Factors That Influence The Child Development Scene Essay

What is Child Development? Child development is the study of the persistent, cumulative, and progressive changes in the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of children and adolescents. This paper will focus on the many theorists that helped influence the child development scene. I will also discuss development trends and milestones associated with child development as well as strategies to support children’s development. Lastly I will discuss the role that play has on child development. Introduction Play is an activity that is chosen freely and is motivated and directed from within. Adequate space for play space and a wide variety of play materials can be crucial in the development of children (Goldstein, 2012). In early childhood education, play is particularly valued and embedded in the curriculum. The importance of play is stemmed from the contribution it makes towards the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of children and youth (Ginsburg, 2005).Continuous play between children and their peers as well as adults can enhance their social competence and emotional maturity. Play is considered as the pillar of the society since it facilitates communication between people especially because they are expected to handle various roles. During play, children develop all the skills required, making it a very significant aspect of their lives (Goldstein, 2012). The developments of different cognitive, affective and personal processes areShow MoreRelatedTele vised Violence causes Aggression in Young Boys1555 Words   |  7 Pagesnetwork, like cartoon network, age appropriate shows without violence, they display the fighting and weapons making the child believe that these actions are acceptable. The popular culture of televised violence associated with television shows like Batman encourages aggressive behavior in elementary school aged boys because of the violent imagery depicted in fighting and weapons scene. The numerous displays of televised violence affects elementary school aged boys. Violence is more common now daysRead MoreThe Theories Of Development, Iq And The Pressure968 Words   |  4 PagesOut of the major theories of development, â€Å"IQ and the Pressure to Perform† relates the closest to Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory. This theory incorporates two main points that pertain to the ideas displayed in this documentary: children’s active engagement with their environment and â€Å"the solo mind taking in and interpreting information about the world† (Papalia, 2015, p.31). These ideas can be seen throughout the video as parents showing flashcards to young children/infants, both with wordsRead MoreThe Effects Of Media And Screen Time Children On Children917 Words   |  4 Pageselectronics such as televisions, computers, and videogames for hours at a time. Environmental factors affect children in significant ways. The effects the media and screen time children are revealed to influence their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Television and media can both hinder and encouraging their growth. It is important for guardians, caregivers, teachers, whomever has a child they look after or care for, to make accommodations to construct the best possible environmentRead MoreSocial Disadvantages Of Children Born Of Teenage Mothers1215 Words   |  5 PagesDue to the mother not being finished growing, limited opportunities for education or the factor of being a single parent add as stress factors that impact young children. According to Dr. Julia Morinis, lead author and researcher for the Centre for Research on Inner City Health of St. Michael’s Hospital, â€Å"It’s likely that being a teen mother is a risk factor that indicates poorer circumstance for development in some cases.† In a study done by the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)Read MoreFilm Analysis: Whats Eating Gilbert Grape?849 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to Piaget, the development of a childs moral judgment is a shift from a heteronomous to an autonomous mode of thinking. Heteronomy is characterized by egocentrism, unilateral respect (where the child respects the parents authority but is not respected in return), rigidity of rules (as given by adults and therefore not changed), and objective responsibility (action judged according to consequences (Ruffy, 1981, p. 61). A child is morally autonomous when s/he can establish relationshipsRead MoreMovie Analysis : Like Father, Like Son888 Words   |  4 Pagesincome single child family with that of a low income multiple child family. These two families were forced to decide if they would attempt to reunite with their first born sons who were switched at birth. The director, Hirokazu Koreeda, was able to masterfully explore the aspects of Japanese families by crafting scenes of everyday activities. I will analyze the differences between the social class of each family by examining these specific scenes from the film. During the first scene a clear overviewRead MoreThe Negative Advantage Of Social Media1020 Words   |  5 Pagescalls, but now instance direct communication such as texting, and email allows users to easily stay and maintain relationships. Individuals and families living heavily driven social media world will have several positive and negative factors that influence their development. According to Sharaievska, and Stodolska (2015), social media can have a beneficial role in maintaining and supporting long distance relationship and reviving past relationships. Platforms like Facebook did not help develop a newRead MoreThe Reality of Corrupt Power Hungry Men in the Film Chinatown773 Words   |  4 Pagesstudying the power and influence of a patriarchal society. With the support of Mulveys theories I will describe three scenes in the film that reflect this gaze. The first example is when Evelyn first steps into Jake Gittes office and draws attention from all of the males in the room, secondly she meets Jake for lunch ands the gaze is again focused in on her and finally the scene where Jake and Evelyn flee from the retirement home. Evelyn is seen as heroic as she saves Jake from the scene, she then takesRead MoreSantos Sarahi Unit 5 Midterm Essay example1222 Words   |  5 PagesForensic Fingerprint Analysis Prof:   Denise Womer Based upon your expertise in regards to fingerprint and friction-skin development, explain why the following conclusion regarding human cloning is false. Premise: We all accept the proven fact that identical twins do not have the same fingerprints. However, human clones present a different set of friction skin development issues. No! Studies have concluded that, even though the fingerprints of identical twins may be very similar, they are not identicalRead MoreThe Effect of Globalization on Fashion with Special Reference to the Impact of Japanese Designs on the European Scene1527 Words   |  7 Pagesct Analyse the effect of ‘Globalization’ on fashion with special reference to the impact of Japanese designs on the European scene. The definition of globalisation is quite complex and extremely controversial. However globalization with reference to the fashion industry helps defines the development of what has been termed as „world fashion‟. Preferred garments of young people is quite often the same. A phenomenon made possible by the exploitative mechanisms of globalization. The globalization

Misconceptions of African American life Essay - 2549 Words

Misconceptions of African American life â€Å"When you control a mans thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his proper place and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.† This quote, spoken true by a prominent African American scholar of the 20th century, Carson Woodson, is aimed at shedding light on the inherent miseducation of African Americans. His beliefs that controlling one’s thinking with such a powerful grasp that allows little or no movement will lead to that individual behaving†¦show more content†¦The vast majority of aids in this process, however, come from African American scholars, writers, poets, film-makers, etc., who have set out to expose the â€Å"miseducation of the Negro† into believing and acting upon forced actions or opinions and to learn the truths behind their actual heritage. Four works that susinctly bring the â€Å"miseducation† about African American history into the spotlight of the national public are Claude McKay’s â€Å"The Lynching†, Harriet Jacob’s â€Å"Incidents in the Life of A Slavegirl†, Gordon Park’s â€Å"Washington D.C. Charwoman†, and Spike Lee’s â€Å"School Daze.† All four works illustrate a common thread of the misconception of African-American life by blacks themselves, as well as Caucasians around them, that has been carried intact through many a generations in the history of the United States. The earliest example that I would like to call attention to is Claude McKay’s poem entitled â€Å"The Lynching.† In my opinion, this poem addresses the commonly held misconceptions of both blacks and whites against African Americans during the period of slavery in the U.S. In terms of the miseducation of African Americans, the author uses the line of â€Å"The awful sin remained still unforgiven† to insinuate that being born black was considered by him and other African Americans at that time to be a sin or something to be ashamed of. He blames thisShow MoreRelatedThe Challenges Of Stereotypes Within Africa1513 Words   |  7 Pageselaborates on human natures need to group people, places, and things, which creates the theory of superiority or dominance over races, cultures, and even religions. Keim’s opening argument dives directly into the how stereotypes are often misused by Americans and Europeans. Keim proposes that the main reason why stereotypes have endured or sustained, is societies overwhelming need to categorize and configurated. Keim suggests that in an ideal world, stereotypes regarding Africa would become abandonedRead MoreDisproving Misconceptions About Africa1743 Words   |  7 PagesDisproving Misconceptions about Africa Africa is a country filled with primitive tribesmen who have made insignificant contributions to history. Today most Americans pride themselves on being open-minded, politically conscious, and socially aware of world wide problems. Yet when discussing Africa, its history, and present state, most misconceptions as seen above are accepted without question. These myths have been developed over a century of time and have become imbedded in the minds of the WesternRead MoreDifferences And Similarities Between Hip-Hop And R B786 Words   |  4 Pagesare beauty and greatness in all music Hip-Hop, and RB when I listen to two these genres I tend to notice the differences and the same that they have. The two has the same and difference lyric, tone and melodies The birth of RB was created by African American in the early 1960’s from Soul music, Jazz, Gospel, Pop music and Blues as time went on RB was born. In its earlier days, RB Music was all about racial issues, and artists gave a lot of importance to the style and arrangement, which includedRead MoreChildhood Obesity: A Growing Problem795 Words   |  3 Pagesthat needs to be resolved. Many people may say it is the Child’s fault, he is weak willed. This is just a common misconception; there are hundreds of different reasons for childhood obesity. I will just be scratching the surface of this paper. By the same token childhood obesity is a growing problem that needs to be resolved. We can achieve this by understanding some common misconceptions, understanding health problems, and understanding fitness. Therefore who is to blame for childhood obesity? TheRead MoreEssay about African American History: Tribute to Sojourner Truth632 Words   |  3 PagesDocumentary Film Analysis Worksheet History 221 – African American History Before 1877 Instructions: †¢ You will find the list of films you can choose from in the Lesson section of the course. †¢ Go to the list and pick your film. You must view the entire film. If you can’t access films because of deployment, geographic location, or other reasons, please let your instructor know so they can give you an alternate assignment. †¢ Please type you answers into this sheet. You must submit the worksheetRead MorePerception of the African American Males1600 Words   |  7 PagesPerception of the African American males African Americans males are considered dangerous based on a false identity, misconceptions, and misinformation that are available in the media; this includes but is not limited to rap music, news, and TV shows. This misconception can be traced as far back as slavery. The perception of blacks’ males as being dangerous began when the slave came to America on 1619. Due to the situation of being treated as property, to be freely bought and sold, andRead MoreAfrican Americans : The Primary Victims Of Police Brutality1188 Words   |  5 PagesIn the United States, studies have shown that minority citizens, particularly African Americans, are the primary victims of police brutality. This use of excessive force, when utilized by law enforcement officers, encompasses a wide range of abusive practices – racial slurs, profanity, unnecessary searches, physical abuse, and even murder. According to a report by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, 313 African Americans were killed without trial by police, security guards, and vigilantes in 2012.Read MoreThe Black Colleges And Universities Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, have played an important role in enriching the lives of no t just African Americans, but our entire country.†(Keller) What Ric Keller states here is an opinion that outlines a compelling fact about HBCUs that along with several other significant information that may come as a surprise. Essentially, the great debate between the choice of whether an Historically Black College and University or Predominantly White Institution is more beneficialRead MoreHistorically Black Colleges And Universities Essay1465 Words   |  6 PagesHistorically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, have played an important role in enriching the lives of not just African Americans, but our entire country.†(Keller) What Ric Keller states here is an opinion that outlines a compelling fact about HBCUs that along with several other significant information that may come as a surprise. Essentially, the great debate between the choice of whether a Historically Black College and University or Predominantly White Institution is more beneficial orRead MoreSt aples and Cofer1308 Words   |  6 Pages Different Ethnicities Same Problems When Americans meet someone new they are already sticking that person into some sort of category because of their appearance. If someone looks different than Americans are use to, they automatically stick some sort of stereotype to them. Stereotypes are strongly displayed in the media; stereotype can be based of someone’s color, culture, religion, or sex. In Black men in public spaces by Brent Staples, and in The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named

