Current and Future Relevance of Development Anthropology

What does happiness mean? Ask this question to different individuals and surely you will obtain varying answers. There could be related or similar answers, but no two individuals will have the identical definition of happiness, unless of course, they had a prior discussion on the matter and took time to set parameters on how they would define the term. It is just like saying that one’s definition of happiness can be as unique as one’s fingerprint. Why is this so?As human beings, each of us has his/her own purpose in life. We may have the same basic needs to keep us alive. but each of us has his/her own desires and aspirations as we go on living These are our goals in life. Up to what extent we are able to reach our goals becomes the basis of fulfillment, which in turn is the parameter of a person’s definition of happiness.There are more than 101 ways to define happiness because human beings as individual living organisms vary. Each one of us has a certain uniquen ess which sets us apart from other members of the Animal Kingdom.Similarly, development is a term which is as subjective as the word happiness. Probably because both terms involve the satisfaction of humans’ needs and wants. This is why there are numerous bases for the achievement of both. But unlike the meaning of happiness which is taken more on an individual context,   a discourse on the meaning of development is much more complex because it involves not just one human being but a community, or even a whole nation.The meaning of development depends on various paradigms. Defining it quantitatively in terms of economic growth has become inadequate which makes it even more difficult to give a concrete meaning of the word. Thus, different schools of thoughts and various disciplines have their own arguments on how to properly define the term while trying not to overlook how the term itself is being perceived by the objects or targets of the development process.The various dis courses on and practices of development have paved the way for the rise and growth of development anthropology. (Escobar 1991)Development anthropology is defined as:The application of anthropological perspectives to the multidisciplinary branch of development studies. It takes international development and international aid as primary objects. In this branch of anthropology, the term development refers to the social action made voluntary by different agents (institutions, business, enterprise, states, independent volunteers) who are trying to modify the economic, technical, political or/and social life of a given place in the world, especially in developing nations. (Wikipedia)Development anthropology which takes off from the conventional or traditional view of development is what is being espoused by scholars such as Escobar. The traditional view of development is development according to how Western societies view it which is much more about modernization of local cultures and the adoption of Westernized lifestyle. In the paper, â€Å"Anthropology and the Development Encounter: The Making and Marketing of Development Anthropologyâ€Å", Escobar presented and discussed this view and as conclusion, called for a revision on the practice of development anthropology, specifically in the utilization of development models which he referred to as â€Å"recycled combination of the traditional growth models.†Development anthropology, for all its claim to relevance to local problems, to cultural sensitivity, and to access to interpretive holistic methods, has done no more than recycle, and dress in more localized fabrics, the discourses of modernization and development. Can the good intentions of development anthropologists be preserved and their activities be reoriented significantly in ways that undermine, rather than reinforce, these paradigms? (1991: 677)It is this view that made him towards the end of the article pose the question: Is there a future relev ance for development anthropology? Escobar went on further to conclude that:Anthropological studies of development will of course continue to be important, but they would take a different form. Anthropologists could examine how communities in the Third World are progressively constituted through the political technologies of development, and could elucidate the larger cultural and economic projects that such technologies deploy with them. First, however, it will be necessary to renew our way of listening to the voices of different groups of people in the Third World, without making them into signs of a need for development, and to renew our awareness of the suffering caused by human institutions and actions, development or otherwise.Finally, anthropologists may contribute through this type of work to a collective practice of re-envisioning ways of organizing societies and economies, ways of relating to nature and to one another that have a better chance for life. In the process, we may discover other ways of caring and of healing the ravages brought about by development in the Third World. Some grassroots social movements seem to be pointing the way. (ibid: 678)Escobar emphasizes that it should be the people themselves who should decide on the course of the development process based on what he called â€Å"local realities†. The idea should come from within and not from the perception of outsiders who usually consider the lack of modernization as the take-off point for the development process.In his paper â€Å"Anthropology and Development: Evil Twin or Moral Narrative?†Ã‚   Gow (2002) pointed out the weakness of the localization of development as being espoused by Escobar due to the current trend of globalization. He explains that â€Å". . . the present effects and future implications of globalization (however much contested), surely demonstrate once and for all the limitations of what is now ambiguously termed localization. Certain human needs and human rights can be taken as universal, the basis for a moral narrative in this new millennium of development.† The moral narrative that Gow is referring to is the dilemma of anthropologists (the writers) in   defining development in terms of the vision of a good society.   To quote:By framing the values of development in moral terms, rather than say economic terms (the market) or political terms (democracy), these writers not only escape from the tyranny of ideology, academic discipline, and political fashion; they also elevate the general tone of development discourse, for what they are proposing is a vision of the â€Å"good society†. (ibid: 310)I believe that the current and future relevance of development anthropology depend on whether it follows the path being suggested by Gow, that is, elevating the meaning of development in terms of   the moral vision of a good society.   In this age of satellite technology, when even the remotest places on Earth co uld have access to communication facilities and the mass media, the preservation of local culture is becoming a serious concern.People are influenced by modernization as they are exposed to various forms of technology, and many of them especially the younger generation aspire to leave and prefer to settle for a much modern lifestyle in cities. More than ever, development anthropology is relevant in order to direct the correct path of development wherein the living condition of the poor is alleviated to the point wherein they will have enough basic needs and services while at the same time retaining their cultural identity and who they are as a people is never lost or forgotten.The role of development anthropology therefore should be focused on determining the people’s vision of a good society, and from there the design of a suitable development framework and the conceptualization of strategies that could guide institutions in coming up with the right formula for development. This way, Escobar’s grassroots involvement is compromised while being open to the trend of globalization. An example would be to consider the willingness to commercialize the production of exotic handicrafts which are originally for sole domestic consumption. If the people look at this as a way to alleviate their economic condition while promoting their culture, then the development anthropologist should see this from a positive perspective and not as a sign of moral degradation.Development anthropologists have focused on four themes in performing their role which defines their current and future relevance to humanity.An increasingly focused sense of the anthropological contribution defined in terms of what anthropologists say about culture and social relationsOpposition to the marginalization of indigenous peoples and their knowledgeCynicism about the aims and practices of developmentThe emergence of critical views of development and the development processLIST OF REFERENCES Escobar, Arturo. (1991) ‘Anthropology and the Development Encounter: The Making and Marketing of Development Anthropology.’ American Ethnologist [online] 18 (4) 658-682. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/645446 [22 May 2009]Gow, David D. (2002)’Anthropology and Development: Evil Twin or Moral Narrative?’ Human Organization 61 (4) 299-313Wikipedia (n. d.) ‘Development Anthropology.’ Available from http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Development_anthropology [30 May 2009)

