Ancient Theatres in Jerash Essay

Modern technology has changed matters in documentation significantly and promises to continue to bring change. This paper attempts to present:1-How should we understand documentation of archaeological Sites, historic buildings and monuments according to their particularities, categories, types, components of documentation, taking into account the internationally agreed standards for the documentation of the cultural heritage. 2- The potential of the application of 3D laser Scanner and Photomodeler in documentation of the immovable cultural heritage. As a case study the ancient theatres of Jerash (the Southern and the Northern) will be presented. While the purpose of using different methods of documentation is to make comparison comparison of the advantages ,disadvantages ,the accuracy of the traditional method – total station –, 3D scanner method, and Photomodeler method. 1. INTRODUCTION As cultural heritage is a unique expression of human achievement, and since this cultural heritage is continuously at risk, documentation is one of the principal ways available to give meaning, understanding, definition and recognition of the values of the cultural heritage. As such it constitutes an important basis of orientation for subsequent restoration and maintenance measures. Furthermore all interventions acquire the character of evidence themselves and therefore, have to be documented. Article 16 of the Venice Charter emphasizes that in all works of preservation or excavation, there should always be precise documentation in the form of analytical and critical reports, illustrated with drawings and photographs. Every stage of the work, including technical and formal features identified during the course of the work, should be included. This record should be placed in the archives of a public institution and made available to research workers. It is recommended that the report should be published. Thus documenting the Cultural Heritage not only describes the context in which the materials were found, and their relationship in space and time to geological deposits and large architectural features, but also as monitoring of the remains of past human activities. The documentation process, which may be undertaken as an aid to various CRM activities, such as protection, identification, monitoring, interpretation, registration of stolen cultural objects, can benefit tremendously from various modern techniques that are available to us nowadays. (graphic documentation) Techniques based on conventional surveying to produce plans, elevations, and architectural details. Photographic e.g. photography, rectified photography,computer-rectified photography, photogrammetry, and 3D laser scanner. The photographical documentation should provide information on the important condition of a monument, i.e. before, during, and after restoration. 3. INTERNATIONAL CORE DATA INDEX There are three internationally agreed standards for the documentation of the cultural heritage: a) The Core Data Index to Historic Buildings and Monuments of the Architectural Heritage (1992), b) The Core Data Standard for Archaeological Sites and Monuments (1995), and c) The Object ID (1997) which was developed to provide an international standard for the information needed to identify cultural objects, in response to the threat posed by the illicit trade in the movable heritage. The evaluation of the documentation process can be carried out by comparison with such standards. Other considerations could be related to the particularity of the monument, the cost, the ability to benefit from modern digital techniques and the success in acting as a historical record of human activities. 4. ANCIENT THEATRES OF JERASH Few ancient towns are as well preserved and as complete as Jerash, a city complex that once was a thriving commercial zone and part of the Decapolis. Built in the 2nd century BC the city was conquered in 63 BC by the Roman General Pompey. The grand theatres and spacious public squares, plazas and baths, the Roman Cardo running 700 meters north from the Oval Plaza and pass sky-piercing columns flanking from both sides in Jerash make this site truly an archaeological park. 4.1 The Southern Theatre in Jerash The southern theater (Exterior Diameter 70.5m) today is one of the most impressive of Jerash’s public building. Begun at the end of the 1st century AD (during the reign of Domitian) and completed in the early 2nd century. On its completion, it became one of the most splendid civic monuments in the 2. CATEGORIES AND COMPONENTS OF DOCUMENTATION Regardless of the location of the activity, it type or philosophy of art and historical conservation, the documentation should address three questions: what it is, where it is, and when! There are three Categories and Components of Documentation: Written: should comprise an architectural description, the state of preservation , an interpretation of the results of all tests and analyses, a summary of the results of all investigations, and a report on the interventions executed. Non-photographic ________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September – 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ developing city and certainly the finest of its type in the whole province. The cavea of the auditorium was divided into two sections, with a wide terrace (diazoma) describing the full half circle between them. The lower half was built into the side of the hill. While the top half was built above it. Although the auditorium has survived remarkably well, the top rows of seats are missing, and one cannot be sure of the exact original number.(Figure. 1) Figure. 2 Plan of the Northern Theatre The theatre itself probably had two main phases during its lifetime. It was dedicated, and probably completed, in AD 64/65. It was a small, probably, theatre used for poetry readings, meetings or more modest performances than the large dramatic events that would have taken place in the city’s larger Southern Theatre. The theatre may also have been the city council’s meeting hall. It was- modified several times and probably enlarged in the first quarter of the 3rd century. It finally went out of use as a theatre by the 5th to 6th centuries. On some of the seats of the lower cevea are inscribed in Greek the names of the voting tribes (phylai) that were represented in the bouleutirium, or city council except one tribe named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the others are named after Olympian gods. the theatre was also used as a bouleuterion, or city council meeting-hall. The theatre’s expansion in the first quarter of the3rd century AD included the addition of eight rows of seats, doubling the theatre’s capacity to around 1600 people. The three best preserved external vomitoria, at the western end of the upper auditorium, show their original construction of three independent, semicircular arches rising towards the exterior with evidence of large wooden doors that could have been opened or closed to control access to the theatre. The original scaena wall, facing the audience from behind the stage, was dismantled and replaced by a more complex scaena composed of two parallel wal1s. The elaborate scaenae frons was probably two storeys high, and was adorned with colored marble, free-standing Corinthian columns and broken entablatures, behind which were semicircular niches decorated with mosaics. Figure. 1 Plan of the Southern Theatre The front of the stage was divided into four sections with pedestals between them. Each section was decorated with a central pedimental niche flanked by arched niches .These elaborate architectural compositions are a common feature of Roman theatres. The front of the stage is decorated with pediment and arched niches. The wall rising behind the stage, the Scaenae Frons is pierced by three doors used by the performers to enter and exit the stage from the sides. The Scaenae Frons would have had second storey repeating most of the decorative and architectural elements of the lower level. Much of the outer (north) wall of the theater is a modern reconstruction. The rebuilding, however, of the rear wall behind the scaenae frons must be regretted, for we do not know what this wall was like and such suspect `restorations` run the risk of endangering the validity of the whole structure; for how can one be sure what is genuine and what is not? Happily, the greater part of the theatre is completely genuine. (Browning. Iain/ Jerash and the Decapolis) 4.2 The Northern Theatre The North Theatre complex is composed of the North Theatre (Exterior Diameter 43, 47m, orchestra Diameter 14,33m) itself and a ‘plaza’ in front of it . A great deal smaller than the South Theatre, its orientation is determined by the northern decumanus upon which it opens and from which it is approached. The cavea shows the usual arrangement of four cunei in the lower half, and eight in the upper half .At the top of the upper section of the cavea there was scarcely room for passageway and colonnade.( Figure. 2 ) 5. METHODS OF DOCUMENTATION IN JERASH THEATRES The purpose of using different Methods of documentation of the Southern and Northern Jerash theatres is to make comparison of the advantages ,disadvantages ,the accuracy of the traditional recording method, 3D scanner, and PhotoModeler. Accuracy is the correctness of the measurement, regardless of its precision. Precision refers to the fineness of measured distinctions. Results of the case studies are presented and compared. The aim is to give (mostly nongeodetic) users recommendations, which method is suited best for what kind of application, or even if a combination of 3D scanning and PhotoModeler is advisable. Criteria like quality of the results, amount of cost and time, required equipment and occurring problems are to be considered. To investigate the advantages, disadvantages and ________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September – 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ the accuracy of these methods, we carried out some case studies for the two theatres. Different typical objects were chosen and characteristically parts of them were recorded by tape, total station, PhotoModeler and 3D scanning. In this research project, we have installed a number of different test targets that allow an investigation in the quality of points recorded by laser scanners and the geometric models derived from the point clouds. 5.1 By using Total Station and AutoCAD Software: Conceptually, total stations are different from most measuring systems used by archaeologists because they are effective over a great range of scales and have an accuracy that is unusual in our experience. Limits on drawing precision that were once inherent in the use of scaled drawings have been removed by CAD systems. For example, it might be measuring the position of a point 1 km away from the total station and be accurate at least to the centimeter. This is equivalent to the use a tape to measure the distance to an object a meter away with .01 mm accuracy. The total station can be used to measure archaeological structures during an excavation. The precision with which a CAD system can maintain coordinates depends on the internal data structure chosen, but all standard CAD systems maintain coordinates at levels of precision beyond the scholar’s capacity to measure. A surveyor collecting data using preelectronic techniques could have used the tape to take the measurements, together with cross section for elevation information and quantity estimates. Or, the survey could have been completed using such polar techniques as transit or theodolite/EDM surveys. Electronic data collection with total station instruments permits the quick acquisition of a large amount of field data, together with the efficient and error-free transfer of the data to a computer. Once in the computer, the field data can be edited and analyzed for completeness of coverage and accuracy. For the documentation of the Southern theatre and the Northern theatre of Jerash more than 900 points were taken using the total station (Skoia). Tape measurement was conducted to record some of the dimensions of the theatre (the scene and some architectural details). The goal of these measurements was to collect more field dimensional measurement and other detail measurement for the documentation of the theatres. Full documentation for the Southern theatre of Jerash 2D and 3D was finalized with 2D documentation and reconstruction for the Northern theatre of Jerash. 5.2 By using PhotoModeler: While photogrammetry and metric surveying techniques can be suitable for archaeological sites and buildings, they present certain disadvantages for smaller and more complex objects. PhotoModeler is a windows software program that helps to extract measurements and 3D models from photographs. By using cameras as an input device, photomodeler is capable to extract accurate measurements and details. It is based on using several photos ( Figure 4 ) from different angles with known focal length, using control points ( Figure. 5 ). PhotoModeler can create 3D models and export the measured data as a dxf file. ADVANTAGES Contains information about surface detail (e.g. weathering patterns).Photographs are easier to interpret and recognize than drawing. DISADVANTAGES Essential high-skilled photographers.The enlargement of images should do accurately.Photographic format (analogue). PhotoModeler is one of the methods we used in documenting, measuring, and modeling the scene of the Southern theatre in Jerash. Several selected photos taken from slightly different positions were shot using digital camera. For calibration, some 3D points of the scene were obtained. For this purpose a modern integrated total station model Sokkia to collect more than 50 points to record the 3D points. These points were carefully chosen to be very well distributed on the scene in order to use them as GCPs (Ground Control Points). ( Figure. 