether by the provisions of information or otherwise) for the purpose of finding workers employment with employers or if supplying employers with workers for employment by them† (Employment agencies. 2006). of existing law but there are some agencies that indulge in malpractices that may bring the entire agency business into disrepute. Thus it is specifically to deal with issues that bring about a bad reputation to the business of employment agency that it has become necessary to enforce legal strictures. Prohibited  from charging fees from potential work seekers. This is because the law does not wish to make a commercial transaction of just employment seeking, and not work performed for gainful employment. The nine aspects under the Equal Status Laws in which discrimination is termed as illegal are: On the grounds of gender , marital status- whether married or unmarried, family status, sexual preferences, religion professed, age, race, color, nationality, ethnic or national origins, presence of disability, membership of traveler community (What is the Employment Equality Act? 1998). In a leading case law of James v. Greenwich London Borough Council, the claimant was employed in the Council’s services until 1997. She ceases work and subsequently began work again in September 2001 after moving

Disney And The French Media Essay

Disney And The French Media Essay Disneys first theme park, called Disneyland, is located in Anaheim, California and opened in 1955. Its Floridian counterpart DisneyWorld, located in Orlando, opened in 1971. The success of these parks and the success of Tokyo Disneyland which opened in 1983 motivated the company to expand further in order to achieve optimal market domination. The fourth theme park was to be built in Europe. Spain was long in the running as future site, but eventually France was chosen in 1987. The theme park was to be built in the French town Marne-La-Vallà ©e, a town located 32 kilometers outside of Paris. The centrality of this location was deemed perfect, and it was easily accessible by plane, train and car. In addition, the French government also facilitated the decision making process by guaranteeing financial incentives and by extending its transportation network to include the park. These promises perfectly compensated for the northern French climate that initially troubled the Disney planner s. After the official implementation of the partnership between Disney and the French government, the Disney theme park was built on 4,700 acres of farm land. Euro Disney, as it was called in 1992, was the biggest amusement park and resort in Europe upon completion. Nevertheless, its opening on April 12, 1992 was not as successful as its grand scale suggested it would be. The coming months further exemplified this as attendance levels, souvenir and food sales, as well as Disney hotels occupancy rates remained painfully low. Euro Disney was labeled by the entertainment industry as being an ideal case study on how not to open a theme park. Many French critics echoed this argument. Euro Disney was called a cultural Chernobyl, and seen as culturally insensitive to European guests. Overall, antagonism towards American popular culture was widespread among French intellectuals. They were supported by a prevalent nationalistic sentiment that promoted French culture in order to protect it from t he supposed global hegemony of American culture. This anti-American context was the main problem that troubled Disneys search for acceptance. The park went nearly bankrupt in 1994 which forced Disney to reevaluate its strategies to counter the French anti-American mindset. In other words, the company soon realized that it was too focused on American culture instead of European culture, thus the company started to make essential modifications to cater to the local European context. Adaptations based on cultural differences were made on services, attractions, products and practices which eventually reestablished the Disney formulas appeal. The analysis of these adaptations and the context of the problems that predated them is the framework of this paper. Findings based on this analysis support this papers thesis statement: cultural hybridization spelled the success of Disneyland Paris. The first part of the research question that is related to this statement is: to what extent did French and other European responses to the park affect Disneys strategies? These responses are put into context by addressing the acceptance of American popular culture abroad. American popular culture was not easily accepted in France due to a long history of Anti-Americanism and this severely affected Disneys chances of success. This notion provides the foundation for the second part of the research question, namely in how far is cultural resistance towards the Disney theme parks automatic?. The latter of this research question is researched briefly by comparing Disneyland Paris reception to the reception of the Disney theme parks in Asia. The reception of Tokyo Disneyland was overwhelmingly positive as mentioned earlier, mainly because the Japanese preferred an exact copy of the American model. The reception of Hong Kong Disneyland was also very positive, mostly because of the adaptati ons Disney made to local tastes and because of its extensive marketing campaigns . All in all, this comparison further proves that the cultural resistance towards the Disney theme parks depends on the larger cultural attitude towards American popular culture. Studies including Disneyland Paris are often connected to debates regarding global American influence. However, most of these debates focus solely on the economic aspect of the venture as is exemplified by the large number of economic journals that discuss Disneys