Responsibilities of Sports Engineers

Responsibilities of Sports Engineers Sports is something that attracts every person in this world towards itself. Sports has become a very common field that everybody has interested in. People are gaining more and more interest in different sports from all over the world. And that is why sports engineering is gaining significance and recognition. It is a special field of engineering, which involves everything from the development to the testing of the different sports equipment. The discipline includes numerous activities and everything related to sports and sports equipment.The sports engineers have several responsibilities that are discussed here at length. The very first responsibility of a sports engineer is the designing of the sports equipment. With the development of different sports and an increase in their popularity, people are eager to make use of the best of the sports equipment. And this is where the sports engineers can contribute by developing new equipment that would help the athletes perform better. Sports engineers are also responsible for carrying out a complete lab and experimental testing of the sports equipment, athletes and the interaction between them.This is one of the most important parts of the job of a sports engineer because it is not possible to make use of anything without testing the equipment and the nature of interactions the users would have with the equipment. The sports engineers not only carry out laboratory testing but are also required to test the performance of the athletes and different devices in the field, i. e. the environment of the sports. Field testing needs to be completely accurate so that there is no scope of mistakes and the athletes are prepared to use their equipment in the real conditions and situations.Computational modeling has been used only for scientific purposes till now. Computational modeling approach is usually employed in physics and other scientific applications, whether it is fluid dynamics or a ny other experiment. Sports engineers are also making use of this technique and approach for determining the forces acting upon the working of the equipment and for stimulating its working before actually developing them. Sports engineers also need to continuously work with the different government bodies and the authorities for making sure that the rules are adhered to and everything is carried out within the pre-defined guidelines.Sports engineers also have to work with the athletes to regularly keep a track and improve the performance of the different athletes in different fields. They need to find out new ways and measures for enhancing the performance of the sportsmen. Thus, we see that sports engineers are extremely important people and they need to carry out all of their responsibilities sincerely for the development of different sports and for the betterment of the athletes. Reference link: http://classof1. com/homework-help/engineering-homework-help