5 ) With these data, we produce a 3D model, Orthorectified images (Photogrammetry) and measurements (x, y, z) or lengths for the stage of the Southern theatre of Jerash. For more accuracy we produced a detailed model for the scene features- the left Gate(Figure. 3 ) and then combined these detailed models together to produce the scene of the theatre. Figure 4. Camera Stations to produce a 3D Model for the the left Gate of the stage of Jerash Southern Theatre Figure 3 3D Model for the left Gate of the scene of Jerash Southern Theatre. ________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September – 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ first implementation of the new technology seems to be very useful and promising. The main advantage of scanning is the fast and direct collection of large numbers of surface object points. The measurement process needs no attendance except for the set-up required when establishing a new viewpoint. The huge number of records formed a nice cloud of points, which very precisely matches the true 3D shape of the interested object (in our case the cavea and the scene of the two theatres). In the office there are two sophisticated softwared, which deal with the collected cloud of points. One of the software can import the clouds and get a nice three model of the object. The other software can also get the 3D model and rectify the model to get the measurements of the object. The final result can be exported to CAD software like Auto Cad or Micro Station. A couple of Million of 3D points were captured from different points of view. In addition to the 3D points, a set of 2D images were also been taken. In the Southern theater three stations were sat up to capture points of the theater from different angles of view as shown in (Figures 6, 7, 9). In the north theatre we used three stations to cover the whole theater and two stations to capture the surrounding area . All these stations and the cloud of points are shown in (Figures 8, 10). Figure 4. Several photos from different angles with known focal length, using control points for the Scine of the Southern theatre 5.3 By using 3D scanner. Laser scanning technology with its automated data capture capabilities is bringing new perspectives and can satisfy most requirements of this type of applications. 3D laser scanning represents today the most advanced technology available for measuring and documenting objects. Our scanner can measure on average about 1000 points per second. Terrestrial laser scanning technology is based on active range sensors measuring directly the distance between the sensor and points over the surveyed object. Objects that can be documented by 3D scanning, range from the sizes of coins or potsherds to whole cultural landscapes. Traditional heritage recording methods like close range photogrammetry are not suitable for all kinds of objects. Particularly when the objects have very irregular surfaces and not a clearly defined structure, scanning wi ll probably yield better results than photogrammetry. In contrast to photogrammetry 3D scanners directly produce a huge number of 3D points. The resulting point cloud can be used to extract CAD elements or – by using point triangulation to create a 3D surface model. Additionally, images can be mapped onto the model to get a virtual copy of the real object. While both photogrammetric and laser scanning techniques can deliver similar type of products the end users are accustomed to have, other supplementary data such as line drawings, DTM etc., A main advantage as compared to close range photogrammetry is the availability of near real time 3D coordinates for irregular surfaces. The striking capability of collecting hundreds or even thousands of points per second is praised by producers and operators. On the other hand, questions concerning the quality and accuracy of the recorded points receive little attention. Specifications stated by the producers are not comparable. The main difference between scanning and photogrammetry is obvious: While photogrammetric surveying is an indirect data acquisition method (images are needed before measurements can be executed), scanning produces 3D points directly. As geodetic surveying instruments, scanners cannot be used when the object or the observation platform is moving. In these cases, photogrammetric images, which can be acquired with very short exposure times, are the only means of metric documentation. Although surveyors tend to see accuracy as a predominant consideration when comparing measuring equipment, for the practical use there are numerous other characteristics which may be decisive under certain project pre-conditions. Four stages for doing the work: scanning in the field, registration ,segmentation, modeling . To build up a precise 3D model of the South theatre and the North theatre we used the 3D laser scanner model †GS100 MENSI†. The results we’ve obtained were very precise and the Figure 6. Mesh part of the Scene and the cavea of the Southern Theatre Figure 7. Cloud Points of the Scene of the Southern Theater ________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September – 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ ADVANTAGES Very precise measurements. A solution in situations where 3D measurement by other means may be difficult. Quick in data capture. On-sitescanning is possible. DISADVANTAGES Very expensive. Practical limits on the object size and height. May have difficulties on some material surfaces. May have difficulties on some Material surfaces Editing the data to produce meaningful results may be difficult. other applications. The software has the ability to export the final models and solids to Auto Cad using the solid SAD converter. 2) Real Works Survey. Provides the user a set of tools for processing 3D point clouds and 2D images in order to obtain the necessary information. Generally, this processing can be divided into two modes: the Registration mode and the Office Survey mode. During the registration mode we register several scans simultaneously by using data captured during target scanning. Several test fields using white spheres as targets have been installed to get information about the accuracy of distances in scanning direction and across. We also use the Geo Referencing tool to put the scanned data into a known coordinate system. During the office survey mode, we segment the point clouds into logical parts. We also extract measurements or different types of 2D drawings from the point clouds. These extracted results were exported into CAD systems. 6. LASER SCANNER DATA ACQUISITION The laser scanner MENSI GS100 was used in this project and scanning was performed from various positions so that the full coverage of the surface will be achieved with sufficient overlapping (Fig. 10 ). The specific scanner has a recommended range of 2-100 , with optimal range of m.. The system’s horizontal and vertical field of view is 60 degrees. Reflective targets distributed over the site allowed the easy registration of the scans during data processing. Although the laser scanning software provides direct and immediate access to the scan data by visually inspecting the point cloud in situ to identify possible problem areas in the data sets, it proved that some parts of the site were excluded and larger overlap was required for the complete merging of all scans. Figure 10. North theatre; Overlapping areas and gaps Starting with the question of accuracy, it must be understood that total stations have built-in limits on precision that are often ignored and that affect ultimate accuracy. Accuracy refers to the agreement of a value with the â€Å"true† value. Whereas the problem was once measuring as precisely as possible or as precisely as a scaled drawing could display, the problem is now to measure and record as precisely as required for the particular project. A comparative evaluation of the techniques in the data capture and modeling of the northern gate of the Southern theatre is shown and measurement results of the Tape measurement, PhotoModeler, 3D Laser Scanner – GS 100 MENSI measurement are presented in table 1 Figure 8. Mesh view of the North theatre Figure 11. Cloud Points of the Cevea of the southern Theatre Figure 9. Mesh part of the northern gate of the Southern Theatre The office work included the use of two software packages: 1) 3Dipsos. Sophisticated software used to reconstruct 3D models from large sets of point cloud data captured by a 3D laser scanner. It is an intermediate data processing application between scanning and the use of environments reconstructed in ________CIPA 2005 XX International Symposium, 26 September – 01 October, 2005, Torino, Italy________ to 90 degrees as possible, 4. Ensure that all points appear on three or more photographs, 5. Ensure all point and line markings on the images are precise, and do not guess at a point location if it cannot be seen, is not distinct, is fuzzy or is hidden by some other object. Nevertheless, the precision supplied by total stations or photogrammetry software and recorded in CAD models must not exceed the limits on accuracy of the total system and must be appropriate for the job at hand. As already stated, every project has its own particularity. Those needs should be carefully determined, explicitly stated, and properly met by the survey methods and procedures. Laser scanning provides dense 3D information that can be implemented for the DEM and also for the determination of the ground coordinates of presignalized control points. The large sets of data obtained are an impediment to virtual computer visualization. Often it is very difficult to deal with the data without large RAM memory of the order of two GB. 7. CONCLUDING REMARKS The documentation of the Jerash theatre was implemented by a combination of photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning. Generally:†¢ Hand survey is labor intensive specially in the field. †¢ Computer rectified photography is the simplest method of producing drawings. Metric cameras are no longer needed and can be substituted for with simple digital cameras. †¢ The advantage of using photogrammetry is its speed and accuracy, especially over large and complex structures. †¢ Cost will inevitably be one of the deciding factors in choosing between different recording methods, but should not be used to decide the level of survey. The effort needed to get accurate and detailed DEM models by means of photogrammetric procedures only, is considerably high. There are limits on precision based upon a different group of contributing factors, lens distortion, precision of lens focal length measurements, size of photos used. PhotoModeler is an elegant measurement method used in documentation of cultural heritage applications. The shortfalls of this method, mainly associated with limited geometry of areas in the shadow of the object, are more prominent when the object is a large complex form. However its use does not involve large costs or sophisticated equipment, as only a calibrated digital camera is needed. The recent emergence of terrestrial laser scanning has shown that it has the potential to be of major value to the cultural heritage recording professionals. While data collection in this project using the PhotoModeler and Laser scanning methods indicated a small gain in time over laser scanning, the main advantage is the fully automated data capturing process using terrestrial laser scanning. Generally, laser scanning requires viewing the surveyed object from several viewpoints to resolve shadows and occlusions. To achieve the best accuracy in PhotoModeler: 1. Ensure that a well-calibrated camera is used for the project, 2. Use photos with good resolution. 3. Ensure that the angle between the camera stations is as close John Coles,† The Site Record and Publication† Conservation on Archaeological Excavations, Ed.N.P. Sanley Price, ICCROM, pp.59-69, Rome, 1995 Photogrammetric Measurement, Object Modeling and Documentation in Architecture and Industry, Ed. Petros Patias, ISPRS, VOol.XXXII, Thessaloniki, 1999 Documenting the Cultural Heritage Edited by Robin Thornes and John Bold ,Getty Information Institute,1998 MENSI 2001: Mensi training materials, German training course, May 2001. WWW 2001: An extensive collection of links to laser scanner producers and reports about applications in cultural heritage is maintained by the authors at http://scanning.fh-mainz.de -www.international.icomos.org/recording_fre.htm Browning.Iain/ Jerash and the Decapolis/ Chatto Windus.London/ 1982/ (Ds154.9 G47 B76 1982). and Carl H.Kraeling/ Gerasa City of the Decapolis/ Yale University/ Published by the American Schools of Oriental Research/ New Haven, Connecticut/1938. W. Boehler, M. Bordas Vicent, A. Marbs ( Investigatgn Laser Scanner Accuracy , The XIXth CIPA Symposium at Antalya, TURKEY, 2003. Harrison Eiteljorg, How Should We Measure † an Ancient Structure?†, Nexus Network Journal, vol. 4,no.4(Autumn2002),http://www.nexusjournal.com/Eiteljorg.ht ml) Boehler, W. , Heinz, G., Marbs, A. The Potential of NonContact Close Range Laser Scanners for Culture Heritage Recording,CIPA Working Group VI)2001.