global expansion. Those journals talk of profits and marketing schemes, but they often neglect to take into account a cultural approach. In recent years, scholars have started to do in-depth research on the role that Disney plays in the development of culture, thus putting economics on the sideline. The book The Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney and the American Way of Life by Steven Watts is one of the first books which gives a detailed account of the huge role the Disney company plays within American society. Watts discusses topics ranging from Disney and American values to Disney and American identity construction, ultimately drawing the conclusion that Disney is a major architect of modern American culture. This premise is fre quently used as a foundation for studies dealing with the European Disney park, because Disneys Americanness is seen by some scholars as an obstacle for its reception in Europe. Especially French scholars prefer this standpoint as most of them view Disneys expansion as merely being part of Americas cultural imperialism. This standpoint is taken into account in the current academic debate on the European park, but it plays a limited role in discussions. Recent publications on Disneyland Paris focus on the idea that the park has a high entertainment factor, thus it is not solely seen as an entity which spreads American culture or philosophy. Andrew Lainsburys Once Upon an American Dream: the Story of Euro Disneyland is an excellent example of a book that discusses Disneys professionalism in the entertainment industry rather than its possible ties to cultural imperialism. Other publications such as Kathy Merlock Jacksons Disneyland and Culture: Essays on the Parks and their Influence t ie in with Lainsburys thesis as they put emphasis on the fact that Walt Disney invented the American theme park, consequently uniting professional entertainment with culture. The two sides of this academic debate are combined in cultural studies that take into account Europeans ability to pick and choose from American culture. As a result, drawing the conclusion that Europeans do not passively absorb everything that American culture has to offer. This paper will follow this line of thought by including theories put forward by scholars Rob Kroes, Richard Kuisel, and Richard Pells, who all acknowledge Europeans skill to adapt American cultural products to fit into local contexts. To conclude, doing this kind of research on Disneyland Paris is relevant within the American Studies discipline as it provides an interpretation of an American company in multicultural Europe. Moreover, it also illustrates that there are constant tensions between local adaptation and global standardization. Disney and the French: a difficult relation Disneys model for theme parks might be new for the French, but they were already accustomed to theme parks in general. Seventy parks could be visited in France before the opening of Euro Disney. However, not all of them were making profit. Zygofolies Park near Nice had to close down and Mirapolis Park and Smurfs Park had to make huge budget reductions in order to stay afloat. The general idea was that the French were not that interested in theme parks or that the parks were not extraordinary enough to impress French guests. Nevertheless, Parc Asterix which opened in 1989 is still open today and it is considered to be the most successful competitor of the Disney park. Many ascribe the parks success to its detailed theming, exciting attractions and its link to French nationalism. Asterix and Obelix are after all French icons. Still, some scholars believe that the existence of Parc Asterix could not have prepared the French for the arrival of a European Disney park as Christian Renaut e xplains in his article Disneyland Paris: A Clash of Cultures He states that few French people had actually traveled to the American parks in California and Florida, hence the majority of French were uninformed about the Disney theme park formula. Disney spokesman Nicolas de Schonen elaborated on this in the Kansas City Star in 1991: misunderstandings have arisen with the union because people in Europe do not understand what an American-style resort is . Renaut certainly has a valid argument, however one should not forget Disneys marketing expertise. The two American parks had been marketed extensively in France with the help of Disney films, television shows and comics, whereby the comic series Le Journal Mickey played a crucial role. This successful comic series was established as early as 1934 and it portrays all the Disney characters from Mickey Mouse to Daisy Duck, yet it has a very French feel to it. In other words, the characters are foreign, but they are put into a French context. This of course influences the Mickey character itself as he is often shown having more brains than its American counterpart, which might suggest why the French find the American Mickey less interesting. Moreover, the first commercials promoting the park were too American in style, something that put off many parents. In a teaser commercial from 1992, the parks bigness and extravagance was stressed with the help of bombastic music, fast Hollywood-sty le cuts and a voice-over telling the following: a new world of holiday dreamsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦come and discover the magicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Euro Disney Paris, the most spectacular holiday in Europe!. Clearly this was not a commercial that was adapted to European tastes, and its efficiency remains doubtful as these kinds of American oriented commercials could not erase the image that most French had of the Disney park, namely a piece of land filled with merry-go-rounds, and one