Middleman vs Ghost

The Middleman VS The Ghost In the novel No Country for Old Men, the author, Cormac McCarthy, utilizes a unique style in his writing. From the dialogue to the plot, this novel is very different from McCarthy’s previous novels. Whereas the classic Western usual has a single protagonist, for example McCarthy’s very own Blood Meridian, which mainly centers around one main character, The Kid, No Country for Old Men is focused on three central individuals: Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, Llewellyn Moss, and Anton Chigurh. This notable technique allows reader to visualize the story from three points of views. Due to the post-war setting, specifically after the Vietnam War, the United States is in a state of turmoil led by violence and drugs. Due to the many scenes involving gun shoot-outs and characters on the run, No Country for Old Men can be interpreted as a genre of crime action and horror. When readers read or watch crime action, they expect it to start off with a criminal committing a crime and it ending with a hero solving the crime and capturing the bad guy. Some of the popular works of crime action are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series and CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation show. Like all genres, crime action has some loose guidelines: crime, investigation, and solution. The plot usually centers between the protagonist and antagonist. However, McCarthy adds a twist to the genre by adding a middleman. Readers can easily depict Chigurh as the antagonist since he commits multiple homicides, but who is the protagonist and middleman? At first, Moss appears to be the protagonist, but due to Moss’s death at the end, Bell ends up being the protagonist; thus making Moss the middleman. At first, readers assume Moss to be the protagonist since Chigurh is chasing after him. In addition, Moss gives off the impression that he is able to protect himself with his extensive knowledge on guns and ability to run away. Yet, this notion is proven wrong when Chigurh successfully kills Moss. In the end, Moss is considered to be an arrogant, selfish middleman, because he ignored the help of Sheriff Bell thinking that he can escape the grasp of Chigurh and put his wife and himself in danger for the sake of money. There are numerous times when Chigurh is committing a crime so quickly and andomly that Bell refers to him as a â€Å"ghost† (McCarthy, 149) and Wells calls him a â€Å"psychopathic killer† (McCarthy, 80). Yet, probably the biggest scene is when Chigurh attempts to kill Moss at Eagle Pass, but gets in a shoot-out with a group of Mexican drug dealers. Moss was able to escape from Chigurh, but suffered a fatal wound; the Mexicans were not so lucky as they were all killed. Though Chigurh was able to survive the shoot-out, he still ended up gettin g injured. This scene gives reader a sense of action due to Chigurh’s cunningness and skillfulness at executing crimes. Despite the multiple crimes, what makes No Country for Old Men a crime action is the cat-and-mouse chase. Throughout the novel, Moss is constantly running for his life, Chigurh’s persistent pursuit after Moss, and Bell’s attempt to save Moss by going after Chigurh. In Lydia Cooper’s article â€Å"’He’s a Psychopathic Killer but So What? ’: Folklore and Morality in Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men†, Cooper points out how McCarthy uses a â€Å"narrative structure [that] follows a ruling action of tri-episodic-action-repetition. In the novel, there is an emphasis on events occurring three times (Cooper, 10). Moss and Chigurh encounters each other three times, but Moss ends up dead on the third time (McCarthy, 99-239); Chigurh almost gets killed three times (McCarthy, 6-261); Chigurh and Bell almost face each other three times, but Chigurh always manage to avoid contact (McCarthy, 93-245). This method used by McCarthy gives the reader a sense of hit or miss in this crime action genre. Due to Anton Chigurh’s psychotic killings, nobody is safe in the novel. Therefore, the trope â€Å"Anyone Can Die† is well suited for the crime action in No Country for Old Men. Anton follows Moss’s every moves and kills everybody that Moss comes in contact with. Anton mercilessly kills innocent people just for driving Moss or working in the hotel he is staying at. McCarthy successfully portrays Chigurh as a ruthless, cold-hearted killer who has his own set of rules and morals. After the reader finds out how terrifying Chigurh is, McCarthy offers a false sense of hope by introducing Carson Wells. The trope â€Å"Contract on the Hit Man† goes with the novel by adding another hit man to kill the antagonist. Hired by the same company Chigurh was, Wells’ objectives were to retrieve the drug money and kill Chigurh. Readers feel relieved to know that somebody in the same field as Chigurh will be able to bring him down. However, hope is quickly crushed when Chigurh puts a hole in Wells’ face (McCarthy, 103) and kills his contractor (McCarthy, 117). These actions intensify Chigurh as a powerful and cunning psychopath who can’t be stopped. One significant characteristic of No Country for Old Men is that readers get to see the antagonist’s point of view. Through the eyes of Chigurh, readers get an understanding as to why he decides to kill innocent civilians. Through his own set of morals, Chigurh kills anybody that he thinks might pose a threat to him. When Chigurh talked to the proprietor of a gas station, Chigurh, out of the blue, tells the proprietor to â€Å"call it† after he tosses a quarter (McCarthy, 29). The reason Chigurh did a coin toss was to see whether or not he would let the proprietor live. This event shows the antagonist’s odd mindset, but yet gives the reader and unnerving awareness that he has â€Å"morals†. People who love to read or watch about horror expect to feel fear or panic caused by psychopaths or supernatural creatures. Some memorable works of horror are Stephen King’s novels or FX’s original hit series American Horror Story. What makes horror so frightening yet so fascinating is that it takes the readers out of their comfort zone and distorts their imagination. The creation of horror is usually created through the use of folklore or fantasy. The convention involves a terrifying antagonist going after the protagonist(s) in an eerie setting; it is similar to the theme of a wolf hunting a flock of sheep. If one thinks from a different point of view, No Country for Old Men is a bit similar to the horror movie Psycho when the main character ends up getting killed after stealing some money. At a different perspective, No Country for Old Men has some horror qualities to it. What makes the novel like a horror is Chigurh. McCarthy portrays Chigurh as a seemingly immortal, metaphysical character. His nonstop pursuit after his victims is haunting and the way he kills them after he captures them is distinctive. Like Freddy Krueger with his sharp, metal claws and Jason with his machete, Chigurh has his own special weapon: a stun gun attached to an air-tank. With his signature M. O. , usually a bullet to the head or between the eyes, Chigurh is a notorious psychopathic killer. The trope â€Å"Once is not Enough† depicts the horror genre in No Country for Old Men by showing how foolish Moss was to let Chigurh live. Chigurh and Moss has met three times; the first two times, Moss was able to narrowly escape Chigurh. The second encounter, Moss had the advantage over Chigurh by surprising Chigurh at gunpoint. For some reason, Moss let him live despite knowing the threat Chigurh posed to him. This is where the trope â€Å"Once is not Enough† applies; the victim lets the killer live thinking that running away is the solution. If Moss had taken the chance to kill Chigurh, then he would not have died in the end. Another trope â€Å"Unfinished Business† shows how strong-willed a villain can be. After attending Moss’s funeral, Carla Jean, the wife, returns to her house. When she heads to her room, she discovers Chigurh waiting for her on her bed. She knew why he was there but attempts to dissuade him from killing her by telling him he does not have to kill her. Taking pity on her, Chigurh gives her a second chance by letting the coin decide her fate. Nonetheless, fate was not on her side, and Chigurh killed her. The reason Chigurh killed Carla Jean was to finish the business he had with Moss. Even though Cormac McCarthy follows the conventions of crime action and horror, in some ways he steps out of the boundaries to create a twist to his novel. The norm in crime action genre is that the hero ends up being the victor and the enemy ends up losing. Despite this, McCarthy shocks the reader by abruptly killing Moss, which makes Chigurh the winner. In addition, since Sheriff Bell quits his job, which means that Chigurh is on the loose, the protagonist loses. The convention of a horror genre involves a sinister setting haunted by an ominous individual. Yet, the villain, Chigurh, travels to various places to track Moss. By breaking a few conventions, McCarthy gives the reader a taste of his own crime action and horror in No Country for Old Men. Cormac McCarthy successfully portrays the genres of crime fiction and horror in No Country for Old Men through his characters, plot, setting, and use of language. With the twist of including a middleman, McCarthy changes the convention of crime action; he also goes out of the norm by letting the antagonist be the winner at the end. The author also portrays Chigurh as a paranormal being that cannot be stopped, which gives the novel a sense of horror. This allows readers to enjoy a good crime fiction novel with some horror mixed into it. Works Cited Page Bennett, Steven. Definition of the Crime Fiction Genre. 13 Nov. 2012. http://www. findmeanauthor. com/definition_horror_fiction_genre. htm Cooper, Lydia R. â€Å"‘He's a Psychopathic Killer, but So What? â€Å": Folklore and Morality in Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. † Papers on Language & Literature, Jan. 2009. Web. 6 Nov. 2012 Lydia R. Cooper, a student from Baylor University with a Ph. D. in English Literature, claims that Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men falls into the category of folklore and morality. The writer establishes a thesis-driven argument for her essay on Cormac McCarthy. Cooper incorporates the use of many quotes from McCarthy’s novels to demonstrate how the genres are evident in NCFOM. Cooper’s audience can be narrowed down to McCarthy’s fans and enthusiasts of folklore and/or morality. Her main goal is to show a unique perspective of No Country for Old Men. Genre Descriptions (Fiction Only). Agent Query LLC. 13 Nov. 2012. http://www. agentquery. com/genre_descriptions. aspx McCarthy, Cormac. No Country for Old Men. New York: Knopf, 2005. Print. No Country for Old Men. TV Tropes Foundation, LLC, n. d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. http://tvtropes. org/pmwiki/pmwiki/php/Main/Nocountryforoldmen