Contemporary Sociological Theory

Contemporary Sociological Theory Final Exam Jurgen Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action sought to explain this contemporary sociological thinker’s ideas on system and the life-world. The meaning of this â€Å"life-world† for Habermas, meant: one’s own personal space, including personal identity and consciousness. â€Å"It is the lived realm of informal, culturally-grounded understandings and mutual accommodations. † (Wikipedia) The life-world goes on to function through norms and beliefs of the society. Everyone in the society plays their role, which is based on their personal identity, and the society goes on functioning as a system.The system includes a chain of commands dealing with politics, economics, etc. Consequently, this leads to a colonization of the life-world. The system is an impersonal structure that entails organization and functionality. Because it is based on functions within social, educational and environmental policies, as we ll as markets (Parsons’ AGIL), there must be a form of order for it to run smoothly. The political institutions do not allow the individual to just think of himself, it essentially leaves a demand for all to work together as a whole.The life-world is based more on happiness and order within. When the functions of the system and life-world collide the life-world becomes colonized. Things are harder to be rationalized within the system because barriers are formed in the lines of communication. The struggle to please one’s own self and the need for order in the political realm causes a conflict of interest in modern society. The two entities are becoming rationalized as both continue to evolve. The life-world will continue to be hindered as the system continues to block lines of communication.As modern society goes on, the struggle within one’s self and the need to continually stabilize society will eventually cause a greater problem that will require further resea rch beyond that of Jurgen Habermas. 4. In Michael Foucault’s Discipline & Punish, he sought to explain his theory of surveillance within contemporary society. He does this by using the idea of the Panopticon as an example. The panopticon is a structure, created by Jeremy Bentham, which is built in a way that allows all angles to be easily viewed.The design, which is a circular, spherical building, allows those conducting the surveillance to see everything without having to worry about corners and non visible spots. The subjects that are being viewed never actually know when they are being specifically watched due to the construction of the building. It is also built so that the viewer cannot be easily seen. This structure is mainly existent in prisons but can also be used within schools, factories and military structures. Surveillance is defined as being the â€Å"continual observation of a person or group, especially on suspected of doing something illegal. (Encarta Diction ary) The most obvious example would be in the prison system where prisoners are being watched by prison wardens and guards. Cameras are set up at ever imaginable angle to monitor the behavior of the inmates. These cameras are active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, recording every move of every prisoner. Furthermore, if the guard were to stand in the middle of the panopticon, he would also be able to view all angles easily without too much movement. Foulcault formulated his theory of contemporary society, in relation to the panopticon. The idea of total surveillance represents power in society.The individual is constantly being watched which consequently alters their behavior. Because the surveillance is constant and unknown, we develop a state of paranoia within ourselves and never feel completely alone unless we are absolutely sure that we are in a private space. Foulcault’s interpretation extends to the acts of the government: â€Å"The role of legislation allows the means of authority to spread without need for one central authority figure. This advocates the self monitoring society which in essence is panopticism. † (Gieser) It is said that because the government is seen as the overseer.We, the citizens, develop our own sense of self-surveillance that in turn, satisfies the surveillance tactic. Foucault felt that this panoptic ordeal â€Å"dehumanize[d] and strip[ped] the population of their power†. (Gieser) Thus, it leaves us with no actual sense of normalcy and security. 5. The idea of culture industry was created by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer of the Frankfurt School. Culture industry is simply the use of manufactured goods in pop culture to influence society, thus causing society to be passive and not worrying about economical woes.Society develops unnecessary wants and needs while capitalism is masked and flourishing. This form of culture molds the idea of what’s important to society through mass production and ignores what works for the individual. Thus, a sense of uniqueness is lost. The Frankfurt School felt that this was an important way of trying to understand modern capitalist society because it was clearly going in that direction, at the time and now. Karl Marx inspired these beliefs through his own works and encouraged the Frankfurt School to expose capitalists.They did this by using ancient examples that proved that these frivolous items being praised were only there to mask the fact that we, the people were being manipulated and controlled. Exposing society to the control was supposed to encourage them to break free and regain their senses of self. The focus was on capitalism because it was strengthening its hold onto society at a constant rate. Adorno felt that through exposing these capitalist tactics, the cycle would reverse, causing individuals to gain there personality back, but that did not happen.Capitalism has only flourished and become more severe. Modern society is evolving an d as that happens; more capitalist tactics are being created. Thus culture industry is doing nothing but becoming stronger. The Frankfurt School took the time out to enlighten the masses but despite the fact, capitalism prevails. References Geiser, Brenton. All Eyes on You. â€Å"Surveillance (n. )†. Encarta Online Dictionary. Dec. 14, 2007. http://encarta. msn. com/dictionary_1861717276/surveillance. html http://www. wikipedia. com

Dell Mission Statement Evaluation

Dell Mission Statement Evaluation Customers: (8/10)@ – Delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve. – Flexible customization capability Products Services: (7/10)@ -Highest quality -Best-in-class service and support Markets: (9/10)@ – Competitive pricing – Dell has acquired a large amount of the U. S market and it has now penetrated into the Asian markets leaving a competitive edge. – Products are now also sold in Wal-Mart, Staples, and other retail outlets. Growth: (8/10)@ * 2012 Total Revenue : USD$ 63. 7 billion Profitability: (9/10)@ – Financial stability – Dell reportedly earned $1 million per day in revenue from transmitting messages about sales and discounts to its Twitter followers. Employees: (9/10)@ – 103,300 employees – Individual and company accountability Public Image: (8/10)@ – Superior corporate citizenship – To build customer intimacy and loyalty, Dell leverages its customers' knowledge of their own unmet needs. Dell's brand image was and is shaped by customer feedback. Technology: (7/10)@ -Leading technology Dell strives to produce the most technologically advanced products to make life and work easier and more enjoyable. Philosophy: (9/10)@ * We started the company by building to the customer's order†¦ we didn't do it because we saw some massive paradigm in the future. Basically, we just didn't have any capital. – Sometimes you just have to belly up to the bar and take a chance. We made some mistakes, but we also had the strength to work our way out. – It's customers that made Dell great in the first place if we're smart enough and quick enough to listen to customer needs, we'll succeed.

The Creation Of High Levels Of Job Satisfaction Essay

The Creation Of High Levels Of Job Satisfaction - Essay Example Moreover, according to Chen et al (2002), internalization of organizational values and systems lead to increased organizational commitment levels of employees, enhancing an individual’s intrinsic motivation to display higher levels of on-the-job performance. â€Å"Job satisfaction refers to an employee’s overall sense of well-being at work† (Biswas 2011: 96), and relates to intrinsic, extrinsic and social satisfaction. It enhances work performance, and has a positive correlation with organizational citizenship behavior. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate and discuss the statement that if employees’ performance at soaring levels has to be achieved, it is necessary to create high levels of job satisfaction among the employees. There is a strong relationship between organizational support, job satisfaction and employee performance. Organizational citizenship and work performance are also related to leader supportiveness as well as f ollower job satisfaction. Perceived organizational support is the extent to which the organization values employees’ contributions and is concerned about their well-being. A supportive organization shows commitment towards its workers (Miao & Kim 2010). Theorists of organizational support state that a high level of perceived organizational support improves work attitudes and creates effective work behavior based on two reasons. First, these beneficial outcomes result from a process of social exchange. The work of researchers Eisenberger, Cummings, Armeli and Lynch (1997) suggests that workers examine the discretionary actions and infer the extent to which they are being supported. They then seek to compensate for this favorable treatment, thereby becoming more hard-working and committed to their work and the organization.

Executive Reward Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Executive Reward Paper - Essay Example There is a general trend that these executives are normally paid more in comparison to the other lower level employees. The pay of these executives is made by a base salary along with several other perks and short and long term incentives (Pepper, 2006). HISTORY AND CURRENT TRENDS OF EXECUTIVE REWARD IN UK: Starting from the late 1970s, the high pay commission has investigated that there had been a sustainable trend in income that leads to income inequality. Most of the wealthy elite are going to be rich and bankers and business leaders have been gaining a lot from this upward trend. Starting in the early 1980s, it has been noticed that a huge shift occurred in which pay at the top level increased exponentially in comparison to the pay at the lower level. But still this pay level appears to be increasingly disconnected from the performance of the company. In FTSE 100 companies, an executive pay rose by 49% in 2010 (The High Pay Commission 2011a). This shows that there has been a huge increase in the pay of employees at the top managerial level of some of the biggest companies. As a result of this injustice, top pay results in market failure. High levels of inequality in income have contributed to sectoral imbalances, regional disparities in investment and assets bubble inflation. Today, the association of British insurers recognises the significance of large pay awards and they have claimed that excessive or undeserved remuneration has an impact on the efficient operation of the company. There has been considerable amount of increase in the previous thirty years (The High Pay Commission 2011a). AIMS OF EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION AND FACTORS LEADING TO EXCESSIVE REMUNERATION: Setting executive remuneration is one of the important and tough task for the organisation. the aims of the organisation behind the executive remuneration are to make sure that competent executives are attracted and retained. Apart from this it is important to motivate and encourage the top exe cutives as the overall performance of the business is directly dependent on them. Another factor which should be considered while setting executive remuneration is that it should facilitate the organisation in the process of being cost effective (Hume, 1995). Apart from all these aims and objectives of the organisation, there are several other factors and elements which directly affects the executive pay or remuneration. Some of these factors are: corporate governance, government regulations, interests of shareholders, labour market, value and culture of the organisation, employees, etc. Organisations have to balance all these factors along with the requirements and aims in order to come up with appropriate executive remuneration (Hume, 1995). Some of these factors have resulted in increasing the executive pay. Four main causes behind the excessive executive remuneration are (The High Pay Commission 2011a): 1. The ongoing efforts to relate the salary with the performance. 2. The str ucture of the organisation is not able to check and control the payments and earnings at top level. Some of the committee members have their own interests associated with the level of the salary and remuneration. 3. Condition of the labour market also has direct impact on the excessive executive remuneration. Most of the organisatio