or two Mickeys walking around to take pictures with. Surely not something which would spur many return visits. As for French intellectuals, they felt that they knew more about the Disney parks and the kinds of ideologies that they promote, consequently drawing the conclusion that the European park was part of a grand scheme promoting Americas supremacy over Europe. French editor Jean Cau called it a horror made of cardboards, plastic and appalling colors, a construction of hardened chewing gum. Others called it the invasion of American culture and the symbol of the loss of European culture. Thus, the idea of a Disney park in Europe soon developed into a threat on European culture, more specifically French culture. Numerous intellectuals, journalists and politicians started to express their disagreement, sometimes transforming it into pure loathing. The backdrop to all of this turmoil is of course the relationship between the United States and France. From the moment that the Marquis de La Fayette set foot on American soil the relationship has been one of the love/hate category. Frustrated pol iticians and French-oriented journalists continue to emphasize this special relation. A recent event dealing with this is the 2003 Iraq war and the disagreement that the United States and France had over their involvement. As the conflict heated up, the American press urged the American public to boycott French products, ultimately relabeling French fries to Freedom Fries. However, the past of the relationship also shows the strength of it, as the French population owes much to the Americans, especially with regards to the post-World War II reconstruction period. I.e. the Marshall Plan was essential for France to get back up on its feet after it had been severely hurt by the German occupation. Furthermore, this plan aided the spread of American cultural products in France. Taking the love and hate aspects of the relationship into account it is quickly concluded that the French pay much attention to their identity. The French identity is one which is strongly defended, as throughout the years French generations have created categories such as the French, Frenchness, and the French way of life. Richard Kuisel elaborates on this Frenchness in much detail in his book Seducing the French: The Dilemma of Americanization since it greatly affects how the French viewed the Americans in the 1990s. They believed that their Frenchness was at risk due to the emerging power, prosperity and prestige of America, hence they were initially very critical of the country. Moreover, Christian Renaut makes clear that the French-American relation also has much to do with pride and jealousy. He explains how on the one hand, the French continue to find it difficult to accept that Americas multiculturalism resulting from cultural invasion does not seem to have an impact on Ameri cas economy. On the other hand, the Americans envy France for its artistic and cultural legacies, and how those legacies remain attractive despite Frances limited attempts to hide its arrogance about them. Taking Renauts arguments into account, it is not difficult to understand that when the Disney company decided to open a theme park in the country of Claude Monet, Victor Hugo and Voltaire with Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Dopey, many would not welcome them with open arms. In addition, the fact that the development of Euro Disney took place in the 1980s also hurt the companys chances of success in France. Its American theme parks were successful as well as its Japanese counterpart, yet Disneys animation studio was doing very poorly. The fact that its animation studio has to run successfully is crucial for Disneys reception around the world as the films spread the Disney message. After all, bad films create negative reviews for the Disney company. Both The Black Cauldron (1985) and Oliver and Company (1988) failed in France, as was the case in the rest of the world, hence those movies cannot be seen as good promotion material for a theme park. Later successes of The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991) had little effect on French critics view on Disney films. The idea that Disney harmed original European fairytales remained too popular in those circles. Very quickly, Ariane Mnouchkine, a successful French theatre director, labeled the E uro Disney park a cultural Chernobyl. This phrase would be recycled dozens of times by French intellectuals criticizing Disneys European venture. One of the most vocal critics was French Culture and Education Minister Jack Lang. At a Mexican UNESCO conference in 1981, Lang attacked certain great nations which have no other morality than that of profit, and seek to impose a uniform culture on the whole world. He called this intellectual and financial imperialism. Later on he labeled Euro Disney as being an enclave of American leisure industry in France. Still, he did not object to Disneys investment in the French economy and the many jobs it would create. This is confirmed by an article published in Panorama in 1992: After criticizing the American culture and denouncing its wild imperialism until 1981, the left wing government had but to negotiate with Disney to fight against unemployment and carry on with the development of the Ile-de-France region. Fortunately for Disney, not all intellectuals would take part in harshly criticizing the arrival of the park. Joffre Dumazedier, a sociologist, stated in Le Journal du Dimanche in 1991: at the time of Louis XIV, Europe spoke French. Then England fascinated the 19th century. Today it is up to the Americans, then it will be the Japanese. It is a stupid scare. Who cares Disney is American as long as it is well made. Basically the key to the