Project Management and Ethical Decision Making

Question: Discuss about the Project Management and Ethical Decision Making. Answer: Introduction All the three examples on management research such as Understanding and supporting the career implications of international assignments, Cross-cultural training and expatriate adjustment: A study of western expatriates in Nigeria and The effect of ethnic diversity on expatriate managers in their host country provide different insights in the aspect of management decision making. However, all the three examples on management research have few similarities in terms of their approaches towards the problem. On the other hand, it is also a fact that the managers can utilize the conclusions as well as the findings portrayed in each example through a specific way. Apart from that, the managers can also find the studies of equal value or would also be able to differentiate in the research approach lead to the distinctions in the value of the studies made in the example to inform the management decision making (Collings et al. 2011). Therefore, this section aims to highlight all these aspects mentioned above by conducting a comparative study among the three examples based on management research. Similarities or Differences in the Three Research Approaches In spite of the differences in the insights presented in the three examples, there are few similarities among the studies. Collings et al. (2011) have portrayed a study on understanding as well as supporting the implications of the international assignments on career. This study has drawn the insights from the empirical research as well as the unpublished instances from the practice for exploring how the global assignees can be supported during, after and before the accomplishment of the global assignment. On the other hand, Okpara and Kabongo (2011) have illustrated an in-depth insight on the cross-cultural expatriate and training adjustment based on the study of Nigerian expatriates. According to Okpara and Kabongo (2011), the globalization enhancement has resulted in more employees being sent on the foreign assignments than ever before with each indication that the utilization of expatriates would continue for expanding in the future. Besides that, Freeman and Lindsay (2012) have provided a deepened insight on the effect of ethnic diversity on the expatriate managers in their country. Therefore, the methods or approaches utilized in all the three examples are different. Collings et al. (2011) have selected the primary data collection method in order to portray their findings in regards to the subject of that example. On the other hand, Okpara and Kabongo (2011) and Freeman and Lindsay (2012) have utilized secondary data collection techniques in order to interpret their findings aligned with the analysis they have aimed to demonstrate in the rest of the two examples. With the help of the primary data collection method, Collings et al. (2011) have tried to convey their analysis through proper, valid and live evidences. Moreover, Okpara and Kabongo (2011) and Freeman and Lindsay (2012) have utilized the secondary data sources in order to establish more relevance in their management research studies. Utilization of Findings and Conclusions Presented in Eeach Example by a Manager The findings as well as the conclusions portrayed in all the three examples on management research can effectively help a manager in order to take appropriate decisions in all the three management research aspects conveyed in the studies. With the help of the conclusion and findings interpreted in the first examples, a manager can easily understand the fact that the international assignees represent an essential cohort of international migrants (Mitchelmore and Rowley 2013). Moreover they prefer comparatively advantaged position within the labor market in comparison towards another of migrants formation that is considered in this specific symposium. On the other hand, from the findings portrayed in the second example, a manager can easily understand the investigated effect of the prior international experience of the expatriate on the facets of the adjustment of expatriates (Asif et al. 2013). Therefore, a manager can also understand the fact that the pre-move cultural training has a positive influence on the international assignment adaptation. Moreover, through the findings implicated in the third examples, a manager can understand the fact that the cultural training and foreign should be the major aspect of expatriate training for facilitating more efficient socialization and communication in the foreign subsidiaries. Value of the Studies for Informing Management Decision-making After studying completely all the three examples, it can be clearly understood that a manager can find these studies of equal value in the research approaches result in the value of a study in order to inform the management decision making (Schmoll et al. 2012). This is simply because of the fact that the findings and conclusions portrayed in all the three examples can effectively help a particular manager in order to make proper decisions. It could easily be done by understanding the essence of the cross-cultural training for the expatriate employees and the effect of ethnic diversity on expatriate managers in the host nation. Two articles Entrepreneurial competencies of women entrepreneurs pursuing business growth and An integrated management systems approach to corporate social responsibility can be selected as the two another examples of management research. These two articles have been selected in order to discuss the possible reasons behind the differences and similarities in these examples with the three examples discussed above (Roehrich, Grosvold and Hoejmose 2014). First of all, in case of the similarities between these two articles with the above mentioned articles, it can easily be stated that all the studies can help a manager in taking effective decisions in order to manage the work culture, business operations as well as the employee engagement within the business activities. In todays business world, women empowerment has become one of the most crucial concerns. Moreover, women entrepreneurs are becoming the pivotal part of the global business (Ford and Richardson 2013). Moreover, in order t o maintain corporate social responsibility, organizations are more focusing on implementing the integrated management system approach. Therefore, managers should take proper decisions in regards to these aspects of women empowerment and accomplishing corporate social responsibility. As per the differences in these two articles with the previously discussed articles, it can be seen that the areas of decision making for the managers are different. Both the two articles are based on the women entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility maintenance whereas the articles discussed previously portrayed the views regarding the cross cultural training aspects for the organizational people (Mitchelmore and Rowley 2013). Moreover, the three examples also provided a deepened insight regarding the expatriate adjustment regarding which managers should be capable of taking appropriate decisions. In order to be efficient in taking decisions in the management grounds, managers should go through specific researches for gaining knowledge regarding the management practices. Leaders as well as managers should have enough knowledge about the ways through which they can effectively handle all the situations inside the work culture (Asif et al. 2013). Therefore, all the five examples mentioned and analyzed in this study can help properly the managers to understand the authentic with the help of which they can take appropriate in order to improve the business operations. On the other hand, it must be stated that all these decisions should be concerned about the employee benefit. Managers can be capable of learning the most significant techniques from analyzing these specific management research studies (Ford and Richardson 2013). With the help of this research studies, they can be capable of maintaining all their responsibilities such as staffing, communicating effectively with all th eir subordinates, training their employees, maintaining diversity within the workplace, and especially managing the rise in business growth. References Asif, M., Searcy, C., Zutshi, A. and Fisscher, O.A., 2013. An integrated management systems approach to corporate social responsibility.Journal of cleaner production,56, pp.7-17. Collings, D.G., Doherty, N., Luethy, M. and Osborn, D., 2011. Understanding and supporting the career implications of international assignments.Journal of Vocational Behavior,78(3), pp.361-371. Ford, R.C. and Richardson, W.D., 2013. Ethical decision making: A review of the empirical literature. InCitation classics from the Journal of Business Ethics(pp. 19-44). Springer Netherlands. Freeman, S. and Lindsay, S., 2012. The effect of ethnic diversity on expatriate managers in their host country.International Business Review,21(2), pp.253-268. Roehrich, J., Grosvold, J. and U. Hoejmose, S., 2014. Reputational risks and sustainable supply chain management: Decision making under bounded rationality.International Journal of Operations Production Management,34(5), pp.695-719. Mitchelmore, S. and Rowley, J., 2013. Entrepreneurial competencies of women entrepreneurs pursuing business growth.Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development,20(1), pp.125-142. Okpara, J.O. and Kabongo, J.D., 2011. Cross-cultural training and expatriate adjustment: A study of western expatriates in Nigeria.Journal of world business,46(1), pp.22-30. Schmoll, H.J., Van Cutsem, E., Stein, A., Valentini, V., Glimelius, B., Haustermans, K., Nordlinger, B., Van de Velde, C.J., Balmana, J., Regula, J. and Nagtegaal, I.D., 2012. ESMO Consensus Guidelines for management of patients with colon and rectal cancer. a personalized approach to clinical decision making.Annals of Oncology,23(10), pp.2479-2516.