The Kounin Model Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Kounin Model - Research Paper Example It supports my own personal philosophy of classroom management which can be summed up as subtle teacher control through early intervention. The main idea behind Kounin’s model is that classroom management should set up conditions which encourage the whole class to concentrate on their work, rather than deal with discipline problems in a reactive way. The teacher should be aware of what is happening at all times, and should anticipate any emerging situations before they escalate into actual behavioral problems. Once the teacher has allowed distractions to get the upper hand in a classroom, then the discipline issue becomes the â€Å"elephant in the room† (Ratcliffe et al., 2010, p. 306) and effective learning opportunities are lost while teacher and students alike deal with that discipline issue. The particular contribution that Kounin made, was to focus on prevention rather than cure, as a way of approaching classroom management, pointing out that both successful and le ss successful teachers were equally good at dealing with behavioral problems when they arise, but that the successful teachers were much better at preventing them from arising in the first place. (Baloglu, 2009, p. 70) This prevention angle, therefore, is the key to being the most successful type of teacher. A recent empirical study examined memories that 148 undergraduate pre-service teachers have on the excellent classroom management strategies they have experienced in the course of their own education (Balli, 2011). The purpose of this investigation was to find out what students’ own beliefs were, before they were exposed to theories on their education degree course, and see what kind knowledge they had gathered, and what was still to be acquired. One interesting conclusion of the paper was that students had a good grasp of, and great appreciation for, variations on Assertive Discipline Models, but they had less awareness of the Kounin concepts such as withitness, group ma nagement and smooth transitioning from one activity to the next. (Balli, 2011, p. 249) This shows that Kounin’s ideas are not at all obvious, and that they affect children in a subtle way that may not even be conscious. In my experience it is precisely the unspoken subtext of classroom interaction that determines how effective the teaching and learning becomes. Overt teacher disciplining, such as singling out one student and berating them for a particular action, expressing displeasure or even shouting at the class, are extremes which many teachers have to use in order to just convey instructions against a background of chaotic student behavior. It is much better to have a range of intervention options to use, such as the subtle technique which Kounin calls a desist. This need not be a verbal option. A teacher could, for example just approach a particular student’s desk or look at a particular student, while carrying on with the general lesson, and this is sufficient t o make the class aware that the teacher is alert and noticing what is going on. In cases of inattention or whispering in the back row, this may be enough to bring students back on track. If more distracting behavior occurs, then an escalation to verbal comments, or individual conversations can occur, but in my view the more subtle cues are better, because they do not

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example n that health care units are normally used by upper class people of high income groups (HIG) who are health conscious and wish to remain fit and trim. It could be used by children, adolescents, men and women and also elderly people. In the case of prospective location, Newcastle in UK, it is seen that percentage population above age of 60 years is 18.7%. Again, children within 18 years constitute 18.3% of the population. (Newcastle upon tyne central 2007). It is seen that in the context of current competitors’ charges, in most cases the prices are more or less equal for fitness services rendered, through use of machines or physical training, swimming pools, etc. Coming now to the second part of the question, it could be said that the main duty of a Geographical Information System (GIS) is to store, analyze, manage and present data which is connected with location. â€Å"Geography plays a role in nearly every decision we make. Choosing sites, targeting market segments, planning distribution networks, responding to emergencies, or redrawing country boundaries—all of these problems involve questions of geography.† (What is GIS). It is necessary that information needs to be associated with locations. Thus the latter plays a very determinant part in business strategy for bonding with customers or setting new plants. Again it is seen that Choosing a site, targeting a market segment, planning a distribution network, zoning a neighbourhood, allocating resources, and responding to emergencies—all these problems involve questions of geography. (Geography matters 2008). It is believed that retail business of the kind carried out by Tesco could greatly benefit by GIS. â€Å"Businesses maintain information about sales, customers, inventory, demographic profiles, and mailing lists, all of which have geographic locations. Therefore, business managers, marketing strategists, financial analysts, and professional planners increasingly rely on GIS to organize, analyze,

Images of globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Images of globalization - Essay Example Another example in which consumer goods have been boycotted due to cultural beliefs is McDonald’s. In Malaysia, many Muslim consumers have been calling for Malaysian citizens to boycott the restaurant due to a recent promotion intended to celebrate the Chinese New Year. One of the toys included in the promotional package was a pig, designed to offer support for the twelve different animals of the Chinese zodiac. However, in Muslim society, the pig is considered to be an abhorrence and consumption of pig meat is strictly forbidden. Muslims believed that McDonald’s was being insensitive to the customs and religious beliefs of devoted followers of the Muslim faith, even though the restaurant was not actually attempting to create any conflict with this religious group. Muslims were so outraged that McDonald’s illustrated a pig in a positive light that Muslim boycotters actually started a social media campaign in an effort to gain international support for shunning al l products being offered by the organization. This is yet another example of the images of

Research Paper on Inflation for the Country China

On Inflation for the Country China - Research Paper Example Causes of Higher Inflation in China Evidently, the higher inflation in China can be attributed to numerous factors. According to Yu (2011), the Chinese government’s increased currency control ended up in an artificial decline of foreign exchange rate of the Yuan and this adverse situation in turn amplified manufacturing and export business activities. Macroeconomic theories clearly state that decline in the real value of currency is the most severe impact of higher inflation. At the same time, the cheaper Chinese currency made imported food items and energy resources unaffordable to the country’s people. Economists strongly argue that the county’s unprecedented development rate have added to a severe demand pull inflation. In china, unbridled growth of consumerism together with rampant rise in population continues increase in consumer demand. Probably, the increasing consumer demand in turn would significantly augment business activities and ultimately the cost o f production. As a result, firms are compelled to charge higher prices for their products that would be unaffordable to lower and medium class customers. Many of the economists and corporate business magnets are of the belief that the value of the Chinese Yuan would improve in near future. This expectation has resulted in huge inflows of hot money and other long term investments to the Chinese economy. This large volume money inflows to the country cause asset bubbles in Chinese property market, especially in the industrially developed cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Consequences of Higher Chinese inflation According to Feldstein (1998), it has been identified that the inflation always hurts people’s standard of living since rising prices force them to pay more for the same goods and services. As Flynn (2011) reports, the inflation has a direct influence on gas prices in China as a result of governmental regulations that vehemently try to combat inflation. This situation ma kes the financial planning a troublesome task because the increased gas prices lead to home value loses. Inflation also badly affected the people’s retirement planning due to the increasing uncertainty regarding the future. Since the Chinese people are compelled to spend more and more on same goods and services, they would not have excess amount available to save. Similarly, if people expect further inflation, they are more likely to be extravagant as they envisage worse condition in near future. This economic condition turns to be one of the potential challenges to the Chinese economy as it may lead to further inflation. During the last three years, the difference between demand and supply and the resulted inflation went beyond Chinese government’s control; and consequently buyers trimmed down their day to day expenses in order to vie with the increasing price level. At the same time, producers cut down their output levels so as to retain minimum profit margin. In tot al, both these situations seriously affected the economy as they minimized long term economic gains. How to Manage Inflation in Chinese Economy? According to Premier Wen Jibabo, â€Å"China must continue efforts to control food and housing prices to ease soaring inflation and maintain economic development and social stability† (cited in SPK Group Co., Ltd., 2011). Wen also advises authorities to increase the outputs of farm

Newspaper Portrayals of Boris Johnson in the British Newspapers Literature review

Newspaper Portrayals of Boris Johnson in the British Newspapers - Literature review Example Naturally, the arms of government are defined as the legislative, judiciary and executive. Each of these has a constitutional role that they play in the democratic practice of government. To this end, it is these three arms of government that are officially accepted for all or any former duties (Angel, 2012). But as times went by in the practice of freedom of expression and freedom of the press through the provisions of democratic governance, the media was one area that was seen to have taken so much advantage of the provision, making its impact felt in almost every aspect of British life. It was for this reason that the media its self and the public started referring to the media as the fourth arm of government, necessary for undertaking the role of correcting and directing the society; especially government. Research has showed that one of the best and most favorable conditions that make it possible for the British media to have such influential role in British society is because m edia practice has been clearly diversified in Britain (Gunter, 2000). What this means is that in almost every aspect of social practice, there is a line of media practice that caters for that aspect. For example in it will be noted that Britain is a socio-cultural community with the people following social passions such as religion, sports, politics, economics, tourism, show business, education, and the likes. For each of these areas also, there will be a kind of media outlet that clearly distinct itself in providing the needed information that followers of the said passion seek after (Williams and Carpini, 2000). There is another school of thought that states that the role of media in British society could be grouped into three major key functions and these are to entertain, educate and inform society (Berger, 1991). What this means is that the media in Britain is responsible to offering entertainment to the society through the combination of a number of society paradigms including show business and sports. The media is also expected to educate the society by providing authentic and unadulterated facts that correspond to current and historic issues. Finally, the media informs the public by bringing them up to date with what takes place in Britain as a country and the international world. 1.2 Media and politics In Britain, the media and politics are both considered as independent and interrelated. As far as independence is concerned, it can be said that both the media and politics are considered as two agencies that have extremely different roles to play in society (Dimmick, 1974). Each of these can also play its role without necessarily needing support or help from the other. Between the two agencies, this phenomenon of independence of the media and politics has generally been in place as a means of ensuring fairness in the delivery of their duties. Studies have actually showed that when the media does its work in a manner that it needs no support and assista nce from any political personality or political party, it is possible that the media can go about its tasks more fairly and devoid of any political favouritism and biases that may be seen in various reportage as a form of payback for any good done to the media by the political agency (Dennis, 2000). In the same way, when politicians go about their roles in a manner that clearly shows that they do not need any assistance from the media to survive, it is possible for