project in France had to do with money issues and job opportunities. No government would turn down Disneys offer, as it had the potential to make a lot of money. In 1995, Right-wing President Jacques Chirac followed up Francois Mitterand. Chirac had a pro-Disneyland mindset as it fit with the right-wing tradition of admiring a sense of enterprise, whatever the cost, in addition to following the American model. Michael Eisner, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, confirms this in his autobiography Chirac would prove more sympathetic to our project, but his arrival meant dealing with an entirely new group of officials. Overall, the reality of the presence of a Disney theme park near Paris started a wave of criticism, especially from left-wingers. Disney tried to counter this criticism by continuously repeating that a majority of Disney films were based on European fairytales, hence they reasoned that they were paying homage to those classic tales from France, Germany and Denmark. In addition, Disney promoted the strong link France had with the company, since it had been present in the country for many years, covering various generations. Disney even went as far as showing that Walt Disney himself had drawn inspiration from Tivoli Gardens of Copenhagen in Denmark for the construction of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Thus, uncovering Disneys European roots. These actions were successful to some extent, but they were not able to stop the negative views towards the park entirely. To conclude, Disney took into account these initial responses to the park and especially the Imagineering department acted upon French criticism. They designed the looks and feels of the park and tried to incorporate some aspects of European culture. Thus, the Imagineers attempts should be given some credit as they can be considered to be the first who acknowledged Disneys new European context. This raises the question, in how far were the Imagineers successful in creating a European style Disney park? Grand American designs with European details The parks architecture is an aspect which is very hard to criticize. The Imagineers knew that they had to design a park which was located in the very land of medieval castles and chateaus. Experience that they had gained from the construction of the American parks and Tokyo park was used to the fullest. One can therefore easily draw the conclusion that the European park is the most beautiful of them all. Popular American attractions such as Splash Mountain, New Orleans Square and Country Bear Jamboree are not included in the park, but this has no effect on its attractiveness. A key aspect of the European park is its landscaping. All themed areas have their own detailed gardens which brings a visitor immediately to the lands portrayed. For example, Fantasyland is filled with French garden architecture. This type of gardening has a mythical and magical feel to it that perfectly connects to the fairytales theme of Fantasyland. However, one has to remain critical when it comes to Disneys architectural adaptations that were made to fit the European context. Mostly because one has to look very closely in order to discover European traits. Victorian America is still represented in Main Street. Adventureland is not a place to pay attention to Europe as it is focused on Caribbean exotism. Best exemplified by the popular attraction Pirates of the Caribbean. Frontier land covers the heroic conquest of the West, also not a topic were Europeaness could be easily inserted. Fantasyland is the best area in the park when it comes to adapting to Europeans contexts, but Disney has not succeeded in reaching its full potential. The lands carrousel is called Lancelots Carrousel, but the Knights of the Round Table are never referred to. The same applies for attractions such as Peter Pans flight and the Mad Hatters Tea Cups. Literature refers to Alices Garden labyrinth as the key example of European adaptation by the Disney company, but it is based on Disneys version of the story and not Lewis Carolls. Thus, absolutely nothing has been done to add an extra European layer to the attractions. The only land where one finds some hints of E uropeanness of the park is Discovery Land. The Imagineers originally wanted to copy the American version of Tomorrowland with its emphasis on American technology and space adventure. But even the Imagineers agreed that this would be unsuitable for a park located in Europe. Thus, they constructed a land based on Jules Verne and gave it a nineteenth-century look. They included the Nautilus, a movie theatre showing documentaries on Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, created a Jules Verne inspired balloon for the faà §ade of Videopolis, and developed Space Mountain, a rollercoaster ride themed in Jules Verne style and following a Jules Vernes type of story. The remaining attractions in the land, Star Tours, and Michael Jacksons Captain EO completely lack any links with Europe, because they are exact copies of the American versions. Exiting the resort will also not bring guests into European atmospheres as both the Disney village as the hotels are American oriented. The Villages Planet Hollywo od, and its Buffalo Bill Wild West Show extravaganza are proof of this, as well as the themes of the hotels which can be drawn from their names: Newport Bay Club, Cheyenne Hotel, Santa Fe hotel, New York Hotel, Davy Crockett Ranch and Sequoia Lodge. As for the castle, the Sleeping Beauty Castle is not an exact copy of the castles in the other parks, yet is it also not typically European. It is absolutely stunning, but it is not more European than its counter parts, since it remains a creation based on fantasy. The idea that it is based on