The Priest(Kafka vs Camus) Essay Example For Students

The Priest(Kafka vs Camus) Essay The Outsider, written by Albert Camus, and The Trial, written by Franz Kafka, are two books that have been critically acclaimed since the time that they were published. There are critics that claim that The Outsider is a dull book, and is not even a read-worthy book. Other people claim that it shows us how society actually acts upon people who do not want to be like the rest of society. The Trial falls under the same kind of criticism; but both books, although written by different writers in a different poque, fall under the same kind of genre: Imprisoned Lives. In both The Outsider and The Trial there are many people who influence the protagonists in a positive and in a negative way, but none of those characters are as important as the priest. The priest, being of the same profession in both books and trying to accomplish the same kind of tasks, have a totally different effect on the two protagonists. In The Outsider the priest changes the whole attitude that Meursault has to life, whereas in The Trial the priest tells Joseph K. how his life actually is. We will write a custom essay on The Priest(Kafka vs Camus) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Why do you refuse to see me? This question was asked by the priest and was meant for Meursault. Normally, if a person is convicted to death, he will see a priest before the sentence is executed. Meursault did not do that. He profusely refused to see the priest and why should he? He did not believe in god. Meursault did not care, as he did not care if his mother died, or if someone proposed marriage to him. This of course went totally against the rules and ethics of society, which cannot permit such kind of behaviour. But why does Cams characterize Meursault like that? Why did he create such kind of an outsider to society? Cams created such an outsider because he wanted to show people how life actually is. Society does not accept people who do not bend the truth a little and lie. Society wants to make life as easy as can be, making up lies so that everything can run smoothly because truth can hurt sometimes, and Cams knows that. Cams implements the priest not just as another character in the novel, but as a person who wants to tell Meursault how society expects him to behave. Meursault did not want to know how he has to act to make the society happy, as a matter of fact, the priest was beginning to annoy him. Meursault was not even following what the priest said but rather gazed out of the cell into the sky. Cams wants to show us actually how uninterested Meursault is in the priest. But all this is about to change because Cams adds an unexpected twist. The priest mentions how even the hardest of criminals stare at something at one point in their life and imagine a divine face in it. Meursault did not see the face of Jesus Christ in it, but he saw the face of Marie, the girl who proposed the marriage to him. But this was the turning life in Meursaults life. All of a sudden he starts to care about things and take some interest in things, and that explains the outrage he suddenly got against the priest. Meursault knows that he his going to die, and he cannot accept that. His whole attitude all of a sudden changed. Cams shows us that a person cannot go against society and that society and the majority, be it good or bad, will always win. .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 , .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .postImageUrl , .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 , .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43:hover , .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43:visited , .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43:active { border:0!important; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43:active , .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43 .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue5504af0f09e1d9166bcfcded10ecf43:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Windhover By Hopkins EssayKafkas priest however was different. He did not tell to change Joseph K.s life but rather told Joseph K. how his life is and how unjust society actually is. The setting that Kafka creates is pretty phenomenal. The cathedral is dark and gloomy, only lighted by some oil lamps which have a small illumination radius. It is a rainy day, which gives it an even more sad and depressing feeling. As time passes by, the inside of the cathedral gets darker and darker, which creates a sort of evil foreshadowing of what will happen at the end of the book. Then the priest comes to the altar, which is humorous because there will be no sermon right now. It is rain y, a weekday and nobody showed up at the church. But that is the illusion Kafka wants to create. The priest is not there to preach, he is there to talk to Joseph K. During the talk the priest has with Joseph K., Kafka uses the analogy with the doorman. But why did Kafka use this? Kafka used this analogy because he wanted to show us how unjust and corrupt the court and justice system actually is. Yes, the government states that the law is there so everybody can benefit from it; justice is there for everybody and that anybody can access it with no difficulty. But later Kafka writes that everything is accessible to man, except the law. The law is closed to him, which means there will be no justice because the law cannot be accessed, and without the law there cannot be any justice. Through this scene Kafka also foreshadows that Joseph K. has been played the fool, and that the court is actually unjust and that he was convicted unjustly. Now, Joseph K. did not know this. He thought that everything was well, and that his appeal has already been processed and that he would be free in a few days. But that is why Kafka put in the priest, so that he can clarify to Joseph K. how and in what situation the life of Joseph K. actually stands. Both books make profound impact on the readers; some reject the novels and regard them as absolute trash because they do not want to accept that society actually is how the two authors, Albert Camus and Franz Kafka, portray them to be. They both carry a lot of hidden messages and meanings and how the authors actually feel about the society they live in. They criticize society because the society is corrupt and unjust, and that is what the authors wanted us readers to find out ourselves because one person alone cannot make any changes. It has to be many persons, perhaps even a whole society. Many critics have criticized these books, trying to bring down their popularity because they themselves have been a part of the corrupt and unjust society and they do not want to admit that they belong to one of these societies. These books portray the truth of what kind of world we live in today and that we should think about ourselves and what our ethics in life actually are.

A Pirating War essays

A Pirating War essays Would you rather pay twenty to twenty-five dollars for one DVD or less than forty bucks for a computer program which copies any DVD and stores it onto your computer? If you were a smart shopper it comes to you as common sense. There are such programs on the market that you can buy, but there are a few problems. There are certain little things called copyright laws. This is how certain companies such as MGM and other such companies are winning lawsuits against people that distribute these programs and also hackers that break through the encryptions on the DVDs. The current legal DVD battle between the movie industry and the free/open software communities over DVD is a microcosm of an ongoing intellectual property war. This war pits intellectual property owners against such diverse groups as programmers opposing restrictions on reverse engineering and the publication of computer code and librarians opposing new restrictions on copyright rights of first sale and fair use. Jon Johansen may be the youngest victim of this war. Because of software posted on the 16-year-old's Web site, his home in Norway was raided in January by police who seized two computers and a cell phone. Both Jon and his father were indicted; criminal charges could result in two- to three-year prison Now ever since there has been DVDs, there has been hackers trying to break the encryptions on these DVDs. Encryptions are a certain series of codes that makes it hard to copy a DVD. MGM and other such companies have brought these hackers to court and accused them of breaking the copyrights of these DVDs. Lets just say that it was Hollywood against these certain big named hackers. Of course Hollywood won and is still winning, dew to the copyright laws of the movies. But this does not mean that they can stop all the low profile hackers that break these laws everyday by copying DVDs and then selling them. Now these concer ...