Logistics & Physical Distribution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Logistics & Physical Distribution - Assignment Example The ERP software used and the planning and control mechanism provide a comprehensive outlook on entire supply chain process of the company. The virtual companies presently do not necessarily have to have a good handling and storing mechanism. Besides that, they need not have a direct customer-vendor relationship. The owners of such companies have little role to play in the entire production and sales process. All they require are customers and brand association. This is done by means of a sophisticated internet and web-based technology, which brings the customer and the brand together. The owner of such a virtual company collects money from sales and transfers the share to the manufacturer (Donat, 2003). The paper is aimed at an analysis of supply chain and its processes in the context of a web-based business that is engaged in selling consumer electronics. After providing a brief outline of supply chain of the company, the paper studies the causes behind choosing the supply chain pattern and its management and reporting structure. The paper concludes after a comprehensive evaluation of the control and planning mechanism in product logistics and distribution activity. The supply chain designed for the purpose of this study is based on a web-based product selling service, where the company is a website that deals with sales of electronic items sourced directly from the manufacturer. This retail distribution based supply chain is engaged in the business of real time buying and virtual selling of electronic products, primarily catering to the consumer goods electronic industry. The e-commerce business is fairly catching up in the global context and offers ease and convenience in shopping for branded and standardised products that do not require hand-on shopping experience. The e-commerce business aims to provide convenience, efficiency, speed and ease in shopping experience to the

Charles Darwin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Charles Darwin - Essay Example Here, I would like to bring into play this opportunity to unveil my observations. When I analyzed the features of the species what I understood is that animals with variations have the ability to adapt with the environments they live in. They have the better chance of survival and the ability to breed. They hand over their characteristics to their children. I know that it has paved the way for controversies, especially as it is one that diffuses the literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis in the Bible. I have also noted that â€Å"Populations remain roughly the same size, with modest fluctuations† and â€Å"Food resources are limited, but are relatively constant most of the time† (Charles Darwin: The theory of evolution, 2010). It has led me to the inference that surviving in such an environment is really a struggle among individuals. â€Å"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment† (Charles Darwin: The theory of evolution, 2010) . Let me invite your kind attention to the American novelist Jack London’s widely read novel, The call of the Wild. The novelist presents the character of Buck as an animal which is adapted with the environment it lives in. Here the dog, Buck learns fast to be a sled dog and pack leader. I am sure that any researcher or student of science must have brooded over the very existence of organisms, the scarcity of resources and the subsequent survival of various organisms and so was I. My observation of the various organisms convinced me that there is a clear cut link between the existence of various species and the scarcity of resources; this association between the two was instrumental in the formulation of my theory of evolution by natural selection. Later, I realized that â€Å"organisms with favorable variations survive and reproduce at a higher rate† and that it is the

Explicit and Implicit Costs on Firms in an Efficient Informational Essay

Explicit and Implicit Costs on Firms in an Efficient Informational Environment - Essay Example Implicit costs are costs that are not directly paid for but measured in units of money. These costs are the costs of non purchased inputs which are not purchased in a market transaction but they have cash value. Implicit costs occur when a firm uses its capital, inventories or owner's resources. Goodwill is also a good example of implicit cost. The term of efficiency assumes an informational dimension here, which refers to productive efficiency that it high lights the development of informationally efficient finncial markets.In fact, these markets not only consist of the usual attributes of financial market- notably a large number of investors who have a interst of effective access in to the rich necessary information, but also the important additional assets that have ending points of well defined certain value. It is the most important question faced by economists todays to what extent firms incorporate their environmental information for achieving market efficiency. In this era of Information Technology, information is the key factor to evaluate a firm's stock price as well as its ultimate value.Investors, customers and all other stakeholders need all necessary information to take proper decision regarding investment, trading etc.So a firm should decide to disclose proper information to reach its ultimate goal. Part 02: Measuring a Firm's costs and its goal of Profit Maximization Measuring A Firm's Costs (Opportunity Costs): Economists consider the opportunity costs of all resources of a firm to calculate its costs whether they are paid or not. Opportunity cost is of any action is the highest valued alternative foregone. Opportunity cost of a firm is the value of the firm's best alternative use of resources. Opportunity costs includes both explicit and implicit costs, and it is known as economic cost which is our concern. So economic cost indicates to the value of all resources used to produce a good or service, whether the resources are paid or unpaid. Economic cost = Opportunity Cost= Explicit cost + Implicit Cost = Total cost of a Firm. We have discussed in the introductory part about explicit and implicit costs. Explicit cost is directly paid in money whereas implicit cost is the value of resources used even when no direct monetary payments are made to these resources. Implicit cost is incurred when a firm gives up an alternative action. For example, when a firm uses its own capital, and/or uses its' owner's resources, implicit costs are incurred. So there are two main aspects of a firm's implicit cost: i)The cost of a firm's own capital: If a firm

The supreme court does not have the power to execute its decisions and Essay

The supreme court does not have the power to execute its decisions and interpretations. how then, does the supreme court obtain compliance with its interpretations of the constitution - Essay Example We will also seek to understand the challenges with regard to such compliance. In United States (US), federal government is divided into three separate branches i.e. The Legislative branch governed under Article 1 of the Constitution, The Executive Branch governed under Article 2 of the Constitution and The Judicial Branch governed under Article 3 of the Constitution. As per Article 3, The Judicial Branch is headed by US Supreme court. Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in certain cases i.e. Issues involving Ambassadors, treaties by federal government and issues where two or more states are parties. Every state has its own Supreme Court as well and cases related to a particular state are dealt in the respective state’s Supreme Court. However, the US Supreme Court works as appellate court for such cases if there is a federal issue involved. Separation of power leads to the concept of check and balance. In US all the three branches of state not only facilitate each other in completing the desired goals under the constitution but also ensure check and balance over each other. Supreme Court does not derive its force through administrative means. The decisions of court are enforced through other branches of the system i.e. legislative and executive. So the compliance of court decisions is a matter of supremacy of Constitution. The Constitution safeguards balance among organs of state where one organ does not interfere with the rights and powers of other. On the other hand, the system of check and balance provides the court with powers to interpret constitution. The most important of them is Judicial Review. Political Backing and Continued nature of service of Supreme Court Judges also help the Court to enforce its writ. Judicial review is a process through which executive and legislative decision can be questioned by the judiciary and if they are found against the supreme law of the