the German Neuschwanstein castle is a poor attempt by Disney to give the castle a European background. However, there is one aspect of the Sleeping Beauty Castle which is very European oriented, and that is the fact that it has a second floor. In the first year of the park, the imagineers came aware of the different reactions Europeans and Americans have towards the Disney castle. Both Europeans and Americans were impressed by its outer design, but Europeans were also interested in its interior design. This is exemplified by the fact that many European visitors ran to the castles stairs to see what was located on the upper levels. The Imagineers were never aware of the notion that castle interi ors were also important, mostly because the American Disney castles are only decorated on the ground level. After all, castles are not part of the local scenery in America, so why would American visitors be interested in lavish interiors? Intrigued by European visitors reactions, the imagineers designed La Galerie de la Belle au Bois-Dormant located on the mezzanine level of the castle. This is a walk-trough attraction depicting the story of Sleeping Beauty by means of stained-glass windows, tapestries and illuminated story-books. The attraction ends on the balcony of the castle so that guests have the opportunity to view Fantasy Land from above which hopefully results in feeling like a prince or princess. Despite this European oriented addition to the castle, Disneys architecture in France remains very American in nature. However, other aspects of the park have been Europeanized based on European feedback or at least that is what the Disney company promotes to its guests. These Europeanized aspects will be discussed later on, but first one has to establish the differences between European and American behaviors towards and within Disney parks in order to fully understand the adaptations that were made by the Disney company. Thus, to what extent does European behavior in Disney parks differ from American behavior? American culture vs. European culture in the Disney park The park struggled economically in the early years of its existence. Mostly, because Disney forgot to realize that the American visitor is not the same as the European visitor. First of all, the European visitor will not spend his or her money in the same way, most often it is not even spend at all. Secondly, the European visitor does not have a close connection with American Disney culture. For most American families it is normal to be raised with the Mickey Mouse Club, Disney songs and television shows. This is not the case in France and the rest of Europe, because animation celebrities extent beyond Mickey and Minnie. The French have Asterix, and Obelix, whereby jokes from the these comic books have become staples in the French language. The Belgians have Spike and Suzy (Suske and Wiske in Dutch). The Dutch have Oliver B. Bumble and Tom Puss (Olivier B. Bommel and Tom Poes in Dutch) to name a few European comic celebrities. Mickey and company cannot therefore be considered to be t he most important characters in European upbringing. This suggests that Europeans are more reserved when it comes to the popular notion of a Disney park being a must-see attraction. Thirdly, European people, especially from France, Holland, Germany and Scandinavia, remain very reserved when it comes to showing excitement towards Disney characters. The American parks are traditionally filled with parents dressed up in Disney merchandise, trying to channel their inner child. The European mindset simply does not comply with this. Many researchers have tried to find reasons for this, yet no consensus among conclusions has been reached, although some researchers connect Europes reserved mindset to its old cultural heritage. The same cultural differences can be seen in visitors reactions to parades and shows. American entertainment is accompanied by much applause and audience participation, while Europeans often prefer distance between performer and audience. This is of course not the cas e for people from the south regions of Europe, as their social codes support close contact, yet their visitor numbers are lower than the ones from the north regions of Europe, hence their presence has little effect on the general European reaction. All of these cultural differences cannot be changed by the Disney company, as they are so deeply rooted within Europe, yet the Disney company was able and willing to change some aspects of the Disney formula to fit European tastes. It must be noted, however, that these changes were mostly motivated by financial loses. By 1993, the park was on the verge of bankruptcy and essential modifications had to be made in order to keep the park from closing down. Thus, in how far was the Disney company successful in changing traits of its formula to European tastes? And have these changes affected the parks appeal for European visitors?. Adaptations that will be the discussed are found in food offerings, merchandise and employee policies in order to examine the parks cultural hybridity. Disneys attempts to adapt to local tastes Food The European park originally copied its food offerings to the ones on offer in the American parks, however, the company soon discovered that European eating habits had to be taken into account, more specifically European meal times. French travel editor Pierre Alamou commented on this by stating: Unlike grazing Americans, all Europeans eat lunch at the same time,with the exception of Spanish and Italians, fortunately. Before the parks opening the Disney company had already catered to Europeans preference for table-service restaurants. Main Street is the home to Walts, a restaurant specialized in American cuisine and decorated