Connotation (of Words) - Definition and Examples

Connotation (of Words) s Connotation refers to the emotional implications and associations that a word may carry, in contrast to its denotative (or literal) meanings. Verb: connote. Adjective: connotative. Also called intension or sense. The connotation of a word can be positive, negative, or neutral. It can also be either cultural or personal. Heres an example: To most people the word cruise connotessuggestsa delightful holiday; thus its cultural connotation is positive. If you get seasick, however, the word may connote only discomfort to you; your personal connotation is negative.(Vocabulary by Doing, 2001) In his book Patterns and Meanings (1998), Alan Partington observes that connotation is a problem area for learners of a language: [Because] it is an important mechanism for the expression of attitude, it is of paramount importance that learners be aware of it in order to grasp the illocutionary intent of messages. Etymology:  From the Latin, mark along with Examples and Observations In the East the wilderness has no evil connotation; it is thought of as an expression of the unity and harmony of the universe.(William O. Douglas)Exercise addiction.It sounds like an oxymoronexercise has a healthy connotation, while addiction sounds negative.But experts are seeing some people abuse a healthy lifestyleand for one Los Angeles woman, the addiction lasted nearly 20 years.(Jessica Ryen Doyle, Woman Battles Exercise Addiction for Nearly 20 Years. Fox News.com, October 17, 2012)In the real world, procrastination has a negative connotation.People who leave things to the last minute are often characterized as lazy, unprepared and inefficient.In professional sports, though, procrastination isn’t a label to be ashamed about. In fact, putting things off until the last possible moment might be the sign of a true champion.(Ian Mendes, Procrastinate Like a Champion. Ottawa Citizen, October 15, 2012)Debt is a four letter word. For many people it has the same connotation as m any other four letter words. However, not all debt is bad. . . . In general terms good debt is defined as debt that allows someone to invest in the future such as business loans, student loans, mortgages and real estate loans.(How to Know When Debt Is a Four Letter Word. MarketWatch, October 17, 2012) Stimulus is Washington talk, said Rahm Emanuel, the coming White House chief of staff with a sandpapered-fingertip sensitivity to the familiar connotation of words. Economic recovery is how the American people think of it.(William Safire, Recovery. The New York Times, Dec. 12, 2008)Synonyms and ConnotationsA group of synonyms cannot by definition be distinguished in terms of their denotation, but they usually display noticeable differences of connotation, as in the case of car, automobile, runabout, buggy, banger, bus, hot rod, jalopy, old crock, racer, and so on.(David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2003)A Rose by Any Other Name- Mr. Powers: Jones. I dont like that name. Its going to handicap you, young man. Now wait a minute. Ive got some sort of a name here. Yes. Haverstock. Huntley Haverstock. Sounds a little more important, dont you think, Mr. Fisher?Mr. Fisher: Oh, yes, yes. Very dashing.Mr. Powers: . . . Well, speak up young man. You dont mind being Huntley Haverstock, do you?Johnny Jones: A rose by any name, sir.(Harry Davenport, George Sanders, and Joel McCrea in Foreign Correspondent, 1940)- What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,Nor arm, nor face, nor any other partBelonging to a man. O! be some other name:What’s in a name? that which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet.(Juliet in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)- Lisa: A rose by any other name smells as sweet.Bart: Not if you call them Stench Blossoms.(The Simpsons) Light CigarettesAltria said it had used terms like light as well as packaging colors to connote different tastes, not safety. But study after studyincluding ones by the industry disclosed in tobacco lawsuitshas shown consumers believe the terms and colors connote a safer product.(Duff Wilson, Coded to Obey Law, Lights Become Marlboro Gold. The New York Times, Feb. 18, 2010)Pork Butt or Boston Roast?In an effort to boost sales going into the grilling season and make shopping at the meat counter a bit easier, the pork and beef industries are retooling more than 350 names of meat cuts to give them more sizzle and consumer appeal. . . .[By summer,] the pork chop will be gone. Instead, grocery retailers could be stocking stacks of porterhouse chops, ribeye chops and New York chops. The pork butt which actually comes from shoulder meatwill be called a Boston roast.(New Meat Names Mean Bye Bye, Pork Chop; Hello, Ribeye. Chicago Tribune, April 10, 2013)ReservationThe name reservation has a negative connotation among Native Americansan intern camp of sorts.(John Russell) TribeSince tribe has assumed a connotation of primitiveness or backwardness, it is suggested that the use of nation or people replace the term whenever possible in referring to Native American peoples.(R. B. Moore, Racism in the English Language, in The Production of Reality, ed. J. OBrien, 2005)Socialism and Capitalism[For many], socialism implies egalitarianism and that people are living for society, while capitalism has been given the connotation of materialism, greedy, selfish, self-serving, and so on.(Milton Friedman)Denotation and Connotation in a Poem by E.A. RobinsonIn the following poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of the words in italics.Richard Cory (1897)Whenever Richard Cory went down town,We people on the pavement looked at him:He was a gentleman from sole to crown,Clean favored, and imperially slim.And he was always quietly arrayed,And he was always human when he talked;But still he fluttered pulses when he sa id,Good-morning, and he glittered when he walked.And he was richyes, richer than a king,And admirably schooled in every grace:In fine, we thought that he was everythingTo make us wish that we were in his place.So on we worked, and waited for the light,And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,Went home and put a bullet through his head. Denotation and Connotation in a Poem by Henry David ThoreauIn the following poem we have italicized a number of key words whose connotative meaning directs our response to the images. Although the poem is mostly imagesthe overt commentary is confined to the first two linesthe poets attitude is anything but neutral.Pray to What Earth Does This Sweet Cold Belongby Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)Pray to what earth does this sweet cold belong,Which asks no duties and no conscience?The moon goes up by leaps, her cheerful pathIn some far summer stratum of the sky,While stars with their cold shine bedot her way.The fields gleam mildly back upon the sky,And far and near upon the leafless shrubsThe snow dust still emits a silver light.Under the hedge, where drift banks are their screen,The titmice now pursue their downy dreams,As often in the sweltering summer nightsThe bee doth drop asleep in the flower cup,When evening overtakes him with his load.By the brooksides, in the still, genial ni ght,The more adventurous wanderer may hearThe crystals shoot and form, and winter slowIncrease his rule by gentlest summer means.(David Bergman and Daniel Mark Epstein, The Heath Guide to Literature. D.C. Heath, 1984) The Lighter Side of Connotations: Purses and HandbagsWhy is it a handbag instead of a purse?The General simultaneously rolled her eyes and released a tired sigh. A purse is a cheap, plastic discount store thing. A handbag is what contemporary, fashion-conscious women carry. And thats what we sell. Expensive designer handbags. An assortment of the latest trends and must-have famous names. They are handbags and you need to refer to them that way. You can say bag for short, but never, ever, ever say the word purse Its an insult to the exclusive designers we carry. Got it?Got it.But I didnt really get it. The whole thing sounded kind of snooty and stupid.(Freeman Hall, Retail Hell: How I Sold My Soul to the Store. Adams Media, 2009)The Lighter Side of Connotations: PantiesTheres a certain light connotation attached to the word panties. Can we find another name for them?(Joseph N. Welch as Judge Weaver in Anatomy of a Murder, 1959) Pronunciation: kon-no-TAY-shun Also known as: affective meaning, intensional meaning Also see: Choosing the Best Words: Denotations and ConnotationsAssociative MeaningBertrand Russell on the Connotative Power of WordsConceptual MeaningCommonly Confused Words:  Connotation  and  DenotationCommonly Confused Words:  Connote  and  DenoteDysphemism  and  EuphemismGlittering GeneralitiesLoaded WordsOrthophemismParadiastolePejorative LanguagePhonaestheticsReflected MeaningSemanticsSemioticsSnarl Words Purr WordsSubtextSynonym  and  SynonymyUsage NoteWord ChoiceWriters on Writing: Ten Tips for Finding the Right Words

Strategy and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategy and Culture - Essay Example If the strategy does not fit the culture the organization and its people might experience confusion and uncertainty. If a strategy does not require major changes in the culture of the organization, it may be easy to adopt and it may not even consume ample amount of time. When two organizations join hands together it is very important that the organization pays emphasis to the link between the organization’s culture as well as strategy. For example: The merger of Compaq and HP was quite astonishing as the culture of both the organizations was quite different from each other (Fried, 2002, p.1). HP was focusing on a huge portfolio of products, they spent heavily on inventing new technology, the management style practiced in HP was such that the management was heavily involved in the organization and the decision making process of HP was quite professional in nature. On the other hand Compaq spent less on inventions, they had a smaller portfolio as compared to HP and the managemen t style was dictatorship like in nature because decisions were made on the top level and handed down to the lower level and they took heavy risks. This example clearly shows that there was a misfit between the cultures of the organization and the strategy of merging both the organizations. Fried, I. (2002, September 2). HP-Compaq merger: Worth the wait? - CNET News. Technology News - CNET News. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://news.cnet.com/HP-Compaq-merger-Worth-the-wait/2100-1001_3-956202.html Monash University. Faculty of Business and Economics. Department of Management, Threlfall, Mark, Yearn, Dan, & Haslett, Tim. (2003). An investigation into the link between culture and strategy using soft systems methodology and group analysis. Part 1 soft systems methodology.

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 2 LIBRARY ASSIGNEMNT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 2 LIBRARY ASSIGNEMNT - Essay Example An organization will need dreamers, doers, strategizers, organizers and team builders just to mention a few. This is a subject that will create major impact for leveraging the best of the employees present for the best results for the company. To allow for this kind of organization to occur, the organization as a whole must receive training on diversity and the hiring principles that will help us to make that happen. We will present a plan, here on how best to accomplish this change. To begin, there must be an established approach to the problem of education of something as new and different as diversity education. We will confront the data, share it broadly, and use it to define as precisely as possible where our greatest energy will need to be applied. We will share case studies and refine the information from them through discussion in the groups where they are applied. We will engage everyone by listening to them throughout all discussions, to better understand what their learning needs are. Our measureable objectives which are listed on the teaching plan at the follow of this document will be shared with the learners and actions will follow. We will survey all those involved in the education prior to the training and then again after the training to assure that there is a better understanding of cross cultural issues and the importance of those to the company in general. Once the education is carried out per the education plan following this document, we will continually reeducate to assure that this is a process that continues to work throughout the system. We will also assure that any new employees go through the whole training as part of their orientation to the company. We believe like so many companies that have leveraged diversity for the betterment of the company that the senior management team must be on board first. Research shows that this is a process that must be driven from the top down and so the education for