Literature Review and Empirical Essay Example for Free

Literature Review and Empirical Essay From the early eighties to the nineties, the Standard Rate increased modestly, but is still below its mid-seventies level. While researchers have identified many reasons for the low UI recipiency rates over the past twenty years, many questions remain as to the causes behind the low rate and steps that policy and program officials might take to increase it. While the Standard Rate is the most commonly used measure to evaluate the effectiveness of the UI program, researchers have developed alternative UI recipiency rates to address some of the limitations of the standard measure. The standard measure is expressed as the ratio of the insured unemployed (i. e. , the number of regular UI claimants) to the total number unemployed. Alternative measures have been designed to better capture the effectiveness of the UI program by including the full range of UI programs available to the unemployed (beyond the regular program) and by more accurately defining the UI target population (a subset of unemployed workers). Purpose and Methodology The purpose of this report is to examine why the Standard Rate, as well as alternative recipiency rates, declined sharply in the early eighties and continued to remain well below their midseventies level in the early nineties. We critically reviewed the findings from the research literature to explore the factors others have identified to explain the drop in the UI recipiency rate. The literature review enabled us to identify factors for inclusion in our empirical analysis and to assess the effects of factors that could not be included in our own analysis. Our empirical analysis is based primarily on the methodology used by Burtless and Saks (1984) and focuses only on changes in the UI recipiency rate over recessionary periods. It is important to compare similar economic periods because the UI recipiency rate is higher during recessionary periods and lower during periods of economic expansion. We first replicated the analysis from Burtless and Saks, estimating the effects of various factors that influenced the rate used in their original analysis from the seventies recession (1975-76) to the eighties recession (1981-83). We then extended their earlier analysis by testing the effects of additional factors during that period. Next, we updated the analysis to include data from the most recent recessionary period in the nineties (1991-92). We chose the period in the nineties to be consistent with the periods of rising unemployment rates selected by Burtless and Saks. Finally, we extended their analysis by using the Standard Rate and two additional measures of UI recipiency selected to measure the performance of the UI programs during recessionary periods. Our conclusions about the effects of various factors on the UI recipiency rate are based on the findings from both the critical review of the literature and our empirical analysis. We also present evaluation design options to address some of the limitations of current knowledge. The Lewin Group, Inc. E-1 156059 Executive Summary C. UI Recipiency Rate Measures Four UI recipiency rate measures were selected for the empirical analysis. Standard Rate: number of weekly claims for regular program unemployment insurance benefits, as a proportion of all unemployed workers;1 All Programs Rate: number of weekly claims for all program (regular, extended and federal) unemployment insurance benefits, as a proportion of all unemployed workers; Standard Short-term Rate: number of weekly claims for regular program unemployment insurance benefits, as a proportion of job losers unemployed less than 27 weeks; and All Programs Job Loser Rate: number of weekly claims for all program (regular, extended and federal) unemployment insurance benefits, as a proportion of all job losers. The final three UI recipiency rates deviate from the Standard Rate by changing the definition of UI claimants, unemployed workers, or both. Because the All Programs Rate and the All Programs Job Loser Rate include all UI program claimants, Wandner and Stengle (1996) argue that they are generally better measures of UI coverage during recessionary periods when extended benefit programs are provided. The All Programs Job Loser Rate differs from the All Programs Rate because it targets a subset of unemployed workers (i. e. , job losers) who would be most likely to qualify for UI benefits. The Standard Short-term Rate only includes regular program claimants and the general â€Å"target population† for the regular state program, job losers unemployed less than 27 weeks. This final measure was used in the original Burtless and Saks analysis. All three alternative rates are larger than the Standard Rate because they use either a more expansive definition of UI claimants and/or a more restrictive definition of unemployed workers. From the seventies to the eighties, all four recipiency rates declined sharply (Exhibit 1). The largest reductions are for the All Programs Rate and the All Programs Job Loser Rate. These rates declined by more than the Standard Rate because of the large cutbacks in the extended benefit programs that were implemented in the early eighties. From the eighties to the nineties, the Standard Rate increased slightly. There is not, however, a large change in either the All Programs or All Programs Job Loser rates over this period, due to the small number of extended claimants. If, however, the analysis were extended to periods following March 1992, there would be an increase in both of these rates because of the extension of benefits through the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EU3) program. 2 The Standard Short-term Rate follows the same general pattern as the Standard Rate, though there is a much sharper drop-off in the Standard Short-term rate in the early eighties that corresponds with fewer short term job losers receiving regular program benefits.

Ethics Program Essay Example for Free

Ethics Program Essay The success of Company X is largely determined by the ethical actions and integrity of the employees that support Company X. We are committed to providing education and dialog to promptly address ethical questions or concerns raised by an employee. Managers should encourage discussion amongst employees especially regarding ethics. Ethics dialog should become integrated into a normal work day to keep ethics fresh on everyone’s minds and allow for manager and peer coaching. Ethical dilemmas can occur at any level of business and all employees should be able to make a decision that properly reflects the values and integrity of Company X. We must strive that every action at Company X promotes credibility and builds trust both internally and externally to the company. Respect for Others We all deserve to work in an environment that encourages employee growth and collaboration. Company X is an equal opportunity employer and is fully committed to providing a workplace that is free of discrimination or harassment of any type. The law is very clear regarding this matter and Company X will not tolerate discrimination against another person that includes, but is not limited to, race, sex, age, religious affiliation, national origin, disabilities, or any other class that is offered protection by federal, state or local laws. In addition, harassment of any nature will not be tolerated. Harassment in the work place can take many forms that can include, but is not limited to, unwanted sexual advances, derogatory statements or jokes, lewd emails, unwanted touching, and leering at someone are a few examples of actions that could be considered harassment. It is important to remember what may seem acceptable to you may make someone else feel uncomfortable. A diverse base of cultures, ethnicities, religion and values is at the foundation of America and it should be expected in the work place. You must be contentious of how your actions translate across different cultures and how your actions may be perceived, regardless of intent. Anything that creates a hostile or offensive work environment is unacceptable and will be addressed by management. Any employee who feels discriminated or harassed against should immediately report the incident to his or her manager or human resources. Open Door Policy Company X has an Open Door Policy; this means that everyone should feel comfortable speaking his or her mind, particularly regarding ethics concerns, without fear of reprisal or intimidation. Managers have a responsibility to create a supportive environment where employees feel comfortable discussing any concern or questions that they may have. Company X will only truly benefit when employees feel like that can take any concern they may have to management to prevent a mistake or wrong doing by asking the right question at the right time. Under no circumstance will Company X tolerate retaliation or intimidation against an employee who report instances of questionable or unethical behavior in good faith. All claims will be fully investigated by Human Resources. Any employee who makes a false claim, with malicious intent will face disciplinary actions, up to and including termination. Some actions that could be brought forward in good faith include, but are not limited to, lodging an internal complaint, filing complaint with external agency, unethical practices, requesting accommodations in accordance with ADA Act, refusing to follow unlawful orders, or filing workers compensation claim. Employees are encouraged to address any concerns they may have with their direct manager, ethical or otherwise. In the event the employee does not feel comfortable addressing the concern with his or her direct manager or the direct manager is culpable or unresponsive regarding the ethics violation or other issue, the employee is encouraged to report the incident to the Director of Human Resources. All issues of this nature will be kept confidential unless information must be shared due to legal action. Safety Company X is committed to providing and maintaining a safe workplace. Your safety and the safety of others should take precedence over anything else. All employees are required to comply with all of Company X’s safety rules and guidelines as well as any federal, state and local laws. Each employee is responsible to provide a safe work area for themselves and coworkers by maintaining an organized work area that is free from potential hazards. If there is ever any doubt regarding safety then you should immediately stop and notify manager. If there is ever a doubt about how to safely perform a task, then immediately stop and notify manager. No employee should ever be put in a situation or put others in a situation where they fear for their safety or the safety of anyone else. Any additional measures that could be taken to further increase the safety of an employee should be taken. Any unsafe working conditions or procedures must be immediately reported to your manager. In the event of an injury, regardless of severity, it must be reported immediately to your manager and Human Resources. There is nothing more important at Company X than the safety of our employees. There should never be a situation where an employee is put in an unsafe situation nor should an employee fear reprisal for reporting an unsafe condition. Employees should address safety concerns with direct managers; in the event that the direct manager is unresponsive then the employee must take safety concern to Director of Human Resources. No work is to occur until any safety concern is appropriately addressed. Conflicts of Interests  Employees at Company X must avoid any relationship or activity that might affect our judgment regarding business decisions. We may be faced with a situation where the decision we make to benefit Company X may conflict with our own interests. Opposing, we may be in a situation where a course of action benefits you personally, but may be may not be in the best interest of Company X. As an employee of Company X we must strive to advance the interests of Company X at every opportunity to do so, regardless of personal interests or conflicts. Property, information or position obtained while at Company X should only be used for the benefit of Company X and must never be used for the personal gain or you, your friends or family. Listed are some conflicts of interests intended to illustrate potential conflicts between Company X’s interests and your personal interests. This list is not exhaustive and should be used as a reference:  ·Being employed a competitor or potential competitor, supplier, or customer, regardless of the nature of the employment, while you are employed with Company X. Hiring or supervising family members or friends.  ·Owning or having a substantial interest in a competitor, supplier or customer.  ·Placing company business with a firm owned or controlled by a Company X employee or his or her family.  ·Accepting gifts, discounts, favors or services from a customer/potential customer, competitor or supplier, unless equally available to all Company X employees. It is not always easy to determine if a conflict of interests exists or not. It is always best to seek advice from management and Human Resources when there is any doubt. There is no violation for getting another opinion, so if there is any question at all, you are strongly encouraged to get as many valid opinions as possible. Another area that may present a conflict of interest or position of favor includes business courtesies. Business courtesies include gifts, gratuities, meals, refreshments, entertainment or other benefits from persons or companies with whom Company X does or may do business. We are committed to fair competition in the market through innovative products and solid business integrity. Any action that creates a perception of favorable treatment towards vendors or clients in exchange for business courtesies should be avoided. Company X does not support accepting or giving business courtesies that could constitute unfair business practices, violation of laws, or brings embarrassment to Company X. It should be expected to offer or accept occasional meals, refreshments, entertainment and similar business courtesies as part of standard business practices. Some general guidelines regarding what would be considered appropriate and what would be inappropriate are provided.