to the life of Walt Disney. Located in Fantasyland is Auberge de Cendrillon, a restaurant themed to the Cinderella story. The restaurant is famous for its French cuisine and for its focus on French culture. However, its French culture is seen through Disneys eyes as it is portrayed as the culture of lavish royal banquets and dances. The Blue Lagoon Restaurant in Adventureland specializes in seafood and offers a perfect setting for quiet elaborate meals. Overall, the table service restaurants serve to European tastes, yet their popularity is frequently challenged by high menu prices. This was the topic of many newspaper headlines in the early 1990s, for example Europe chokes on Euro Disney! Food and drinks very expensive! and Pricey day out! Feedback like this motivated Disney to quickly begin to focus on counter-service restaurants which offer quick and relatively cheap meals. Examples of such restaurants are Captain Hooks Galley and Caseys Corner. The existence of one counter-service restaurant in particular is interesting, namely Toad Hall Restaurant. This restaurant is built in the English manor style and its interior refers to the adventures of Mr. Toad. These adventures probably do not immediately ring a bell with European customers as their popularity is mostly found in America. Despite the fact that it is based on a story that is popular in America, the restaurant offers English food, as in fish and chips. This shows how Disney planners welcomed international cuisine to cater to European tastes. In addition, croissants, croquet monsieurs and Italian pizza are also offered in the park. As a result, international cuisine and American-style food are both equally featured in the park, although typical American Disney food such as corn dogs, cinnamon rolls and turkey legs have not been imported. Probably because these types of food are still too foreign for European guests. Food that is quintessential Disneyland Paris is the pizza burger, which was invented in Buzz Lightyears Pizza Planet Restaurant. Its name covers its content perfectly, it is a burger with pizza buns. One could argue that it is a perfect example of Disneys Europeanization as it combines the American burger with the Italian Pizza. However, it still feels very American, despite the fact that it has never been introduced in the American parks. One can draw the conclusion that the pizza burger encapsulates Disneys attempts to portray American food to Europeans. It has European details, but those are dominated by American designs. The serving of alcoholic beverages in the Disney Park is a highly debated topic. Initially the park banned alcohol as it could potentially harm the creation of a safe family haven. An idea invented by Walt Disney himself. However, in 1993, alcohol was introduced in the park. It was first only on offer in table-service restaurants, but it slowly made its way to counter-service. In this way, Disney paid respect to European dining habits, but more importantly it created much more revenue. This decision definitely played a role in the rise of ticket sales. Next to adaptations made in food offerings and restaurant services, Disney also adapted its merchandise to European contexts. Souvenirs Expensive upscale goods initially dominated the Disney stores in the park. Disney planners decided to do this as those goods were very successful in Japan. Moreover, it would show that Disney merchandise was not tacky or distasteful, an image that dominated European views on Disney memorabilia. However, the high price of these products as well as their designs were not accepted by visitors. Some visitors wanted an exact copy of the American merchandise. i.e. big Goofy hats, Mickey Mouse tie-dye shirts and princess dresses. Other visitors preferred fashionable merchandise with underemphasized Disney symbols much in the style of Belgian fashion brand Donaldson. This brand was a Disney licensee and produced stylish trench coats with Minnie Mouse embroidery among other things. In general, Disney took the best of both worlds. It offers typical American merchandise, but it also offers a European oriented line, called Produit exclusive Disneyland Paris, as it name suggests , this line inclu des products that are only on offer in Disneyland Paris. Employee policy The imposition of American customs on French workers and management was disastrous for the Disney company. It clearly showed a cultural gap between French and Americans. The restrictions imposed by Disney on how one has to look for the company were very strict. Bill Bryson commented on this in an article he wrote in 1993 for Observer Magazine: No one on the Disney pay roll is allowed to smoke

Essay --

RECRUITMENT PROCESS Job classification is to group job positions and then value them in a fair and transparent manner according to various functions as well as geographically. Job titling is to provide a title to each job classification in order to define and recognise the responsibility and level of the position. At ArcelorMittal, they use a customised statistical tool known as the LDA methodology which rates the function of the job, its content and the responsibility involved. Factors such as value added by a given business area, scope of function covered by the position, level of skill and professional know-how, geographical scope of the position – regional, national or global, autonomy – reporting levels and several Macro and Micro-economic environmental accountabilities and challenges are considered to obtain a numerical value termed ‘JOB POINTS’, based on which jobs are then classified. After this step an evaluation is carried out by the current incumbent and the manager in order to have a detailed understanding of the position. A report is then prepared on the...