Communication in Health and Social Care Essay Example for Free

Communication in Health and Social Care Essay 1. 1 Apply relevant theories of communication to health and social care contextsAccording to George Gerbner,he describes the three main branches of communication studies as; 1. †semiotics† The study of signs and symbols and how they combine to convey meaning in different social contexts,This branch is mainly concerned with how verbal,non verbal and aural signs and symbols combine to create messages. 2. Media effects the study of behaviour and interaction through exposure to messages,It emphasizes measuring,explaining and predicting communication effects on knowledge,perceptions,beliefs,attitudes and public opinion,It is strongly influenced by scientific methods from the fields of psychology and social psychology. 3. Message production is the study of the large-scale organization through social institutions and system,example; mass media,political organisation,government and advocacy groups. Their history, regulations,policy making impact,It is strongly influenced by scientific methods from the fields of sociology but also by the methods of political science and public affair. According to Abraham Maslows humanistic theory of learning,learning contributes to psychological health. The goals of learning includes discovery of ones vocation or destiny;knowledge of values;realization of life as precious;acquisition of peak experiences; senses of accomplishment;satisfaction of psychological needs;awareness of beauty and wonder of life;impulse control;developing choice and grappling with critical existential problems of life. Applying Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of needs in The Care Home Setting,service users needs should be met like; Freedom of abuse and neglect from the care workers and ensuring them adequate food and shelter;Free from any kind of discrimination,risks and danger to be able to feel safe;Ability to trust their care workers and receive effective communication;Respect for their rights,dignity,privacy and diversity;Helping them take control of their own lives in order to develop their full potential and reach their goal. According to John B. Watson, Behaviours can be measured,trained and changed. It also acquired through conditioning which occurs through interaction with the environment. All of our sensory work, memory work,attention,etc,are part of definite modes of behaviour. In a Care Home Setting, it explains why we need to separate service users with an agitative behaviour from a noisy environment where other service users are happily participating in a physical activities,to prevent his/her agitation to aggression which can be potentially harm to the other individuals,care workers needs to take the service user to a quiet place to settle down. Sometimes moody behaviours are the service users way to communicate what they feel so its very important on the part on the care workers to be very observant on service users mood change and act accordingly According to Sigmund Freuds outline of psychoanalysis(1940),He compared the human mind to an iceberg in order to describe the structure of personality. The small portion of the iceberg that lies above the water represents the conscious mind,or all the thoughts,feelings,and desires that you are fully aware of. This is the aspect of our mental processing than we can think and talk about rationally. A part of this includes our memory,which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily at any time and can be brought into awareness which is called preconscious. The massive below the surface represents our unconscious mind,The reservoir of feelings,thoughts,urges and memories that outside of our conscious awareness. Most of the contents of the unconscious are unacceptable or unpleasant,such as feelings of pain,anxiety or conflict. According to Freud, the consciousness continues to influence behaviour and experience,even though we are unaware of these underlying influences. In relation to this theory at The Care Home setting,Care workers deal with different Service user with different behaviours, medical problems,communication problems,cultures and needs. It is very important to identify the individuals communication capabilities and incapabilities to be able to help them empower their weaknesses and difficulties,in that way, care workers will be able to get cooperation from the service users and establish rapport on doing their everyday task and to meet their needs and maintain their well being. According to Ulric Neisser cognition is all processes by which the sensory input is transferred ,reduced,elaborated, stores,recovered and used. In short,it means it is the branch of psychology that studies mental processes including how people think,perceive,remember and learn. It is involved in everything a human being might possibly do;that every psychological phenomenon is cognitive phenomenon. An example of this theory at the Care Home Setting where service users are suffering of dementia,Care workers needs to encourage service users to participate on ctivities such as brain and physical exercises,social gatherings and have a good diet,to stimulate their brain cells and regained its brain power. 1. 2 Undertake and evaluate at least one communication activity in Health and Social Care Organization,considering Confidentiality and Data Protection Act 1998. Communication in a Health Care Organization is very important. It is the key for the health care providers and other health agencies to carry out their responsibilities to maintain the well being of the service users. An example of this is when making a care plan for the service users,all individuals that are involve in continuing health care of the service user must contribute on making the care plan by communicating their observations, assessments and suggestions on the service users daily activities ,risks and wellness. The service user should contribute as well on making their care plan by telling their preferences,choices, wishes and needs. Otherwise, the care workers will have no idea what kind of care the service users wanted to receive. If the service user cant speak for themselves,there must be a representative to speak for their behalf,either a social care worker,solicitor or a member of their family. When the care plan has been made,it should be kept in a secure and protected filing cabinet which only authorize person can have access on the document for data protection and to maintain confidentiality on the informations written in the care plan to protect all personal informations gathered.  If the service user needs to be transferred to a new health care services,the care plan should be presented for their reference. 1. 3 Describe and explore barriers to communication with health and social care Organisations In a Care Home for vulnerable adults,the most common communication barriers that a care workers encounter are the following; difficulty of hearing,impaired eyesight,learning difficulties,memory loss,foreign language,cultural differences,stroke,emotional problems,sensory loss and others. Problem arises between care workers and service users when doing personal care tasks if these barriers mentioned are present, the task may not be completed well because of misunderstanding which resulting in cooperation from the service user. Therefore,it will never be easy for the care worker to perform the task well without the full cooperation of the service user. Often times service users disagree with some procedures if your explanation is not enough for them to understand it,or if they are not comfortable with it. To solve the problem, care workers should encourage the service user s to have an input with the care they want to receive. They might know a better way to do the task in their most comfortable and convenient way. If the service user have difficulty of communicating because of the barriers mentioned,ask them what kind of communication method they prefer and wish to use,thus giving them a choice. Explain the various methods of communication available and what would be suitable for them. Seek further advice from the specialists in the wider health care team. Care givers also consult to the clients care plan as this should contain all necessary information. Care givers need to listen attentively and take notice of what the service users are communicating and not assume what they want. 1. 4 Understand how to transmit values and the need to transmit values when communicating within health and social care Organizations Respecting the rights of the service users at the care home should be highly observe. When the preferred method of communication of a service user has been identified,which is obviously the ones that they can communicate most effectively,care workers must respect to use it or learn to use it because if they dont,then they are of risk of not communicating effectively,distressing the service user and breaching their rights. A service user who has suffered of stroke may have communication problem such as, they can understand the care workers completely but have difficulty with speech and its likely to become very frustrated if they cannot express themselves using their preferred method of communication. Problems arises when the care worker will just assume what the service user is saying rather than giving them more time to talk or attempting to encourage them to communicate their choices,wishes,preference and needs. If this happens the service user may end up for example;served with a meal they never want, wear clothes they never picked out and go to bed when they dont wish to,these situations shows that the rights of the service users has been taken away from them.