Mass Media Always A Powerful Tool Media Essay

Mass Media Always A Powerful Tool Media Essay Introduction From the past until today, mass media is always a powerful tool and having a big influence among the peoples. No one can assert that mass media was bring zero effect to the peoples. On the 18th century, the first theory about mass media theory was being introduced. The theory is about how strong the media can directly influence the people perception and action. Over the years, there are many theories are being introduced. Mass media theories are commonly used at the age of propaganda and one of the most successful propaganda is Nazis propaganda during World War 1. Propaganda is to influence public opinion through the use of media. Nazi Propaganda was generated in many different forms of media such as radio, cinema, speeches, visuals, events, brochures and etc. Besides that, there are also many famous mass media theory being introduced like magic bullet theory, freudianism, behaviorism and etc. There are a lot of arguments about the mass media theories from the past until today. Some philosopher disputes that media are bringing negative influence to the public, and they claim that media should be under control. However, there are also some theories explain that it brings positive effect such as libertarianism theory says that people are good and rational. So that, they support the media should have the freedom to report on everything and let the public to judge by themselves. Although there many debates about the usage of mass media, but no one can deny or underestimate the power of mass media. Mass media play as an important tool in nowadays, and there are no advanced countries banned the media. In fact, this means that every advanced country also rely on the media to communicate with their citizen. Media work as a tools for government to spread the news and promote their latest policy to the public. The mainstream media in Malaysia has always been perceived as an important agent of change for most of the governments policies. The mainstream media are newspaper, television station and radio station. The mainstream media are used to encourage the acceptance of the concept by the citizens of Malaysia. On 16 September 2010, Malaysia the sixth Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was introducing 1Malaysia concept to all corners of the nation. The concept is about the culture of excellence, perseverance, acceptance, education, integrity, meritocracy, humility and loyalty. One of the main objectives of this concept is unity and integration. 1Malaysia aims to improve the relations among Malaysians, regardless of racial, religious or cultural backgrounds. As we know, Malaysia is a multi-racial country and the three main races of Malaysia are Malay, Chinese and Indian. Besides that, Malaysia also forms by several minority races such as Baba-Nyonya, Kadazan, Ibans, Eurasian, Orang Asli and etc. The concept of 1Malaysia is to achieve all races living together hand-in-hand in harmony. In addition, 1Malaysia is also the concept to achieve the goal of Vision 2020 which introduced by Malaysia 4th prime minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohammad. Vision 2020 is about evolution Malaysia to a fully develop country in the year 2020. 1Malaysia concept aims to strengthen unity, rejuvenate the spirit of unity and camaraderie among people of Malaysia. The current prime minister said the concept would be implementing in a systematic and organized manner to ensure that no community was isolated from development of and kind. He said the concept was shored up by two main principles, which were mutual respect for one another and trust in one another. When we have respect for one another, it means we have the open attitude of appreciating the concept of unity in diversity. The trust for one another will not come about all of a sudden. It has to be developed in an organized and determined way. he said. To achieve development for the country, the people must have a positive attitude of acceptance among the different races that will lead to unity. In short, the concept is to improve race relations in Malaysia and the mainstream media play as a key in order to achieve the goals. Propaganda Propaganda aimed to changing the attitude of a group toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument. Propaganda is usually dispersed and repeated through the several of media in order to create the chosen result in audience attitudes. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political or religious agenda. Moreover, propaganda also can be used as political warfare. One of the most successful propaganda is Nazis propaganda during World War 1. The propaganda being use after Hitler took power in 1933 Richard Alan Nelson define that propaganda is a systematic form of purposeful persuasion that attempts to influence the attitudes, opinions, emotions, and actions of specified target audiences for political, ideological or commercial purposes through the controlled transmission of one-sided message via mass and direct media channels. A propaganda organization employs propagandists who engage in propagandism to apply the creation and distribution of such forms of persuasion. By focusing on the 1Malaysia concept, the theory was been used commonly in Malaysia. The people can always get in touch with 1Malaysia concept in Malaysia. The government is always propagandizing the 1Malaysia concept to Malaysians. Common media for transmitting propaganda messages include news reports, historical revision, government reports, books, movies, radio, television, posters and etc. For example, we can always see the poster that Najib with the 1Malaysia significant pose and the significant pose was been recognized by the Malaysians. Other than that, Malaysian also can find out 1Malaysias logo everywhere. Moreover, 1Malaysia is also come out with a theme song, and the lyric is kita satu bangsa, satu negara, kita satu Malaysia and it means we are one nation, one country and one Malaysia. This all action is also trying to influence the public opinion through the use of media. They want people to remember the 1Malaysia concept and they remind people every day and want people to change their attitudes. Political Economy Theory Political economy theorists study elite control of economic institutions, such as banks and stock markets, and then try to show how this control affects many others social institutions, including the mass media. Political economy is the interplay between economics, law and politics and how institutions develop in different social and economic systems. It also says that to understand the media, ones must look at the whole picture which includes the ownership of media and the control group of media. In Malaysia, the elite will be the government and most of the mainstream media are privatization but all the media are related to the government and political party. In fact, Fleet Holding, a company which is under the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has the 80% share of the News Straits Times Press and majority share in Utusan Melayu Press. These two presses are also producing the newspapers which have the largest readership in Malaysia. Moreover, the company also owns the share of 40% of Malaysia television station, TV3. In the other hand, Huaren holding Sdn. Bhd which link to Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) have the share 58% of the other Malaysia English paper, TheStar Newspaper. From this we can found out that the Malaysia mainstream media have a close relationship with the political parties. It was easy to reach a large audience by promoting 1Malaysia concept. The government or political party can show the benefits of the concept bring at the newspaper. People are more tend to believe what the newspapers carry. For example, 175 1Malaysia clinics by year end are reported on the TheStar newspaper on September 15, 2012. In fact, when the newspapers always carry the positive news of 1Malaysia concept, it helps to gain supports from Malaysia citizens. Authoritarianism Authoritarian theory defined that all forms of communications are fully under the control by the government. Authoritarians are necessary to control the media to protect and prevent the people from the national threats through any form communication. As we know, Malaysia is an authoritarian country and all the media are fully control by the government. Basically, the government has all rights to permit any media and control them through the licensing. If the government found out that any media had violated the government policies against the license, then the government has the power to cancel their license and revoke it. In fact, Malaysia also comes out with a law which is Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984. This is use to control the usage of printing presses in Malaysia. Under the law, all printing presses require a license granted by the Home Affair Minister and require to renewing the license. Besides that, Malaysia government also makes certain censorship. Censorship is a suppression of any communication which may consider as harmful to the king, the government, the citizen and the country. The censorship helps to protect and prevent the rulers and authorities from the sensitive issues. It used to protect the government to avoid been criticize by the media. The government has all right to restrict any sensitive issues from the press to maintain the peaceful and security of the country. This was a powerful ability for the government and it helps to promote the 1Malaysia concept. Agenda Setting Theory The idea of agenda setting began in 1922 with Walter Lippmanns Public Opinion book. The originally suggested that the media sets the public agenda, in the sense that they may not exactly tell you what to think, but they may tell you what to think about. The three consequences of agenda setting effects are forming opinions, priming opinions through an emphasis on particular issues and shaping an opinion through an emphasis on particular attributes. First, it studied by the researchers, media use issues to influence the people what they should think about. And then media focus on the characters of issues how people should think about. The agenda setting theory are commonly used by the politician. The gatekeeper plays as an important role in this theory and usually the media is the one who play as a gatekeeper. Gatekeeper controls over the selection of content discussed in the media. The media only show you what they comprehend as an important issue. Due to the Malaysia was an authoritarian country and the media are fully control by the government, the government can use the media to publicize the 1Malaysia concept. When the media publicize the 1Malaysia concept and it will become agenda setting theory. The media will indirectly tell the public what they have to discuss and what they have to focus. When the issue becomes a discussion among the Malaysians, it will strengthen the acceptance of the concept by the citizens. Marxist Theory Central to Marxist theory is an explanation of social change in terms of economic factors, according to which the means of production provide the economic base which influences or determines the political and ideological superstructure. Marxism encompasses an economic theory, a sociological theory, a philosophical method and a revolutionary view of social change. Marx argued that the hierarchical class system was at the root of all social problems and must be ended by a revolution of the workers. He believed that elites dominated society primarily through their direct control over the means of production, the base, or substructure, of society. But elites also maintained themselves in power through their control over culture. The inequalities between social classes are still happening in today society. For example, the riots happened in Malaysia on 13 May 1969 was an important incident in Malaysia history. The incident make the government emphasizes on the economy balance between the races and it come out with a policy which is New Economic Policy. Although this incident happen many years ago, but the problem of social classes are still remain in Malaysia today. The government member and royal family of Malaysia are call as the aristocrat in Marxist theory. In order for the government to maintain their status quo, the elite own the capitalism with their base. For example, Malaysias second privatize TV station Metrovision, the four share holder company was closely related to UMNO. The companies are City television Sdn.Bhd, Melewar Corporation, Utusan Melayu and Medanmas Sdn. Bhd. 1Malaysia concept aims to improve the citizens living standard to escape from poverty. In fact, the government is the one who control of the superstructure which are the media. 1Malaysia concept is also helps the government to maintain their status and their power. The government wants to maintain their status and also achieve the peaceful among citizen or bourgeoisie and proletariat in Marxist theory. 1 Malaysia concept is the best way to achieve the goal for the benefit of country or benefit of the elite through the ownership of mainstream media and control of the message production-ideology. Conclusion In conclusion, the media was always a powerful tool from past to now. In 21th century, media are becoming more powerful in this digital era, because people nowadays cant avoid getting in touch with media. Media was able to directly and also indirectly influence the people. So, the government should always use the media in a correct way. In fact, the mainstream media in Malaysia has always been perceived as an important agent of change for most of the governments policies. Malaysia government was able to make full use of the media and skillfully use the media to promote the 1Malaysia concept. In short, government make good use of media is one of the key to lead our country evolve to an advanced country to achieve the vision 2020 and also the 1Malaysia concept.