Total Quality Model and Methodologies Paper Essay

Total Quality Model and Methodologies Paper - Essay Example Did the Japanese finally find the secret to unlocking the productive powers of a usually vast complement of workers by harmonizing their thoughts and activities into one single cohesive unit Many of the management specialists at the time were duly impressed, going so far as to equate the advent of TQM to, first, the Industrial Revolution and, much later, the communication revolution. TQM was enthusiastically adopted in the US in the 1960s, followed by Europe in the 1980s, where the concept was further enriched in both areas with new strategies based on local needs and requirements. (Navantara, P.) TQM, one of its technical definitions goes, is a way of managing people and business processes in an organization to fulfill and satisfy the customer's needs at every stage. It also behooves the company to handle its suppliers and other business partners in the same strategic manner. The basic TQM foundations, as conceptualized by the Japanese and given additional features for relevance in the US and Europe consist of people, processes and systems, in that order of importance. As indicated, a company starts to carry out a TQM program by training and reorienting its people on the quality path it has set for itself. The next step is to improve or overhaul, if necessary, the entire processes and systems of production to achieve the desired quality of the company's output. For TQM to work then, there should be a high measure of training, ethics, teamwork, integrity and trust among the organization's people. They should look up to a leader and communication should be open at all times between the boardroom and the shop floor and across the whole company. TQM also calls for a system of reward and recognition to motivate employees. (Wilkinson, A., Marchington, M. & Daleuman, B.) All this looks good on paper but it soon become evident that the management model is too complicated, costly and takes too long to gestate. (Valasquez, J., 2000) This puts TQM out of reach of struggling companies or those tittering into bankruptcy, which are supposed to be the ones in more urgent need of more effective management systems to bail them out. Das Amitav (2005) points out that TQM operates on the basic concept that quality is the sole concern of the production and quality control departments. As a consequence, it is overly focused on defect reduction and process improvement and less on generating income to improve the bottom line. The strategy also tends to be confined to quality circles and some industrial engineers. The more ideal method, Amitav believes, should enshrine quality achievement in the hearts of all the people involved and defect reduction and process improvement should secondary importance to strategies improving the bottom line. Lack of leadership is another perceived drawback of TQM, when common sense dictates that the leader should work hands-on instead of just hand out orders. For this reason, I strongly recommend the Six Sigma model, the latest byword in management concepts that is grabbing the attention previously reserved for TQM. The Six Sigma approach is tailor-made for our company, which is mainly a manufacturing concern. Not surprisingly, the Japanese were again the

Renewable Energy Literature Survey Dissertation

Renewable Energy Literature Survey - Dissertation Example It demonstrated how capital can be obtained for project financing through a combination of debt and equity investment, debt being available through bank loans, institutional debt or through public markets. The paper mentioned the possibility of procuring equity from internal or external sources in public and private markets, and sponsorship through developers, contractors, equipment suppliers, operators, off-takers and fuel suppliers, who are active equity investors. The factors limiting project finance of renewable energy power projects (REPP’s) were examined. The author indicated that resource and technology risks were high and that financial institutions lacked the experience in evaluating risks related to REPP’s. The author also noted that with the rapid change in technology and the shortage of REPP technology engineers, they would have lacked the technical expertise in this area to assess and monitor REPP’s. ... This therefore results in a smaller margin for project financing and consequently puts pressure on costs related to maintenance and overheads. The author also pointed out that government policies, which are often unpredictable, greatly affect the economies of REPP’s. The paper gave focus to the importance of equity, seeing it as the main protection against risks. Lenders will therefore favour equity contributions in the initial part of the project. Lenders see equity investment as a form of commitment by the developers and sponsors. The author also found that security was another significant consideration for the lender, so they would implement safeguards such as a fixed charge over the projects site; a floating charge over the assets of the projects company; requiring that all cash flow be paid into a project account where they would have control, and contingency funds in place for unforeseen problems. The experience and credit worthiness of all participants would also be con sidered by the lender. There financial strengths would be assessed and the ability of these parties to carry out their contractual obligations with the project company would be determined. The article highlighted a number of risks that should be considered. The risk areas include the project itself, technology, construction, fuel/resource, the market, regulatory risks, mitigation and pass through. Project risks affect the amount, timing and availability of funds for the project finance. For technology lenders want to ensure that it is tested and proven, and that it will not be obsolete anytime soon. In relation to the construction risks the paper looked at the probability of cost overruns and delays in completion; most importantly

Russia, Democratic or Not Essay Example for Free

Russia, Democratic or Not Essay Russia should be considered a semi-democratic country. They have the characteristics of a democratic country, yet at the same time they dont. For example, they have freedom of speech but to an extent. As shown in a round table discussion show thats been on air for years. But, its only good things are spoken about the government and Putin. Also they can vote and what not but the government tries to rig it. Another example is that people may oppose the government, but may not publicize it widely. A show of this would be like the man that broadcast his ideas about the government on the radio, but he is only aloud to at on station. Any other station has him blacklisted. So not many people hear his ideas. Another problem is there freedom to assemble. They can do this but only with the permission of the government. Also they sometimes pay kids to participate in rallies that oppose anyone against the government and Putin. And lets not forget about the private owned businesses because these are essential. In Russia businesses can be privately owned to an extent plus they can choose what to sell and how much, also they decide who they hire. Also, the Russian Federation confirms a citizens right to state healthcare and medical assistance free of charge. Citizens do not pay for this but instead companies and government subsidies do. Plus the health care is poor. They may have well trained doctors but indecent equipment. This is a helping cause in the reason why the death rate is higher than the birth rate. The life expectancy is also low. These are all signs of a semi-democratic country.