Concepts of Evolution and DNA in Biology

Concepts of Evolution and DNA in Biology Because the fossil record did not exhibit Darwins predicted slow and gradual evolution with transitional forms, some paleontologists sought to find a theory of evolution where, changes in populations might occur too rapidly to leave many transitional fossils (see Figure from Gould and Eldredge 1977 . In 1972, Gould and Eldredge proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium where most evolution takes place in small populations over relatively rapid geological time periods. By reducing the numerical size of the transitional population and the number of years for which it exists, punctuated equilibrium greatly limits the number of organisms bearing transitional characteristics. Since many organisms are not fossilized, this increases the likelihood that transitional forms would not be fossilized. One strength of this theory is that Gould and Eldredge claim it is predicted by population genetics. But what are the implications of punctuated equilibrium? Under punctuated equilibrium, species usually change little as, gradual change is not the normal state of a species. Large populations may experience, minor adaptive modifications of fluctuating effect through time but will rarely transform in toto to something fundamentally new. This is called stasis. But small peripheral populations may allow for more change at a quicker rate. Gould argued that most macroevolutionary change takes place in such populations during speciation such that there is insufficient time for the transitional forms to be fossilized: Speciation, the process of macroevolution, is a process of branching. And this branching â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ is so rapid in geological translation (thousands of years at most compared with millions for the duration of most fossil species) that its results should generally lie on a bedding plane, not through the thick sedimentary sequence of a long hillslope. What is meant by phylogeny? Give an account on phylogeny of humans. Ans- The context of evolutionary biology is phylogeny, the connections between all groups of organisms as understood by ancestor/descendant relationships. Not only is phylogeny important for understanding paleontology, but paleontology in turn contributes to phylogeny. Many groups of organisms are now extinct, and without their fossils we would not have as clear a picture of how modern life is interrelated. We express the relationships among groups of organisms through diagrams called cladograms, which are like genealogies of species. Phylogenetics, the science of phylogeny, is one part of the larger field of systematics, which also includes taxonomy. Taxonomy is the science of naming and classifying the diversity of organisms. In humans- it is used to the transfer of genes. In general, organisms can inherit genes in two ways: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer is the passage of genes from parent to offspring, and horizontal gene transfer or lateral gene transfer occurs when genes jump between unrelated organisms, a common phenomenon in prokaryotes. Horizontal gene transfer has complicated the determination of phylogenies of organisms, and inconsistencies in phylogeny have been reported among specific groups of organisms depending on the genes used to construct evolutionary trees. Carl Woese came up with the three-domain theory of life (eubacteria, archaea and eukaryotes) based on his discovery that the genes encoding ribosomal RNA are ancient and distributed over all lineages of life with little or no horizontal gene transfer. Therefore, rRNAs are commonly recommended as molecular clocks for reconstructing phylogenies. This has been particularly useful for the phylogeny of microorganisms, to which the species concept does not apply and which are too morphologically simple to be classified based on phenotypic traits. DNA is genetic material. Describe two classical experiments to support this statement. Ans- Clarification came during the First World War. During the war, hundreds of thousands of servicemen died from pneumonia, a lung infection caused by the baceterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. In the early 1920s, a young British army medical officer named Frederick Griffith began studying Streptococcus pneumoniae in his laboratory in the hopes of developing a vaccine against it. As so often happens in scientific research, Griffith never found what he was looking for (there is still no vaccine for pneumonia), but instead, he made one of the most important discoveries in the field of biology: a phenomenon he called transformation. Dr. Griffith had isolated two strains of S. pneumoniae, one of which was pathogenic (meaning it causes sickness or death, in this case, pneumonia), and one which was innocuous or harmless. The pathogenic strain looked smooth under a microscope due to a protective coat surrounding the bacteria and so he named this strain S, for smooth. The harmless strain of S. pneumoniae lacked the protective coat and appeared rough under a microscope, so he named it R, for rough . Dr. Griffith observed that if he injected some of the S strain of S. pneumoniae into mice, they would get sick with the symptoms of pneumonia and die, while mice injected with the R strain did not become sick. Next, Griffith noticed that if he applied to the S strain of bacteria, then injected them into mice, the mice would no longer get sick and die. He thus hypothesized that excessive heat kills the bacteria, something that other scientists, including Louis Pasteur, had already shown with other types of bacteria. However, Dr. Griffith didnt stop there he decided to try something: he mixed living R bacteria (which are not pathogenic) with heat-killed S bacteria, then he injected the mixture into mice. Surprisingly, the mice got pneumonia infections and eventually died (Figure 3). Dr. Griffith examined samples from these sick mice and saw living S bacteria. This meant that either the S bacteria came back to life, an unlikely scenario, or the live R strain was somehow transformed into the S strain. Thus, after repeating this experiment many times, Dr. Griffith named this phenomenon transformation. This discovery was significant because it showed that organisms can somehow be genetically re-programmed into a slightly different version of themselves. One strain of bacteria, in this case the R strain of S. pneumoniae, can be changed into something else, presumably because of the transfer of genetic material from a donor, in this case the heat-killed S strain. Scientists around the world began repeating this experiment, but in slightly different ways, trying to discover exactly what was happening. It became clear that, when the S bacteria are killed by heat, they break open and many substances are released. Something in this mixture can be absorbed by living bacteria, leading to a genetic transformation. But because the mixture contains protein, RNA, DNA, lipids, and carbohydrates, the question remained which molecule is the transforming agent? This question was examined in several ways, most famously by three scientists working at The Rockefeller Institute (now Rockefeller University) in New York: Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty. These scientists did almost exactly what Griffith did in his experiments but with the following changes. First, after heat-killing the S strain of bacteria, the mixture was separated into six test tubes. Thus, each of the test tubes would contain the unknown transforming agent. A different enzyme was then added to each tube except one the control which received nothing. To the other five tubes, one of the following enzymes was added: RNase, an enzyme that destroys RNA; protease, an enzyme that destroys protein; DNase, an enzyme that destroys DNA; lipase, an enzyme that destroys lipids; or a combination of enzymes that break down carbohydrates. The theory behind this experiment was that if the transforming agent was, for example, protein the transforming agent would be destroyed in the test tube containing protease, but not the others. Thus, whatever the transforming agents was, the liquid in one of the tubes would no longer be able to transform the S. pneumonia strains. When they did this, the result was both dramatic and clear. The liquid from the tubes that received RNase, protease, lipase, and the carbohydrate-digesting enzymes was still able to transform the R strain of pneumonia into the S strain. However, the liquid that was treated with DNase completely lost the ability to transform the bacteria . Thus, it was apparent that the transforming agent in the liquid was DNA. To further demonstrate this, the scientists took liquid extracted from heat-killed S. pneumoniae (S strain) and subjected it to extensive preparation and purification, isolating only the pure DNA from the mixture. This pure DNA was also able to transform the R strain into the S strain and generate pathogenic S. pneumoniae. These results provided powerful evidence that DNA, and not protein, was actually the genetic material inside of living cells. PART-B Do the two strands of DNA duplex carry the same genetic information? Explain. Ans:- No,the two strands of dna duplex carry different information ,because  complementary  base pairs  binding to form a  double helix.The two chains are wound round each other and linked together by hydrogen bonds between specific complementary bases to form a spiral ladder-shaped moleculeThe stabilization of  duplex  (double-stranded) DNA is also dependent on base stacking. The planar, rigid bases stack on top of one another, much like a stack of coins. Since the two purine.pyrimidine pairs (A.T and C.G) have the same width, the bases stack in a rather uniform fashion. Stacking near the center of the helix affords protection from chemical and environmental attack. Both hydrophobic interactions andvan der Waals forces  hold bases together in stacking interactions. About half the stability of the DNA helix comes from hydrogen bonding, while base stacking provides much of the rest. What is the difference between Z and B- DNAs? ANS:- Z-DNA  is one of the many possible double helical structures of  DNA. It is a left-handed double helical structure in which the double helix winds to the left in a zig-zag pattern. alternating  purine-pyrimidine  sequence (especially poly(dGC)2), negative  DNA supercoiling  or high salt and some  cations  (all at physiological temperature, 37 °C, and pH 7.3-7.4). Z-DNA can form a junction (called a B-to-Z junction box) in a structure which involves the extrusion of a base pair.  The Z-DNA conformation has been difficult to study because it does not exist as a stable feature of the double helix. Instead, it is a transient structure that is occasionally induced by biological activity and then quickly disappears. B-DNA It is an antiparallel double helix.It is a right-handed helix. The base-pairs are perpendicular to the axis of the helix. (Actually, they are very slightly tilted at an angle of 4 degrees)The axis of the helix passes through the centre of the base pairs.Each base pair is rotated by 36 degrees from the adjacent base pair.The base-pairs are stacked 0.34 nm apart from one another.The double helix repeats every 3.4 nm, i.e. the pitch of the double helix is 3.4 nm.B-DNA has two distinct grooves: a MAJOR groove; and, a MINOR groove. These grooves form as a consequence of the fact that the beta-glycosidic bonds of the two bases in each base pair are attached on the same edge. However, because the axis of the helix passes through the centre of the base pairs, both grooves are similar in depth. 6. What is the role of RNA in DNA replication? ANS:- RNA WAS NEED TO INTIATE THE TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS.   On the lagging strand, primase builds an RNA primer in short bursts. DNA polymerase is then able to use the free 3 OH group on the RNA primer to synthesize DNA in the 5 † Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 3 direction. The RNA fragments are then removed (different mechanisms are used in eukaryotes and prokaryotes) and new deoxyribonucleotides are added to fill the gaps where the RNA was present. DNA ligase is then able to ligate the deoxyribonucleotides together, completing the synthesis of the lagging strand. This rna primer was a short strand of RNA that is synthesized along single-stranded DNA during replication, initiating DNA polymerase-catalyzed synthesis of the complementarystrand.  