Pesticides Essay -- essays research papers

Pesticides Problems with formatting There are many important issues in the world regarding the environment and it's affects on the average person. Though, the one that hits closest to home, worldwide, is the trust that individuals have in the food that they consume. Yet pesticides are still found daily in foods all around the world. Pesticides are toxins that are used by produce growers universally to control pests that can destroy crops. These toxins are being ingested by humans in the forms of fruits and vegetables that have remaining toxins on them. How safe are these toxins to humans and what is being done to safeguard the environment as well as the health of individuals? Does the average person consume harmful amounts of poison at every meal? If the levels are unsafe, why is this problem continuing to get a blind eye from the people who are supposed to protect society? These questions when asked only lead to more questions. Until things are done to change the systems of pesticide usage universally, society can never be sure as to the long term effects on our environment and what they are eating or giving to the future of our world, the children. In some foreign countries pesticides are used more frequently with legislative control than in the United States. In Mexico and South America, for example, many of the pesticides that the United States and Europe have banned, wind up being used on a majority of their produce crops. The largest problem with this is that Europe and the United States import from South America for produce all of the time. What good does it do to ban harmful agricultural chemicals to be used on domestically grown crops if crops in other countries are grown with these same harmful chemicals, and are then allowed to be imported? Mexico and South America are the leading suppliers of produce for the earth's population because their climate is very conducive to year around crops. Unfortunately those countries are also known for their large amount of insects of all varieties. These insects are steadily becoming more and more immune to toxins that are sprayed on crops. More than five hundred insects, one hundred and fifty plant diseases and two hundred and seventy weeds are now resistant to pesticides. Results are that U.S. growers as well, are steadily forced to apply more and stronger toxins. As the amount an... ...TM Loops, Marilyn. "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children: What Are the Issues?" National Network for ChildCare Online. Internet. 11 Oct 1998. Available http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/pages/nncc/Nutrition/pestic.infant.html "Our Vanishing Wildlife." In Harmony. Online. Internet. 11 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.inharmony.com./pestwild.htm "Pesticide and Food Safety." California Environmental Protection Agency: Department of Pesticide Regulation July 1997:1-2. Online. Internet. 11 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.cdpr.ca.gov. "Pesticides and Food Safety." IFIC Jan. 1995: 1-13. Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998 Available http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agfacts/pesticides/pesticides.html Pimental, David. "Environmental and Economic Costs of Pesticides." Bioscience Nov. 1998. Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998 Available http://207.82.250/251/cgi-bin/getmsg? Wheat, Andrew. "Toxic Bananas." Multinational Monitor Sept. 1996: 9-15 Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.essential.org/monitor/hyper/mm0996.04.html Zuckerman, Seth. "Across the Great Divide." Sierra Sept. 1992: 20-21. Online. Internet. 7 Apr. 1998. Available http://207.82.250/251/cgi-bin/getmsg?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pesticides Essay -- essays research papers Pesticides Problems with formatting There are many important issues in the world regarding the environment and it's affects on the average person. Though, the one that hits closest to home, worldwide, is the trust that individuals have in the food that they consume. Yet pesticides are still found daily in foods all around the world. Pesticides are toxins that are used by produce growers universally to control pests that can destroy crops. These toxins are being ingested by humans in the forms of fruits and vegetables that have remaining toxins on them. How safe are these toxins to humans and what is being done to safeguard the environment as well as the health of individuals? Does the average person consume harmful amounts of poison at every meal? If the levels are unsafe, why is this problem continuing to get a blind eye from the people who are supposed to protect society? These questions when asked only lead to more questions. Until things are done to change the systems of pesticide usage universally, society can never be sure as to the long term effects on our environment and what they are eating or giving to the future of our world, the children. In some foreign countries pesticides are used more frequently with legislative control than in the United States. In Mexico and South America, for example, many of the pesticides that the United States and Europe have banned, wind up being used on a majority of their produce crops. The largest problem with this is that Europe and the United States import from South America for produce all of the time. What good does it do to ban harmful agricultural chemicals to be used on domestically grown crops if crops in other countries are grown with these same harmful chemicals, and are then allowed to be imported? Mexico and South America are the leading suppliers of produce for the earth's population because their climate is very conducive to year around crops. Unfortunately those countries are also known for their large amount of insects of all varieties. These insects are steadily becoming more and more immune to toxins that are sprayed on crops. More than five hundred insects, one hundred and fifty plant diseases and two hundred and seventy weeds are now resistant to pesticides. Results are that U.S. growers as well, are steadily forced to apply more and stronger toxins. As the amount an... ...TM Loops, Marilyn. "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children: What Are the Issues?" National Network for ChildCare Online. Internet. 11 Oct 1998. Available http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/pages/nncc/Nutrition/pestic.infant.html "Our Vanishing Wildlife." In Harmony. Online. Internet. 11 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.inharmony.com./pestwild.htm "Pesticide and Food Safety." California Environmental Protection Agency: Department of Pesticide Regulation July 1997:1-2. Online. Internet. 11 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.cdpr.ca.gov. "Pesticides and Food Safety." IFIC Jan. 1995: 1-13. Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998 Available http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agfacts/pesticides/pesticides.html Pimental, David. "Environmental and Economic Costs of Pesticides." Bioscience Nov. 1998. Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998 Available http://207.82.250/251/cgi-bin/getmsg? Wheat, Andrew. "Toxic Bananas." Multinational Monitor Sept. 1996: 9-15 Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.essential.org/monitor/hyper/mm0996.04.html Zuckerman, Seth. "Across the Great Divide." Sierra Sept. 1992: 20-21. Online. Internet. 7 Apr. 1998. Available http://207.82.250/251/cgi-bin/getmsg?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Thucydides Essay -- Ancient History, Greek

In the year 426, the tensions between the oligarchs (the rich minority) and the democrats (poor majority) rose so high, that it developed into a civil war. It had begun with the democrats tricking the oligarchs in to believing that Thucydides recounts the events that took place during the civil war in Corcyra. He claims that the civil war was just the first of many within Greece. Once word spread to the rest of the country with what happened in Corcyra, many civil wars broke out between many political groups (3.82) The varying political ideas among the two main parties created even more of a division than there already was, setting the two groups into a major civil war. Thucydides explains it best in saying â€Å"civil war brought many hardships to the cities [...] and will happen always as long as human nature is the same.† (3.82) It just takes one disagreement between the oligarchs and democrats to set everything in motion. One of the major issues however, was during the civil war, the Corcyreans had nearly lost all of their human compassion and values. Throughout this paper, three of the major values that were lost during the civil war will be addressed, along with Thucydides’ reasoning as to why they were lost. One of the first values that were re-evaluated according to Thucydides was that there was a tendency to change the meanings of things to justify their actions: to give more credence to what they were doing. Thucydides mentions how â€Å"ill-considered boldness was counted as loyal manliness; prudent hesitation was held to be cowardice in disguise, and moderation merely the cloak of an unmanly nature.† (3.82) Furthermore, â€Å"a mind that could grasp the good of the whole was considered wholly lazy.† (3.82) Thucydides is s... ....84), you’re faced with a very real possibility of civil war. As we have seen, Thucydides attributes a large amount of the civil war to ones predisposed thirst for blood and savagery. Having examined three different values that were lost among the Corcyreans during the civil war, as well as Thucydides beliefs to why it happened, will provide a better understanding of human nature during ancient Greece. The civil war in Corcyra between the oligarchs and the democrats was one of the first in Greece, but it most certainly was not he last. Once word had spread throughout Greece about the events in Corcyra, many of the Greek cities had engaged in a war similar to that of the Corcyreans. In civil war, as is in any war, it promotes our most primal and aggressive desires and allows them to surface and in a time of peace, any and all aggression, is easily lost.

All Quiet On The Western Front :: essays research papers

The Sorrows of War and the Glorious Lies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it really worth it? Is the simple order by a superior officer enough for someone to spill the blood of innocent soldiers? In All Quiet on the Western Front, a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a group of soldiers learn the hard way about the realities of war. They encounter trench warfare and hand-to-hand combat and slowly see how horrible the war is. Using the book, the author expresses his hatred towards war and how only evil comes from it. The emotions and actions of the soldiers represent the realities of war where brotherhoods are formed, the public is tricked in seeing war as good, and how deep inside everyone is the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The soldiers in the Second Company form this bond between each other that represents that of all wartime buddies. They develop these friendships where they depend on each other so that they can make it through the war. The young soldiers play cards, smoke together and joke around together to pass time when they are not fighting. Their reactions towards dying friends show their love for one another. â€Å"Suddenly little Kropp throws his cigarette away, stamps on it savagely, and looking around him with a broken and distracted face, stammers â€Å"Damned sh*t, the damned sh*t!†Ã¢â‚¬  (page 18). Even after their good friend Kemmerich passes away, the circle of friends is able to pull together and get through it all. They have a deep love for each other. Some soldiers like Paul and Katczinsky even feel a father/son relationship with each other. â€Å"We don’t talk much, but I believe we have a more complete communion with one another than even lovers have† (page 94). The war has brought them together. It has made them rely on each other for survival and has brought them to forget the horrors of war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The soldiers fight because of simple orders. They really have nothing to gain from it. Their superior officers don’t know what its like. They get out on the battlefield and cowardly turn away. All those people who romanticize war including Kantorek and Himmelstoss go to trench warfare and they see the real truth. They see that they have misled the public with propaganda and their continuous actions to have people volunteer. â€Å"Quickly I jump back into the dug-out and find him with a small scratch lying in a corner pretending to be wounded.