Background Of Japanese Food Culture

Background Of Japanese Food Culture The growing, rearing and processing of foodstuffs seems to have held a special fascination since the nineteenth century. Food and beverage industry has really growth and moving positively if compare to the preceding years, which is from the number of restaurant that opens day by day. There is a vast variety of restaurants with the different types of cuisine in Malaysia that representing different country and culture by offers an exciting array of food outlets, from fast food to fine dining and everything in between. Local food alone offers Malay, Cantonese, Szechuan, Indian and Nyonya cuisine while international food covers the gamut from Japanese to Middle-Eastern, Italian and American. Today, more people are excited to experiment and explore each restaurant that just opened. Moreover, due to the lifestyle and trends, more people are eating out rather than cook at home. For instance: Recently, more and more Japanese restaurants have been opened around Malaysia. Every restaurant trie s to bring up a new concept and originality to their brand. As the time goes by, people are more selective nowadays. They would like to choose a good quality food, with a good portion, with a good branding, and willing to pay with a reasonable price. There are some students are willing to pay high price for one meal because they want to try a new restaurant or a new cuisine with a good quality of the food. Thus, all restaurants have to try their best to meet the customers expectations. Besides that, they also have to recognize every aspect of their business has an impact on customer service because involve face to face customer contact and the supply in food has growing day by day. Each restaurant has to boost them self to improving customer service that involves making a commitment to learning what our customers needs and wants are, and developing action plans that implement customer friendly processes. The writer finds this issue interesting because nowadays people often ask the simple question like Where are we going to eat? I love Japanese foods especially sushi. Where can I get a delicious sushi with ideal price, good service and good place to hang out? When people decide to choose a Japanese restaurant, there are some factors that influence their decision making, such as customers emotion, satisfaction and brand loyalty. It is very important to know customers behavior in order to build a long term relationship. Therefore, the writer has chosen the title An assessment of Sushi Zanmai Malaysia popularity among university college students. There are three different concepts of Japanese restaurant that owe by SuperSushi Sdn Bhd Company which are: 1st Concept: Sushi Zanmai that began since in April, 1997, the genuine conveyer-sushi restaurant. There are several outlets of Sushi Zanmai which are in Sunway Pyramid, The Gardens, One Utama and Low-Yat. 2nd Concept: Sushi Zen that began since in September, 2007, a casual kiosk-style Japanese restaurant. 3rd Concept: Pasta Zanmai that began since in December, 2007, a Japanese Casual Pasta Restaurant. Within this short period, this company has developed the restaurant very fast, from one concept into another concept. The purpose of this research is: To identify factors that influence people selecting Sushi Zanmai as a sushi restaurant To identify current trends of Japanese food To recommend measures that could help to improve current condition PART 1: LITERATURE AND REVIEW Food Culture in Malaysia Malaysia has a combined population of over 18 million people. Because of its central location, between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Malaysia has traditionally been a meeting point for traders and travelers from both the East and West, it also has produced a most diverse culinary melting pot. As a result, Malaysia has a multicultural and multiracial population consisting of three main group which are Malays, Chinese, Indians and numerous indigenous peoples. With such a varying ethnic composition, it is no surprise that a great diversity of religions is prevalent throughout Malaysia. In Malaysia, eating out is really a gastronomic adventure. A blend of cultural and ethnic histories which make up Malaysias diverse population is reflected in the broad range of influences and flavours found in Malaysian cuisine. And each state in Malaysia has something to offer in terms of culinary delights. For instance: Penang, the famous in hawker stall haven, where all the most delicious food requires that only costs as little as RM 3.50 per dish, such as Penang Char Kway Teow, Fried Oyster, Laksa, etc. Mallaca is also home to Baba Nyonya food, which served in quaint cafes in historical shop houses. Or in Kuala Lumpur, the most diverse offering of foods from all over the world, such as Chinese cuisine, Indian cuisine, Japanese cuisine, Thailand cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine, European cuisine, Arabian cuisine, etc. With mixed origins, there are certain ingredients common to many dishes in Malaysia. Multiple varieties of rice and noodles, which are from local or imported from Thailand, Japan or India, are often used as a base. The Malays include a lot of seafood in their diet, like fish, squids, prawns and crabs that used to show up in Malay dishes. And most of Malaysian dishes use fish sauce or fish paste because fish live is around the shores of Malaysias islands. Fresh herbs and roots are commonly used to cook Malays food. Indian and Thai curry spices with regional varieties are often used to create rich and spicy curry dishes. A dried spice is also form an important component of Malays cooking. Moreover, in a city of Malaysia which is Malacca was one of the great trading centers of the spice in the fifteen century. And Coconut is another favorite ingredient which is also common found in countless dishes. For instance: Santan(the coconut milk), to make creamy curries. It is to add savory swee tness of the dishes and to cool the fire of hotter spices. Today, rice is the staple for almost half the worlds population, particularly in parts of China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Southeast Asia. According to historians, they believe that is was first domesticated in the area covering the foothills of Eastern Himalayas (Northeastern India), and stretching through Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Southern China. From here, it spread in all directions and human cultivation created numerous varieties of rice. According to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), based in Philippines, there are 120.000 varieties of rice worldwide. Over the centuries, there are three main types of rice developed in Asia, depends on the content of the grain which is: Amylase means an enzyme that breaks starch down into sugar Figure 1. Rice has divided into three (3) which are long grain, medium grain and short grained varieties. In this case, different populations, consumer different varieties of rice. Foods through the day in Malaysia are three meals a day and rice is almost always included, even at breakfast. For instance, Nasi Lemak. A typical meal consists of rice served with soup, curries, and a few vegetable stir-fries and also eaten fruit for dessert. A typical of Malay lunch and dinner was all dishes are placed in the center of the table to be shared by all the diners and usually the Malay food is often eaten with the hands. There are similar eating pattern within Japanese and Malaysia, which the main staple is rice and it is eaten with almost every meal. The meal features is quite same, such as the tastes of sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and salty. Like Chinese style wheat noodles served in meat stock known