Africanisation of south African Ratiling Essay

The internationalisation of retail businesses has become a global phenomenon as retailers around the world expand their operations beyond national borders. This phenomenon has attracted some academic attention. In Africa, South Africa appears to be more advanced in this regard, with Shoprite at the forefront of the Africanisation of South African retailers. A review of Shoprite’s expansion into the continent results in two propositions and some challenges that affect this process. The wider significance of the propositions is further examined by a study of other South African retailers expanding into Africa. The review finds that although there are opportunities for retailers in African countries, there are also significant challenges that can negate the opportunities. Most importantly, the chosen mode of entry into African countries plays a significant role in the overall internationalisation process and should be a primary concern of management teams considering making such a move, and it is established that the mode of entry comprises at least five areas of critical decision making. Key words: Africanisation, retailing, international retailing, South African retailing, African markets, mode of entry, ICTs, international business. INTRODUCTION Since 1994, South Africa has moved to become part of  the African continent, even to the point that it developed  1  and championed an African agenda . This move opened  up opportunities for South African businesses within the  continent. In this regard, leading South African retailers  (including Shoprite, Woolworths, Massmart, Truworths)  have already invested in, and now operate in diverse  African countries. In the past decade, the continent has  also seen shopping centres and malls built in most  African cities, some of which are also South African  investments (Miller, 2006). There is still huge potential for all kinds of South African businesses to expand within the  continent, and there are benefits for all concerned. Already the six primary sectors of the South African  economy: mining, retail, construction and manufacturing,  financial services, telecommunications, and leisure and  *Corresponding author. E-mail: naadakora@gmail.com. 1 African agenda in this case refers to former president Mbeki’ s vision of an African renaissance, and the establishment of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). tourism, are in one way or another investing in the  continent (Daniel et al., 2003). Furthermore, the  completion of the SEACOM’s East African submarine  cable and the up coming West African cable system that  will provide fibre optic connection from Africa to the rest  of the world will open more business opportunities on the  continent. It is, therefore, not surprising to see an  increasing number of South African retail companies  expanding into the rest of the continent to seek growth  and explore new strategic opportunities.  The Shoprite Group operates its own stores in 15  African countries outside South Africa, including Angola,  Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius,  Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania,  Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe (Shoprite, 2008). The  group’s operations have been generally successful in  most of these countries and in some cases income has  exceeded their projections and expectation s. This  performance has triggered numerous growth and  expansion plans for most of the countries listed above.  For example, with the opening of one supermarket in  Accra, Ghana (in November, 2007), the group  immediately started investigating the possibility of  opening five more stores around the Accra area  (Shoprite, 2008). This report also indicates that their  Dakora et al. African operations have produced higher turnover growth than their South African counterparts. However, this is not the case with their operation in India where foreign retail ownership is forbidden by government regulations. Shoprite had to operate by means of franchising in Mumbai (Shoprite, 2008). Revenues do not match those achieved in Africa, highlighting the mode of entry as a key factor in the successful achievement of retail internationalisation. Yet, even in Africa, it has not all been easy. Due to lack of suitable acquisition targets and alliance partners, and given the informal nature of the retail sector in most African countries, they are obliged to open their own stores (Games, 2008). The Shoprite annual report (Shoprite, 2008) indicates that they are currently facing competition from other South African retailers who are also moving into Africa. For example Massmart, also expanding into Africa, will give Shoprite a run for its money in markets for hard goods. Also, as a consequence of their go-it-alone approach to Africanisation, Shoprite often does not gather enough market knowledge and contacts before entering and establishing a foothold in these new markets, which in itself becomes a problem (Games, 2008). There are also reports of supply issues haunting the company in its Africa operations. Nigeria is reported to have government-imposed import restrictions on some products. This is in a bid to protect the local economy and suppliers. Miller (2008) points out that the issue concerning local suppliers is politically controversial for South African companies operating in foreign African countries. Although South Africa has moved to be part of the continent and has championed an African agenda (as noted at the start of this paper), there are concerns that this commercial activity might become another form of colonisation. As a result, these companies have to demonstrate their support and participation in local development in those foreign countries or risk being accused of â€Å"exporting Apartheid† into Africa (Miller, 2008). Of course, the circumstances of each country might vary: Miller found that the Shoprite Group entered Zambia under favourable conditions that did not attempt to protect local producers and suppliers. Despite the increase in retail internationalisation in Africa led by the South African retailers, little research has been done in this area. This paper is a review based on a study of annual reports and other publicly available sources; it seeks to develop a foundation for more detailed case study work on the phenomenon. The paper discusses how the Shoprite Group’s expansion into Africa has been achieved, and how it secured its position as the largest food retailer on the continent. Two propositions concerning challenges affecting the decision of entry mode are established, based on the Shoprite study. The issues that inform these propositions are, however, limited to the results of the Shoprite’s review, and, therefore, preclude other issues that might be relevant to 749 the phenomenon but not obvious in this study. The propositions are further examined by looking at a range of other cases of South African retailers’ expansion into Africa. GENERAL PERSPECTIVE INTERNATIONALISATION ON RETAIL In recent years, the world of retailing has seen a dramatic increase in international activities by retailers around the world (Park and Sternquist, 2008; Myers and Alexander, 2007; Dawson and Mukoyama, 2006). The phenomenon of retail internationalisation has become an important feature of global business. As consumer products and services become global, and around the whole world consumers’ styles of consumption and attitudes increasingly become similar, retailers are prompted to respond to this trend. This results in the emergence of international (and in some cases global) retail companies (Federzoli, 2006). As Jack Shewmaker, director of Wal-Mart points out; â€Å"it is absolutely clear the biggest opportunity facing retailers [today] is internationalisation† (McGarriagle, 2008:12). In exploiting this window of opportunity, the world has seen retail businesses grow into multinational corporations contributing to economies on a worldwide basis. The rising levels of internationalisation among retail businesses can be attributed to three factors: growth in size, growth in technological sophistication and the need to respond to the changing demands and behaviours of customers (Myers and Alexander, 2007). However, retailing is geographically tied, and international companies must have a physical presence in the foreign countries concerned in order to conduct their business (Sternquist, 2007). According to Dawson and Mukoyama (2006), the internationalisation of retailing is evident in many ways including: the sourcing of products for resale, the operation of stores in foreign countries, the use of foreign labour, the adoption of foreign ideas and the use of foreign capital. There has been an increase in all these aspects in terms of volume and spatial reach, Dawson and Mukoyama indicate. This increase in retail expansion has continued across the world, characterised by large retail chains, mainly from the most developed countries, moving into less developed ones, and this has attracted some academic attention. However, most research in the area of retail internationalisation has focused on the developed world with little attention being paid to developing economies, especially those in Africa. Zhang and Dodgson (2007:336) observe that most research in the field of international business and entrepreneurship concentrates on â€Å"early internationalisation of firms based in developed countries, especially Europe and United States†. Where Africa is studied, little attention is paid to retailing, as 750 Afr. J. Bus. Manage. most previous research has always focused on manufacturing and pure service industries despite the recent increase in retail internationalisation (Park and Sternquist, 2008). METHODOLOGY The review takes into consideration South African retail companies that have expanded their operations beyond their home region, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in a significant way. Pure service retailing is beyond the scope of this paper. Shoprite is the largest food retailer in Africa, and also the pioneering retailer to embark on a continent wide expansion strategy. A review of Shoprite’s Africanisation process is carried out with the view of gaining some understanding of the phenomenon. Therefore, the propositions and challenges around the issue of modality are limited to what is obvious in the Shoprite study. The significance of these propositions and the relationships between them are further examined by the study of other cases of purposively selected South Africa companies moving into Africa. Since the intention is to understand the phenomenon under study, purposive sampling enhances the potential of understanding (Devers and Frankel, 2000). As indicated earlier, the study has largely been based on annual reports and other publicly available sources, and, therefore, the review took a content analysis approach. Due to its ability to assess the effects of environmental variables like regulation, socio-economic issues, and location characteristics such as market attractiveness, credibility and likability (Kolbe and Burnett, 1991) in the internationalisation process, content analysis techniques was useful in this study. A REVIEW AFRICA OF SHOPRITE’S EXPANSION INTO The Shoprite Group of companies came into existence with the acquisition of a supermarket chain in the Western Cape, in 1979 (Shoprite, 2009a). This expansion strategy has continued and has helped the expansiondriven company to show its presence across the country, and the group now comprises Shoprite, Checkers, Checkers Hyper, Usave, OK Furniture, OK House and Home, OK Power Express and OK Franchise Division (with a number of stores and brands under it). The national growth and expansion strategy of Shoprite, as observed, has been through mergers and acquisitions, but it modified and extended this strategy when moving abroad. It achieved international expansion by opening its own stores in the foreign countries in which it operates, so that in 2008, out of a total of 984 stores, 100 supermarkets were being operated in 16 countries outside South Africa (Shoprite, 2008). The company claims that the international stores operate with the same standards of sophistication as in the home country, South Africa. Hence, Shoprite now confidently proclaims its name as the largest food retailer in Africa. The expansion into African was a bold decision that has continued to influence the future of the Shoprite Group to the present day. However, this could not have been possible without clear vision, strategy and the appropriate choice of mode of working. The following points highlight some of the key factors that contributed to Shoprite’s success in Africa: Suitability of business model Most of Africa’s populated cities are home to middle to high income earners who yearn for quality of life, and Shoprite’s provision of a world class shopping environment and a wide range of products at arguably affordable prices meets their dreams of a better life. The opening of shopping centres and malls has been a feature of the Shoprite business model, as expressed by the Chairman of the group, C H Wiese in their annual report (Shoprite, 2008:8), â€Å"we have brought a developed country’s shopping experience to millions of people who have never been exposed to trading of this nature†. In essence, this goes beyond the activities of retailing; it is actually development, as the bright shopping outlets and malls have become part of a new urban development and modernity (Miller, 2006). Mode of working Shoprite’s choice of mode for its expansion programme has largely been by opening up its â€Å"own stores† in the countries where it operates. This strategy allows the company to have absolute control over all its operations, both local and foreign, and managing them from its head office in Cape Town. Park and Sternquist (2008) found that retail companies embarking on global strategies prefer opening branches or establishing wholly-owned subsidiaries for their international operations, although franchising has been widely used in this regard. This is because the wholly-owned entry mode allows for more control and involvement in the operations of the new establishment. Opening their own stores also offers potentially greater returns in terms of profit (Park and Sternquist, 2008). However, wholly-owned subsidiaries or own stores are seen as the most expensive mode of internationalisation for any particular company as it requires more resource commitment, including management time and finance (Doole and Lowe, 2004). Doole and Lowe contend that this mode is used when a retail company is certain that its products and services will do well in the long-run, in a foreign market of a politically stable country, since it allows the internationalising company to have full ownership and the control necessary to meet its strategic objectives. Whatever ever the situation, the choice of entry mode is one of the most critical and strategic decisions the company has to make before attempting to internationalise (Venter et al., 2007). Empowerment, jobs and training Despite Shoprite’s approach of opening its own stores and shopping centres, it also invested and continues to Dakora et al. invest in the human capital of the foreign countries where it operates. The group employs more than 8 000 local people in its stores outside South Africa, some of whom have been trained to become managers (Shoprite, 2008). Further, local small scale farmers are being supported to upgrade their production standards so as to supply the Shoprite stores. It has also been reported that the