Mobile Commerce in Developing Countries Essay

Mobile Commerce or M-commerce as it is more commonly referred to is simply the ability to do business electronically without any physical limitations or barriers. This is more popular with the use of smartphones today and other mobile devices. After researching several journals and articles, it is obvious at this point that there is no standard definition of the term â€Å"Mobile Commerce. † Many authors and writers have coined phrases and come up with definitions that are similar to each other; the general idea is similar but the words in the different definitions vary somewhat. However, one acceptable definition is used and this comes from Liang and Wei (2004), â€Å"M-Commerce generally refers to the use of wireless devices (particularly mobile phones) to conduct electronic business transactions, such as product ordering, fund transfers, and stock trading† (p. 7). M-Commerce was formed as a result of the Internet and mobile computing coming together to create a new business area. The benefits of Mobile Commerce are almost endless and a few will be discussed later in the analysis. However, the focus of this paper is the emergence of this trend in developing countries with emphasis on Africa- Nigeria to be precise. The population of Nigeria is over 150 million boasting one of the largest markets in Africa. Akpan-Obong (2009) states that â€Å"Nigeria is a major actor in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector in Africa, Nigeria has so far recorded significant achievements in ICT utilization, and has recorded higher growth rates in the penetration and diffusion levels of ICT† (p. 208). With Mobile Commerce rapidly taking over the business world, it is important to gain an understanding of how the so called major actors are fairing on the playing field hence the emphasis on Nigeria in the topic of Mobile Commerce. Article Summaries Liang (2004) and Akpan-Obong (2009) in their separate articles introduce the concept of Mobile Commerce and present generally accepted definitions of the term. While Liang focuses on the likely successes and failures of M-Commerce applications, Akpan-Obong specifically suggests electricity and infrastructural inadequacies as the reasons for the underutilization of M-Commerce in Nigeria. Greengard (2008) goes on to discuss the general impact of mobile phones on the world as a whole. He talks about the development opportunities that the presence of mobile phone technologies has created with the transformation of commerce, banking and healthcare. In his article, he states that the most profound changes and biggest dividends are being realized in developing countries. Formulation of a series of hypotheses from a research model developed by Peter, Philip and Victor (2005) identifies some of the factors affecting the use of mobile ICT in the least developed countries. Ayo and Agboola (2006) delve into the uses of M-commerce in Nigeria and how this technology is becoming widespread in the country. Solutions are also offered to deal with the issues of underutilization of the technology. Generally, these articles discuss the current practices and also anticipated future implementations of M-Commerce. The Internet, which is a form of electronic commerce has been in existence for years but it has been difficult to cover as much of the market as it could especially in some parts of the world where amenities like a computer are not only unaffordable but considered a luxury. With the emergence of mobile phones, â€Å"an important fact to consider is that M-Commerce is gaining relevance because the penetration of mobile phones is much larger than the penetration of Internet access (Duffey, 1998) in most countries. Greengard (2008), highlights a few of the relevant uses of this technology: â€Å"Although mobile phones have already transformed the more affluent nations, they are ringing up some of the most profound changes- and biggest dividends- in developing countries. Today, people are using mobile phones to track crop prices in Kenya and manage micropayments in the Philippines. They are tapping into these devices to handle healthcare information in Nicaragua and oversee bakery orders in Nigeria† (p. 17). Gone are the days when Africa as a whole was considered backward and inconsequential when it came to matters of technological advancements, infrastructure and amenities. Like most developing countries, Nigeria in particular has not yet implemented M-Commerce on a full scale. However, the trend is beginning to emerge with the appearance of mobile phones in every nook and cranny of the country. Now, unlike before, devices like mobile phones are no longer seen as sacred or only for the rich and famous in society. Rotberg was spot on when he stated, â€Å"it is the first time in the history of technology that social class and geography are largely irrelevant† (as cited in Greengard, 2008, p. 18). Almost anyone who is of talking age owns a cell phone in Nigeria. From the executives at the renowned industrious firms, the students attending public schools who cant even afford to buy textbooks and even the farmers in the villages and rural areas; the fishermen selling fish at the local market and even the housewives who grow vegetables and cultivate livestock in their backyards. Owning a mobile phone is no longer considered a luxury and does not cost an arm and a leg like it used to only a few years ago. This singular reason that the phones are now easily affordable and available for purchase by every Tom, Dick and Harry is what has fostered the emergence of Mobile Commerce in Africa, Nigeria to be precise. With the mobile phones gaining more popularity with the people in Nigeria, so also has the technological benefits been exploited. The wireless handheld devices have orchestrated the use of e-banking services in Nigeria. According to Ayo et al. (2007), â€Å"virtually all the 25 banks that survived the recent capitalization exercise engage the use of ICT as a platform for effective and efficient delivery of banking services. Consequently, electronic cards, Internet banking and mobile banking services are gradually being introduced. However, M-Banking activities are limited to mobile finance information, download or ringing tones and music as well as telematic services, particularly, vehicle tracking, theft protection and emergency services† (p. 13). As more and more advancements are pursued, banking will become not only flexible but also more convenient. Customers now