as Ramen have become extremely popular over the last century and Malaysian like to consume noodles. Follow by seafood, as Japan is surrounded by sea as same as Malaysias islands. Therefore, When Japanese cuisine comes to Malaysia, the food itself easily accepted by Malaysian. Background of Japanese Food Culture The rice-centered food culture of Japan evolution follows the introduction of wet rice cultivation from Asia more than 2000 years ago. The cultivation and consumption of rice has always played a central role in Japanese food culture. The tradition of Japanese is usually rice served with seasonal vegetables; fish and other marine products reached a highly sophisticated form in the Edo period (1600-1868) and remains the vibrant core of native Japanese cuisine. In the century and a half since Japan reopened to the West, Japan has developed an incredibly rich and varied food culture which includes not only native Japanese cuisine but also many foreign dishes. Some adapted to Japanese tastes and some imported more or less unchanged. In the 6th century, introduction of Buddhism to Japan became the official religion of the country and from that moment any consumption of meat and fish were prohibited. The first recorded decision prohibiting the eating of cattle, horses, dogs, monkeys and chicken was issued by Emperor Temmu in A.D.675. Laws and emperor eliminate the eating of almost all flesh of animals and fowl because based on Buddhism are prohibiting to killing. In the 15th century, many of the foods and food ingredients eaten by Japanese nowadays, for instance: miso, tofu or soy sauce. In the 16th century, the combination of Spanish and Portuguese frying technique with Chinese method for cooking vegetables in oil led to the development of tempura, the popular Japanese dish in which seafood and many types of vegetables with deep fried method. In the early 19th century, the development in Edo, the introduction of sushi has started. Todays, most of people are familiar with that dishes. It made from vinegar rice top or combined with raw fish and shellfish. And during that time, sushi was sold from stalls as a snack food, and that stalls were become the starter of todays sushi restaurants. In the mid 19th century, many of new cooking and eating customs were introduced where the most important being eating the meat. Consider of Japanese dish, Sukiyaki that consist of beef, vegetables, tofu and other ingredients cook at the table in a soup stock of soy sauce, sweet sake and sugar was first served in Western style restaurants. Another dish that popular during this period is Tonkatsu, means a deep fried bread pork cutlets. In the early 20th century, using Indian curry powder, Japanese curry rice (kareraisu) became very popular dish which consisted vegetables, meat or seafood with a thick curry sauce and served with rice. In generally at sushi restaurants, costumers will sit at the counter and call out their order item to a sushi chef. Or sit at Conyever belt where the customers can grab small plates in front of you, or call a special order if you do not see what you want on the belt. Or customers can sit on tatami mats. And as like Chinese, Japanese also ate with chopsticks to transfer the food. The rice bowl is not held as closely to the mouth. Soups are consumed directly from the bowl and the only dish eaten with a spoon is an unsweetened egg custard which known as chawanmushi. There are several ways to describes the differ of Japan cuisine from other cuisine, First, portion of the dish are small because it is to capture the diners attention with the freshness, natural flavor, the beauty of each dish, the atmosphere and the whole meal. Second, the food for a meal is served at once, so diners receive their own portions on individual plates and bowls instead of serving family style from large bowls in the middle of table. Third, Japanese use less oil which to emphasize the light and natural flavor of the food. And now, development of Japanese restaurant that opened more and more in Malaysia. It can be cause of the trends between among the Malaysia. There is similarity between Malaysia cuisine and Japanese cuisine that makes Malaysia is easier to accept. Other reason is Malaysian are quite open minded with those culture. Food affecting consumers towards selection of food There are numerous factors that affect consumers towards selection of food, whether it is made by individuals or other parties. Food choices are influenced by many interacting factors which are income, culture, the concern about health, values, religion or even genetic. Many operational models have been developed to describe these influences that including The Lifestyle Model of dietary habits (Pelto, 1981), which attempts to explain how these factors interact to result in specific food behaviors. Social-Economic-Political System Food Production and Distribution System Lifestyle Factors Figure 2: Factors that influence food habits (Source: G.H.Pelto, 1981,Anhtropological contributions to nutrition education research,Journal of Nutrition Education,13(suppl.),S4 Copyright 1994. Societal Factors: Food Production and Distribution System is responsible for the availability of foods which differs from region to region and country to country. Food availability influences and in turn is influenced by the socio-economic and political systems. These serve to control the production and distribution of food in culture. Government policy may also be involved with the purchasing power of consumers through programs such as the oversight of food quality through safety standards, nutrition labeling requirements and other production programs (JoslingRitson, 1986) Lifestyle Factors: Income (limits what foods can be purchased)  ® Occupation (influences food habits in several ways, for instance: the location of the job also influence meal patterns)  ® Education (the status and self-realization phase of food use are usually, through not always dependent on higher levels of education)  ® Nutrition Knowledge (may or may not translate into knowledge based behavior, and greater influence over what someone eats than what the person knows about nutrition)  ® Ethnic identity (a distant heritage that has been modified or lost over the generations through acculturation)  ® Rural-Urban (place of residence may affect which foods people eat)  ® Religious Beliefs (depends on what religion, may have a great impact on food habits or may have no influence at all)  ® Health (specific foods are often credited with health promoting qualities, such as ginseng in Asia)  ® Physiological (age,gender,body image, and state of health) All of influence lifestyle factors are affects food habits. 