Opportunities for Women-Owned Businesses

IntroductionWomen business owners are crucially vital to the American economy.   Women are establishing businesses at twice the pace of all businesses and remaining in business longer. In fact, America's approximately 9.1 million women-owned businesses provide work for about 27.5 million individuals and put in around $3.6 trillion to the economy (Page, 2006).   Nevertheless, women persist to confront rare and distinctive barriers and challenges in the world of business.   This paper will establish that in spite of present global turndown, there are now tremendous opportunities for women owned businesses both domestically and in the international market place.The total number of women owned companies throughout the world provides considerable business-to-business (B2B) opportunities. Actually, US women owned companies spent around $48 billion on technology equipment alone (Page, 2006). This just proves that women can definitely respond in this 21st century by their numbers to th e â€Å"ole boy's network† of old. These women business owners are a primary force in the global economy with considerable spending powers.The major  obstacles to trading internationally  are frequently the time and costs concerned with getting it done.   The costs of marketing to a number of different countries at the same time can be unusual. It takes  some time  to go into new markets,  it takes considerable time to build new business relationships and it takes a lot of  time to create the right contracts.   A number of the conventional methods of entering new markets  have been participation at international conferences or trade fairs.   These  can  be time consuming, expensive, and,  unluckily,  not at all times productive.Some time ago,   globalization has been set aside for the elite corporate, with their  Ã‚   huge budgets and  Ã‚  Ã‚  massive  resources. For a lot of small businesses turning out to be a player on the world market w as  Ã‚  Ã‚  just  basically further than their expectations. For women business owners, there's often double whammies,  since  women are  frequently declined the essential capital for starting up in business and then often declined capital for growth and expansion.  Ã‚  Women business owners frequently lack access to information and easy access to a recognized trade network.In the year 2000, President Bill Clinton initiated Executive Order 13157 reiterating his administration's pledge to boosting opportunities for women-owned businesses (Office of the Press Secretary, May 29, 2000).   The E.O. required agencies and departments to formulate long-term comprehensive strategies to develop and increase opportunities for women-owned businesses. The Executive Order also obliged federal agencies to â€Å"meet or exceed† the five percent government-contracting objective that now subsist for women-owned businesses.At present, there are various supports being offered to cr eate opportunities for women-owned businesses and help these women entrepreneurs succeed in their businesses.   First, there is the growing popularity of certification among women-owned businesses; next, there is increasing federal procurement opportunities for women-owned businesses; and third, a web site was created to assist women business owners obtain federal contracts.Certification Growing in Popularity Among Women-Owned BusinessesNowadays, certification to qualify for government contracts is becoming more popular among women-owned businesses (Page, 2006). Specifically, a lot of women-owned businesses in Oklahoma are obtaining or securing certification to meet the criteria or qualify for government contracts.Moreover, certification likewise offers firms owned by women an advantage in securing contracts from big corporations, as mentioned by Debbie Hurst, president of the Women's Business Council-Southwest. According to Hurst, she informs women that certification can be a sig nificant part of their marketing tool case. Hurst added that with merely 5 percent of women business enterprises obtaining government and corporate contracts yearly, there is still a need to bridge the gap between the opportunities for business and the capability of women-owned businesses (Page, 2006).The group Women's Business Council-Southwest (WBCS), with headquarters in Arlington, Texas, stands for women-owned businesses located in Oklahoma, north Texas, New Mexico, and Arkansas. The association operates in coordination with the Women's Business Enterprise National Council to endorse and certify members.As asserted by Hurst, the number of Oklahoma companies securing certification has increased 60 percent ever since the year 2004, the year the Oklahoma Leadership Forum was created by the regional group (Page, 2006).As maintained by Tamara Walden, president of Walden Energy (a certified women-owned business) based in Tulsa and a council member The Oklahoma Leadership Forum was con ceived to assist women capitalists boost business and gain access to more contracts (Page, 2006).Walden added that certification is a vital marketing tool for increasing a women-owned business' visibility between procurement decision makers and corporate supplier. Several companies necessitate that a firm be licensed or certified before they will offer a contract as a women's business enterprise. The WBCS is striving to create consciousness of that fact to local businesses, as well as offering educational opportunities and fun networking that help support that.There is promise and potential for growing certifications in Oklahoma for the reason that the state has a projected 77,000 women-owned companies (Page, 2006). Moreover, there is an enormous market of women-owned businesses that are not availing of certification programs like that being offered by WBCS that can help them access diversity and government programs.Growing Federal Procurement Opportunities for Women-Owned Businesse s Although Federal procurement might not sound like a significant issue to the general public, or even a term that a lot of people is aware of, it is considered one of the most profitable, yet complicated and difficult, markets for small businesses to access, specifically those owned by under-represented minorities and women. According to the Office of the Press Secretary (May 29, 20000), in the year 1999, women-owned businesses composed 38 percent of all businesses but obtained merely 2.4 percent of the $189 billion in Federal prime contracts.Certain Federal agencies have taken the lead in operating with women owned businesses, and must be applauded. As indicated by the Federal Procurement Data System, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Small Business Administration have all not just met the five percent objective, but have come in at approximately fifteen percent or better (Office of the Press Secretary, May 29, 2000).These Federal agencies recognize that coordinating and operating with women-owned businesses is not merely a philanthropic exercise. These businesses owned by women are dependable, strong, and do good work. Furthermore, these companies offer a solid service to their clients, and the Federal contracting officers are aware of it. Altogether, about 20 Federal agencies either fulfilled or exceeded the five percent objective.Thus, this just proves that it is certainly possible for government agencies to accomplish the five percent goal. Nevertheless, it is anticipated that agencies will work harder, adhering to the examples of the agencies mentioned above, to contract with women-owned businesses.  Ã‚   Over the years, government officials are supportive of numerous initiatives to boost resources and opportunities for women-owned businesses. For instance, several senators have passed legislation to re- authorize the National Women's Business Council for a period of three (3) years, and to raise the annual appropriation from $600,000 to a total of $1 million. Part of that amount will be utilized to help Federal agencies satisfy the five-percent procurement objective for businesses owned by women (Seck, May 23, 2000). The National Women's Business Council has offered magnificent leadership in this field, making bigger contracting opportunities a main concern since it was established in the year 1988, and merited praise from Republicans and Democrats for two general and extensive procurement studies it published in the years 1998 and 1999.Besides sustaining reauthorization of the National Women's Business Council, Senator Kerry initiated the Women's Business Centers Sustainability Act of 1999 (Seck, May 23, 2000). Proclaimed a public law, that Act is assisting Centers deal with the funding limitations that have been making it more and more hard for them to maintain the level of servi ces they offer after they graduate from the Women's Business Centers program and no longer be given federal matching finances.Hence, it is certain that President Clinton’s Executive Order creates a strong system within the Federal Government for raising the number of contracts that can be obtained by women-owned businesses.SBA Creates Web Site to Help Women Business Owners Obtain Federal ContractsIn the year 2000, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched a new web site, which aimed to boost procurement and networking opportunities to women-owned businesses by means of putting all contracting assistance information at a single on-line site.The web site called WomenBiz.gov is a joint venture of SBA's Office of Federal Contract Assistance for Women Business Owners, National Women's Business Council, the Interagency Committee for Women's Business Enterprise, and the SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership (Comtex News Network, 2000).WomenBiz.gov offers women-owned businesses direct access to the government networks and the federal acquisition tools to draw on the $200 billion federal marketplace. Furthermore, the web site functions as the official gateway to over 100 procurement and acquisition sites hosted by a variety of federal agencies.Furthermore, the web site likewise incorporates connections to Electronic Posting System, PRO-Net, the GSA Federal Supply Schedule Program, DefenseLINK, CBDNet, and SBA's Government Contracting page (Comtex News Network, 2000). When President Clinton asked the SBA to lead the efforts to make sure that women-owned businesses be given their fair share of federal contracts, SBA answered that call and reiterated its promise to the President Clinton’s initiative though endorsing the launch of its web site and establishing the office. These are two vital instruments for offering procurement opportunities to women-owned businesses.Generally, the web site contains information pages specially developed to he lp women entrepreneurs who want to take part in government procurement.Meanwhile, the women's contracting office is one of numerous initiatives the White House has instigated to encourage procurement opportunities for women-owned businesses.ConclusionAll of the initiatives discussed in this paper show that there are several complementary national policies to increase procurement opportunities for businesses owned by women.The phenomenal growth and success of women-owned businesses was primarily due to the development of a national network of women's business centers and organizations. As an outcome of lobbying by women business owners and the establishment of the SBA’s Office of Women's Business Ownership, various women's business centers have offered would-be entrepreneurs with adequate and necessary knowledge, information, training, skills, loans, and technical assistance.Nowadays, the Federal agencies have started to make progress from the time when Congress implemented th e five-percent procurement goal, but the contracting managers should keep in mind that this goal is just a minimum, not a maximum. Out of the over 9 million women-owned businesses in the United States, the Federal Government can find ones that are reliable and qualified, with good products and services to boost, to fulfil their contracts if they make it a main concern or top priority.ReferencesComtex News Network.   SBA Unveils New Web Site to Help Women Business Owners Get Federal Contracts.   U.S. Newswire, September 12, 2000.Office of the Press Secretary.   Executive Order 13157-Increasing Opportunities for Women-Owned Small Businesses.   Compilation of Presidential Documents, May 29, 2000.Page, David.   Certification growing in popularity among women-owned businesses.   Dolan Media Newswires.   March 18, 2006.Seck, Kathyrn. Kerry Floor Statement on Increasing Federal Procurement Opportunities for Women-Owned Businesses.   U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business a nd Entrepreneurship.   May 23, 2000.