have the luxury of checking their bank accounts on their mobile device without having to take a trip to the local branch of their banks nearest to them. They also enjoy the comfort of immediacy, information at their fingertips. The banking sector is one of the first and more important aspects of Mobile Commerce that has emerged in Nigeria. However, there is also much hype about the little things that are being derived from this technological advancement. Ayo et al. (2007) states emphatically â€Å"the success of M-Commerce has partly been due to developments in mobile communication techniques. Cellular networks were originally designed for voice-only communication. To support M-Commerce transactions, which are data based, there has been an evolution of these networks from analogue to digital and from circuit switched to packet switched networks. Today a number of these mobile communication technologies are available† (p. 11). Some of the strengths of Mobile Commerce in Nigeria are attributed to the GSM operators and the services that they render to their customers. The three major operators are MTN, Celtel and Globacom. Their services include: Voicemail, WAP services, SMS, customer services, call forwarding, international dialing, Celtel mobile office, faxmail, roaming, customer care and Broadband Internet Access that offers Broadband Internet to residential users just to name a few. These services allow customers to derive utmost satisfaction from the emerging trends in the advancement of Mobile Commerce. In his article, Greengard (2008) talked about one incidence in particular. â€Å"A Nigerian baker started taking orders for cakes via SMS and quickly expanded his presence beyond his immediate neighborhood. He experienced a 30% increase in sales† (p. 17). Many small-scale businesses are now enjoying the benefits of this technological advancement and they are using its features to broaden the scope of their businesses and gain competitive advantage over their competitors in the industry. If not for anything else, the customer relationship that exists between the business owners and their customers has been strengthened by the ability of the owners in providing their services directly to the consumers via these mobile handheld devices. The emergence of Mobile Commerce in Nigeria has brought with it both advantages and disadvantages. As with the mobile banking, of course it is fast, convenient and nowadays very affordable, there is also the threat of security and the complex systems and expertise needed to run some of the programs. There is a gap between those who are more technologically savvy and the layman who grows crops on his farm. This gap in knowledge does not allow the features on some of these hand held devices to be fully utilized. The phones being so affordable that even the most basic of the devices could probably browse the Internet assuming all the features are purchased, makes it likely that the phones are being underutilized to the most of its capabilities. Most senior management and more well to do individuals are more concerned about the security of their transactions over this mobile devices. Research by Agboola (2006), revealed â€Å"38. 2% of the respondents considered security as a major threat, while 4. 3% and 5. 4% considered complication of services and cost respectively as other factors† (p. 3). Apparently, the cost of mobile telephone service is higher in Nigeria than other African countries so it only reasonable that the cost of this service would be a major threat to Mobile banking as a whole. Another threat is the unavailability of basic infrastructure to support this system such as electricity, among others. The lack of electricity as a basic infrastructure in Nigeria has a ripple effect because it affects every device that makes up the system. Without electricity, individuals cannot charge their mobile phones when the battery is depleted. This in itself, defeats the purpose of Mobile Commerce, as there is no fulfillment in owning a phone when you cannot use it when you want to. The systems in the banks that perform the updates to customer accounts and provide information to the customers would also shut down as a result of lack of electricity. Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), which are one of the first occurrences of Mobile Banking in Nigeria, would have to be shut down as well. With all the features of the mobile phones these days, it is only a matter of time before the developing countries of Africa begin to enjoy all of the benefits that countries like America are enjoying now. Although, seeing as how the advancement in America has not come to a halt, it is more than likely that developing countries would always play catch up. However, countries grow at different paces so it is only wise to perform according to the capabilities of the systems set up in the country until it can withstand the test of time. Synthesis Mobile Commerce as a concept has a lot of prospect for patronage dependent on the available services. First of all, there were no mobile phones at all in a country like Nigeria and then mobile phones were introduced and the craze cannot be contained. Now, the monumental growth of mobile devices all over the world, with over one-third of the world population having access to it has given prominence to M-Commerce. With technological advancements emerging everyday in different areas and industries, Mobile Commerce can only get better as more provisions are made to handle the loop holes and reduce the threat that are presently facing the market. There would most likely come a time when Mobile Commerce is not only the fastest way of doing business but the most common, the most trusted and also the safest. It would soon become a way of life. According to Peter et al (2005), â€Å"the country had experienced a phenomenal growth from a teledensity of 0. 49 in 2000 to 25. 22 in 2007. This trend has brought about a monumental development in the major sectors of the economy such as banking, telecoms and commerce in general† (p. 140). Nigeria, being the fastest growing telecoms nation in Africa and the third in the world, it is almost inconceivable to imagine how much is yet to come by way of technology and other infrastructure. Today, African countries may be struggling to hold their weight in the area of technological advancement in comparison with more advanced countries like the United States. Tomorrow, the tables might just be turned. One can only wait and see, behold the future!