1.4 Factors affecting popularity of Japanese food towards university college student The marketing mix is the set of marketing tools which often summarized as the four Ps that the firm uses to achieve its objectives in target markets (McCarthy, 2001). And most marketing professionals would say that the right marketing mix is the one that maximizes customers satisfaction and results in the highest sales or market share. Figure 3: Marketing Mix Product It is defined as anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a need or a want. Step one; this product emerges will come from an analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats. There are two classification of product: Tangible product  ® Goods Intangible product  ® Services For a restaurant, the goods are food and beverage outlets offered and the service is the customer service. Consequently, it is logically to include services within the definition of the product. (David Jobber) Step two; is a detailed analysis of the target market to assess the nature of the opportunity, what is its size and potential? How strong is the competition and how is it likely to evolve in the future? Step three; is research into the needs of prospective customers, what is it that customers actually want? According to Hamel and Prahalad, 1991, today, this goes beyond merely asking customers, what are the customer looking for, but creatively seeking to discover needs that customers cannot articulate because the customers are unaware of the possibilities offered by new technologies and the changing environment. Figure 4: Three Restaurant Product People will always seek a restaurant that offering excellent food, especially when the restaurant have a good service, value and ambiance. People satisfy their needs and wants with products. Thus, the product is the main thing for a company because without products there is nothing to market or sell. And when a customer decides to buy a product, the customer will look for certain characteristics. The customer will want to know how many different products that offered by restaurant, which one provides a more interesting savings and what is included in the product. Product must have the power to leave a good impression and interest so the customer will not hesitate to visit the restaurant for the second time. Price It is defined as what the product or service costs to the customer or the amount that customers are willing to pay for a product and service. In order hand, price is the only element in the marketing mix that produces revenue. And setting a price for a product is very important. Price has a very strong impact on sales volume and market share; empirical studies (reviewed in Tellis, 1988; and Sethuraman and Tellis, 1991) have shown that, for most products, price elasticity is substantially higher than advertising elasticity. The company will need to set a price that the customer can afford and willing to pay and at the same it will help the company to achieve a good level of profits. When a customer asks about the price of a product, the customer also interested in knowing is there any discounts or special promotions. Therefore, no matter how good the product, how creative the promotion or how efficient the place or distribution, unless price covers costs the company will make a loss. (David Jobber, 2004) For instance, if the price is expensive, regular students will not be able to afford it and will think to have their meals in other restaurant. Nowadays, customers are concern about the price of their food and tend to compare the price to another restaurant. The customer will evaluate whether the value of the product is worth the amount that the customer are paying, because customers are always strongly influenced by price. Price often fulfills two functions simultaneously: it reflects the sacrifice that the buyer must make in order to acquire the product or service involved and it also acts as a signal of the quality of the product (Monroe, 1990) Another consideration is where pricing have the relationship between price and perceived quality, because many people use price as an indicator of quality. According to David Jobber, the more value a product gives compared to that of the competition, the higher the price that can be charged. Price should accurately key to the value to the customer. The sacrifices that made by the customer is in order to experience the benefits of a product, thus from the restaurant itself have to give the best for the customer. Place It is defined as place or distribution as a set of interdependent organizations involved in the process of making a product available for use or consumption by customers. Or the company activities that make the product available to target customers. The dimensions of place are channels, assortment, location, inventory and transport. (Borden, 1984) For instance: Location, where customer can obtain the product so distribution channels are the key to this area. And in fact, many restaurant companies believe that location has become the most important factor to success. Warnaby and Dominic, 2004 highlight the advantages of shopping in town centers. Thus, the company will need to find ways to bring the products to customers and make the product easy to access to the customers. For instance: Convenience that is also important issue in food outlet patronage which the time and speed service is required, in order to satisfied the customers need and want. Place or distribution considerations play a major role in influencing customer motives. In the marketing of consumer goods, the role is to ensure that the product is available to the consumer when and where it is needed and in sufficient variety and quantity. Promotion It is defined as the activities that communicate the merits of the products and persuade target customers to buy or use the products. Company need to plan promotional activities properly in order to create awareness of potential customers. It is where advertising and communications are used to encourage customers uptake of the product or service. Promotion has several types of tools which are: Advertising, Sales promotion (discounts, coupons), Publicity, Word of Mouth, Personal Selling, Merchandising, Sponsorship and etc. The main reason why promotion is so important is to communicate with individuals, groups or organizations. Through promotion, the message like information about products or services can be communicated to existing and potential customers. Promotions can strengthen brand positioning. A 1985 study by Frankel and Co. and Perception Research Services found that, following exposure to adverts featuring promotions for a brand, consumers opinion of the brand( issues like quality, value and caring about customers ) improved by over 8 percentage compared to those exposed to only brand sell adverts. In other words, it must have the right facilities and services (product) and make them easily accessible to guests (place) with the proper amount of promotion and the right price. (David Abbey, 2003) Japanese food-Korean food (http://web.li.gatech.edu/~rdrury/500/writing/f2_07/benihana/compasean.htm) Japanese and Korean foods are popular and are made of similar ingredients. However, the foods have their own taste, recipe and way of eating. Even though Korean food and Japanese food seems to be similar, both of them have their specialties. Japanese food and Korean food seems to be similar because they use same ingredient. For example, both of them use onions, green onions, red peppers, raw fish, and rice. Koreans and Japanese enjoy eating raw sliced fish, which are sushi and sashimi. Sushis ingredients are boiled rice, and raw sliced fish and sashimis ingredient is just as raw sliced fish. In addition, Korean and Japanese rice is the same. However, Korean and Japanese food is not totally same. Koreans tend to make food spicier and saltier than Japanese food. The price of Japanese food is higher than that Korean food. When people eat a meal at a Japanese restaurant, they should pay lots of money for their meal. For example, the basic foods like rice, sashimi, and some sea food cost thirty-five dollars per person. However, Korean basic foods, rice, main stew, and lots of side dishes cost just ten dollars per person. Japanese fresh seafood has high valuable, so most people prefer going to a Japanese restaurant like Benihana. Nevertheless, it is expensive. Every person has his/her own appetite, someone want to eat Japanese food and the other want to eat Korean food. Both foods may seem to be similar, because they are made of almost same ingredients. However, each of them has their own recipe, taste, and style of eating. Even though Japanese food is expensive, people like to eat Japanese food. The Five Ws The 5 Whys is a simple problem-solving technique that helps users to get to the root of the problem quickly.