Shoprite Zambian operation is already self-sufficient in vegetable supplies, thanks to the engagement with local farmers. Supply chain efficiency Selling fresh foods in multiple countries through whollyowned stores could pose a logistical nightmare. But, thanks to Shoprite’s sophisticated supply chain network and strategically located distribution centres this has been possible and it has been a success (Shoprite, 2008). Another important element here is their ability to develop the necessary skills, backed by advanced information systems, to enable them to source and deliver products to all their stores from anywhere in the world, says their 2008 annual report. This element summarises the whole essence of retailing – delivering the right products and/or services to the right customers, at the right place, in the right condition or form, and certainly at the right price. As indicated by Dawson and Mukoyama (2006) the most important function of retailers is to make a range of products available to consumers for potential purchase. Information systems and technology Information systems and technologies not only support supply chain management, but also management processes. For the Shoprite Group to manage all its stores and operations from one head office, it has to have reliable information systems and technology in place. They have invested in the most sophisticated information technology and systems available to the retail industry, and employ talented people to manage them, according to the Chairman’s report (Shoprite, 2008). With this advancement in information technology, their systems are able to place up to 490 000 orders per month to reorder products automatically from their existing suppliers, the report indicates. In his report Whitey Basson (Chief Executive Officer) indicates that their investment in information technology and infrastructure has improved efficiencies at all levels of the business, and no doubt the capacity to handle increased supply chain activity in an international context (Shoprite, 2008). DISCUSSION It has come to light from the Shoprite review that both political issues and company-level issues affect South 751 African retailers in their quest to tap into the African market in a fulsome way. In an interview with the Classic FM business programme on 18 February 2009 (Shoprite, 2009b), Basson said: South Africa has not woken up to the fact that they are part of that big global village, and there are a lot of laws that need to be changed to make African traders work better with each other, in and out, it’s a hell of a job to actually get through the red tape and make trading easier. So I feel very strongly about it that they should look at that and say listen, as SA become part of the African continent and a leading role player, we should actually form some committee†¦that makes the trading easy; get [taxes] structured properly†¦, [so that] a truck can go to and be cleared within an hour going from one border to the next and not stand and wait for four or five days in between borders†¦ I think we [are] just lagging in that process. Moreover, in her research into the conditions of Shoprite workers in Lusaka (Zambia) and Maputo (Mozambique), Miller (2006:36) found that â€Å"across the categories of age, gender, skill and permanent or casual status, workers felt misused and mistreated by Shoprite management†. Miller’s research reveals that workers complain about wages, working conditions, hours, and overtime pay. Due to high costs of living, the wages earned could not support their basic needs, although Shoprite’s pay bettered the legislated minimum wage at the time. In general, the expansion of the Shoprite Group into the rest of Africa has shown that modality is important; and the issue of mode is much more than opening wholly owned stores, franchising and others, as it also concerns the relationship with local producers, suppliers and workers and other stakeholders. Speaking to Fin24 (Shoprite, 2009c), Basson had this to say about going into Africa: We can double our African business if we can get rid of all the red tape and all problems of just getting stores and merchandise out there. So it’s really still very, very tough and there is very little help from anybody, be they manufacturers or government from both sides to make the African continent a global trading area like you have in Europe or the Americas. The review of the Shoprite story, and its African expansion strategies, demonstrate that the mode of entry into African markets is of strategic importance. While it is evident that there are still more opportunities for expansion into African countries, there are significant challenges, and these challenges revolve around the choice of entry mode. Therefore the concept of mode and mode differences are important as businesses have to 752 Afr. J. Bus. Manage. take some important decisions about mode. These observations from the Shoprite study suggest the following propositions: Proposition #1: It is not easy getting into African markets; there are significant mode differences which present various challenges. Proposition #2: Components of the modal issues and the nature of the challenges include: a. Support for local economies, producers and suppliers, and labour is critical; b. Efficient supply chain management, and good information systems help; c. Movement of goods across borders can pose logistical problems; d. Competition emerges as many South African retailers expand into the continent; e. Government interventions are needed to open up the continent for trade. The mode is therefore a mix of how these challenges are handled, and this is indicative of the mode choices. Moreover, the challenges regarding support for local producers and labour, and supply chain management are particularly important. South African retailers have come under scrutiny in recent years for dumping South African products in African markets, little support for local labour and pushing local companies out of business (Games, 2008); an issue Shoprite is said to be working hard on (Shoprite, 2008). Also, although most of the newly economically empowered populations of Africa want to spend their money in shopping mall, there are those people who are driven to be concerned about climate change because of the globalisation of the issues of climate change and the significance of carbon footprint management in running a business. This raises the importance of merchandise range management, as some consumers might prefer locally produced organic products. Therefore, there might be a need for the re-ranging of product lines of South African retailers in their African operations. The wider significance of the propositions established, and the relationships and interdependencies between them can be investigated by a review of other South African retail businesses moving in the same direction. OTHER SOUTH AFRICAN RETAILERS EXPANDING INTO THE REST OF AFRICA that the company now operates 12 Game stores in 10 sub-Saharan African countries outside of South Africa including: Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia; most of the stores are said to perform better (in terms of sales) than their South African counterparts (Massmart, 2008). Other format stores are located elsewhere. The report also indicates that the company buys from local suppliers and also import from different countries including South Africa. According to the annual report, the excellent performance of stores in Africa caught management’s attention, and â€Å"this prompted us to revise our earlier policy to limit our African footprint to one store per country (with exception of Botswana and Namibia)†. As a result there are new stores under development for Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Angola, and others, as reported. However, in an interview with fin24 the Massmart CEO, Grant Pattison indicated just how difficult it is to operate in African markets outside of South Africa, especially when it comes to acquiring property (Massmart, 2009). He said â€Å"we can work on a property for ten years† and explained how that can hamper their expansion process. Having said that, he also indicated that â€Å"the more difficult it is to operate, the more opportunity there is for a good operator† and in the final analysis they do not consider it particularly difficult to operate in foreign African countries (Massmart, 2009). Truworths Truworths is one of the leading South African apparel retailers, selling multiple brands of women’s, men’s, teenager’s and children’s fashions and related products (Truworth, 2008). Truworths is an investment holding company with subsidiaries. Like other South African retailers, the group is expanding into the continent, and currently operates 25 franchised stores in both foreign African countries and in the Middle East (Truworths, 2009). Unlike the Shoprite and Massmart Groups, however, Truworth’s strategy for expansion has been through franchising. The group has a presence in the following African countries beyond the borders of South Africa: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho and Tanzania under its multiple brand labels. However, reports of how well those franchised stores perform are not indicated. Massmart group Woolworths Massmart is a wholesaler and retailer of general merchandise and other streams of goods. Since 1994 the company has expanded its business operation beyond the borders of South Africa to tap markets in the rest of the continent. In its 2008 annual report, it is explained Woolworths, like Truworths, is one of the major fashion and accessories retailers in South Africa; the company also operates a supermarket chain and pharmacies. It operates nationwide and also offers franchise opportunities, both in the local market and foreign African Dakora et al. countries (Woolworths, 2008). As reported, the company operates franchise stores in foreign African countries, including Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The performance of the franchised foreign operations is, however, not indicated (Woolworths, 2009). RETAIL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA Retail opportunities in Africa are extensive, as some African countries are experiencing strong economic growth and are benefiting from political reforms. The â€Å"doing business† report of the World Bank (2008) indicates an increasing trend of countries implementing reforms to facilitate cross-border trade globally, and shows that Africa is at the forefront of this trend. The report observes that Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda and Tanzania have all reformed in recent years, and that African countries such as Botswana, Mozambique and Rwanda and Ghana have been able to create positive and stable governments. The resultant boost in their economies has been noticed, and the opportunities are clearly visible (Mahajan and Gunther, 2009). As well as economic expansion, it is worth noting that the combined population of African countries is also growing rapidly. With Africa still showing the highest birth rate, its population is projected to reach two billion by 2050, despite average life expectancy remaining low (Venter et al., 2007). Within African countries there is a growing highly-educated labour force, that can make a contribution to companies expanding into the continent; there is also a growing proportion of middle-income earners who seek to enjoy the services of these companies. In talking about the continent’s market size, potential and opportunities, Mahajan and Gunther (2009:3) help to put things in perspective: Africa has more than 900 million consumers. Despite the challenges, every day they need to eat. They need clean water. They need shelter, clothing, and medicine. They want cell phones, bicycles, computers, automobiles, and education for their children. Businesses are already seizing these opportunities in building markets across Africa. As we have noted, prominent among the companies seizing opportunities in Africa are South African retailers, and this is evident in the rising shopping malls and South African retail stores in cities across the Continent (Miller, 2006; Mahajan and Gunther, 2009). Moreover, the increased communications connectivity and usage in African countries also opens up a lot of opportunities. The information economy report hailed this technology 753 expansion as the source of the strong wave of innovation that changed the face of the global economy during the th last quarter of the 20 century† (United Nations, 2007). With the launch of the East African Submarine Internet cable, that connects Eastern and Southern African countries to the rest of the world in cheaper and faster ways, ICTs will continue to be a positive factor. However, Mahajan and Gunther indicate that most emerging markets have serious problems that cannot be ignored by businesses operating within them, and Africa has its own unique situation; this issue is discussed under the next heading. DIFFICULTIES PROCESS IN THE INTERNATIONALISATION Infrastructure (including transport, electricity, water, sanitation, medicine, and technology) has always been at the forefront of challenges faced by companies operating in Africa, but these challenges actually present opportunities to businesses that can meet them (Mahajan and Gunther, 2009). All the same, it is still difficult and costly to move goods from one country to another when there are poor rail and road networks (Economist Newspaper, 2008). This poses logistical difficulties for retailers who need to move perishable or fast-moving consumer goods from warehouses to stores, in geographically far-flung locations within the continent, as indicated earlier in the discussion of Shoprite. Additionally, cross-border trade is affected by road blocks, red tape and slow custom clearances at most borders. As explained in his interview with Fin24 (Massmart, 2009), the CEO of Massmart said â€Å"[When] we supply goods into Lagos, it might take 12 weeks on the water, [but it can take] 14 weeks to clear†. Obviously, this precludes any consideration of the supply of fresh products. Conclusion As international retailing becomes a reality in Africa, the complexities of the phenomenon, coupled with the unique African situation, need academic attention to help demystify the process. South African retailers have moved into the continent quite cautiously, and most are achieving growth, in some cases even more than within their home operations. This generally positive experience merits more study so that it can be understood and used to accelerate the benefits for all, especially the African consumer. This paper has focused on the mode of internationalisation as an important issue that demands the attention of retail managements considering moving into Africa. For example, it is interesting that Shoprite and general merchandise retailer, Massmart have opened 754 Afr. J. Bus. Manage. their own stores, whereas clothing retailers, Truworths and Woolworths operate via franchising. As a result, while Shoprite and Massmart have full ownership and control over their operations in foreign African countries, they nevertheless have to shoulder the challenges in those markets as discussed. In the case of their franchised counterparts, this has been avoided, at the cost of ownership and some control. It is already evident that there are many variations on these simple themes that all need to be studied and understood. REFERENCES Daniel J, Naidoo V, Naidu S (2003). Post-Apartheid South Africa’s corporate expansion into Africa. Traders. .Afr. Bus. J. AugustNovember, issue: 15. 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